While Chinese acupuncture and herbalism enjoy widespread popularity in the West, traditional Chinese exercise techniques—with the exception of qi gong—have rarely been taught outside China. This book is designed to change that. Written by Jun Wang, a doctor of Chinese medicine, Cultivating Qi draws on classic Chinese texts to introduce these body-mind healing exercises to Western readers.

In simple, accessible language, Wang presents three specific qi exercises: the Yijin Jing, a popular form of calisthenics associated with both Chinese Buddhist and Daoist traditions; Taiji Neigong, a series of 34 movements adapted from the Wu-Hao style of Taiji Quan; and the “Six Healing Breaths,” which combines spoken sounds with movements associated with the six major vital organs of Chinese medicine.

Written for beginning students of Chinese medicine as well as laypersons, healthcare practitioners, and martial artists, Cultivating Qi includes clear explanations of Chinese medical terminology—and provides the original Chinese characters for more advanced students—as well as step-by-step instruction in the three exercises. Accompanied by 100 photographs, these exercises are suitable for all ages and activity levels, and most of them
take no more than 10 to 15 minutes to complete. "This slim book, whose intellectual weight thoroughly belies its modest page count, works on three quite different levels: first, as practice book for a simple introduction to some of the most useful everyday exercise forms attached to the Chinese medical tradition, second, as an exposition and celebration of the roots of that tradition and the culture which gave rise to it, and third, and by no means least, as an evolutionary development of that tradition. ... It is highly recommended for those who want to improve their health, particularly in the face of chronic illness or the natural depredations of aging, but also it should be of serious interest to all those who practice Chinese medicine and/or martial arts."
—The American Acupuncturist