Featuring all of our titles, including books on Chinese medicine, qigong, martial arts and complementary therapies, the Singing Dragon catalogue has something for everyone. Feel free to browse, share and email the catalogue to anyone you think might be interested. Click on the catalogue to view full-screen. You can find out more information and order the books by clicking on the titles.
If you would like any physical copies of the catalogue please send an email to post@intl.singingdragon.com
Ida Rolf, founder of Structural Integration work, and the grandmother to many of us in bodywork fields, is reputed to have said ‘Strength isn’t strength; flexibility is strength.’ I find this to be a profound and simple truth, and one I’ve tried to follow in my nearly 30 year bodywork career. I believe this thought holds true across disciplines, models, and techniques. It makes sense to me that any time we focus on shortening, tightening, and strengthening, we’re also creating a tension and brittleness. In other words, when we focus on creating strength and its attendant tensions, we’re actually creating a tighter system that’s more prone to injury.
Recent research has shown that static stretches actually produce more injuries than they prevent; most athletes have realized that gentle moving stretches are more effective. Yogis have known this truth for years. Yet many Pilates instructors, for example, still toss around the term ‘core strength’, and many people have strength as their goal when stretching and training. They believe the ultimate goal is to create a tension and strength at the core line, when actually, a softness and resilience suggests a body that’s more ready to move in any direction, quickly and enthusiastically. I believe it was Alan Watts who coined the term ‘dynamic instability’. I like that term, which suggests to me that each of us has the ability to operate from a resilient core that can quickly move into any direction we’d like, more quickly and more happily. I’d like to invite everyone to revisit their goals and work to achieve ‘core resiliency’ instead of this core strength.
Let me get on my personal bandwagon for a moment also, to further challenge us all: many of us have got into our ‘helping’ professions because the specific technique we practice has helped us tremendously in our own bodies and with our own problems. This makes perfect sense; why shouldn’t we decide to share with others what works well for us? However, I’ve seen plenty of yoga instructors with chronic conditions they can’t seem to work through; I’ve seen Pilates instructors who have strong cores, no flexibility, and lots of pain, and I’ve seen deep tissue bodyworkers who clearly don’t know how to accept deep touch. If you are going to share expertise with others, please, please spend time working to create a greater awareness in your own body, and remember to let your journey be an exploration instead of an achievement. Turning a task into an achievement sets one up for being a failure or a success instead of an individual on a journey; turning a task into an exploration ensures that one can take what one is given without a need for turning up the pressure on self to achieve more. Be satisfied with your progress and your process, instead of believing that you must always do and be more! When we are satisfied with our own progress, we don’t have to push our clients as hard to achieve.
Currently I’m quite interested in the polyvagal theory, coming to us from PhD Stephen Porges from Illinois, USA. His theory is that the vagus nerve, which initiates in the brain stem and travels deeply through the front of the body, is both a controller of relaxation response in most of us, but also is part of the governing mechanism for the adrenal system of the body. His polyvagal term comes from the idea that most of us accept the concept of ‘fight-or-flight’ response from the adrenals, and that the vagus controls this response. He postulates, however, that there is a second, older system in the vagus nerve that is what he calls the ‘play dead’ mechanism. We might also call this the ‘freeze’ response. In other words, like many other, more primitive animals, we may have a secondary, older vagal system that encourages us to numb out, play dead, freeze or in some way dissociate from our bodymindcores when things aren’t going our way.
John Pierrakos, founder of CORE Energetics, gives us another interesting model when he suggests we are three layered beings. His CORE is the ‘center of right energy’. The second layer of the bodymindcore in CORE Energetics is the body, and the third layer is the environment. It’s Pierrakos’ contention that too many of us are using our bodies to protect our cores from our environment. Take a moment to consider this model—can you see how the softening and resilience of the core created by softening the body can bring any body to a place of greater peace, flexibility, and joy in living?
I believe I witness Porges’ ‘play dead’ response more and more, now that I’m looking for it—either in someone who chatters incessantly on the therapy couch, who stops breathing, who tolerates unbelievable amounts of pain, or even who falls asleep. I believe far too many bodyworkers (and physios, and psychotherapists!) are operating from a slightly frozen place in themselves. How can they help clients to find and resolve core issues, when in actuality, they’re still interested in tightening and strengthening cores? How can one find and resolve the core issues if one is defended at the sleeve and trying to create strength at the core? We must fearlessly, yet enthusiastically, look to soften the blocks that begin at the sleeve, access and soften the core, and learn to be new animals coming from a new outlook of dynamic instability.
And that which we want for our clients, we must first challenge ourselves to find. The language gets in the way: we don’t have to achieve anything. We don’t have to strengthen anything. We don’t even have to change anything, except our attitudes.
Noah Karrasch trained as a rolfer in 1986 and has over the years developed his own style of work, called CORE® Fascial Release Bodywork. Located primarily in Springfield, Missouri, he also visits the UK twice yearly to teach and work. His two books are Meet Your Body geared toward helping clients find this core resilience, and Freeing Emotions and Energy Through Myofascial Release which is primarily meant to share his theories of health and well-being with practitioners. Find him on the web at www.noahkarrasch.com.
© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved
Would you like to review one of our newest resources? Enter now to get a free card set of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches – TianGan DiZhi by Master Zhongxian Wu and Dr Karin Taylor Wu.
This complex calendrical system was created in ancient times to codify the patterns of life and of the universe itself, and is as relevant today it ever was. Through better understanding TianGan (Heavenly Stems) and DiZhi (Earthly Branches), you can deepen and expand your practice of Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, Fengshui and Chinese astrology, as well as internal cultivation practices such as Qigong, Bagua and Taiji.
This set of study cards decodes some of the fundamental messages from the 22 GanZhi symbols. The Chinese character and key characteristics of each Stem or Branch are shown, providing insights into their symbolic and numerological meanings. For calligraphers and those who want to draw the characters correctly, the stroke order is clearly illustrated on separate cards.
We have 5 copies to give away to anyone interested in writing an online or offline review.
If you’re interested add a comment to this post saying why you want to review this book. The deadline for submitting your request is May 31, 2013.
We will select 5 winners and get in touch after this date.
This giveaway is now closed – thank you to all who entered.
© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved
In this extract from Mudras of India, the authors explore the meaning and use of hand gestures in both vedic and Chinese traditions, and describes the ancient spiritual origins, and meaning of the mudras of India.
“Our hands are a source of tremendous power. With such profound dexterity,sensitivity, and utility, the human hands may be one of our most defining features as a species… With the hands playing such a central role in our experience of being human, it comes as no surprise that many of the world’s great spiritual and artistic traditions have considered the hands as sacred.”
Click here to read the extract
Mudras of India is now available in paperback, and includes a new chapter that comprehensively lists the benefits of hand mudras, covering major health concerns as well spiritual and psycho-energetic categories.
“Mudras of India is a much-needed compendium that beautifully illustrates the incredible variety and versatility of the hand gestures that play a key role in India’s sacred traditions. Every dancer, yogi, or yogini will want to keep a copy on hand!”
– Roxanne Kamayani Gupta, PhD, author of A Yoga of Indian Classical Dance: The Yogini’s Mirror
Cain Carroll teaches yoga, qigong, meditation and self-healing worldwide. He has trained extensively under the guidance of Daoist, Buddhist and Indian Yoga masters. His journeys have taken him to remote areas of India, China, Nepal, Tibet, Thailand and South America, where he received private instruction in many rare and powerful practices. Cain is co-author of Partner Yoga and creator of three self-healing DVDs. His website can be visited at www.caincarroll.com. Revital Carroll has been dedicated to the study of Indian spiritual arts since childhood. Intensive study and practice of yoga and meditation in the Himalayas led her to discover her passion for Odissi Indian Dance. She is the creator of three instructional DVDs and she offers classes, workshops and performances worldwide. Visit www.shaktibhakti.com for more information.
Although not much is known about painful bladder syndrome, a common and highly debilitating condition, there are simple, natural ways to relieve the symptoms. In this exclusive interview, Philip Weeks outlines 7 steps that enhance the body’s ability to heal itself, taken from his own 12-year experience of treating the condition.
He shows that despite being a difficult condition to treat, patients can derive huge benefits and increased wellbeing through these simple approaches.
To learn more about effective natural treatments for painful bladder syndrome, and common co-existing conditions, including allergies, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue, see Painful Bladder Syndrome:Controlling and Resolving Interstitial Cystitis through Natural Medicine.
Philip Weeks is a leading expert on natural medicine and nutrition and is a master herbalist and acupuncturist. He is an engaging, informative presenter and is renowned for his deep understanding and knowledge of ancient medicine. He is well versed in Ayurvedic, Arabic, Chinese and Greek medicine and utilises these systems by making them relevant to today. Philip is known for his pioneering, passionate and positive approach to helping people achieve their optimum health. He is a frequent lecturer on herbal medicine and holistic health.
© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved
May is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Awareness Month, raising awareness of this multi-systemic and complex connective tissue disorder, and supporting those who live with this invisible condition.
As awareness and understanding of EDS are central to early diagnosis and management of symptoms, take the time to learn about the condition, and simple steps that can help the many people who live with it.
Learn more about EDS (especially type III – Hypermobility Syndrome) with these interviews and resources, and more:
Books:
Interviews:
Organisations:
See also:
© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved
With The Great Intent, a new translation of acupuncture odes from Ming-era China, Richard Bertschinger gives us a rich insight into the life and thought of these doctors, as well as practical indications for treatment.
See the depth of practical insight conveyed through these odes in these two short excerpts, taken from the book.
Click here to read the extract (please note this extract features some Chinese characters, which some internet browsers may not be able to display properly).
‘It is a difficult job to read traditional Chinese medical canons in the classical style – even for the young Chinese – but an exceptional translation into English can miraculously benefit scholars worldwide who wish to study the real ancient meaning of Chinese medicine. Richard Bertschinger’s The Great Intent is such a book.’
– Professor Dr Bo-Ying Ma, MD, MA, PhD, FRSM, Chairman of the Federation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, UK
Richard Bertschinger studied for ten years with the Taoist sage and Master, Gia-fu Feng. A practising acupuncturist, teacher of the healing arts, and translator of ancient Chinese texts, he works and practises in Somerset, England.
In this extract, the authors describe the early development of Kinesiology, and the unexpected discoveries which informed the basis of many branches of the practice. They also look at how Kinesiology fits within the idea of truly holistic medicine, showing how it can bring change and restore balance in people’s lives.
Click here to read the extract
Praise for the first edition of Principles of Kinesiology:
“A well-crafted book, ideal for newcomers to the subject, whether lay or professional…an accurate and balanced guide to this fast-growing area of healing.”
– Leon Chaitow ND, DO, MRO, naturopath, osteopath and acupuncturist, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies
“A much-needed book…to get help with your pain, stress and improve your performance with energy balance and muscle facilitation.”
– John F. Thie DC, founder and author of Touch for Health
Maggie La Tourelle has worked in the field of holistic healthcare for thirty years as a practitioner, teacher and writer integrating kinesiology, counselling, psychotherapy and NLP. She is an honorary member of The Kinesiology Federation, and a member of The Association for Therapeutic Healers, The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, The Scientific and Medical Network and the Guild of Health Writers. She lives in London, UK.
Anthea Courtenay is a freelance writer, journalist and translator based in London.
In these extracts Chungliang Al-Huang teaches us how to laugh at Taiji and enjoy being awkward. Taken from the classic Quantum Soup, these short excerpts highlight the author’s uplifting approach to Taiji practice, Daoism, and life, written with humour, warmth and insight.
Click here to read the excerpts.
‘Quantum Soup is a gourmet preparation of philosophical snaps and snails, sharks’ fins and puppy dogs’ tails to tickle the sophisticated palate and provoke happy, healthful belly laughs. Confucius say: “Number One good recipe!”‘
– Joseph Campbell
‘Quantum Soup is an elegant, wise and playful expression of Taoist and Zen Buddhist sensibilities in a Western setting – a philosophical entertainment with a collection of anecdotes, aphorisms and koan-like ruminations, all served up in appetizer portions.’
– Los Angeles Times
Chungliang Al Huang is the founder of Living Tao Foundation, an international cultural-arts network for lifelong learning, and the director of the Lan Ting Institute, a cross-cultural study and conference center at the sacred and historic Wu Yi Mountain, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the People’s Republic of China, and at Gold Beach on the Oregon Coast in the USA. He has written many classic books including Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain: The Essense of Tai Ji; Essential Tai Ji; and The Chinese Book of Animal Powers, all of which are published by Singing Dragon.
© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved
Anybody engaging with the internal practices of the Daoist tradition will no doubt encounter many difficulties along the way: many of the terms are written in metaphorical language, teachings are often contradictory and on top of that there is the crisis of faith often caused by the question, ‘is this experience real or is it my imagination?’ Even with the help of an experienced teacher there will be times when students will find themselves fumbling in the dark with practice yielding more questions than answers. These are challenges which any seeker of the way faces and it is the role of a concrete system of practice to help guide the practitioner through this darkness towards the state of conscious elevation which is the goal of all Daoist arts.
One aspect which can cause a great deal of confusion is around the meridian system. Is the idea of energetic pathways of Qi running through the body purely a conceptual framework or is it in fact an actual part of the human body-system? Whilst some may accept the concept of meridian pathways purely on faith others will disregard it on the basis that they have been brought up in a science-based society where logic prevails. In my opinion both of these stances have their own limitations. I have always sat somewhere in the middle; I am ready to accept that which has been a part of an unbroken lineage for millennia but I am also prone to retaining an element of doubt until proven through my own experience. It was this position I took when considering the meridian system.
I originally studied the meridian pathways in the conventional manner. As part of the Tui Na massage training I undertook alongside my martial arts training, I read textbooks on Chinese medicine and was guided towards locating the various points of the meridian system by my teachers. In this way I developed a working, theoretical understanding of the meridian pathways which I was utilising daily in my practice of Chinese medicine, Qi Gong and the martial arts. It was not until I was introduced to the Heavenly Streams practice of connecting with the meridian system and sending my awareness along their length that I began to understand with no doubt whatsoever that the meridians existed. Through learning how to breathe in a certain way and direct my attention to specific ‘entrance’ points on the meridians I learnt to ‘retune’ the frequency of my mind. Like a radio switching between stations I was able to use the points to translate the energetic realm for me bringing the flows of Qi into the realm of direct experience. Now these pathways I had studied for so long could tangibly be felt. I experienced the flow of information along their length and began to feel the comparative differences between the different channels. I encountered blockages of different types along their length and found that I could move them through focused concentration; as a result I learnt how clearing these blockages had a knock on effect to the physical realm of my body and my health improved.
Further exploration led me to understand how various body functions could be controlled through these points, for example one point in particular started me sweating as soon as I put my mind onto it. I did not increase in body temperature but rather just felt as though the pores opened allowing fluid to escape them. Other points allowed me to change my body temperature, energy levels and even my mind-set; I had connected with and learnt how to interface with the energetic ‘control panel’ of my body. Over the years I have learnt to refine this until I am able to adjust the various functions of my body to help me rid myself of illness when in the early stages, change my mind if my moods are working against me or even to prepare my body for internal training. Progression has even enabled me to now see the meridian pathways during my practice; the information of the Qi being connected with is translated visually by my mind and through this ‘inner vision’ I am able to observe the various fluctuations of Qi taking place within my energy body.
When teaching, I encourage students to engage in the same practices. Through periods of sitting and connecting through the same entrance points I have taught my students to connect with their own meridian pathways. It is always rewarding to see the face of a student who, for the first time, feels their own energy body; especially if this is a student who has already worked on a purely theoretical level with the meridian pathways up until this point.
There are numerous benefits to experiencing your own meridian pathways. For those interested in improving their own health it is possible to change the very ‘energetic blueprints’ of your own body-system. Great insight into how your body functions and what causes it to move out of balance can be had from exploring the flows of Qi through your own body.
For Qi Gong or Nei Gong practitioners it is very important to feel your own meridian pathways once you wish to move beyond the earliest stages of development. Trying to work with your own Qi without being able to feel where it is flowing is like trying to find your way through the darkness without a light. I believe that many of the problems people have caused themselves through incorrect Qi Gong training could have been avoided if people had taken the time to learn to feel their own Qi flow before going too deep into their training. Any health problems from incorrect training can clearly be felt developing within the energy body long before they manifest as a physical or psychological imbalance. I was taught that students of the Daoist tradition would originally have spent much time studying the energy body before they moved past even the most preliminary of breathing exercises; these studies would have focused largely on experiential feeling of the meridian pathways supported by theoretical teachings and charts.
Perhaps some of the greatest benefits of connecting with your own meridian system can be had by those practicing Chinese medicine modalities such as Shiatsu, Tui Na or acupuncture. Is it possible to accurately treat somebody’s energetic imbalance if you have not experienced this Qi flow for yourself? It is possible to learn every function of every point in the body by memorising lists and developing a theoretical understanding but this should be secondary to actually experiencing what happens when the individual points are stimulated. It is my opinion that experiential understanding of the meridian points and pathways needs to be an integral part of any sincere Chinese medicine practitioners training.
The meridian system is the energetic connection between the energies of Heaven and Earth; it sits at the point between the physical world and the realm of pure consciousness. It is the pivot of human creation, development and eventual demise. In life we begin to learn about the physical body as soon as we are born. We learn how we can control this vessel we find ourselves within and through this vessel we explore our connection to the physical world. What we are not often encouraged to do is to explore the nature of our inner world, the world of our energy body and for this reason our minds are no longer able to ‘tune into’ the realm of Qi. Thankfully this is an issue easily remedied.
As a general rule of thumb I believe that a fairly high level of energetic connection is attainable within a year of daily practice. Obviously this length of time will vary from person to person but a year’s practice is what I have seen from teaching my own students. Over the first few weeks a student can begin to feel the easier parts of the meridian pathways which are generally the lengths of Qi flow on the forearms, fingers, lower legs and toes. From here it seems to take around a year of daily practice for the whole energy body to open up to your awareness. From here it is possible to use this foundation of feeling the meridians to be able to scan their length for imbalances and change their nature through controlled use of the body’s meridian points. The key is to progress steadily and slowly; do not rush anything. Take your time, persevere and most importantly: have fun with the process.
Damo Mitchell has studied the martial, medical and spiritual arts of Asia since the age of four. His studies have taken him across the planet in search of authentic masters. He is the technical director of the Lotus Nei Gong School of Daoist Arts, and teaches Nei Gong in the UK, Sweden and the USA. He is the author of Daoist Nei Gong: The Philosophical Art of Change, and Heavenly Streams: Meridian Theory in Nei Gong, published by Singing Dragon.
© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved