World acclaimed Tai Chi book, a best-seller, "CIG to Tai Chi & Qigong"

" .  . . living an extremely unhealthy life style & taking numerous  medications for arthritis, depression, and pain . . . then one day while  browsing in the library I discovered a book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to T'ai Chi and QiGong. I was so impressed that I ordered Bill's DVD [Anthology of T'ai Chi & Qigong: The Prescription for the Future].  Now that I am practicing T'ai Chi and QiGong daily I am off most of my  medications. People keep telling me I look "different" and that I look  happy. Well, I am happy and I feel great! Thank you! Thank you! Thank  you!

-- Dave Long, Washington

"I am writing to thank you so much for the amount of incredibly helpful information found in your “Idiot’s Guide to Tai Chi & Qigong.”  I must say that I have never read one of these Guides before, as I am somewhat put off by the title.  However, while at the library recently, yours made its presence known on the library shelf, so I gave in.

As a certified Qigong instructor myself, I have spent 15 years of practice, study, and now teaching for the past half dozen years.  As a continual student, I am always reading and going over my notes.  I usually encourage my students to read Ken Cohen’s book, or Roger Jahnke’s – both quite invaluable.  I will now add yours to the list.  

It was actually surprising to me to find so much valuable information that I still need to remind myself of – and written in such a way that it is easily digested.  How beautifully that there are so many wonderful teachers from which we can learn.  I now have new information to pass along to my students as I recommend your book to them.

I also have been organizing World Tai Chi & Qigong Daa events in the Portland, Oregon area where I live and teach and am planning something for this year as well.

Thank you both again for all your work out in the world.

All the best,

Rose Allen

www.RoseCityQigong.com

This un-equaled Tai Chi and Qigong instructional book is a state-of-the-art multimedia learning experience. There is no other book like this one. It offers nearly 150 web videos to support the detailed illustrations and text instructions in the book.

Many of the 100s of illustrations in the book were produced by a Tai Chi practitioner, Jenny Hahn, who studied at the Kansas City Art institute. Her personal insight into Tai Chi, enabled her to create a highly effective illustrated instructional element, so that readers can view how their body is positioned, which leg their weight is on in each posture, and how the life energy flows through the body while performing Tai Chi.

The detailed illustrations and text instructions are married to a supporting web page (included in the book) so that you can view a live moving example of the image/text instructions.

"Visionary!  If you only buy one book on T’ai Chi, then this is the book. This book  is all you ever needed to know to change your life. I have taught T’ai  Chi for several decades myself, yet I have now read Bill’s book from  cover to cover seven times, and still get something new from it each  time."

—Dr. Michael Steward Sr., D.MA, Ph.D., MA, Senior Coach for Team USA, Inductee of the World Sports Medicine and World Martial Arts Hall of Fame

 "Sometimes  Chinese culture can be difficult to explain. Sifu Bill Douglas  successfully uses American culture to explain the art of T’ai Chi Chuan.  He simplifies difficult concepts, making them easier to understand. ...  takes the best parts of T’ai Chi and makes them understandable [to  Westerners] without requiring a grounding in Chinese culture and  history."
—Sifu Yijiao Hong, USA All-Tai Chi Grand Champion and USA Team member; Certified Int’l. Coach and Judge, Int’l Wushu Federation. 

 "Douglas has achieved for QiGong what Apple did for the computer. He's  brought it to the people … great place to start for beginners. …  Teachers may also find this an excellent manual 'on how to explain these  concepts to the general public…'"
– R. Poccia, stress management instructor, Beyond Anonymous, San Francisco 

"I  highly recommend this book to all seeking to enhance their physical,  mental and spiritual potential. Quantum Physics and leading edge cell  biology emphasize the primal role of energy in our lives. In a  user-friendly and meaningful style, Bill Douglas offers a compelling and  easy to understand description of ancient Asian energy exercises that  effectively reduce stress and improve health."

-- Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D., Cellular  Biologist & bestselling author of The Biology of Belief: Unleashing  the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles

 "Somehow,  I stumbled upon this little gem. Folks, I give you 'The Complete  Idiot’s Guide to T’ai Chi and QiGong' by Bill Douglas and Angela Wong  Douglas”.  I highly recommend giving it a read!"
-- G.T. Francis, Customer Service, Intramural-Recreational Sports
University of Virginia 

The  BEST!!!!!! I have been interested in Tai Chi and QiGong for many years.  I found all of the books interesting but just could not get myself to  follow through. This book is fun to read, very motivating and you REALLY  do feel a difference. I have found the Sitting QiGong a wonder after  work. I hope he writes more books !!!!
-- E. Young, California
 

"A must have for stressed people. Thanks Bill for being the guide."
-- Johan Pyfferoen, Veurne, Belgium

During  a time of high stress levels at work I began to have heavy Parkinson’s  type tremors. At a psychiatrist’s recommendation I began taking Xanax,  but the anxiety still continued. After my very first T’ai Chi class with  this book’s author, I was so calm I forgot to take my Xanax that  afternoon. Before this I’d anxiously looked forward to each dose. … I’ve  told my therapist to tell other patients about T’ai Chi.
—Tarren Rains, Edwardsville, Kansas

…  I found you by accident while looking for an alternative to back  surgery … with three ruptured discs in my lower back … I read your book  from cover to cover … I am also now over half way through your second  tape, and my range of motion is better than it has been in years. I have  also managed to lose a few pounds … Recently I went to my regular  medical doctor … he told me he was very pleased with my range of motion  and my attitude … He was so intrigued by my description of your program  that he has borrowed my book and the tapes I have finished.
—Mark Herndon, Georgia

After  leaving my very first T’ai Chi class with the author of this book, I  remember driving home and it was as if someone had opened up every one  of my senses. It was an overwhelming sense of happiness that swept over  me. It was at that very moment I knew T’ai Chi is something I want in my  life forever.
—Lisa Shikles, Shawnee, Kansas

I  have found so many health benefits since beginning Bill Douglas’s T’ai  Chi program, which I began during a nervous breakdown with panic, chest  pains, fatigue, and chronic migraines. I saw Bill’s T’ai Chi and QiGong  program information and I gave it a try. I felt sudden and immediate  benefits. My chest pain started to go away, my heavy fatigue went away,  my nervousness calmed. My migraines are now nonexistent, as is the  severe hay fever I’d had since childhood. And if that isn’t enough, I  have also lost my craving for fatty foods I once used to soothe my  stress, and am now losing weight.
—Tina Webb, Shawnee, Kansas

Dr. Donahue recommended his patients to Bill's SMART Tai Chi program:

 Dizziness  is one of the more common reasons for a doctor visit, particularly in  patients over the age of 50. Because the causes of dizziness can range  from benign self-limiting conditions to potentially life threatening  ones, a thorough medical evaluation is essential before embarking on any  form of therapy. Persistent dizziness certainly has a distinct impact  on the quality of life and emotional well-being of the patient. Falls,  hip fractures, and lack of confidence in public often create a feeling  of helplessness.
 

In  over 20 years of experience as a clinical neurologist, I find that  extensive and expensive medical evaluation including CAT scans, MRI  scans, and vascular imaging studies as well as prescription medications  add little to alleviating the problem. I have found vestibular  rehabilitation exercises in the form of T’ai Chi classes to be a  cost-effective mode of therapy. Many of my patients have opted for this  nonmedication approach to treatment and have developed a sense of  self-confidence through this form of exercise. In short, as a  traditional medical practitioner, I frequently recommend T’ai Chi for my  patients with dizziness and disequilibrium.
—Charles D. Donohoe, M.D., Neurologist

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I  had the privilege of studying T’ai Chi with this book’s author, Bill  Douglas. As a practicing physician, there are certainly times where  stress can seem to be the norm. I found T’ai Chi to be profoundly  beneficial in reducing stress, increasing mental clarity, and improving  my emotional as well as physical health. Where else can you find such a  highly effective tool to achieve these worthwhile goals without fancy  equipment or complicated formulas? If T’ai Chi can help with stress in  an ER room where lives often hang in the balance, imagine what it can do  for everyone else!
—John D. Hernandez, M.D., Integrative Medicine

From  the perspective of a health psychologist serving patients who are  coping with chronic illness and stressful life events, I see the gentle  mindfulness exercises of T’ai Chi and QiGong relaxation therapy as  potentially useful for a broad spectrum of people. The author of this  book, Bill Douglas, explains the complexities of T’ai Chi and QiGong in  the form of an invitation, easing his students into a greater  understanding of the usefulness and purpose of this ancient form of  meditative movement.

—Kristy Straits-Troster, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Primary Care Medicine

It  has been a year since I began practicing T’ai Chi under the teaching of  the author of this book, Bill Douglas and his associate instructor Erik  Feagans. This span of time certainly allows me to evaluate the result  of this gentle “martial art,” not only as stress management therapy but,  more impressively, with regard to its effect on my physical health.
 

Suffering  for years from chronic neck pain consequent to a whiplash injury, and  also suffering from a limited motion of the right shoulder, I approached  the T’ai Chi course with some skepticism. The course was initiated  after unsuccessful sessions of physical therapy, including mobilization,  ultrasounds, heat application, etc. After two months of T’ai Chi, the  pain in the cervical region disappeared while the range of motion of my  right shoulder returned completely to normal. This achievement remained  unchanged during the past winter up until now.
 

I  would not hesitate to recommend T’ai Chi to individuals suffering from  the same ailments as well as to mature persons who are seeking to  maintain or improve their health and to remain free of chronic pain due  to the aging process.

—(surgeon) Loredana Brizio-Molteni, M.D., F.A.C.S.

My  attitude, since the first few lessons, changed, due to your  effectiveness and to your ability to teach this gentle “martial art.” I  was suffering for symptoms related to osteoarthritis of the left  coxofemoral joint, and, in addition, I was suffering from neck pain with  limited motion. This symptomology disappeared with the T’ai Chi  exercises. My physician’s recommendation is to continue with the  practice of T’ai Chi. I would pass the same recommendation to  individuals with similar sedentary life styles as well as to people  involved in activity, which requires exertion of the musculoskeletal  system.

—Agostino Molteni, M.D., Ph.D.

I  found that the Energy Work (Sitting QiGong) and breath work, learned in  Bill’s T’ai Chi program, to be calming and to have that effect on those  around me as well, including a returning patient who was hallucinating  and having panic attacks. By walking with him and breathing deeply, the  patient eventually calmed and laid down breathing evenly to await the  doctor.

—Psychotherapist, Kansas City Area

As  a physical therapist assistant, I believe that these techniques that  are taught by Bill through his book and tapes will become one of the  essential tools to be utilized in medical facilities as an adjunct to  standard therapy.
 

Not  a day goes by when I am not able to help an individual find pain  control using Bill’s QiGong techniques, and many find increased balance  and coordination, even after a small taste of Tai Chi seeing automatic  difference. Personally, tests show me with a 90 percent improvement in  overall balance and in one test a 105 percent improvement in balance  since beginning Tai Chi.

—Joyce Rupp, Physical Therapist Assistant

Since  beginning Bill Douglas’s T’ai Chi program, I have taught the exercises I  learned for the past five years in our Pain Management  multi-disciplinary program at Research Medical Center. My clients have  found improved breathing, larger mobility, better posture, improved  balance and coordination, flexibility, increased endurance and strength,  and relaxation.
—Berni Wheeler, Occupational Therapist

The  BEST!!!!!! I have been interested in Tai Chi and QiGong for many years.  I found all of the books interesting but just could not get myself to  follow through. This book is fun to read, very motivating and you REALLY  do feel a difference. I have found the Sitting QiGong a wonder after  work. I hope he writes more books !!!!
-- E. Young, California
 

"A must have for stressed people. Thanks Bill for being the guide."
-- Johan Pyfferoen, Veurne, Belgium

During  a time of high stress levels at work I began to have heavy Parkinson’s  type tremors. At a psychiatrist’s recommendation I began taking Xanax,  but the anxiety still continued. After my very first T’ai Chi class with  this book’s author, I was so calm I forgot to take my Xanax that  afternoon. Before this I’d anxiously looked forward to each dose. … I’ve  told my therapist to tell other patients about T’ai Chi.

—Tarren Rains, Edwardsville, Kansas

…  I found you by accident while looking for an alternative to back  surgery … with three ruptured discs in my lower back … I read your book  from cover to cover … I am also now over half way through your second  tape, and my range of motion is better than it has been in years. I have  also managed to lose a few pounds … Recently I went to my regular  medical doctor … he told me he was very pleased with my range of motion  and my attitude … He was so intrigued by my description of your program  that he has borrowed my book and the tapes I have finished.

—Mark Herndon, Georgia

After  leaving my very first T’ai Chi class with the author of this book, I  remember driving home and it was as if someone had opened up every one  of my senses. It was an overwhelming sense of happiness that swept over  me. It was at that very moment I knew T’ai Chi is something I want in my  life forever.

—Lisa Shikles, Shawnee, Kansas

I  have found so many health benefits since beginning Bill Douglas’s T’ai  Chi program, which I began during a nervous breakdown with panic, chest  pains, fatigue, and chronic migraines. I saw Bill’s T’ai Chi and QiGong  program information and I gave it a try. I felt sudden and immediate  benefits. My chest pain started to go away, my heavy fatigue went away,  my nervousness calmed. My migraines are now nonexistent, as is the  severe hay fever I’d had since childhood. And if that isn’t enough, I  have also lost my craving for fatty foods I once used to soothe my  stress, and am now losing weight.

—Tina Webb, Shawnee, Kansas

Dr. Donahue recommended his patients to Bill's SMART Tai Chi program:

Dizziness  is one of the more common reasons for a doctor visit, particularly in  patients over the age of 50. Because the causes of dizziness can range  from benign self-limiting conditions to potentially life threatening  ones, a thorough medical evaluation is essential before embarking on any  form of therapy. Persistent dizziness certainly has a distinct impact  on the quality of life and emotional well-being of the patient. Falls,  hip fractures, and lack of confidence in public often create a feeling  of helplessness.
 

In  over 20 years of experience as a clinical neurologist, I find that  extensive and expensive medical evaluation including CAT scans, MRI  scans, and vascular imaging studies as well as prescription medications  add little to alleviating the problem. I have found vestibular  rehabilitation exercises in the form of T’ai Chi classes to be a  cost-effective mode of therapy. Many of my patients have opted for this  nonmedication approach to treatment and have developed a sense of  self-confidence through this form of exercise. In short, as a  traditional medical practitioner, I frequently recommend T’ai Chi for my  patients with dizziness and disequilibrium.

—Charles D. Donohoe, M.D., Neurologist

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