The Way of Energy: A Gaia Original

If you've heard about Zhan Zhang (or Jan Juang) and want to begin practicing it, you're fortunate. You've also come to the right place. Dr. Lam's book is one of only two books I've found that explains "standing like a stake" in a clear, straigtforward manner. The other is "Opening the Energy Gates of your Body by Bruce Kumar Frantzis (BKF). If you decide invest the time to practice Zhan Zhang, the amount of additional time it'll take you to read both of these fine and inexpensive books is trivial and will repay you many times over. Both books provide wise counsel from a master teacher. As an Energy Gates practitioner I find a deep level of agreement between the two systems. There are differences in emphasis, but nothing in Dr. Lam's book and his I Chuan system (also see The Way of Power) strikes me as wildly different than what you'd get from BKF. Both books are incredibly clear and helpful. Both would enable a beginner working without a teacher to learn basic standing and obtain a great deal of benefit. However, at a certain point, everybody needs a teacher. Trying to learn and practice everything in the EG book and everything in both of Dr. Lam books by yourself would be very difficult. IMO, The odds of a beginner pulling it off are almost nil. But, with Zhan Zhang, alone, the odds are much higher. Why? For the same reason it's kind of a magic bullet (albeit an incredibly slow moving magic bullet) for movement artists who study Tai Chi, Ba Gua and Hsing I. Even a beginner in Zhan Zhang can precisely align his or her body and achieve great relaxation and energy flow in a very short time compared to attaining this level while practicing a complex form. And, inevitably, your standing practice will flow into all your arts and daily life. In short, you might find yourself progressing much faster than your fellow students who spend much more time just practicing the form. Differences: 1. BKF focusses on alignments much more than Dr. Lam, even at the beginning level. Dr. Lam in the book is basically trying to get people practicing, and presumably their teacher will give corrections later. Per Dr. Lam, you can practice with your eyes open or closed. You can listen to music if that helps. You can even practice with the TV on! The thought of BKF telling someone that they can practice standing with the TV on strikes me as hilarious. OTOH I often stand aligned while watching a sporting event on TV and do other exercises, so Dr. Lam is probably offering some sound advice. Bottom line, learning more about alignments is one of the best reasons for somebody reading The Way of Energy to also read Energy Gates. 2. Energy Gates has a strong emphasis on what BFK calls dissolving (i.e. freeing blocked chi). This is only mentioned in passing in Dr. Lam's book. It's probably something that he considers best left to the teacher. Also note that the more advanced level of dissolving presented in EG (inner dissolving of the individual Energy Gates) is not really a

In just 8 months of practicing Chi kung daily it has changed my life. It all started me being a freediver(apnea/breath hold diver). This book is highly recomended by one of the champ freedivers most respected guru's of apnea, Eric Fattah. The reason we practice chi gong is that over a period of months you breathe deeper and for some reason over time you can hold your breath longer underwater and explore the mysteries of the ocean on one single breath!!! Little did I know that besides increasing my breath holds, Chi gong centers you as a person, gives you tremendous amounts of energy, creativity, improved immune system and many other positive things for generating energy and being healthier. I've also become a more patient individual and now have the capacity to read books for hours; also my character/personality has improved(emotional intelligence), being less impulsive and thinking before acting. Some teachers here in NY charge $100 a month and up to $30 a personal session or even more. After reading this book, and interviewing a couple of teachers; this book in so many ways offers much more for those sessions; don't get me wrong a teacher is always important to correct your postures but for a begginer you can't go wrong with this book to introduce yourself in this powerful and ancient practice. Sincerely, Roberto Zuniga

When I bought this book about 10 years ago, my neck and shoulders were so tight and painful that I could hardly focus on anything else. Ergonometric adjustments at my desk didn't help. Yoga didn't help. I didn't want to type at all. Within a few weeks of doing the basic exercises provided in this book, I was beginning to feel relief ... and hope. After a month or so, I was nearly back to 100%. Now, 10 years later, I haven't had any serious problems since in my neck or shoulders when typing. When I feel myself getting tension there, it's a reminder to return to the exercises described in this book. The basic, warm-up exercises are sufficient to help me if I'm in a hurry. They only take about 15 minutes and are easy to remember. They're not a strain in the way some yoga exercises can be. After less than 10 minutes of doing this chi kung, I begin to feel re-energized: that happens almost every time I do them. Of all the health practices I've tried, this one delivers the most and all through this book. No classes, no mystical grasping of some nameless form. I just did what was described and it worked. Sorry if this sounds too good to be true. I hope it works as well for you as it has for me.

This book has become a "golden guide" to beginning qigong (energy-work) training and the simple but powerful standing exercises developed by the great Internal Arts master Wang Zhang Zhai at the beginning of the last century. It is not only easy to follow and learn but the exercises are safe to practice if following author guidelines. It is also a historical find for students of "stake standing" (Zhan Zhuang-JAN-JOONG)since it recaps efforts in this direction for centuries. I have used this book and recommended it to classes of martial arts students and health enthusiasts since it's publication. One of the best buys in paperback in the entire field.

I can only say that "The Way Of Energy" is probably the finest book on standing Qi Gong or Zhan Zhuang that I've ever seen. It is also the most innovative. There is nothing easy about anything in this book, so don't let anyone fool you. Qi Gong is hard work. The author is innovative, because he has devised many different ways to keep you motivated enough to get through your daily practice; listening to music, clenching your toes against the floor, imagery, and even watching TV! I've owned this book for almost three years, and I constantly refer back to it. It is really a masterpiece on the subject, brilliantly written, and the instructions are given with an air of warm kindness. This book should never go out of print. It really is the last word on the subject!