Energy Balance through the Tao

By Mantak Chia. 8"x 10", 224 pages. In Energy Balance through the Tao, Master Mantak Chia introduces 45 fully illustrated Tao Yin exercises to Western readers. He explains the history behind the practice and its connections to other complementary Chinese exercise forms, such as tai chi. In this book Chia focuses on the lying and sitting positions of Tao Yin, which improve health and structural alignment and, once mastered, strengthen movements and postures in standing positions. The benefits of these remarkably simple exercises include harmonizing chi, developing strength and flexibility through tendon stretching, relaxing the abdominal muscles and the diaphragm, releasing toxins through the breath, and training the "second brain"in the lower abdomen to coordinate and direct these processes.