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Autumn 2001
The Dragon's Mouth
Published by the British Taoist Association
Book Review By Sarah Hill
A Woman's Qigong Guide - Empowerment Through Movement, Diet and Herbs
By Yanling Lee Johnson
Published by YMAA Publication Center, ISBN 1-886969-83-3
There is much more to this book than just a basic guide to some qigong forms. Yanling Lee Johnson begins
by explaining the history of qigong and its place in a
system of "cultivation," by which she means the integration of qigong, diet and Chinese herbal
medicine. She introduces the first of a number of extracts from ancient poems which she has translated
from Chinese and included throughout the book. She recommends that the reader the poems and reflect upon
their meaning. The poems are translated in her own style (she refers in the Preface to assistance with
her "Chinglish") and are one of the reasons why the book achieves a very personal feel. Another reason is
that the author introduces herself in the early pages
by starting the story of her life, beginning with her childhood in Communist China. She continues throughout
the book to use her own experiences to shed light on the attitudes and practices which she describes.
After the introduction there is a chapter setting out what is meant by qi and qigong and how in particular
this relates to women. There follows a chapter on how cultivation covers all areas of life before the
section of the book where she describes a number of short moving qigong forms which can be practiced for
improving health, well-being and longevity. Some of the forms are suitable for both men and women,
addressing general health issues such as eyesight and
memory. Others are specially for women, addressing, for example, breast health, menopause and
amenorrhoea. She follows these with a chapter setting out eastern
thoughts and practices about issues ranging from how much water to drink to office work, again including
areas specific to women, such as breast-feeding, menopause etc.
The final two chapters cover the principles of how food and herbs are integrated into cultivation process
and give some recipes to promote health and longevity. With regard to the recipes, Lee says that she chose
ingredients which she has found on sale in the US, but not some might be hard to find in the UK.
Lee Johnson emphasises throughput that her book can represent only an introduction to cultivation and that
the reader should educate herself further by means of study and by finding both a good teacher and a good
Chinese medical practitioner. Neverthless, it is a very accessible and inspiring introduction in which a
woman with many years of study and practice shares her wisdom and insight.
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