Soul Mind Body Medicine

May 15, 2006
An ancient Chinese methodology based on maximizing the body's natural healing energies, qigong is becoming increasingly validated by scientific research. Here, Sha (Power Healing: The Four Keys to Energizing Your Body, Mind & Spirit), a medical doctor with qigong expertise, expands on the spiritual aspects of this practice. In the book's opening chapters, he outlines key aspects of the power of the soul to cure illness through such acts as meditation and service. For the vast majority of the text, he focuses on self-healing through hand positions, sound, and mind and soul power. Detailed, illustrated instructions offer protocols for health goals like weight loss and cancer recovery; techniques to combat more than 100 common ailments (e.g., diabetes, diarrhea, arthritis, and hearing loss); and preventative measures that focus on developing the body's energy centers. While written with sensitivity and compassion, the book lacks the integrative approach (with Western medicine) of Hong Liu's Mastering Miracles: The Healing Art of Qi Gong as Taught by a Master. The focus on self-healing through the intervention of "higher powers" will probably not sit well with many consumer health librarians. Recommended with strong reservations only for comprehensive complementary medicine collections or where interest warrants.Janice Flahiff, Medical Univ. Lib. of Ohio, Toledo

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