Peaceable Dragon Teachers’ Book Recommendations – Part 2

Books for Children, or for your inner child

Inner Balance for Kids: Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong for Children and All Who Work with Them, by Dietlind Zimmermann, Norbert Heinrich, Hans Dieter Wohrle, Testudo Verlag, 2023.

A book for anyone who works with children, or is thinking of working with children, to help them develop physically, mentally and emotionally through child-appropriate exercises. The authors, who have been teaching children and adults for decades, provide background knowledge and describe over 120 practice-tested, child-friendly exercises. They are among the pioneers in teaching Tai Chi and Qigong to children.

Six Healing Sounds with Lisa and Ted: Qigong for Children, by Lisa Spillane, Singing Dragon, 2011.

Teaches young children effective healing techniques to overcome unpleasant emotions so they can live happier and healthier lives by using simple sounds and breathing techniques that are based on Traditional Chinese Medicine. Adults enjoy the book as well.

A World of Pausabilities: An Exercise in Mindfulness, by Frank J. Sileo, Magination Press, 2017.

Everyone has the capacity to be mindful, including children. This book is a reminder to stop, take a break, and notice details even as we go about our busy days. Children learn how to apply mindfulness to simple, everyday moments. They are shown how days are filled with endless possibilities to take a pause, letting go of stress and feelings of overwhelm. Adults can enjoy and learn much from this book as well.

Life: Philosophical and Scientific Pondering

The Brain that changes itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, by Norman Doidge, MD, Penguin Life, reprint, 2007.

Explores the neuroplasticity of the brain, providing an introduction to the scientists championing neuroplasticity and the people whose lives have been transformed.

Daoist Nei Gong: The Philosophical Art of Change, by Damo Mitchell, Singing Dragon, 2011.

A breakdown of the Nei Gong process and explanation of the underlying philosophy of Nei Gong practices, based on the original teachings of the ancient Daoist priests.

Daoist Nei Gong for Women: The Art of the Lotus and the Moon, by Damo Mitchell, Singing Dragon, 2016.

A detailed look at female energetic anatomy, exploring how it is different from its male counterpart. Specific practices supporting the unique strengths and challenges that the female energy system presents are described and explained.

Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, by Daniel Goleman, Harper Paperbacks, reprint edition, 2015.

A study of the science of attention, in all its varieties, discussing this little-noticed and underrated mental asset that matters enormously for how we navigate life. Attention works much like a muscle. Use it and it grows. In an era of unstoppable distractions, Goleman argues that now more than ever we must learn to sharpen focus if we are to contend with, let alone thrive in, a complex world.

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, by Eckhart Tolle, Viking Press, 2005

Expanding on the ideas set forth in The Power of Now to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is essential to personal happiness and the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world.

Quantum Body: The New Science of Living a Longer, Healthier, More Vital Life, by Deepak Chopra, MD, Jack Tuszynsk, PhD, and Brian Fertig, MD, Harmony, 2023.

Explores the innovative world of quantum science and shows how unlocking its secrets can revolutionize how we live, age and, ultimately, how we can eradicate disease. The key is the quantum body.

Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life, by Deng Ming-Dao, HarperOne, 3^rd edition, 1990.

“I have underlined this book so much that it is a pound heavier from the graphite.” Paul Rischard

The author shows how Taoist philosophy and practice may be integrated into contemporary Western lifestyles for complete physical, mental, and spiritual health.

The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well. by Chelsey Luger and Thosh Collins, HarperOne, 2022.

The authors created an Indigenous wellness initiative, Well for Culture. They invite all to honor their whole self through Native wellness philosophies and practices. In reclaiming this ancient wisdom for health and well-being they developed the Seven Circles, a holistic model for modern living rooted in timeless teachings from their ancestors. The Seven Circles model comprises interconnected circles that keep all aspects of our lives in balance, functioning in harmony with one another. They are Food, Movement, Sleep, Ceremony, Sacred Space, Land, Community.

The Smell of Rain on Dust: Grief and Praise, by Martin Prechtel, North Atlantic Books, 2015.

The author, trained in the Tzutujil Maya shamanic tradition, shares insights on the relationship between grief and praise in our culture. How the inability that many of us have to grieve and weep properly for the dead is deeply linked with the inability to give praise for living.

The Tao of Pooh, by Benjamin Hoff, Dutton Books, 1982.

Explore the teachings of Taoism with Winnie-the-Pooh. Lessons on simplicity and natural living.

The Way of Chuang Tzu, by Thomas Merton, New Directions, 2^nd edition, 2010.

Thomas Merton’s versions of the classic sayings of Chuang Tzu, the most spiritual of Chinese philosophers.

The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology, by Jack Kornfield, Bantam reprint edition, 2009.

You have within you unlimited capacities for extraordinary love, for joy, for communion with life, and for unshakable freedom. Kornfield offers an accessible and comprehensive guide to Buddhist psychology. He creates a clear picture of the human mind and heart, a picture of healing power. Here is a vision of human dignity, a journey to the highest expression of human possibility, and a practical path for realizing it in our own lives.

Memoirs

Born A Healer: I Was Born a Healer. You Were Born a Healer, Too! By Chunyi Lin, Spring Forest Qigong Company, 2019.

The story of Chunyi Lin’s life and his development of Spring Forest Qigong. It also contains stories of some of Chunyi Lin's students, told in their own words. Their experiences are proof of the truth of his message that everyone was born with the gift of healing.

Born Strong: From Surviving the Great Famine to Teaching Tai Chi to Millions, by Dr. Paul Lam and Julie Bawden-Davis, Tai Chi Productions, 2015.

The story of Dr. Paul Lam’s life from near starvation in Communist China, to changing the lives of millions of people who seek to connect their mind, body, and spirit through tai chi. He turned the centuries-old art of Tai Chi into a Western-science-and-medicine-based system of healthcare.

Flowing Zen: Finding True Healing with Qigong, by Anthony Korahais, Flowing Zen, 2022.

Suffering from anxiety, clinical depression, and low back pain, the author turned to qigong for help. This book is half memoir and half manifesto. Korahais recounts his health struggles and explains, in modern language, how everyone can get remarkable results with qigong.

A Healing Mind Moving through Life: The Amazing Journey of a Holistic Doctor, by Dr. Aihan Kuhn, independently published, 2020.

The memoir of Dr. Aihan Kuhn, from growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution, to moving to the United States. Having trained in conventional medicine, she subsequently became a holistic doctor, healer, master teacher of Qi Gong and Tai Chi, and an award-winning author. From her lifetime of experience in what works and what doesn’t work, she provides in this book “Golden Tips for Success and Life-Long Happiness”.

Yoga

Hatha Yoga Illustrated: For Greater Strength, Flexibility, and Focus, by Martin Kirk, Brooke Boon, and Daniel DiTuro, Human Kinetics, 1^st edition, 2005.

Demonstrates 77 standard Hatha Yoga poses, in over 600 color photographs, applying to all major hatha styles including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Anusara and Bikram. The book shows you how to achieve proper alignment and breathing to ensure safe execution of individual poses. Also offers guidance on variations based on your personal preference, ability, and fitness level.

Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System, by Anodea Judith, ‎ Llewellyn Publications 1^st edition, 1987.

A classic introduction to the chakra system. It includes chapters on relationships, evolution, and healing, and a section on raising children with healthy chakras. View this ancient metaphysical system through new metaphors, ranging from quantum physics to child development. Learn how to explore and balance your own chakras using meditations and simple yoga movements.

Yoga Anatomy, by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews, ‎ Human Kinetics, 3^rd edition, 2021.

The book offers a solid grounding in the principles of physical practice common to many systems of yoga. This illustrated resource organizes yoga poses into six sections (standing, sitting, kneeling, supine, prone, and arm supports) and provides insight into each pose to offer practitioners a better understanding of how the muscles, joints, and nervous system interact when doing a particular movement.

Yoga for Healthy Aging: A Guide to Lifelong Well-Being, by Baxter Bell, MD & Nina Zolotow, Shambhala Publications, 2017.

Yoga practice has a remarkable impact on physical and mental health, as well as spiritual well-being, as you age. This work is a definitive resource on how to use yoga to foster your physical, mental, and emotional health for a lifetime. The practices and supporting material benefit both young and old alike.

Yoga Mind and Body, by Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, DK Living, 2008.

An easy-to-follow, step-by-step visual guide. This work provides a comprehensive approach to yoga, with meditation tools, stress relief exercises, and recipes for healthful nutrition. Based on Swami Vishnu-Devananda’s five yoga principles: proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet, positive thinking and meditation.

Yoga the Iyengar Way: The New Definitive Illustrated Guide, by Mira, Silva and Shyam Mehta, Alfred A. Knopf, 1^stedition, 1990.

A comprehensive, practical, and authoritative guide to the method developed by B. K. S. Iyengar. Covers one hundred key yoga postures with step-by-step instructions and photographs.