Tai Chi and Qigong Reading List – 2/6/23

Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tips #409
Tai Chi and Qigong Reading List
Most people who start Tai Chi classes never finish. They don’t see immediate results so they give up. They need motivation to keep going – that is the value of books on Tai Chi and related subjects.
Occasionally, when putting up Tips, I’ll choose an old Tip, one that appeared several years ago, if I think they are valuable. This appeared on October 6, 2017. It is worth a re-look.
Stephanie Morrell has put together a list of her favorite books, and I agree with her choices. You can find most of these books online, and some in your local library. When I had the Studio, I had a very extensive lending library, but have only kept a few. The order of this list has nothing to do with our preferences. If I had to own only one, it would probably be either The Tao of Tai Chi Chuan by Master Jou, or The Inner Structure Of Tai Chi by Mantak Chia.
I have been asked about books on specific forms, say the 24 or 48, Chen, etc. Mostly these types of books that teach specific movements are not that valuable except to students of that particular style. The books listed below are much more general in nature and will appeal to students of any style. Good luck.
  • Wellspring (An Inquiry into the Nature of Chi) – Christopher Dow
  • A Tai Chi Imagery Workbook – Martin Mellish
  • The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan – Yang Chenfu (Translated by Louis Swain)
  • The Inner Structure Of Tai Chi – Mantak Chia
  • The Way of Qigong – Ken Cohen
  • The Tao Of of Tai Chi Chuan – Jou Tsung Hwa
  • The Essence of Chinese Qigong – Dr. Yang Jwing Ming
  • The Big Book of Tai Chi – Bruce Frantzis
  • Taijiquan Therory (The Root of TaijiQuan) – Dr. Yang Jwing Ming
  • Tai Chi Chuan Ta Wen (Questions and Answers on Tai Chi Chuan) – Chen Wei-Ming
  • Yang Family Secret Transmissions – Douglas Wile
  • Lost Tai-chi Classics from Late Ch’ing Dynasty – Douglas Wile
  • The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu- Brian Browne Walker
  • The I Ching or Book of Changes – Brian Browne Walker
  • The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi – Peter M. Wayne Ph.D
  • A String of Pearls – Michael Gilman
  • 101 Reflections on Tai Chi Chuan – Michael Gilman