Taoist Shaman: Practices from the Wheel of Life

The shamanic roots of Taoist practice

• Explains the principles of the Taoist Medicine Wheel, including the Five Elements, the animals of the Chinese zodiac, and the trigrams of the I Ching

• Includes exercises from the “Wheel of Love” to access the Tao of Ecstasy

• Contains illustrated teaching stories about the Eight Immortals

Thousands of years ago the immortals known as the Shining Ones shipwrecked on the Chinese coast. Passing their shamanic practices--such as ecstatic flight and how to find power animals and spirit guides--on to the indigenous people, they also taught them the wisdom of the Medicine Wheel. From the Taoist Medicine Wheel came the principles of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, the Eight Forces, the Chinese zodiac, and the I Ching. The Taoist Medicine Wheel can also be found at the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine and the esoteric sexual practices of Taoist Alchemy.

In the Taoist Shaman, Master Mantak Chia and Kris Deva North explain the shamanic principles of the Taoist Medicine Wheel, how it is oriented on the Five Elements rather than the Four Directions, how it relates to the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac and the trigrams of the I Ching, and how it aligns with the Eight Forces of the Pakua. Through illustrated teaching stories, the authors show how the energetic principles of each of the Eight Forces are reflected in the Eight Immortals. Revealing the wheel’s application to sacred sexuality, they offer exercises from the “Wheel of Love” to strengthen and deepen relationships as well as providing a means to access the Tao of Ecstasy.

Mantak Chia, world-famous Inner Alchemy and Qi Gong master, founded the Universal Healing Tao System in 1979. He has taught and certified tens of thousands of students and instructors from all over the world. The director of the Tao Garden Health Spa and Resort training center in northern Thailand, he is the author of 35 books including Healing Love through the Tao. Kris Deva North has been involved in Taoist practice since 1987. In 1993 he cofounded the Zen School of Shiatsu and London Tao Centre. He lives in London.

ISBN: 9781594773655
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Publisher: Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
Published: January 25, 2011

“Taoist Shamans is well worth considering for students of eastern philosophy and spirituality.”“...the book shows Mantak Chia, and his co-author, Kris Deva North, further extending one of the most promising aspects of the contemporary world...the growing popularity and influence of authors like these, who seek to outline a common way forward that draws on the wisdom of diverse experiences, is an area of promise and hope.”“Intense, concise, and informative. . . .”