Internal Elixir Cultivation: The Nature of Daoist Meditation

This book is a pretty good introduction for beginners to Daoist meditation. It explains a lot of the major principles, terms, and concepts (such as xuan men or mysterious gate, "pre-birth" and "post-birth" states, the microcosmic orbit, etc.) in a way that it is easy to understand.There are a few remarks on various topics that he makes throughout the book which I don't entirely agree with, but comparing Robert Coons's explanations of the meditation concepts to what I've learned from other Daoist texts, overall this is a good resource and seems to explain the basic principles correctly.However, I do want to point out that his interpretations referencing the nervous system may not necessarily be correct since "modern" scientific knowledge is always limited and changing. In my opinion, it is better simply to teach the concepts without speculations using modern science, which should be presented separately in different sections.In addition, people should be aware that only one type of meditation is really covered by this book, which is the well-known form that uses a combined focus on breathing and the lower Dantian. This form is popular throughout Quanzhen Daoism and even some other sects because it's easy and safe to practice, but people should be aware that there are many other forms of Daoist meditation.

This is a phenomenal book for those who are interested in meditation in general and enjoy beauty and sensibilities of Daoist culture.Robert has set up a great foundational look at Daoist meditation: its roots in history, its evolution and practical uses today; along with fascinating scientific and metaphysical interpretations of the process.The introduction and exercises are easy to follow and the text acts a sort of cheerleader to guide you through the process of learning and integrating the new practices.It is all very encouraging, that is until you get to the deeper ideas later in the book which require more patience and caused me to stumble a bit. The deeper concepts may need to be read slowly a few times to really understand (and perhaps for many years to come).Robert succinctly concludes with some more practical advice and leaves you wanting more.I highly recommend this book for those looking for a direct, practical and down to earth approach to meditation.This book now resides on my favourites shelf along with my tea set; ready to join me in my meditation sessions.

A thorough yet easy to understand introduction to Daoism and Daoist meditation. Highly recommended. The author made difficult ideas and concepts easy to grasp and work with. 5 stars!

I had no idea about any of this. I read some books but I didn't understand most of this. This book offers most basic understanding about Qi Gong which is great for someone who's is a complete beginner. I hope author will release more advanced teachings about Qi Gong.

I'm very impressed with how simple the author has made the explanation of these techniques. I've been using them daily for two months now and have seen a dramatic reduction in my stress levels, which have also increased the my clarity of thought.

This book has some wonderful information on the subject of internal elixir cultivation, a difficult subject to understand. This book makes it easy.

A very good book for anyone who wants to start a Daoist meditation practice. Very precise informations and good references.

Excellent book, I am just reading it slowly.

An intro only, IMHO not worth the money, a lot of words and not much information.