it gives an excellent overview, and is presented in a step by step manner that makes it simple for the novice to start the lifelong process of meditation, and gain all of the wonderful benefits thereof.

* It is simple, but not easy.

In the water method of meditation, nothing is forced, and in my opinion seems to be a much 'safer' method than the more common 'fire' methods, as taught by mantak chia, for example. (and i hope everyone will do their research before starting any of mantak chia's practices...i'm sure you'll run into horror story after horror story.)

i have been practicing BK Frantzis' method for a bit over a year now, and have IMO gained many benefits, including a better understanding of my practice of Tai Chi Chuan.

i highly reccommend this book to anyone and everyone.

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:


Life-Changing Inner Work  Jan 26, 2011 By Jane
Relaxing Into Your Being is an introduction to the Water Method of Taoist meditation taught by lineage holder and Taoist master Bruce Frantzis. This is a republish of the reader's edition, which was originally published in 1998 by Clarity Press.

Subjects covered by this instructive book include:

A comparison of Fire and Water schools of Taoism.
Breathing techniques, from the beginner to advanced
The Eight Bodies of Being and their relationship to one's self and spirituality
The Sixteen-Part nei gung system
The primary and secondary energy channels of the body
The inner dissolving practice
Encountering and working with the mindstream
How to sit comfortably and correct your own posture internally

It teaches the all-important who, what, how, where and why in terms of how meditation works, how to identify internal blocks, where you apply your intent, how to determine whether or not what you are doing is actually working, what to do with problems you may encounter, how to make the most of your practice time, and much much more.

This book, along with it's companion The Great Stillness: The Water Method of Taoist Meditation Series, Vol. 2 were invaluable to me during my twenties in dealing with my mental health problems. Prior to starting Taoist Water Method meditation in 1996 I suffered from recurring suicidal depression, severe anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder resulting from growing up and being repeatedly traumatized and abused both at home and at school, and later in institutions. By the time I was an adult, I was pretty messed up and not very happy.

Psychotherapy and counseling had little effect on me and psychiatric drugs made my life even worse and didn't help me in any meaningful way. I did not come from a privileged family, so I did not have any kind of support network, or health insurance. As someone with severe and treatment resistant mental illness, the outcome of my life did not look good. In the midst of all this suffering, I found Bruce Frantzis' meditation work.

Within the first two years of dedicated practice I found my depression had been cured. Within five years, I had, using the dissolving process and the nei gung system described in "Relaxing", completely healed myself of the neurological conditioning of PTSD. Gone were the nightmares, flashbacks and triggers that had haunted my life previously. Also gone were manic episodes and racing thoughts and anxiety attacks and I gained an inner confidence and self-esteem that I had previously never known.

This work made me stronger, mentally, physically and energetically. I can say that without dissolving the first four Bodies of Being, I'd probably still be suffering to this day. But thanks to the practice of Taoist Water Method meditation, I have not been depressed in fifteen years. While I'm hardly Enlightened, I am very happy with myself and my life, which is something that was missing when I started this. I cannot praise 'Relaxing Into Your Being' enough. The practice of the material within its pages totally changed my life around and gave me a reason to live.

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