Customer Reviews
Time Tested Techniques For Mind And Body Health - By: elmore leonard, 20 May 2008 
Possibly the most popular Qi Gong exercisein the world, the Eight Treasures (or Ba Duan Jin as it is knownin China) has an ancient tradition which stretches back to the founder of Zen Buddhism; Bodhidharma. Seeing that his monks were tired from extensive meditation, Bodhidharma composed a set of exercises to give them energy & strengthen their bodies.
Hundreds of years later, a Shaolin monk took the eight most effective moves, & these are the exercises demonstrated on this DVD.
Shifu Yan Lei, a 34th generation fighting disciple, takes you step by step through this dynamic Qi Gong form, explaining each movementin detail. Once you have understood the moves, you can practicein real time with Shifu Yan Lei. The whole form is simple, easy to learn, & takes about twenty minutes.
By practicing this form on a daily basis, you can expect to see significant changesin health & vitality. Suitable for adults of all ages.
Disappointing - By: Froggy, 27 Dec 2007 
After reading the other reviews, I was really looking forward to getting this DVD & improving my fitness & stress levels.
I was quite shocked to find that the warm up stretching included advanced type press ups that I would have strugggled to do when I was a fit tewnty year old! The DVD says suitable for all ages - I disagree. There are no tips or suggestions for those who are not flexible or strong enough to be able to complete the moves shown. It really put me off using the DVD.
Sober, good "follow me" course - By: Guido Beelen, 10 Oct 2007 
I really like the no-nonsense approach of this DVD. The shifu shows the exercises & tells you how to synchronize breathing & movement. It's the 'follow me' approach to qi gong & martial arts. Try to follow the shifu's moves as closely as you can & you'll discover the rest for yourself.
It's excellent for people like me who are looking for a dynamic stretching exercise that calms the mind as well.
Some parts of the warm-up routine should be labelled: 'these stretches are done by an advanced martial artist, don't try this at home'. This is why I only give four stars. Allin all the routine is short, so it would have been easy to add a beginner's routine or tips on how to substitute some stretches.
Excellent, Easy to Follow, Easy to Do, Very Inspiring - By: Paul, 29 Aug 2007 I'd never done Qi Gong before but have recently heard of the health & mental benefits so was determined to give this a go. Its basically a series of movements synchronised with breathing. The DVD starts with an outdoor scene showing Shifu doing Qi Gong while a voice-over covers the history & benefits of the art. The next section is a full demonstration of Qi Gong followed by a section on zen meditation & massage to do afterwards. Then it moves on to the 8 sections where Shifu gives commentary while he does the movements. The commentary gives continuous instructions on breathing telling you when to inhale & exhale as synchronisation of breathing is an essential part of the art. Shifu also gives additional tips now & then such as "push elbows back as far as possible". The first time I played the 8 sections which you follow for your workout I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a big learning curve whereby I would be stood with dvd remotein hand having to constantly pause play to see exactly what Shifu was doing. Thankfully this turned out not to be the case. I was able to follow & do everything Shifu was demonstrating without pausing once. Obviously I was not able to stretch as far as Shifu & my technique left something to be desired but the main thing was I was able to do all the movementsin the workout straight away without pausing. Afterwards I felt it had done me good. I cannot recommend this DVD enough. Very easy to follow & very inspiring. There are also a few extras which are advertising other DVDs but whichin themselves are also enjoyable & inspiring.
simply fantastic - By: Shaolin Jen', 26 May 2007 Shifu Yan Lei provides a complete overview of this traditional form demonstrating clearly the method of Chan mindful meditation, Qi/Chi generating preparation/warm up, & of course the traditional 8 piece movement. The method is 100% accurate to the form taught at the Shaoln Temple (as you would expect from a Temple Master!).
The practice, if used regularly, helps build up flexibility, strength & a strong mind, quite simply essential practive for anyone practicing martial arts or lookng for a routine that will help develop a strong mind & body for life.
I have practiced this form of QI Gong for a year now its bennefits are numerous & i really recommend it to pople of all levels - its authentic, clear & useful.
More Chi!
