Breathing Spaces: Qigong, Psychiatry, and Healing in China
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Book Overview
The charismatic form of healing called qigong, based on meditative breathing exercises, has achieved enormous popularity in China during the last two decades. Qigong served a critical social organizational function, as practitioners formed new informal networks, sometimes on an international scale, at a time when China was shifting from state-subsidized medical care to for-profit market medicine. The emergence of new psychological states deemed to be deviant led the Chinese state to "medicalize" certain forms while championing scientific versions of qigong. By contrast, qigong continues to be promoted outside China as a traditional healing practice. Breathing Spaces brings to life the narratives of numerous practitioners, healers, psychiatric patients, doctors, and bureaucrats, revealing the varied and often dramatic ways they cope with market reform and social changes in China.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0231128053
ISBN13:9780231128056
Release Date:July 2003
Publisher:Columbia University Press
Length:238 Pages
Weight:0.86 lbs.
Dimensions:0.6" x 6.0" x 9.1"
Grade Range:Postsecondary and higher
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Breathing spaces
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
Breathing spaces by Nancy N. Chen shows a good connection between psychiatry and Qigong. It gives a rare insight to the non-Chinese practizing qigong and psychiatry. Aliza
Interesting Read
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
This book is a good read for anyone interested in the cultural rise of qigong in China post 1920's as well as other cultural influences on the health care in China. This book is more of a report of events and research than of any type of teachings that other qigong books may offer. The book covers a wide variety of topics and attempts to answer some tough questions with regards to qigong and health care. A good read on Chinese culture.
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