‘Eternal Spring: Taijiquan, Qi Gong, and the cultivation of health, happiness and longevity’ by Michael W. Acton

Singing Dragon, 2009

ISBN 978-1848190030

Reviewed by Marian Van Eyk McCain

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Many of the Westerners who take up Eastern  practices like Yoga and Tai Chi never really understand—or even take an interest in—the layers and layers of ancient, spiritual wisdom that underlie such practices.

Knowing this, many authors and teachers pay but scant attention to the theory and focus only on the physicality. In other words, both instructor and student concern themselves only with the tip of the iceberg.

Eternal Spring is very different and Michael Acton a very different sort of teacher. If only this book had been available years ago when I was struggling to master the form and just not getting the point. After reading the first few chapters, I stood in the middle of my living-room for five minutes with Acton’s words to guide me and suddenly, as I began actually to feel the subtle currents of energy move within me, I began, at long last, to understand what Qi Gong is really all about.