Taoism for Beginners: Understanding and Applying Taoist History, Concepts, and Practices

by Elizabeth Reninger

Overview

Ancient practices for modern lives—the perfect taste of Taoism

Begin your journey of spiritual exploration and deepen your connection to the earth. Taoism for Beginners is your easy-to-understand guide to a rich, spiritual tradition that originated in ancient China and offers a new holistic perspective.

Discover the core principles and traditions of Taoism with straightforward language and simple exercises you can do anywhere. Adopting aspects of Taoism into your everyday life can bring you into peace and harmony with yourself and the world around you—a practice that's more vital than ever in our busy modern-day lives.

Taoism for Beginners helps you:

• Feel better and feel more—Build your own Taoist practice that can help you relax, de-stress, and feel more at ease in your life.
• Learn history and tradition—Meet Taoism's founder, Lao Tzu, and learn the basic history of Taoism practice for the past 2500 years.
• This book and beyond—Deepen your practice (if you wish) with included resources for further reading and study.

Explore the depth and breadth of Taoism in a clear format that you can apply to everything you do.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641525435
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	05/19/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	164
File size:	698 KB

About the Author

ELIZABETH RENINGER is a practitioner of the Taoist arts of ch’i-kung, meditation, and poetry. She holds a master’s in Chinese Medicine and has explored and written widely on topics related to nondual spiritual traditions. Her previous books include And Now the Story Lives Inside You, Meditation Now, and Taoism for Beginners.

Table of Contents

1 What is Taoism? 1

2 Core Concepts 23

3 Core Teachings 43

4 Approaches to Taoist Practics 65

5 Common Myths and Misconceptions 85

6 Taoist Schools and Lineages 103

7 Taoism Today 121

Suggested Reading 143

Appendix 145

Index 147

Editorial Reviews

This book is long overdue—we have needed it for a long time. Elizabeth Reninger gives a complete and comprehensive overview of a difficult to describe subject, with a concise clarity that perhaps only a poet could achieve. Many people have attempted this before; she has succeeded in the best way I have seen after 50+ years of reading. This book is destined to become a classic reference book on Taoism.” —James MacRitchie, author, teacher and founding president of the National Qigong Association, USA

“Taoism for Beginners is a clear and comprehensive guide to Taoism in its many facets: worldview, devotion, and health practices. It covers all the basic information needed to get a good grip on what this powerful yet elusive Eastern teaching is all about, its many inserts on practice making it real in a hands-on way! Highly recommended.” —Livia Kohn, Boston University

“In this book, Elizabeth offers a wide range of valuable information that is both practical and inspiring. It is a great read and an important resource—especially during these difficult times!” —Carolyn Bucey Eberle, LPC, Spiritual Teacher, www.bekindtoyourhuman.com

“Taoism for Beginners is a wonderful guide for how to embody the ancient teachings of the Tao. The practical exercises included throughout the book help make Taoism relevant for modern times. Highly recommended for both teachers and practitioners.” —Cynthia Ghiron, MA, Jin Shin Jyutsu & Reiki at cynthiaghiron.com and producer of Tai Chi: The Golden Flower

From the Publisher