Chinese Health Balls Practical Exercises Hans Hoting r .*'*£ * m:m Chinese Health Balls Otherbooks by Binkey Kok Publications Eva Rudy Jansen Singing Bowls A Practical Handbook ofInstruction and Use The Book ofBuddhas Ritual Symbolism Used on Buddhist Statuary and Ritual Objects Eva Rudy Jansen The Book ofHindu Imagery The Gods and their Symbols Hans Hoting Chinese Health Balls Practical Exercises Binkey Kok Publications, Diever, Holland IV CIP-DATAKONINKLIJKE BIBLIOTHEEK, DENHAAG Hoting, Hans Chinesehealthballs : practical exercises/HansHoting; pB[thironatnkose'lys.BfKeroroktm.Wt-ihee1r11Gi.,enprghamoat;onil'lsb.yFrTaonnzyKLoassnegka].m-...Deiteavle.r; ; Transl. of: Aktivundgesunddurchdie magischen Gigong-Kugeln aus China. - Bremen Hoting, 1989. - With index. : ISBN 90-74597-03-3 Subjectheadings: Chinesehealthballs/alternativemedicine. Published and ©by Binkey Kok Publications Diever Holland. Fax 31 5219 1925. Printedandbound inthe Netherlands. Lay-out: EvaRudyJansen Coverdesign: JaapKoning. Distributed inthe U.S.A. by SamuelWeiserInc., Box612, YorkBeach, Maine03910. © 1990byBinkey Kok. Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedin a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, orotherwise, withoutthepriorwrit- tenpermissionofthepublisher. Binkey Kok Publications, DieverHolland. Fax 31 5219 1925. Contents Foreword Introduction Part 1 - Origins 1 3 History - 5 Theprinciple - 8 Terminology Part 2 - The effects 9 11 Ournervoussystem - 19 Reflexzonesofthe hand 21 Kirlianphotography 23 Muscles andbloodcirculation 25 Brainhemispheres - 26 Sound Part 3 - Varieties 29 31 Therange - 32 A survey 40 Makingachoice - 43 Maintenance Part 4 - Exercises 45 47 General practice — 47 Once again,yin andyang 49 Exercisesfor strengtheningtheyin/yangforce 51 Thebasicexercise - 62 Exerciseswiththreeballs 63 withfourballs - 65 withthefeet 65 Pushingballswiththefeet - 66 Footbaths 67 Grippingexercise - 68 Refinement ofthebasicexercise 69 Tai Chi andChinesehealthballs 74 Exercisesfordexterity - 78 Meditationexercises 79 Musical exercises - 80 Walkingexercises 82 Gymnasticexercises - 85 Massagewithuseofhealthballs Part5 - Health Diary 87 Vll Foreword Increasingly,Asianideas,customsandobjectsarefindingtheirway into our shops andhomes. We simply like many ofthese objects, or consider them beautiful or useful - at least, ifwe are interested in them. Butsomeofthemgiverisetoquestions. Whatisit?What'sit for? What doyou do with it ? This category ofintriguing objects includes the oblong boxes lined withcolourfulembroideredsilk,containingtwoballs,usuallymade ofmetal.Theballsfeelheavyinthehand,andwhenyoumovethem, they make a bell-like sound. They are sold under various different names, and usually all that is said is that you should roll them around inyour hand. In most cases it remains a mystery what this rolling is goodfor, or what else you could do with the balls. We have already made two successful attempts at unveiling these "Easternmysteries": first inabook aboutthe use andeffects ofsin- gingbowls,andtheninaconciseiconographyofTibetanBuddhism. Forthisthirdpublicationinourseries,wewereabletouseaGerman book, whichnotonlyprovidesaccurate informationabouttheback- groundandeffectofthemysteriousmetalballs,butalsocontainsan extensive series ofexercises, sothat the reader can start investiga- tingtheeffectoftheballsforhimselfstraightaway. ForourEnglish andAmericanreaders, we have produced a modifiedversionofthis book, which we hope is comprehensive; we have tried to adapt the content as far as possible to their wishes and interests. The publisher