The Poetry of Touch

Alchemy, Transformation & Oriental Medicine

Chris McAlister

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Paperback

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English

Fyrfalk Content
23 February 2023

Mind, Body, Spirit; Complementary therapies, healing & health; Chinese medicine & acupuncture

"The Poetry of Touch by Chris McAlister is a fascinating look into the perspective of a practitioner who has spent most of his life exploring the ins and outs of East Asian Medicine. Given his grounding in shiatsu, he naturally comes from a place of highly valuing the art of touch in the practice of traditional medicine. From this book you really get the sense of how Chris keeps digging for the roots of this medicine, which are embedded in the experience of being embodied and exploring what it means to be fully alive and human - a creature with a rational mind suspended briefly in time between Heaven and Earth.

Chris shares anecdotes and wisdom he has picked up along his long and circuitous journey in East Asian Medicine. He references the classics, especially the Yijing the ""Book of Changes"" the primary source for Chinese philosophy and worldview. Unraveling the symbols and images that are foreign to westerners, but imbedded in the collective unconscious, he lays out the implications of this foundational text in the practice of medicine. What comes across is not just Chris's deep scholarship but how he continually practices to dig deeper, always trying to make sense and connect the dots. Tradition is always a recreation of past practices. Never the same, the river keeps flowing, fresh water keeps coming from upstream to carve out the sides and bottom of the river. In the same way, Chris unpacks the healing arts of Oriental Medicine with respect and a genuine feeling for what is essential, and in so doing refreshes it and paves the way for the next generation of practitioners.

In this book, Chris honors the diversity and full depth of East Asian medicine. Not just as a monolith of ancient knowledge, but as a living breathing truth that has to be rediscovered in each practitioner's life and practice. This is a brilliant example of the path of mastery, which we are all on every time we consciously choose to cultivate this living tradition.

The Author:

Chris McAlister has over 30 years of experience in Shiatsu, Acupuncture and Herbal medicine. He has been a practitioner of Taiji chuan, Qigong and meditation since the mid-1980's. Chris was head teacher in the Shiatsu department of Axelsons school of bodywork in Stockholm for ten years. He has taught Shiatsu and Acupuncture at his own academy and in schools around the world. He is a knowledgeable, experienced and very much appreciated teacher in the global communities of Shiatsu and energy medicine."

By: Chris McAlister
Imprint: Fyrfalk Content
Dimensions: Height: 297mm, Width: 210mm, Spine: 19mm
Weight: 875g
ISBN: 9789198707052
ISBN 10: 9198707051
Pages: 366
Publication Date: 23 February 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Chris McAlister has over 30 years of experience in Shiatsu, Acupuncture and Herbal medicine. He has been a practitioner of Taiji chuan, Qigong and meditation since the mid-1980's. Chris was head teacher in the Shiatsu department of Axelsons school of bodywork in Stockholm for ten years. He has taught Shiatsu and Acupuncture at his own academy and in schools around the world. He is a knowledgeable, experienced and very much appreciated teacher in the global communities of Shiatsu and energy medicine.Chris McAlister is...

Reviews for The Poetry of Touch: Alchemy, Transformation & Oriental Medicine

"""It is such a coherent book that is serves as a source of inspiration, even for experts. [...] The Poetry of Touch has the makings of a classic. It is one of the best works ever written around the subject of bodywork and Oriental medicine."" Mike Mandl Author and Director of the International Academy for Hara Shiatsu in Vienna ""This is a masterful work that I recommend without reservation [...] Chris honors the diversity and full depth of East Asian medicine, a brilliant example of the path of mastery. Stephen Brown Teacher and translator of texts on traditional Japanese medical arts. The Poetry of Touch is the life work of a man immersed in the healing arts of Shiatsu, acupuncture, Qigong and meditation. A man who has gone through his own healing journey, working on mastering his art. [...]Chris McAlister captivates you with his wit, insights, devotion and ability to look at ancient concepts with fresh eyes. Mihael Mamychshvili, NPR, RST Shiatsu Therapist, creator of the NeuroPath Reset Method, founder of Angel Hands Integrative Centre in Vancouver"