I wasn't able to read this on my device because the margins were enormous and I couldn't re-set them. The text was only two or three words in the middle of the page and would have been too annoying to read. I remain interested in the author and his work and may seek out a finished copy.

Yan Ming Li begins this book by sectioning it into three parts.
• Part 1 - The East
• Part 2 - The West
• Part 3 - life in Balance

In discussing Part 1 - The East, he states that he recounts his boyhood in China, and he provides some background information about himself while a child growing up in in the East in harsh conditions in Maoist China, where religion was banned. He further states that many years later as an adult, he begin to understand the metaphysical correlation between posture and mystical access, that in sitting upright, the spine is vertical and acts like an antenna, connecting what is below (Mother Earth) to what is above (Father Creator), which allows our overworked mind feel completely tethered and allows it to relax completely.

It is in Part 1 that he states that the brutal conditions of his outer world led him to discover an unfathomable energy field of infinite magnitude, which he called the "Light". This "Light", he states, was what ancient sages of the East harnessed as their life force— known in China as Qi (pronounced “chi”) or in India as Prana—to perform all sorts of feats that Westerners may regard as miraculous.

At twelve years of age, the author writes that his mother was left paralyzed from waist down from an operation where the government of China wanted to control the population by mass sterilization, and a year later his father died unexpectedly.

He goes into great detail discussing his journey to develop his "Light" or Qi, in hope, to the level of totally healing his mother.

In Part 2 he continues the memoir with my adulthood in America, where he studied more to develop his Qi, through the techniques of Qigong, Kudalini, and other healing techniques.

In Part 3, he writes about what he has learned from both East and West, specifically, the spiritual principles and healing techniques that have helped people recover from “terminal” illness. He states that "Stillness" is the doorway to divinity and that every religion agrees and that energy cannot be created or destroyed but transmuted and brought into balance.

Yan Ming Li states the "The Whole Body Prayer Technique" should be practiced outdoors in nature, where fresh air and Qi are abundant— ideally a quiet, peaceful place surrounded by greenery and the direction to face depends on the season. In spring, Qi comes forth from the east; in summer, Qi emerges in the south; in autumn, Qi springs up in the west; and in winter, Qi descends from the north.

He writes "There is no separation between you and the world around you."

This is a great book and I feel it can be beneficial for any wanting to learn more about their "Light" for whole body healing.

I found such a beautiful insight into the idea of self. This book gave a wonderful overview and historical history to many religions and the act of prayer.

With WHOLE BODY PRAYER, Yan Ming Li offers his own life story, starting with his birth and early years in Maoist China through his years in the United States. From his earliest studies of spiritual disciplines and hard-won expertise with his innate gifts in healing, he emphasizes an approach to solving health and other problems from within. His book felt like a long conversation with a wise, deeply learned friend committed to the wellbeing of all. I learned a great deal and had many of my own experiences supported by a wildly different, non-interventionist approach to living well and happily. I received an advance copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased thoughts.

I received an electronic copy of Whole Body Prayer and thanks to the easy going style and the succinct nature of this book, I was able to read it in a day.
This book is a delightful blend of memoir, spirituality and instruction manual, allowing the reader to approach Yan Ming Li's story and techniques from various perspective.
Historically and culturally, it offers a look at the difficulties and social realities of the Communist Revolution in China.
From a memoir point-of-view, it provides a broad look at Yan Ming Li's life and allows us as readers to appreciate his struggles as well as his gifts and his wisdom.
And it references many of the world's religions to show how they all stem from the same place.
Regardless of whether I ever master (or even use) his techniques, the book allows the reader to pause and consider his or her own life choices and if our own spiritual behavior helps or hinders our health.

I very much enjoyed this book. I am not a religious person but do believe in the positive effects of meditation which is what initially drew me to this title. I was very curious upon reading it's description.

I very much appreciate Li speaking to many different religions as well as relating much to Science.

I also very much enjoyed reading about his upbringing in China. We are such tiny specks on this large rock and it can become so easy to take our time here for granted. I find it so important to read of other's experiences and move outside of our own comfort zone.

Whether or not Li's meditation techniques will improve the deepness and healing of one's meditation remains to be seen. I will put his technique into practice to see for myself it's benefits.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars

This little book - part memoir and part self help guide – is a gem! The author seamlessly weaves his personal story with the perennial wisdom of the major spiritual disciplines to create an interesting and informative format.

The book is divided into three parts. The first reflects his childhood under the oppressive Maoist regime in China. Born in the midst of the Cultural Revolution, he soon found that his gift of being able to commune with the Light had to be kept secret. After his father’s death and his mother’s tragic accident, he focused on the survival of his family. At the age of 18, he became an assistant to a Qigong master and found his path.

The second section begins with Li’s migration to the United States in 1994. Settling in Atlanta, he began teaching a self-healing technique he called “Whole Body Prayer.” Here he experienced many trials including the dissolution of his marriage and abandonment by his best friend.

The final part addresses the 5 qualities the author proposes are necessary for healing, health and well-being. These are: stillness, order, balance, prayer and gratitude. The chapter on Prayer provides a detailed description of the technique of “Whole Body Prayer.” My one criticism of the book is that there are no diagrams to illustrate the written instructions (hence, I deducted 1/2 star). I did find helpful information on his website and You Tube videos that provided much needed guidance.

Overall, I found the author’s writing style to be engaging and highly informative. While most of the information will be familiar to those who have been engaged in spiritual practices, the manner in which the principles and philosophy blend into the text make it a wonderful compendium for future reference. For those just embarking on alternatives for healing, this is a great introduction that draws from many sources.

Lastly, I appreciate the author’s candor and transparency in sharing his own pain and vulnerability. His humility and gratitude for all of his experiences is inspiring and underscores the principles he advocates.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.