When Taoist master Mantak Chia isn’t writing about energetically appropriate lovemaking (as he has in The Multi-Orgasmic Man), he writes about tai chi. His latest book, The Inner Structure of Tai Chi: Mastering the Classic Forms of Tai Chi Chi Kung, coming out later this month, is aimed at all levels of practitioners.

Chia, author of 25 books and founder of the Healing Tao System (aka European Tao Yoga and Universal Healing Tao) teams up with Juan Li, a long time Healing Tao instructor, to explore “the deep, internal work necessary for the effective practice of tai chi.” They offer illustrated steps to all 13 forms of “early Yang-style tai chi,” aka Tai Chi Chi Kung. They cover it all in Chia’s usual straightforward, clear-headed style. Take his description of foot work. Chia explains that all nine points of the foot must be engaged at all times during practice. These are “the heel, the outer edge, the small ball, the large ball, and each of the five toes.” When you place all of these points evenly on the ground, “the weight is poised over the middle of the foot, a point known as Bubbling Springs.” The idea is that “when we align the body's weight over this point, the earth energy seems to freely flow up into the body, just like a bubbling geyser.” Cool. For the first time tai chi makes sense. I’m looking forward to reading this book and exploring my own geyser further.