Suggested Reading ~ Certification Required Reading

Yin Yoga Teacher Certification Course

Study credits hours are required for reading and writing your choice of either book reports, essays, outlines, or synopses on books from the following list. Original and relevant poems and short stories may also be admissible pending our approval.

REQUIRED READING and OUTLINE (Choose one option)

Taoism~ An Essential Guide

 (Former title: The Shambhala Guide to Taoism)

A complete introduction to the history, philosophy, and practice of an ancient Chinese spiritual tradition

By Eva Wong

The Way of the Five Seasons~

Living with the Five Elements for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Harmony

By John Kirkwood

Write  your outline as a personal teaching reference resource with an emphasis on the specific topics which are the most useful and interesting to you as a teacher.

In addition, students are free to chose any combination of titles from any categories on the list. Reading only a selection of individual essays or chapters from a book is acceptable. Credit for reading will only be given when accompanied by a written work about the book. (Exception: “The How and Why of Chinese Painting”- see below*)

Students must keep a log of all study hours spent and submit the log along with your writing assignments.

Please include on your papers:

  • Your name
  • The title of the book and the sections you have read
  • Total hours for reading and writing for each assignment
  • Your postal address

Students interested in taking the Master  Zink’s Yin Yoga Teacher Certification course can begin submitting reading and writing assignments now.

Please email writing assignments to pauliezink@gmail.com

 

Yin Yoga Teacher Training Weekend Workshops

Any translations of the Tao Te Ching are acceptable for the Teacher Training Hours reading and writing assignment. Our personal favorites are:

Tao Te Ching- Lao Tsu, A New Translation

By Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English

Tao Te Ching- A New Translation

By Stephen Mitchell

Certificate:

Participants who complete the requirements earn a teacher training certificate for the total hours of the workshop plus the number of hours committed to completing the assignment. These total hours are applicable towards teacher certification in Yin Yoga.

Requirements:

To earn a certificate, students must attend all days of the workshop plus read two translations of the Tao Te Ching and write a personal reflection of at least 100 words on a chapter of their choice.
Attendees who do not wish to earn the certificate are not required to write an essay.

Email the assignment to PaulieZink@gmail.com    PaulieZink@gmail.com

Please include:
Your first and last name
Your postal address
The workshop date, location, and number of hours
The number of hours committed to the reading assignment


ADDITONAL READING:

OVERVIEWS OF TAOIST TRADITIONS

Shambhala Publications

Any book titles listed in the Shambhala.com section on Taoism are acceptable to read for study credit

The Shambhala Guide to Taoism   REQUIRED Reading & Outline (option 1)

A complete introduction to the history, philosophy, and practice of an ancient Chinese spiritual tradition

By Eva Wong

Book titles listed in the Bibliography for Further Reading are acceptable to read for study credit.

Taoism- The Road to Immortality

By John Blofeld

The Secret and Sublime- Taoist Mysteries and Magic

This book is based mostly on the author’s experiences as a guest of Taoist recluses

By John Blofeld

Beyond the Closed Door: Chinese Culture and the Creation of T’ai Chi Ch’uan

By Arieh Lev Breslow

Chronicles of Tao: The Secret Life of a Taoist Master

by  Deng Ming-Dao

Daoism and Chinese Culture

Basic historical introduction, very readable, used for undergraduates- author’s note

By Livia Kohn

(Three Pines Press- Pub.)

TAO TE CHING

Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition

This book contains a comprehensive verbatim translation and gives the literal definitions of all the Chinese characters in the original text

By Jonathon Star

The Way and It’s Power

A study of the Tao Te Ching and it’s place in Chinese thought

By Arthur Waley

Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries

Further Teachings of Lao-tzu

Translated by Thomas Cleary

TAOIST PHILOSOPHY

Tao- The Watercourse Way

By Alan Watts

The Tao of Pooh

This book explains Taoist principles using Winnie the Pooh as an example of a Taoist master

By Benjamin Hoff

CHUANG TSU and LIEH TZU

Fourth century BC Taoist philosophers and story tellers. The books listed below are various translations of their work.

Chuang Tsu- Basic Writings

Translated by Burton Watson

Chuang Tsu-Inner Chapters

A new translation by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English

The Way of Chuang Tsu

By Thomas Merton

The Second Book of the Tao

By Stephen Mitchell

The Book of Lieh Tzu
By A.C. Graham

Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living

By Eva Wong

Taoist Teachings from the Book of Lieh Tzu

By Liezi, Lieh Tzu

Taoist Teaching: The Book of Lieh-Tzu

By Lionel Giles

A FREE online version of this book is available at

ForgottenBooks.org

TAOIST WOMEN

Divine Traces of the Daoist Sisterhood

By Suzanne Cahill

TAOIST POETRY

Immortal Sisters- Secrets of Taoist Women

Translated and edited by Thomas Cleary

TAOIST ALCHEMY

Taoist Yoga- Alchemy and Immortality

By Lu K’uan Yu (Charles Luk)

Chinese Alchemy- The Taoist Quest for Immortality

By J.C. Cooper

TAOIST FOLK RELIGION

The Eight Immortals of Taoism- Legends and Fables of Popular Taoism

Translated and edited by Kwok Man Ho and Joanne O’Brien

Facets of Taoism

Essays in Chinese Religion

Edited by Holmes Welch and Anna Seidel

TAOIST HEALTH PRACTICES

The Way of the Five Seasons~   REQUIRED Reading & Outline (option 2)

Living with the Five Elements for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Harmony

By John Kirkwood

The Way of the Five Elements~

52 Weeks of Powerful Acupoints for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Health

By John Kirkwood

Chi Kung

Taoist Secrets of Fitness and Longevity

By Wen Mei Yu

The Taoist Ways of Healing

The Chinese art of Pa Chin Hsien

An introduction to the complete system of ancient Chinese Taoist health arts

By Chee Soo

Chi Kung

The art of mastering the unseen life force

By Lily Siou, Ph.D.

Rooted in Spirit:

The Heart of Chinese Medicine

By Claude Larre & Elisabeth Rochat De LA Vallee

Traditional Acupuncture:

The Law of the Five Elements

by Dianne M. Connelly, Ph.D.

Bragg Healthy Lifestyle

Body purification, toxicless diet & healing system

By Paul C. Bragg N.D., Ph.D  and Patricia Bragg N.D., Ph.D.

The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity

The Essence of Chi Gung

The Tao of Detox

Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine

by Daniel P. Reid

Wood Becomes Water:

Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life

By Gail Reichstein

Between Heaven and Earth, A Guide to Chinese Medicine

by Harriet Beinfield  and Efrem Korngold

TAOIST PAINTING

The How and Why of Chinese Painting

By Diana Kan

*Copies of original artwork inspired by this book are admissible for study credits

TAOIST STORIES

The Wandering Taoist

By Deng Ming Dao

Chronicles of Tao:

The Secret Life of a Taoist Master

By Ming-Dao Deng

The Medicine Box

By Shan-Tung Hsu

RELATED TOPICS

How to Be Animal: A New History of What It Means to Be Human 

By Melanie Challenger

Books by Rupert sheldrake, Biologist:

Science Set Free  (UK: The Science Delusion) 

Science and Spiritual Practice

Ways To Go Beyond 

Morphic Resonance / A New Science of Life

The Presence of the Past

Arguing Science

The Rebirth of Nature

Chaos Creativity and Cosmic Consciousness

The Tao of Psychology:

Synchronicity and Self

Jean Shinoda Bolen

The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grows

The Rediscovered Diary of Opal Whiteley

This is an amazing work by a magical child, a true Taoist!- Maria

Presented by Benjamin Hoff

The Last Child in the Woods:

Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder

By Richard Louv

Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape

I highly recommend this book for its insights into our own animal nature and social potential- Maria

By Frans DeWaal and Frans Lanting

Peacemaking Among Primates

By Frans DeWaal

Chimpanzee Politics

By Frans DeWaal

Songs of the Gorilla Nation:

My Journey Through Autism

By Dawn Prince-Hughes

The Journey Home

What near death experiences and mysticism teach us about the gift of life

By Phillip Berman

The Archaic Revival

Speculations on psychedelics, mushrooms, the Amazon, virtual reality, UFO’s, evolution, the rebirth of the Goddess, and the end of history

By Terrence McKenna

The Natural Mind

Explores non-ordinary states of consciousness

By Andrew Weil, M.D.

The Chalice and The Blade:

Our History, Our Future

By Riane Eisler

The Great Cosmic Mother

Rediscovering the religion of the Earth

By Monical Sjoo and Barbara Mor

Truth or Dare

Encounters with power, authority, and mystery

By Star Hawk

The Sacred Hoop

Rediscovering the feminine in American Indian traditions

By Paula Gunn Allen

The Politics of Women’s Spirituality

Essays on the rise of spiritual power within the feminist movement

This book presents excellent perceptions into the ways patriarchy alienates us from our authentic natures- Maria

Edited by Charlene spretnak

Gaia’s Garden:

A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture

Bu Toby Hemenway

Sweat Your Prayers: Movement as Spiritual Practice

Maps to Ecstasy: The Healing Power of Movement

Gabrielle Roth

The Secret Life of Plants:

A Fascinating Account of the Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Relations Between Plants and Man

By Peter Tomkins and Christopher Bird, Revised Edition 1989

SHAMANISM

The Spirit of Shamanism

By Roger N. Walsh

Shamans, Healers and Medicine Men

By Holger Kalweit

Walking in a Sacred Manner

Healers, dreamers, and pipe carriers- medicine women of the Plains Indians

By Mark St. Pierre and Tilda Long Soldier

Shape Shifters

Shaman women in contemporary society

By Michele Jamal

Shaman, Healer, and Sage

How to heal yourself and others with the energy medicine of the Americas

By Alberto Villoldo

Hallucinogens and Shamanism

Edited by Michael Harner

Shamansim

An expanded view of reality

Edited by Shirley Nicholson

 

Other book titles may be admissible for study credits pending our approval. Contact us at pauliezink@gmail.com

 

Paulie Zink Yin Yoga Founder

For information about
Paulie Zink’s Yin Yoga Teacher Training workshops, Yin Yoga Certification Courses, Yin Yoga DVDs, and other inquiries, please contact Maria Zink at
pauliezink@gmail.com