I have to say my experience has been very much the same as Jack's. I think they're a wonderful tool, especially as a warm up prior to KSMO sessions, meditation, or brainwave entrainment.

If cost is an issue, I personally recommend the Supentown AB-07. I found it at Amazon for $80 U.S. It works just was well, if not better (and with more options) than my older model which cost me around $400 back in 1999.

Here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/Swing-Machine-...sporting-goods

I personally use the Supentown because I required a Chi Machine with an adjustable speed and this model can go as slow as 85 rotations per minute, which is much more gentle and feels just right for me. However, it can be increased, in increments, up to around 160 (if I remember correctly), which should be fast enough to suit anyone's needs.

Although I do think the Chi Machine is a wonderful tool, in my opinon, it's not a replacement for more traditonal methods like Tai Chi or Yoga, or even swimming for that matter. It's simply another modern convenience that happens to be rather convenient, especially for folks who lack the time or ability to exercise properly.

And as far as there being a "real" Chi Machine, I understand there was a first company to produce it, and have read their claims. But I have yet to find any logical reason to assume that their's is the only one that works "correctly." After all, this isn't a very comlicated piece of machinery. It's a motor that moves a curved platform from side-to-side. I'm pretty sure the "fake" chi machines produce the same benefits the "real" one.

As a side note, I recently purchased and started using an exercise tool called The Bodyblade from http://www.bodyblade.com/

I find this to be an amazing exercise tool in and of itself but what I found most interesting is how it seems to work synergistically with the Chi Machine in something of a Yin/Yang fashion.

To use the Bodyblade, you must use your whole body to initiate and maintain a continuous motion in the blade, which requires an astonishing number of muscles to work in coordination simultaneously. So just holding it out in front of you and wiggling it in a side-to-side manner will require not only the muscles in your arms, but also all of the muscles along your spine, as well as chest, abdominals, hips, and legs in order to remain in a stable position. No matter how it is used, the whole body must be involved to keep it in motion.

In contrast, with the Chi Machine, the trick is in learning to relax and allow it to create a wave-like motion that moves from your feet throughout your entire body. To get the full benefits, your body must let go completely and allow itself to be moved freely from head to toe.

So in combining the two, my daily workout consists of first spending a few minutes using my entire body to make waves through the Bodyblade and then settling down on the Chi Machine and allowing it to make waves through my entire body.

I find it creates a wonderful blend of full body tension followed by full body relaxation as well as focused awareness and concentration followed by an almost meditative state of mentally and physically letting go.

It's hard to put into words, but I do feel something about this specific combination of exercises, the tension followed by relaxation, has been very helpful in my KSMO practice. Maybe I'll be able to explain it better after a few more workouts...

Pan :-)