Yoga focus and Zen Body Being

This week I have been spending a lot of time thinking about and practising yoga. I do a short yoga routine every day to wake up and this week's yoga class also was challenging. I have been toying with the idea of going on a Yoga Teachers course for a very long time. I have attended yoga classes regularly for almost 10 years, and I would really like to deepen my knowledge and practice. I am not interested in teaching per se, but think a teaching course would be a good step because it should have a more in-depth level of detail and theory. There are lots of different courses available, with all different kinds of focus and qualifications available. Although I am not too concerned about the qualification, I do want to ensure a quality course. I have made a couple of enquires but think I have found a course that would really suit me. I am very aware that undertaking the course is a huge commitment both financially and in terms of time, we will see if I find the courage and finally decide to take the plunge!

Tai Chi was again great, a welcome break in my Monday. We were further refining the Weiji Yufang Gong set and we started on another adventure, the Cheng Hsin Tai Chi set. I've been religiously practising the opening to the set whenever I get a spare moment, trying to lock in all the fantastic pointers the teacher raised. As my teacher had repeatedly mentioned Peter Ralston in practice to date, I did some research and saw that he has written a couple of books, I brought Zen Body Being and have just started reading it. Already a very interesting read! Plenty to reflect on, and valuable lessons not just for Tai Chi practice.

I joined the Tai Chi Union of Great Britain (http://www.taichiunion.com/join/) this week too, I was really interested in the magazine as well as finding out about events so I signed up. So I look forward to receiving my first magazine. 

“The beauty of a lake reflects the beauty around it.  When the mind is still, the beauty of the Self is seen reflected in it.” BKS Iyengar

Tapping Ren Du and going with the Vinyasa Flow

This week’s class saw the final piece of the Weiji Yufang Gong puzzle being put into place. Since May the group has been steadily working through the form and now we practiced it, the whole set. Now starts the period of polishing and going deeper, I can’t wait. I really enjoy detail and the theory that I believe goes hand in hand with the movements. Without this detail we are embarking on a memory game of chorography, a dance and not a Qi Gong set. I am really lucky because the teacher Mike drip feeds us this vital knowledge alongside learning the motions. This reminds me of a quote by Goju Ryu Karate Master Gogen “the Cat” Yamaguchi who rightly points out that "It’s not how many Kata you know, but the substance of Kata you have acquired”. Quality is critical not quantity. I think many martial artists are guiltly of wanting to move on, push and learn the next form, the next move, etc. I personally prefer to lock in a technique, to make it mine so I can perform and practice with confidence, rather than knowing half the story and filling in the blanks myself. Having Gordon Faulkner’s book to hand is also useful, so each time I practice I am going to focus on one of the moves, read the relevant explanation in the book then practice the set focusing on what I have just read. Hopefully that system will help me to slow it down and make the most of my technique.

I also had time to pick up Master Liming Yue’s Laojia DVD and have again been revising over the opening, Buddha’s warrior attendant pounds the mortar, lazy about tying the coat and six sealings and four closings. I am really looking forward to the next seminar, which is rapidly approaching in September!

Yoga this week was also really good, at class we ran through the sun salutation, which is one of my favourite sets in Yoga. I also did my last free class on Yoogaia. I went for some Vinyasa  flow which I really, really enjoyed. I really enjoyed Yoogaia because you could fit yoga classes around your other commitments and the amount of choice was brilliant. I could try out yoga styles that aren’t available locally to me. Wonderful. 

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Flower Displays Buddha

Last week's Tai Chi class covered the Daoyin steeping, body rotation and the Shang fist of flower displays Buddha (开花现佛 Kaihua Xianfo) and this week's class we looked in depth at the arms. I really enjoyed learning this Liver exercise, especially as the teacher covered the Wu Xing (五行) or Five Elements. Through other martial arts and my reading I had some basic knowledge however had never been formally taught about it. I really enjoyed learning about how it relates to the Stress Prevention Exercises (Weiji Yufang Gong), and the logic behind the different exercises in relation to their properties and subsequent effect on the body's functions and Chi. I am certainly looking forward to learning more, and really think that even the basic understanding of Wu Xing I have will help me more appreciate the subtle intricacies of these exercises.

As much as I have been enjoying the Daoyin this week, I have been really struggling with the Chen form. This week I have been trying to get to grips with Lazily Tying Coat (懒扎衣 lǎn zhā yī) and think I will need another week before moving on to Six Sealing and Four Closing (六封四闭 liù fēng sì bì). I really can't wait for the next seminar to touch base with a teacher! Until then I will keep trying my best.

Chen style homework

After going to the seminar I decided to try to do some homework before the next workshop in just over two months time, so I decided to invest in some Chen style DVDs. Because the seminar covered the Lao Jia form I wanted to revise this so got 2 DVDs. The next seminar would cover the Dao form and I wanted to make sure I could make the most of the face to face teaching time so also got a cheaper DVD. I know learning from a DVD is not ideal however when it comes to the seminar I won't be struggling to remember choreography but can focus on teaching points.

The Lao Jia DVDs are a little hard to follow but are very detailed. Excellent for my revision. I haven't progressed further than Buddha’s Warrior Attendant Pounds Mortar yet - however I intend on recapping Lazy About Tying the Coat next week.

For a beginner like me, the Single Dao Routine DVD by Master Zhu Tiancai is just brilliant. Even though it is English subtitled not dubbed it is very precise and easy to follow. I like the exact direction, left foot steps, right foot lifts etc. I expected my progress to be very slow. However in an hour's attempt I managed to get through the first 14 movements. Which conveniently is section 1 on the DVD. Although there is only one more section I will wait before moving on and consolidate section 1 until the next workshop! So thank you to the Chinese Wushu Association and Master Zhu Tiancai for the excellent lesson.

So if anyone can recommend any Lao Jia instructional DVDs please comment with your suggestions. Thanks in advance. Xie xie!

Future Chi!

Sadly I missed my usual class this week, there was nothing I could do about it, so for the the first part of the week I continued to practice the routine to Buffalo Ploughs the Land - which was good because I was having trouble getting all the teaching points into my physical practice, especially the focus on the Laogong Pericardium-8 and turning the little fingers up as high as possible when bringing the arms forwards in the initial part of the movement. So the extra time certainly was a positive.

I did go to a different class at the end of the week, in fact I went to two lessons back to back! It was fantastic as the classes were for more experienced practitioners than I. I guess you could say I got a glimpse of my Tai Chi future. Both classes started with the Weiji Yufang Gong. I was lucky that there were a couple of questions on the next move I needed to learn, Distinguished Lord Combs Hair (Zhaojun Shufa). So the questions gave me opportunity to repeat and digest the movement.

The classes then did the Cheng Hsin Tai Chi form, with only one of the classes progressing to the Daoyin Baojian Gong up to Shoulder the Sun and Moon (Jiandan Riyue). I found that particular movement really challenging and I am looking forward to being taught it.

So lots to think about and concepts to put into my personal practice this week!

Discovering Yin Yoga

One of the great things about Yoogaia is the variety of yoga styles and teachers on offer. For a long time I have wanted to try Yin Yoga, partially because it was founded by Martial Artist Paulie Zink and also because of it's Taoist Yoga roots. However there aren't any classes near to me. Now was my chance as Yoogaia has numerous Yin Yoga classes!

I started with a 30 minute class with Greta Lai and really enjoyed the pace and style of her teaching. The length of time we held the Asanas was fantastic. Holding some poses for over 5 minutes you really do have time to develop and fully relax into the posture. Excellent class, so I took another one of her Yin Yoga classes towards the end of the week.

The next day I did Mariann Vella's 30 minute Yin yoga class. The meditation at the start really got my mind in the right place to enjoy the class, the centering and disconnecting, then connecting with the breath and staying passive in the pose were excellent comments and for me at least needed pointers, wonderful.

Heidi Poon's 45 minute Yin Yoga was next, the breath affirmation was insightful and helped me personally as I often have trouble relaxing the breath especially with more challenging poses. Heidi also acknowledged that Yin can be challenging! I completely agree, especially if the mind is busy.

Next week I will try Vinyasa Flow, another type I haven't done before. A little research suggests it connects flowing movements with the breath. Can't wait!

Weiji Yufang Gong - Stress Prevention

Over the past couple of weeks I have been going to a class which teaches Gordon Faulkner's Daoyin Yangsheng Gong Stress Prevention (Weiji Yufang Gong) routine.

So far we have covered Taiji Breathing (Taiji Tiaoxi) and Sink Qi to the Dantian (Qichen Dantian), Round Fan Covers the Moon (Tuanshan Zheyue) and the recent lesson Buffalo Plows the Land (Liniu Gengdi). What I really enjoy is the pace, each week we recap what we did the week before, then move on to the next exercise.  It gives you a week to practice the one move you have covered, and allows the move and the theory shared by the teacher time to sink in. Faulkner's book, Managing Stress with Qigong adds further depth (and indeed reminders of the theory covered in class).

So this week I will be working on Buffalo Plows the Land and getting to grips with the first 3 parts of Chen Style Laojia I was taught on the seminar.

One must try everyday to expand ones limits ~ Sosai Mas Oyama