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

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!

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