Tai Chi

04/08/2020

Following is a post from Bill Douglass.

For 2020 only, World Tai Chi & Qigong Day mass events are postponed until May 30th (pending update/changes). HOWEVER, on the regular "last Saturday of April" we are encouraging everyone to do Tai Chi, Qigong, Meditation at 10 am local time worldwide IN YOUR BACK YARD or HOME, while tuning in, in consciousness to the worldwide wave of Qi.

03/31/2020

After MANY hours of work, I was unable to download a Tai Chi video. I'm sure if I had someone to come look while I worked, they could make an easy correction. But, at this point I am going to have to admit defeat.

03/28/2020

I'm working on a video for my Tai Chi group. So far I haven't made much progress, but check back later.

03/24/2020

Many of you know that every year, on the last saturday of April, we celebrate World Tai Chi Day. Because of the world wide Corona Virus the celebration will be postponed to the last Saturday in May. Bill Douglass, the founder of World Tai Chi Day will let us know if this date is to be changed. Here is a note from him:
Again, keep in mind, stay chill ... and avoid getting washed in a wave of hysteria, because fear and hysteria are not good for our health--and can diminish our immune system. A 20 year Kaiser study found that around 70% of illnesses sending people to their doctors were CAUSED BY STRESS. Let's not be hysterically stressed about anything, but rather look coolly and rationally at anything and everything.

03/04/2020

From Lee Holden

In Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong, we often refer to the brain as “the curious organ.” The reason for this reference is obvious: the human brain is constantly asking questions, probing for answers, and imaging possibilities. Our species’ unique position in the world is primarily a result of our large and curious brains.

According to Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong, the energy of our minds is seen as an extension of our kidney Qi. Therefore, cultivating strong kidney Qi through flowing, water-like exercises is a great way to increase the energy that our brains have to work with.

02/22/2020

I took my first internet qigong workshop last Sunday. It was with Lee Holden and the 8 Pieces of Brocade. The workshop was 3 1/2 hours and very well done. I'll be sharing what I learned with my classes.If anyone is interested on online training I would recommend Holden.

02/04/2020

The following in from Master Teacher Howard Gibbon. It addresses issues many people struggle with in learning Tai Chi.

One of the problems experienced by new students to Tai Chi is they often complain they can not remember the moves. Because Tai Chi relaxes the body and dulls the thought processes, the moves are often easily forgotten but the essential benefits of Tai Chi i.e. the meditative experience is remembered. Because it is absorbed into their being.

This is the beauty of Tai Chi. The inner experience outweighs the outer for the newcomer and as this is an unfamiliar experience, the mind fights it because it does not understand and can not define the experience by looking at other experiences. The mind wants to understand to link to a past experience and to commit that experience to memory. Now we have a big problem. The new student feels good after the class but when trying to relate their experience to others, find it difficult to put it into words what that experience was, because essentially it was an experience that was felt not deciphered by the mind.

Tai Chi practice should refresh you; not burden you with more things to remember. True understanding in Tai Chi brings a deep wholeness to your essential being. Not another memory attached to the intellect. There is no need to remember it – it is there…

As you practise let thoughts come and let them pass through. Become the watcher. Be indifferent to the thoughts. When you listen or read words of wisdom, don’t try to remember them or the meaning will be lost. Let them wash over you, cleaning your mind, emptying it. Do not let thoughts whip up your mind like a strong wind ruffling the surface of water causing confusion and doubt, be still like a calm lake. The purpose of meditation is to throw out the mind. Tai Chi empties the mind. Do not burden yourself with more words or thought processes.

See from your deep inner self, let that wisdom go to work to change and empower your essential self, the real inner you. Forget for the moment your outer self, your conscious self that was born of your upbringing, your surroundings and moulded by others’ expectation of you and what you should become.

01/19/2020

January 25th is Chinese New Year. If you practice Feng Shui there are some bad energies coming from the East and the South (actually they are coming whether you use Feng Shui or not) In the south side of your house remove anything that is the color of fire. If you have items that can't be easily changed then add colors of water which is black for Feng shui. You can also add pictures of water or a small water feature. In the South use the color blue. If you have the blue medicine Buddha you should use it.

The center of the house also has negative energies for the year. Use a Buddha holding a golden nugget, or blue elephant/ Rhino. Reduce the color of yellow or other earth colors in the center.

Feng Shui is complicated and there are many other sugestions for the year. A Google search will provide much information.

12/15/2019

What are the 4 principles of Taoism?

These 4 Teachings of Daoism Will Help You Navigate Life
SIMPLICITY, PATIENCE, COMPASSION. “Simplicity, patience, compassion. ...
GOING WITH THE FLOW. “When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.” ...
LETTING GO. “If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. ...
HARMONY.
https://www.goodnet.org › articles › these-4-teachings-daoism-will-help-you...

12/15/2019

Tai Chi blends the gentle centering concepts of Taoism into the centering physical concepts of Tai Chi. This gives the practitioner a way to live a nonviolent life - not to just think about it, but to practice it with both the mind and body. The philosophy is based on the idea of the balace of nature, both internally in our health systems and externally in our relationships with the natural world.

11/22/2019

For those of you who have done Guo Lin chi kung with me (and anyone else who would like to learn, here is a link that explains the entire sequence and has variations.

our video teaching all the basics of guo lin chi gong

11/17/2019

For those of you who like the world Tai Chi t-shirts, there is a womens v-neck that will be available until Dec. 20. Let me know if you are interested. Each of you can see this shirt by googling World Tai Chi