Remaining calm
Remaining calm is a central tenant of taiji practice. The effort is within. The outward appearance should always be relaxed and flowing. The inner work requires strength and concentration. 内固精神,外是安逸 Nei gu jing shen, wai…
Remaining calm is a central tenant of taiji practice. The effort is within. The outward appearance should always be relaxed and flowing. The inner work requires strength and concentration. 内固精神,外是安逸 Nei gu jing shen, wai…
To do nothing is far more difficult than to do something. Doing nothing requires the ability to embrace stillness, to be able to quiet the mind and calm the body -- even when there is…
In what I call developmental learning, each person will grasp a piece of the puzzle in their own time. Developmental learning builds on whatever is being done. It's different than conceptual learning. In conceptual learning,…
What is xin (心)? Literally, it means heart. It can refer to the physical organ (心脏) or to the center of being that is most attuned to feelings and emotions. I'm not referring to sentimentality,…
Most anyone who has studied any art that requires focus, be it rock climbing or theatre or martial arts, has heard some version of the phrase "being here now." It may have been in the…
Most adults who start training in one or another of the arts continue for a few weeks or a few years, depending on what they are doing, what they want to do, and the opportunities…
Taiji and forms solo practice is sometimes called shadowboxing - fighting an imaginary opponent or your own shadow. It's how we develop ourselves, learn how to move, and engage qi through the movements. But the…
Sunrise this morning was impressive. The image doesn't do the colors justice. The clouds were more pink and the blue was so much more vibrant. Its one of the things I enjoy most about getting…
I cannot remember how many times over how many years I've been up before sunrise to practice. So very many stories to tell about early mornings in China. Today, going out on the patio, it…
I've been doing some housekeeping and cleaning. Trying to decide what to keep or not. Do I really need to keep that ancient laser printer that was top-of-the line when I bought it, but for…