Monday Practice

 

The Details:

It's 41 at the house. The sunrise was at 5:47.

Notes:

I'm still working on using The Music to check the timing of my solo Taiji Form. Yesterday I got off timing in Part III. I did better today! I stayed equanimous when I noticed that I was off the beat of the Music.

I'm thinking that a trip down to MensWearhouse in West Springfield.

The Practice: 

I started on The Deck with a round of Taiji Dao and Pa-Kua Knife using a wooden broadsword. I focused on watching the sword tip, using my waist and The Sequence.

Next I did a brief Warm up using the first few of The 10

Next I did a Round (left side) to The Music with Master Liang counting. I focused on staying on The Count and the speed at which I was going.

Next I did another Round (right side) to just The Music. 

I did much better than yesterday. The music keeps me honest with the correct number of Repulse Monkeys and Wave Hands. I'm finding that the majority of glitches are from too few Repulse Monkeys especially in Part III

Next I did a round of Anyo Apat focused on Basics and the correct Sequence.

Next I did a round of Wansu Kata tuned in fully extending Kicks and Punches. 

Next I did a round of Cheng Style Bagua Zhang 8 Animal Palms Changes 1-4/ Tuned into the correct Sequence in the correct placement on the circle and the overall quality and stretch of the Postures. 

Sunday Practice

 The Details:

It's 44 at the house. The sunrise was at 5:49.

Notes:

I went to the World T'ai Chi Day event at Phil's work yesterday morning. 

I made Cookies yesterday afternoon.

The Practice:

It's Spring....Can you warm it up a little?

I practiced on The Deck this morning. 

I started with a brief Warm Up using the first few of The 10 focused on moving lymph and the two major stretches (forward and backward #1 and side to side #2)

Next I did a Round (right side) with the music and Master Liang counting. I went out of sync right at the end of Part III....Oy!

Next I did another Round (right side) to just the music and found I was on The Beat at the beginning of Part III but off again at the end of Part III.....I'm going to keep at it until I've got the sequence to the beat accurate.

Next I did a round of Yin Style Bagua Zhang 8 Palms Changes 5-8 (both sides) reciting the names of the postures where I could. I still need work on #6, 7 and 8.

Saturday Practice - World Tai Chi and Qigong Day

 

The Details:

It's 34 at the house. The sunrise was at 5:50.

Notes:

I'll be going into Greenfield for World T'ai Chi Day with Phil and Luke. It'll be good to do a Round with others.

The Practice:

Luke led through a Warm Up using some of Sifu Ray's Warm Up Set.

Next he led through a Standing Meditation and added 'Pulling The Qi' from Master Xie Qigong Set.

Next Robin led through a Round (right side). He was going too fast for me to do 'internal training' so I ended up moving to side/back and going at my own pace.

All and all there was a good group in attendance and what Luke presented was authentic from his personal practice/

I had some conversations with Luke about the amount of teaching and his caution to not 'pollute' his art by teaching too much. From my perspective you would not be able to make a living if you didn't teach enough. But I also understand what he meant by 'polluting' by doing too much. I guess there's a balance in there that I'm curious about. Hmmmm!

I also talked with Phil and his take on 'community outreach' I liked his take and re-framing the idea of marketing. It strikes me as a better word for it even though the end result may be similar.

Friday Practice

 

The Details:

It's 39 at the house. The sunrise was at 5:52. It's forecast to be cooler than yesterday. I'm still counting this as Day #4 in the Rotation.

Notes:

I've got Tognarelli HVAC coming between 11-1 to work on the master bathroom shower and toilet.

The Practice:

I started with a full round of The 10+ on The Deck focused on leg strength and overall health and consistency.

Next I went out to The Driveway and did a Round (left side) focused on "Waist Directs The Movements" and observing Relaxed Balance.

Next I did a brief Standing and Healing Qigong

Next I did a round of Yin Style Baguazhang 8 Palms Changes 1-8 (both sides) reciting the names of the postures where I could. 

I was out of gas.......

Thursday Practice

 

The Details:

It's 38 at the house. The sunrise was at 5:53.

Notes:

We are going up to Keene this morning to retrieve the bar stools from Beemes Upholstery, get my international drivers license from AAA and meet with Peter and Susan for lunch.

The Practice:

I had 7 deer grazing in the front yard as I practiced on The Deck.

I started with a brief Warm Up using the first few of The 10.

Next I did a Round (left side) tuned in to observing the principles and using soft, relaxed, slow movement to cultivate and circulate Qi.

Next I did Standing and Healing Qigong to cultivate my Qi.

Next I did a round of Yin Style Baguazhang 8 Palms Changes 1-4 (both sides) reciting the names of The Postures throughout the round.

Wednesday Practice

 

The Details:

It's 40 at the house. The sunrise was at 5:56. There's snow flurries (for the third day) but it's not sticking to the ground. It's feels raw outside. I'll be practicing inside this morning.

Notes:

G has a session with her client at her house at 9 this morning. Still no water to the master bathroom.

I'm trying the new green tea for the first time this morning. 

I filled Master Paul's tea cup for the first time this season.

I'll be practicing a little later this morning. I'm not sure where?!

The Practice:

I practiced upstairs in the Loft this morning. It was too cold and raw outside.

I started with a TRX Straps session followed by a Dumbbell Routine and a set of Sit Ups on the Big Blue Ball.

Next I did a brief Warm Up using the first few of The 10.

Next I did a Round (left side) focused on observing and using Neutral Postures.

Next I did a round of Yin Style Baguazhang 8 Palms Changes 1-4 reciting the names of the postures throughout. 

Tuesday Practice

 

The Details:

It's a cold 27 at the house. Brrrr! Another heavy frost! The sunrise was at 5:59. 

Notes:

More unpacking and putting things in order today. I've got to call Mike Bostley later today to set a time to get our septic tank pumped out.

The Practice:

I started inside with a full round of The 10. I added dumbbell training to #8 along with balance board training and a set of 10 sit ups on the Blue Ball.

Next I did a round of Taiji Cane (right side) focused on Sequence and shoulder health.

Next I did a round of Taiji Jian reciting the names of the postures when possible. I focused on watching the tip of my wooden Jian.

Next I did a Round (right side) reciting the Taiji Classics during Part I. I focused on using neutral postures throughout. 

Next I did a brief Standing and Healing Qigong tuned into cultivating Qi and Healing myself and others.

Next I did a round of Cheng Style Baguazhang 8 Animal Palms Changes 5-8 tuned into Sequence and Stance Work.

Monday Practice - first practice back in Leyden

 

The Details:

It's 32 at the house. Brrrr!! There was a heavy frost last night! The sunrise was at 5:59, much earlier than in NSB. 

Notes:

I've got more unpacking to do and I need to call Tognareli HVAC to explain the shut off valves and fix the shower and toilet in the master bathroom. They are coming on Friday between 11-1 pm. Christie is going to call on Thursday to confirm.

The Practice:

I started in The Barn with a brief Warm Up focused on 'doing it'. I was fatigued from the last three days of travel and the preparation in NSB and the problems once we got back to Leyden. So I didn't have much enthusiasm for today's practices. That makes the practice today that much more important. Hey, I didn't make these rules....But it's true! Oy Vey!! 

Next I went out to my main practice area and did a Round (left side) reciting the Taiji Classics during Part I. I got too cold so I went inside to get more clothing and some gloves.

I went back out to my main practice area and did Part II and III focused on observing my process.

Next I did a brief Standing and Healing Qigong.

Next I did a round of Cheng Style Baguazhang 8 Animal Palms Changes 1-4 around my main Bagua Tree. I used both the Mud Wadding Step and Lion Walking. I focused on observing my consciousness while maintaining the proper sequence. I'm working on the sequence right after Hide The Flower Under The Leaves.

Next I did a round of Anyo Apat focused on sequence, direction and detail.

Next I did a round of Wansu Kata focused on full extension of Kicks and the timing of the shuffle up.

I really appreciated the privacy, quite and cultivating with the forest. Soooo good!

Friday, Saturday, Sunday Practice

 

Friday Practice and Notes:

We are traveling north to Leyden starting early Friday morning. We left NSB at 6 am  and drove to North Carolina, by about mid-afternoon, a very long day of driving 571 miles....Ugh! 

I did a brief warm up and Part I on the front patio at 825 and finished when we got to our room in NC. I focused on being consistent and 'getting it in' which is a challenge on traveling days. 

Saturday Practice and Notes:

I started inside the hotel room with a brief warm up. 

Next I went outside to the parking lot of the hotel we were staying at and did a Round (right side). After yesterday doing a Round at the end of the day I decided to start the day with a Round. That worked out better. We only 450 miles but they were grueling. The fast passing traffic to the right was problematic to say the least....Ugh!

Sunday we got back to Leyden in the late morning to a set of problems; the hot water, the shower in the master bathroom, the toilet in the master bathroom, the smoke detectors and oh ya I haven't done my Round yet. I'm going to go out at do that now!

It was raining so I went up to The Loft and did a Round. I've been doing all the Rounds on the right side when the days that I've been on the road. Anything to make it easier!

I was mostly focused on 'doing it' to be consistent in my daily Rounds. I also focused on evoking a calm, centered mind with a positive attitude.

 

Thursday Practice

 

The Details:

It's 68 at the house. The sunrise was at 6:56, The high tide was at 8:29 (2.5')

Notes:

We have a visit (to say goodbye) with Al and Claire at 1 pm today.

It's our last day here in NSB this season. It's time to pack the Honda!

The Practice:

I started with a full round of The 10 adding to #7, #9 and #10 focused on consistency, health, Soong and Relaxed Balance. 

Next I did a Round (right side) tuned into observing my consciousness throughout the round.

Next I did a brief Standing and Healing Qigong.

I cut my practice a little short, I had to pee and I have a million chores to do today.

Wednesday Practice

 

The Details:

It's 70 at the house. The sunrise was at 6:57. The high tide was at 7:42 (2.5')

Notes:

We have appointments with Dr. Nagrani this morning. 

More packing and house cleaning in preparation for migrating north on Friday morning.

Dave and Tonya were out washing Tonya's car so I stopped by to say goodbye for the season.  They asked what airline we were flying and I said I didn't know. I asked Ginnie and she said ITA out of Logan. Don't blink and we'll be flying to Rome then on to Bari, Puglia. 

I'm on a holding pattern in my forms rotation. I'm still counting this as Day #3

The Practice:

I started with a full round of The 10 in the soft sand because the tide was still coming up. I played push-hands (tag) with the Atlantic Ocean.

Next I did a Round (right side) tuned in to observing my consciousness cultivating with nature and smooth relaxed balance. I've noticed that I'm getting better at single leg balancing in the soft sand. Yay!

Next I did a full round of Standing focused on cultivating my Qi and then Healing Qigong.

Next I did a round of Yin Style Baguazhang 8 Linking Palms Changes 5-8 reciting the names of the postures where I could and emphasizing full extension and turning to the rear.

Next I did a round of Anyo Tatlo focused on full extension with my Basic Punches and Kicks as well as applications and agility.

Next I did a round of Seiunchin Kata focused on sequence and Basics.

I returned to the house to eat breakfast, pack and prepare for the appointments later this morning.

Tuesday Practice

 

I really appreciated being able to do internal practices at the waters edge. With gratitude and appreciation!

The Details:

It's 70 at the house. The sunrise was at 6:58. The high tide was at 6:57 (2.5').

Notes:

No Lori this morning. She texted me yesterday that she was running a fever and asked to reschedule but with our plan to leave for Leyden early Friday morning it'll have to wait until next season.

I'll be doing more packing today. There's a lot to do before we travel north.

I'm still counting today as Day #3 in the rotation. I'm in a holding pattern while we are traveling north.

The Practice:

I started with a full round of The 10 adding to #10. I focused on overall health and well being.

Next I did a Round (left side) tuned into observing my consciousness while connecting with nature to cultivate nature's Qi.

Next I did a full round of Standing Meditation using all 8 Postures focused on creating space in my body and cultivating Qi.

Next I did a round of Yin Style Baguazhang 8 Linking Palms Changes 5-8 (both sides) I had a snafu with #6 but went back to take care of it. I tuned into extending without contraction and the relationship between my upper and lower body.

Next I did a round of Anyo Tatlo focused on using quality Basics and leaping during the Progressive Steps.

Next I did a round of Seiunching Kata tuned into the postures

I returned to the house to eat breakfast a journal today's practices.

Monday Practice

 

The Details:

It's 70 at the house. The sunrise was at 6:59. The high tide was at 6:11 (2.5').

Notes:

I got up at 6:30 ish this morning. A little late to be on the beach at sunrise. It was 8 ish or so before I got myself down there after putting the trash together. I realized that when I get down there a little bit later I see a different group of people. The 'second shift'? 

I saw Wes but he stopped too far south to talk to. 

I had an unusual number of folks show some consideration for my practice. 

We are preparing to leave for Leyden Friday morning. There's a lot to do! 

Yesterday morning I power washed the back of the house and visited with Bill in the afternoon. 

I talked to Gabe to on the way back. I also saw Phil but we did not talk, just waved. 

The Practice:

I started with a full round of The 10 focused on 'doing them' for Soong, leg strength and coordination.

Next I did a Round (right side) reciting the Taiji Classics during Part II and observing consciousness while connecting to nature. 

Next I did a full round of Standing (all 8 Postures) and Healing Qigong focused on releasing any irritability.

Next I did a round of Yin Style Baguazhang 8 Linking Palms Changes 5-8 (both sides) focused on Opening the Joints, Channels and Cavities. I'm becoming more comfortable doing Baguazhang in public, especially the Circle Walking with  The Wild Goose Leaves The Flock posture.

Next I did a round of Anyo Tatlo focused on amping up the leaps, punches and kicks.

Next I did a round of Seiunchin Kata tuned into mapping the sequence, direction and postures. 

I returned to the house to eat breakfast and journal today's practices. 

Sunday Practice

 

The Details:

It's 68 at the house. The sunrise was at 7:00. The high tide was at 5:33 (2.4'). 

Notes:

I got up late this morning. I was just too cozy in bed! 

It looks like the wind has died down. Yay!!

I saw and talked to Rocco and Nancy. 

The Practice:

I've been working on releasing any irritability and encouraging a positive attitude and humor when the issue comes up.

I started with a full round of The 10 focused on consciousness and consistency.

Next I did a Round (left side) focused on being as smooth as possible and Relaxed Balance.

Next I did a brief Standing and Healing Qigong.

Next I did a round of Yin Style Baguazang 8 Linking Palms Changes 1-4 reciting the names of the postures where I could and fully extending my arms in The Wild Goose Leaves The Flock.

Next I did a round of Anyo Dalawa tuned into using quality Basics and applications.

Next I did a round of Naihanchi Kata focused on Angle Kicks and the changes that I've made to this Kata.