mindful absence..

Had another great Tai Qi practice today....
When the group is in sinc and we all sway to the movements together we become one with nature and that is one of the greatest feeling.

One of the most important part of practice is what the master calls it..."mindful absence". What this means is that we are fully aware of our surroundings, the sounds that nature makes, the leafs that sway and sing to the wind, the earth and branches that crackle under the footsteps of hikers around us, the flap of birds wings in flight and their chirping as they sit on the trees observing us dance. It is imperative that we do stay awake, to be part of all that goes on around us, and yet just as important to be absent. This is what mindful absence is... aware of it all yet not consumed by it. Think of a Deer grazing... she is so lost in her world, just munching away, yet the ears are very alert, observing and listening to every little sound around her... One little crack will have her running to safety.

The mind can wonder and get lost in thought as you meditate or practice, it is only natural with all the things going on in our head. But in Tai Qi we let the thoughts come in and just pass through our mind...we mustn't let them linger and take away too much of our energy. That is exactly what Tai Qi is... the practice of flowing the energy through our body, and harnessing our Qi, directing it to the places that could benefit from it greatly. With each movement that is what we do, help that energy flow freely from one point to the next, we also use the energy that mother earth is offering to heal our bodies, and at the end of the practice we return that energy back to her.

So, try mindful absence next time you are meditating, by being aware of what is around you and at the same time not getting lost in the noise, both from the outside and from the inside of your body... you'll become one with nature. The energy you will feel will be exhilarating. You'll be refreshed and recharged... I promise you.

Have a safe and fun Halloween weekend :)


love...peace...joy...

Dance With Your "Chi"

This is one way of looking at the beautiful art of Tai Chi or Qi Gong, which really translates to movement of our Chi, our core energy. I call it "dancing with Chi" because it really is a dance. The slow and graceful movements that are performed during practice move the energy throughout the body, this dance cultivates and awakens that energy and forces us to direct our attention towards our core, it nourishes and caresses that which often gets ignored and overlooked.





We started practicing a couple of years ago, my brother and I (he's the certified teacher), at Brand Library. Every time we would practice someone new would approach us and ask about the art, and if they could join, and how much was each class. When he would say that it was a community service and that he doesn't charge anything, people got excited and our group started getting bigger, the energy flowing among us each time was stronger and stronger.
After months of skipping on practice, I finally decided to join them this morning, and I'm so glad I did. The place of practice also makes a world of difference, this place is so serene and quite, surrounded by lush vegetation, we can hear the chirp of birds, the song of the leaves as they sway to a gentle breeze every now and then, the playful squirrels climbing the tree trunks, just being in that environment is relaxing enough....



The teacher (master) is yet another important element in this dance as well, Aram is an excellent teacher, his gentle vocal instructions put you in a meditative trans, and his physical movements are so graceful and melodic, he exudes calmness and from that energy you can't help but be submerged in the moment. We become one as a group, swaying to the tune of our bodies and our "Chi dances".


I'll have to do an entire post on my brother one day, he is an inspiration to me. After many years in the computer corporate world, making quite a bit of money, he got fed up and just walked away, He went back to school and found his true calling as a Doctor of Oriental Medicine. He looks much happier now, and enjoys what he does, and well... teaching Qi(chi) Gong is a bonus. I've seen him change so much in the past few years, and I'm so proud of him for taking that step into true happiness. Very few people have the guts to actually start over again later in life, we get comfortable in our own little corner and never look to see what lies around that corner.
Great job big brother, I've always looked up to you and now you have proven that when your heart is on the right path, so much can be achieved.
Enjoy your Saturday everyone.

love and peace!