Thursday, August 16, 2012

I couldn't have said it better... Tips for students

 from Nicola J's article:
Using the Body to Learn
Will Westerners please leave their brains in the box provided at the door into the studio. Thank you!  Our intellect gets in the way and this is a hindrance to learning Tai Chi and Qi Gong.  We want to attach our brains to each new movement, rather than learn through the body.  Our brain gets confused as it cannot find a way to attach a past experience or association of the movements to our memory, and so our mind fights us all the way to try and intellectualise what is being learnt…… our subconscious says “I must find something to relate this to….. there is no way I am going into that body down there, I am the brains here….. oh I haven’t a clue so I’ll give up”.  We are stuck in our heads…… and it’s hard to change how we do things.  Our aim is to dampen down our critical thinking, our logical and rational mind and halt the left brain. For most of us this is unknown territory, “what do you mean you want us to stop thinking & analyzing, that’s what we always do”.
Tai Chi and Qi Gong are a whole mind and body experience.
Tai Chi and Qi Gong are experiential arts.
Your body has to live them to learn them.

Read more of this great article by Nicola here

Friday, August 3, 2012

Benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong: Real People tell their stories

This week has been so amazing! But it's not unusual and that is what is even more amazing! Some of my students who have been with me for over a year and some who have just started their Tai Chi Qigong classes this week have had some dramatic changes in their health and lives:

1. C who has difficulty sleeping and previously only slept for 3-4 hours every night told me yesterday she is now sleeping a solid 6 hours every night!

2. S who started just a month ago ( 4 lessons ) told me she doesn't feel jittery, and her mind feels clearer. She is loving the classes and is sorry she waited so many years to get involved.

3. M on her first lesson (at the suggestion of her MD), felt overwhelming emotion leave her body during the class and great relief afterwards.

4. E has had friends and family comment on her new calm attitude.

5. R who has Parkinsons Disease feels 'well oiled' and flexible after her weekly session.

6.  H  finds meditation helps her with the difficult caregiving of her husband with Alzheimer's.

7. D feels less frustrated and angry living with the challenges of her disability, her caregivers have recorded in their daily diaries an improvement in her daily activities and attitudes since she started the program 12 weeks ago.

8. L told me her balance and confidence has improved and she no longer is afraid to go walking alone.

9. M a new student who is 90 years old and has been an active exerciser all her life is delighted to find a new gentle way to stay flexible and mobile. She is also very enthused to connect with her Qi and told me she wishes she could do the class everyday - that it gives her some more energy in the afternoon on the days she does it.

I am getting more people being referred by their traditional western trained physician for various needs. I am glad that there are many scientific studies being done and more people are convinced that these arts are helpful, but I know it is.. people tell me all the time.