Tonight's class at the house, (the Inverurie group that runs at the Garioch Centre during term time.) A mixture of folk who have either done one or three terms with me, 12 of us in the room. Short Form - Play Guitar.

Silence

Recently I asked Mark if he would write something for my students on this blog. He said he did want to, and had been thinking about it, but thought that perhaps we used words quite enough already. We talked about the idea of a silent lesson, where one could just teach through all the other means available. As a general rule, in most of my communications, I am still relying on words too much, and this thought is a gentle reminder for me. When teaching new things, I need to be able to explain, at this stage. However I would love to have a special session where students knew in advance that there would be no speaking, no new postures to learn for a night and they could choose to come if this appealed. Rather than it being a rule imposed, it would be an opportunity to connect through all channels, and enjoy a space together free of words.

The Heart - A Fountainhead

Two Kinds of Intellience

There are two kinds of intelligence: One acquired
as a child in school memorizes facts and concepts
from books and from what the teacher says,
collecting information from the traditional sciences
as well as from the new sciences.

With such intelligence you rise in the world.
You get ranked ahead or behind others
in regard to your competance in retaining
information. You stroll with this intelligence
in and out of fields of knowledge, getting always more
marks on your preserving tablets.

There is another kind of tablet, one
already completed and preserved inside you.
A spring overflowing its springbox. A freshness
in the centre of the chest. This other intelligence
does not turn yellow or stagnate. It's fluid,
and it doesn't move from outside to inside
through the conduits of plumbing-learning.

This second knowing is a fountainhead
from within you, moving out.

Rumi (1207-1273) version by Coleman Barks

The view west from the T'ai Chi room I teach from at home.

Sticking (listening hands) at the end of the June Intensive at Surya Yoga in London with Mark. 33 degrees C in the city and yielding becomes not a choice you can make but actually the only way forward at all. A wonderful session.

Rooks' nests in our woods this winter , by Chiara.

One To One Lessons With Mark In August

I have just arranged for Mark to be able to travel up to Scotland early and teach private or small group lessons to anyone who would like it at my house on Monday 8th, Tuesday 9th, Wednesday 10th, Thursday 11th (daytimes) or Friday 12th August (daytime or evening). Mark will also be teaching all my usual classes during this week, and I will be assisting. The weekend of 13th - 14th will be the Summer T'ai Chi workshop. Do get in touch with me as soon as possible if you would like to book a private lesson with him. Lessons are tailored to the individual student. The cost will usually be £15 per hour and 1-2-1 sessions are usually 3 hours, but 2 hour sessions are also possible, concessions are available.

If it is a beautiful day, you are welcome to practice outside on the lawn and I will bring tea!

Being a 17 year old T'ai Chi bum at Newbold House, Forres. (I am on the left in the red shirt, the teacher Kajedo is in the front in the white trousers.)

Mark and Caroline demonstrating Ta Lu.

The result of struggling. Grasping and struggling resulting in me being 'spun out' of connection. Note Mark's still, relaxed gesture and my awkward, twisting lean at this point. T'ai Chi is great for showing me directly the fruits of attachment (grasping) and aversion (struggling to get away once I get what I was grasping!)  

Ta Lu - the eye of the storm. Often we do our 'worst' T'ai Chi with our teacher, but occasionally we can spend a few moments in the quiet centre of the cyclone, quieten down, and find the stillness in our motion. I think that is what Paolo and Davina captured here.

Weekend workshop. 

New London T'ai Chi Classes

My teacher, Mark Raudva, is starting a new beginner's class in London very soon, all the details are below.

The T'ai Chi Centre T'ai Chi Beginners Course
Sundays 3.00pm - 5.00pmStarts: 12th June, 6 classes, £80
Venue: 'Surya Yoga', Welmar Mews,154 Clapham Park Road, London SW4 7DE.Tube: Clapham Common, Northern line.http://www.suryayoga.co.uk/pages/homepage/contents.html

The T'ai Chi Beginners Course consists of 6 teaching classes. Class dates: 12th, 19th, 26th June, 3rd, 10th, 24th July. All classes are from 3.00pm - 5.00pm except 19th June 1.00pm - 4.00pm. Course fee: £80. To book your place on the course contact: 07944 880072 or email taichicentre@aol.com. Please notify, in advance, if you are going to miss one of the teaching classes - a convenient catch-up session can then be arranged.

When correctly taught, the practice of T'ai Chi can significantly reduce the amount of stress and anxiety that we meet in our daily lives. By the end of the course students will have an understanding of the basic principles of T'ai Chi in relation to solo practice and partnerwork, as well as some useful relaxation techniques and improved posture.

The 2 hour class is divided up into 3 sections:
Pushing hands.This is the part of T'ai Chi that allows us to work on the principles in relation to another person.
Warm-up exercises or Chi Kung. A set of exercises to relax the body, calm the mind and stimulate one's natural energy.
The Solo Form. Each week the form is learnt posture by posture. By working from the mind, through natural movements of the body, we learn to understand relaxation, to interpret energy and to apply this knowledge to our everyday life.

T'ai Chi Ch'uan is the ancient Chinese art of moving meditation, it is based on the Taoist understanding that all things are comprised of the harmonious interplay of two complimentary forces - Yin and Yang.

Through the practice of T'ai Chi we learn not to rely on external strength and hardness in order to overcome opponents and obstacles, but rather we apply principles such as the yielding overcoming the unyielding, the soft overcoming the hard. As the body gradually learns to soften and yield, the mind follows suit by becoming more open and flexible. With regular and sincere practice, the habitual actions of mind and body - which at first seem natural - begin to fall away and one is left in a natural state. In this natural state one is able to respond to each situation as it develops, unhindered by memories of the past and conceptions about the future. A clearer perception of the 'heart of the matter' develops.

Some more T'ai Chi class drawings from the T'ai Chi Centre 2001.