Aberdeenshire Sunday class - 3rd August

If it's dry on Sunday, class will be outside at Scott's place 2:30-5:00pm. Please bring shoes suitable for working on grass.

Taster Session in Elgin

As mentioned previously, a T'ai Chi taster session will be held on Wednesday 27th August at 12.15 in the Music Centre, Francis Place, Elgin. This is open to Moray Council employees and will cost £2. This info is also on the Moray Council Intranet. If enough folk are interested I would intend starting a class in the Music Centre on Wednesdays from 12 noon.
I am also in the process of organising a similar taster session in Spynie for staff there. This will most probably be on Wednesdays also - watch this space.
Contact me on 01466720351/07799521632 for further info.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s13dLaTIHSg
Click above for the new Simon's Cat. In respect to loving this series of charming animations, I am happy to be just like everybody else in the blogosphere. Enjoy!

Advanced Neijia

Just got this ace wheeze from Sam, taken at T'ai Chi Caledonia. Pic shows Bob Lowey, Luigi Zanini, Sam Masich and Wang Ning (holding a calligraphy brush, in case you were wondering).

Ingrid Graz's entry into Cambridge University's Department of Engineering annual photography competition. The microscope image shows polymethylsiloxane being mixed with a curing agent. The liquid polymer produces this butterfly-wing effect in the process. Graz's field is stretchable electronics.

Thanks to Davina for this image from BBC website.

This week's workshops with my wonderful students in Scotland were equally rich, beautiful and rewarding. I send best wishes to all who came to the classes, and my congratulations to those who finished learning the postures of the Northern Sabre Form, and the Yang Style Long Form. In London, groups also finished the Northern Sabre and the Short Form, well done! Keep practising over the summer, little and often is good rather than lots once a month...

All students are welcome to email with queries anytime. If I don't have the answer, I know a man who does.

I feel that I'm slipping away, that I'm leaving this reality of mornings and afternoons, little by little, and I'm entering a world that I am building with my desires and worries, and all the things I've held back and that are beginning to long for release; and they push me, almost without me realising it, into uncertainty, there where I must be alone, where I am afraid to go because I know that I will have to accept all the responsibility for having understood the knowledge that not everything is air and water and bread and milk; that there is something else that surrounds us, that is in the atmosphere, that follows us with hope, enveloping us in that painful beauty that we want to share and bring closer to others, but which, on the contrary, isolates us, makes us feel unreal, different, as if we were reborn into a world that we hadn't known before or as if we had journeyed to the nearest star, or the farthest, and we were completely open to the leaves, to the sound, feeling life flow out, that we were coming closer to it, to true reality, even though everyone might believe the opposite... and we cannot explain it to them.

By Giaconda Belli, translated by Simon Buxton

Huge thanks to my dearest friend Gemma who sent me this poem, especially translated by one of her teachers, and as far as we know, unavailable in English elsewhere. It was pinned beside her front door when I stayed at her flat a few weeks ago, and was exactly the medicine I needed.

Classes for the summer

Amnesty International Thursday lunchtime classes continue all summer long.

The last Hackney Round Chapel class of term is next week, we resume on September 3rd.

Summer classes at my home start Sunday 3rd August at 3pm. I am free for 121s from 31st July. All regular classes at mine are listed on an earlier blog post below.

All Aberdeenshire dates will be posted by the various instructors over the next week or so, as well as details of any Sunday drop in sessions. Start dates for all regular evening classes will be posted soon too.

I am blogging this from the train to Scotland on free wifi access. Feels very modern...

Some Good Things

Simon and Cher of Clear Sky T'ai Chi in Brighton sent me this pic from TC Caledonia, here Sam Masich was explaining 'resting in' and 'supporting' in sticking and push hands. Sam and his two good students Christian and Jerri stayed at my home for 3 days before the event and were a real pleasure to spend time with. We all went to the Tate Modern, my first time for over 5 years. Also thanks to Jerri for her gift of a really great book...

Having just seen the pictures from the castle demo below, posted by Ev, I am now really gutted I didn't get to Stirling in time to see it... I had such a good time last week. There was a busier yet mellower vibe than the previous year. I still haven't made time to write about it, but I will soon. Anyway, I must go to bed now as it is very late and I have a long day travelling to teach in Inverurie tomorrow evening, which I am really looking forward to, as well as assisting Mark all weekend with the workshops.

Tonight the intermediate group at Hackney finished learning the postures of the Short Form and the more senior students finished the postures of the Northern Sabre Form - well done! Now we can really start to work...

Passionflowers, broad beans and Bagua in the back garden today - very good.

Aberdeenshire garden T'ai Chi gathering below looks like it was lovely... I wish I could 'bi-locate' at will. See you all soon.

And More.......

Sam interprets Wang Ning's calligraphy as T'ai Chi moves....









Luigi Zanini

This year the weekend; next year cometh the week!

T'ai Chi Caledonia 08

The Usual Suspects:
Back Row: Luigi Zanini, Wang Ning, Bob Lowey, Sam Masich, Ronnie Robinson, Franco Mescola,
Front Row: Paul Silfverstrale, Faye Li Yip
Missing: Sue Woodd





Luigi Zanini

Summer Sun at Neil's

Thanks to Neil and Anneke for their hospitality - what a wonderful day.

Luigi Zanini

http://lzanini.blogspot.com/
Go here for the blog of Bagua teacher Luigi Zanini. I spent two wonderful afternoons in his class studying Sun Lu Tang's Bagua and I'll write more about him and T'ai Chi Caledonia soon.

Words of thanks

July has been externally normal and in all other respects extraordinary. I wanted to give my thanks to my teacher, my colleagues, students and all the great T'ai Chi folks I have shared time with over the past few weeks.

Aberdeenshire Sunday class - 20th July

The Aberdeenshire Sunday class on the 20th July will be at Neil's place at Finzean near Banchory. All Great River students are welcome.

T'ai Chi from 2-5pm; food, music, and dancing later. We'll work outside if the weather is fine, and if it's warm then there's a great river for swimming just over the road. Bring some food to share. Get in touch if you need directions.

Taichi Caledonia

After an excellent week of inspiring evening T'ai Chi classes with Mark and today's regular monthly Chen Laojia Yilu and Sabre workshop with Wang Hai-Jun, I am off to Stirling tomorrow to see my sister and to participate in this year's Taichi Caledonia. I shall be doing mornings learning a Sun Style short Form with Faye Yip and afternoons with Sam Masich. I'm really looking forward to catching up with T'ai Chi friends I met last year and to practising push hands with everyone. I can be reached by phone, though I am not sure if I'll have email access. Dave is taking my classes whilst I am away. 4 students from the Aberdeenshire wing of Great River went along this weekend. I hope they all had a great time and am looking forward to hearing all about it when I come up in a fortnight.

Tonight, however, I am having a much needed few hours to myself. I spend a large part of my life in rooms with people, which is wonderful. However, some alone time, and some outdoors time, is always beneficial.

July Aberdeenshire Weekend Workshops and 121s

All the workshops and 121s will be at Heather's studio with the exception of Sabre, which will be at Kemnay Village Hall. All Mark's workshops cost £15 / £10. Mark's 121s cost £50 for 2 hours. Caro's £20 per hour.

Classes:
Thursday 24th 7.30-9.30pm: Long Form Class (with Caro, £5)
Friday 25th 7-10pm: Ta Lu, etc.
Saturday 26th 2-5pm: Long Form
Saturday 26th 7-10pm: Northern Sabre
Sunday 27th 2-5pm: Short Form and associated partnerwork
Sunday 27th 7-10pm: Partner Work
Monday - Wednesday: 121s with Mark, all booked up.
Friday - Tuesday: 121s with Caro, 1 or 2 spaces left, call or email to arrange.

Thanks in advance to all students for rooms, lifts, beds, cake and general organising help!

News

Just returned from a good weekend of T'ai Chi study with Sam Masich in Brighton, learning a short two person Yang Style set based on The Dance (88 move San Shou). I was very sad to miss Mark's partnerwork day and Sunday drop in class but will be back in the swing of things tomorrow. It was good to meet other students attending to principles, intention and connection. Hello and thanks to all the good Brighton (and Finland) folks I got to play with. Come and visit me in London anytime! It was also so good to see the seaside and to be blown along the promenade in salty stinging air. Having grown up so close to the South coast, I do get very home-sick for the sea shore, and the particular turquoise tinge in the evening sky only found at the coast.

Also good news from Ev regarding Steven Moore in Israel: he and his partner Ronit have had a healthy baby, born this weekend... Congratulations from all of us!

James

Some weeks ago, Caroline asked me to write something for the blog about a particular class I have:

James pulls himself up from his chair to come over and do some sticking with me.
In the middle of the class, in the middle of the group, in the middle of the room.
James loves sticking.
James loves Chi Kung.
James loves me.
James is 63.
James has dementia.
James has Down's Syndrome.
I am privileged that James wants to do sticking with me.

The White Stuff...

From The Times, April 14 2008:

There are, undoubtedly, myriad benefits to be reaped from the ancient Chinese martial art of tai chi. Increased milk production is not usually regarded as one of them. But every morning for the past six months, in his blue overalls and Wellington boots, Rob Taverner, a dairy farmer from Devon, has been practicing tai chi in front of his herd of cows.

“Animals are very receptive to human moods and tai chi is all about leaving your problems behind and getting into a better zone,” he said. “The happier I am, the happier the cows are. And the happier they are, the more milk they produce.”

Videos of the farmers in action are available here: http://www.love-om.com/om-tai-chi.ashx

Sabre Class

Heather has agreed to lead the sabre class this Saturday. As it is the Huntly Farmers Market in the morning, I will bring goodies to eat!