Five Elements Chi Kung

Just had an email from a London student who is missing their daily swim and cycle. 5 Elements has really helped, they said. There is a clip of it in the Dropbox. If you are a Lido student and have a more recent clip of me doing this, please email or send it to me, as it would be nice to post it on here and on www.instagram.com/greatrivertaichi

A good place to do the Chi Kung, windows or doors open, a bit of air and light.
Be well, all, more soon. 

Outdoor T'ai Chi

It's been a rainy old Winter, but if you get a chance, wrap up and go outdoors for a short session. My last one was a long form here at Cowdray Park, on the one warmer sunnier day last week. I was there studying colour indoors, so this was a welcome break. I am off to Sweden next week to teach the Gothenburg crew, and to do a few ink workshops too. More soon.

pushing hands

Asked by a beginner what pushing hands should feel like...

We could mind the push as much as a birch minds the breeze.


But I did also say it might take a while for it to feel that way.

Wild practice

I am off to the woods for my yearly pilgrimage to sit with trees, practice in the open air, and challenge myself in both mental and practical ways. When I am not busy making my shelter, getting water, foraging or cooking, there is, strangely, enough time to do T'ai Chi, standing or sitting practice. I hope you will think of me and send good luck, as rain and cold are forecast!

See you at class when I return. Tooting class will be covered by Kevin this week.

This week I will mainly be doing T'ai Chi while wearing a woollen 

homemade Viking hood. Thanks to Alison for the fabric, it's cosy!

Also, no sword, but plenty of atlatl practice. 

Raising the Spirit

Here we are, a few weeks later than I'd hoped, some notes from a wonderful conversation with everyone around the table last Aberdeenshire teaching trip, and also the bones of what I taught, beyond the physical T'ai Chi, last time. This is not a serious essay, nor a prescription to set the world to rights, but it may help if you are down, in the way chocolate, a beautiful sunset, or finding a fiver in your pocket also helps.


Winter comes, to the higher latitudes, and sometimes the spirit sinks.
This is entirely normal, and a certain slowing down must occur, if we are in any way in sync with the natural world. But the mood and can drop, the heart grow a little cold, and the spirit can be dampened. This is not so good. I could say: 'Just do daily T'ai Chi practice'. Aha, good idea, you answer, but it ain't gonna happen as I am already stuck on the sofa. So, what are the things that have been dampening our spirit? Looking at both traditional Taoist sources, and modern experience of life, here's a little list.

Taking oneself too seriously
Pain (physical or mental)
External influences (almost anything that is 'not self': culture, events, climate, disaster, war, constant bad news, politics, neighbours... life)
Too much or too little sleep
Addictions
Grief and loss
Too much, too little, or the wrong food
Too much or too little company or solitude.
Overthinking
Anxiety


You could probably add a million more, but these were the main ones we discussed. External influences are all lumped together for good reason, they'll be different for everyone, in every context, so can't be enumerated. For instance, one could list 'patriarchy', ''colonialism', 'mass extinction' or 'poverty', and these would all fit nicely, you get the idea. By the way, these are sometimes denied by the just 'think positive' brigade. Great! How's thinking positive making all of these real things any less oppressive for those on the actual sharp end of them? Not encouraging negative thoughts is indeed good mental hygiene. But saying everything is a mental creation is a delusion. Awful things do actually happen, in the real world, and sometimes correct anger at these things can lead us to right action, rather than wishful thinking, and the habit of always looking away from what we find difficult or distasteful.

There is a way through, to raise the spirit and to regain one's centre-line. Here are some enliveners:

Humour
Freedom from all of the above listed items!
Stretching or challenging oneself a bit, in activity, not too much, but significantly
Hobbies
The right company
Reaching beyond oneself, helping out, being charitable, volunteering
Daylight
Time in nature
T'ai Chi and Chi Kung
Physical activity: singing, dancing, walking, intimacy, etc
Being around beloved creatures, whether pets or wild beings
Conviviality and connection
Learning a new skill or developing an old one
Not dwelling on oneself
Noticing the good

Again, everyone will have their own list, but these came up with the group. Why do I have 'taking oneself too seriously' and 'humour' as top of their respective lists? I have noticed, after many years of teaching, that the very first sign of the blues, and a depressed spirit, is how very SERIOUS and IMPORTANT all one's thoughts are. There are many cures for this: having a laugh, especially at oneself, reading or watching something that always makes you chuckle, deliberately courting foolishness, taking the mick out of oneself, asking for a very big hug from a friend, time with swans / cygnets / kittens / puppies (delete as appropriate), playing games, yes actual board / card / or social games, singing loudly along with favourite music while dancing, even. All this will feel like pulling teeth to the serious person who is down because the world is so awful, and surely no one has any right to ever feel ok again... 'It's black, it's black, you throw me in the pit and feed me scraps...'

So the Fast Show used to sort me out, and the RAF airmen speaking modern slang from Armstrong and Miller. Or very good Sci Fi TV. Or writing to friends and sending little gifts. And have I mentioned swans?

Or going to T'ai Chi class.
Just saying...

Thanks to Davina for the prompt to get this written. I am off to drink a glass of cava. Have a good evening.

These cheeky faces always lift my spirit.

The local swans and cygnets.

New Year

New Year's resolutions are not my thing, but over the less-busy period between terms I often have time to re-affirm certain habits or practices that are nourishing. This year, like last year, that involves sitting meditation, but crafting and reading for pleasure have made a return. Extinction Rebellion have a good set of daily focuses this week, and the themes change each day, giving food for thought, action, creativity or quiet reflection. Have a look here.

Dorset rainbow September 2018

Had a great time teaching the class on Tuesday, I will post a picture tomorrow. We mentioned keeping ward-off rather than letting it be intermittent, constantly having to re-instate it after it collapses. I was put in mind of the band name 'Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly' ( I don't know their music).

So, in the spirit of Tuesday's class: Get Ward-off, Keep Ward-off, Sink!

Why we don't post on Youtube

Mark and I teach T'ai Chi to the people who attend our classes in rooms and outdoors, over periods of hours, weeks, and years, sometimes decades. I know this is old-school. We were both taught at a time when the only resources available as aides memoires were books, the occasional hand-out sheet and perhaps a photo or two. I have friends who are excellent, even famous, T'ai Chi masters or teachers, and they create video resources, DVDs, web channels, many hand out sheets, (but rarely books). The most popular way to show anything these days is of course YouTube. It is possible for anyone to upload any quality of T'ai Chi and for you to 'learn' from it. I have used videos online to remind me when to cork the charcoal burning tin to make artist's charcoal, or how to tie the knots for sword tassels. I have a friend who has refurbished her boat with techniques she learned online with videos, and it has saved her a fortune, this is a great use of an excellent resource.

Mark and I have actually filmed many videos, and there are resources available for any student who needs them. Some students who have emigrated have been able to carry on with their practice with this help. You can bring a USB to class, or I can send a link. The reason you won't find our videos online, and why we don't make a channel with all these resources are numerous. We ask all students not to put our videos or photos online, even though this means perhaps fewer students would hear of us, or we would 'lose out' on advertising revenues... We do not wish to 'enter the competition', a great phrase from the T'ai Chi Classics. Apart from the nice die-cast brooch and a embroidered patch for the annual workshops we have never had any merchandise to sell, though perhaps one day we may make a T-shirt, said Mark, yesterday. The amount of spurious comments about any T'ai Chi content online, indeed anything online, is vast. We would rather folks just did some practice rather than cultivated opinions. Videos of one's T'ai Chi Forms are great to remember what you have already learned, for many people. For me they don't really help at all, I do better with lists and notes, and going to class frequently. So we will not become 'influencers', and gain followers, sell products and be asked for endorsements. Hey ho. We have superb students, who turn up in real time and do actual T'ai Chi, who are a pleasure to teach, and who transform inwardly and outwardly.

The best advice for T'ai Chi, as it is for any truly deep physical instruction where touch is required, is this - find a local class that you like and go along. Compare a few if you can. Go to the one that seems best for you. If there are no local classes, organise one, or get books and videos to start with. T'ai Chi is a martial art, and if studying boxing, you need to get in the ring. Because T'ai Chi forms have become so popular as solo activities, and have benefits as such, there is the illusion that T'ai Chi can be learned from a screen. This may indeed have health benefits, so I will not disparage it. It is possible to learn to move differently without ever being touched by one's teacher. Gerda Geddes, the first Yang Style T'ai Chi teacher to teach in the UK was never once touched by her T'ai Chi master, due to the cultural taboos of her time and place. She had great T'ai Chi, and sent people to John Kells for partner work. However, the full art, which means partner work as well as solo practice, can only be learned with a good teacher over time though touch, pushes, yielding, posture corrections... and as I found out yesterday, a punch in the face (gentle, but I got the point). Some will disagree. Luckily, I am not on Twitter!

Soon, I may make a few Chi Kung clips for a doctor who wishes to make resources available for menopausal women on a new online portal. I am keen to help, as this issue is close to my heart, but I am still thinking it over. One's moving image, online for ever more... I was in bands, but mostly before the era of ubiquitous video of performances. Thank goodness in the one or two that exist I am actually in tune. For most folk I am sure it is no big deal, but tact and the desire for privacy are factors in my ambivalence. I will be interested to know what students think. So let me know your experiences.

Sir, it's long.

Or 'Are we there yet?' (Thanks Davina)

My siblings have both been secondary school teachers for many years. A few years ago one was telling me about students who when asked to read a chapter of a book for class, or do a complicated task and write it up, often complained, 'Sir, it's long.' Coming from a school kid that may be normal, indeed may even have been something a young William Shakespeare thought silently while at Grammar School, but did not voice, fearing the cane. But for an adult it's a default position that does not serve us well.

Last week my bushcraft instructor complained how the attention span of students over the last 5 or 6 years has deteriorated, so that tasks that would have been an ordinary part of a workshop are now seen by folks as too long, too hard. 'We're never going to use that in life, what's the point?' Speaking with other well-known and respected instructors, he found they had experienced the same thing. All were reappraising their courses and dropping some topics, making them accessible for the bite-size tastes of the current customer, making sure there were plenty of Instagrammable photo opportunities... Having paid many hundreds of pounds studying wilderness skills, maybe a couple of thousand over the years, every last bit of information and training I could get I would suck up, even if the end result was not success (yes, fire by bow-drill, I am talking about you...) This is not a rant about the better moral fibre of the older generations, you can get a webful of that elsewhere. I think folk of all ages are being badly served by our lack of trained concentration, powers of attention and physical stamina. My neighbour asked me why I was slowly carrying a 20 kilo container by hand last month, rather than using the trolley, and I told him it was so that I could still do it if I needed to. I wanted to retain the strength to do it as I got older. Boat life and gardening are much more fun and cheaper than the gym. Machines, services and devices that make things so easy for us, if routinely used by default, rob us of the ability to do difficult things, which is a form of self-disablement. It is not a reactionary view to suggest doing difficult or time-consuming things for their own ends, it is a view of people who wish to retain and nurture human skills, it is what I will call 'the craft view'. (I am aware of the neo-Luddites, by the way, having met some through Dark Mountain, but they take this further than I would.)

It is essential to fail. It is absolutely critical at a young age to get over failure and learn to carry on. This does not have to include humiliation, bullying and trauma, as several of my Aberdonian older students report from their school days with less than kind Calvinist teachers. In the context of T'ai Chi it is failing to get an application, technique, topic or entire area of study, for however long. It is laughing at oneself and having another go anyway. It is realising everyone is pretty busy worrying about their own T'ai Chi and didn't notice you went wrong. At school I was a perfectionist, I had to get something right, as being 'right' was 'good'. It was debilitating, and meant I gave up what I was not good at to avoid the 'shame' of getting something wrong, missing out on so much. Many people will have their own version of this, and their own psychological roots of fear of failure, disinclination to do difficult things or aversion to the unfamiliar. However all can be met with kindness and persistence to great effect, in the present moment of the practice, and with a teacher who is compassionate and encouraging. (One does not necessarily have to pick apart the tangled roots of the issue, but if inclined, of course, therapy, certain kinds of insightful introspection or counselling are good safe places to do this.)

Failing, having another go, doing difficult things, getting past frustration, boredom or confusion are the heart of learning. No great craft is achieved by avoiding any of this. I care about the craft of things, whether this is dance, song, writing, painting, handcrafts, engineering, martial arts, medicine... Really, all the important and excellent things humans ever do could be termed 'craft'. Working with commitment and steady intent, and taking the protestations of the mind with a pinch of salt, gives such deep benefit to the whole organism, makes us resilient and also anti-fragile. It means that we can be much more present for others, because we know we can rely upon ourselves. The side effect of all this slightly difficult sounding advice though, is beyond wonderful: a sense of humour! Reader, more recently than I care to remember, I did not have one. Luckily for all my students, and via some classic Taoist 'false cultivating the real', I now can laugh at myself and my predicament and stop taking everything so personally. I take the work very seriously, but my own sometime-foolishness is beyond doubt. 'Progress' may well be a myth, but change is real.

Right, off to get ready for day two of the workshop. Perhaps I will post photos later.

T'ai Chi outdoors

In about a month's time I will be ready to start new ventures and this is a little head's up for one of them. Most T'ai Chi classes I have attended have been in rooms, halls, gyms, etc. Most of my personal T'ai Chi practice is done outside, usually amongst trees, by the river, or by the sea. The Taoist Classics refer constantly to the natural world as the greatest teacher, as do the T'ai Chi Classics. The qualities we are encouraged to embody are always natural ones and pertain to rivers, mountains, trees, pouncing cats, swooping eagles, the stillness of herons, leaping fish - the list is endless. I am lucky enough (or bloody-minded enough, not sure which yet) to have found my niche in a part of Britain relatively full of wildlife, and with a river running through it. My main medicines are T'ai Chi, walking, crafting, meditation, being out in nature (woodlands particularly). Without these, and the time put aside to make my art and live quietly, I might possibly be, as my friend so brilliantly puts it: loopy fruit loops.

So, as conviviality is the one item I had not yet listed... I propose occasional T'ai Chi afternoons, where we head out along the Thames Path, up or downstream, as it passes through several tremendous parks and green lands as it hugs the river bank. Beginning with some warm-ups and a Form, then walking, and stopping 2 or three times to do some more form, perhaps some gentle partnerwork, we'll see. I think about 3 hours would be good, maybe longer day long jaunts in the Spring next year.

Details can be sorted nearer the time, we can meet at Hampton Court train station, all you'll need is a bottle of water and a light waterproof jacket in case rain returns to this region one day. Walking shoes or trainers are just fine for doing T'ai Chi, so we won't need any kit. Get in touch if you are up for it, I shall be doing it anyway... Here are my first free dates, 22nd-31st October. Weekdays or weekends are fine, but Sunday 28th might be best for others, let me know. That would be a good Samhain-tide event.

A favourite spot for practice.

Sustenance

How to have a practice that sustains you in your busy life... A local class is better than a far away one, unless like me in my thirties, you have a somewhat fanatical approach to your study; 1200 mile round trips, not very sustainable, but they got me started. This is possible when we are young and have fewer entanglements, or indeed, do not cultivate a career / have children, etc... Family or work commitments and life busy-ness can make a spiritual path and regular practice harder, but they are also a superb testing ground. Things being nearby and practical are often the deciding factor of success. Many folks don’t realise the innate physicality of an alchemical path. There is a reason we don’t just use the mind, and why words, scripture, faith, or mental techniques will never be enough. A useful first rule of practice: turn up, physically. Whether solo or in groups, it's the same.

Antero Alli asks in his superb book 'Angel Tech': 'Can you take the body with you?'

If your prospective path denigrates, mortifies, demonises - or conversely over-emphasises the perfection of - the physical body, something is likely to be awry. We are not little ghosts trapped in haunted meat (Charlie Brooker's great term). We are natural embodied living beings, evolved on and perfectly suited to this marvellous planet, as good an expression of matter's seemingly inexhaustible drive to become alive and sentient as any tiger, blue whale or gibbon. There is no 'fall', we are not 'broken'. There are actions, and there are the endlessly multiplying effects of these actions.

It is entirely possible to practice internal arts even if the body is failing, injured, immobile due to medical conditions, and even at the point of death. One does not need youth or abundant vitality. Yet, whilst still having some youth and energy, if one has a sincere and regular practice, so much good can be added to life, health and mental peace, and this benefits all.

Litha

June, Summer, Litha.
Greetings to all from the northern outpost of the schools, where the sun barely sets this time of year and the weather is amazing. I have never seen Aberdeen look as sunny and bright as I did on arrival yesterday, in all the years I lived up here. Last night we did Sabre, Sword and Staff, which was great fun, pictures soon. Today we will be at Anneke's for our usual June outdoor sessions. Tomorrow will be back at Balvack, hopefully also outdoors.

When outdoors at Fetternear, here at Balvack or over at Finzean, we often get to practice amongst fine old trees, mountains on the horizon and soft grassy earth under our feet. This is a great privilege, and cause for celebration. Doing T'ai Chi in a nice room with your classmates is a great thing, but being free to do so outside is a fine blessing. Where ever you are today, sneak outside for a bit of practice somehow, even if your day looks like it will be very busy. Even if it's just while the tea brews, go outside. Midsummer approaches and the time is perfect for some concerted practice, of whatever kind: Form, partnerwork, meditation, Heartwork.

Time for me to go and get ready to teach.

Our local swans last week they are much bigger than this already!

Wild Twins head home

Thanks to Sarah and Anja for enriching our tine at Sherkin North Shore on the wild west coast of Ireland. We may have been there to do art and writing, but the three of us had some great practice sessions of Short Form and Heart Work. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone at classes and workshops very soon.

The only thing remaining is the practice, and the practice is constant change. 

Thanks to Jonathan for this.

When you have let it all go
What is left?

What you are still doing, everyday, when you no longer cling to anything, is your practice.
You may be surprised at what your practice actually is.
It may not be what you thought it was.
It may involve drinking a lot of tea, for instance.

Intent and practice

Correct mind intent
plus physical repetition
equals practice.


Without correct mind intent one is 'going through the motions'.
Without physical repetition you have imaginary practice, only good for developing imaginary skills.
Mind and body correctly joined is a joy in itself.
The answer to 'why do it?' is 'the question is not relevant'.

Oh dear, must we get it right then? Ha, no! Just start. With singing, drawing, meditating, crafting, writing, T'ai Chi and gardening, in my experience, there is no 'correct state of mind' in which to begin. Starting is so much more important than anything else, despite what I have written above, which is about honing, rather than setting out. If you are finding it hard to set out try this:
Are you feeling annoyed? Do annoyed practice!
Are you feeling angry / inadequate / over-excited / dull / bored / confused / delete as appropriate?
Do that practice!
Pretty soon it won't be at all like it was when you started anyway. In fact, by the end you probably won't remember what flavour of affected state you were in anyway.

Move the pen or brush, make or mend that small thing, hum an old or new tune, write or type some random letters and words, do the form or warm ups, sit and watch the breath or feel the body. Something will change in us and therefore in the world. Nothing changes by sitting there dwelling on it. Even just walking around aimlessly is better than that. What is this thing that changes? What makes it change? What is this mysterious intent thing? These are good questions. I have been working on that last one 10 years, both awake and asleep, and I still don't have an answer in words, but I have a strong feeling, and a whole bunch more excellent questions with which to break my brain.

Aberdeenshire Thursdays

Here's the rota for the final block of Thursday sessions for this year. As usual we'll be in the Small Hall 7-9pm and Large Hall 9-10pm at Monymusk except where stated. The price is £28 for 8 weeks or £5/week.

26-Oct     Sandy   
02-Nov    Janet   
09-Nov    Davina    8-10 only, Small Hall
16-Nov    Marie   
23-Nov    Paolo     Bar area 7-9pm, Main Hall 9-10pm
30-Nov    Scott   
07-Dec    Sandy      8-10 only, Small Hall
14-Dec    Davina     8-10 only, Small Hall

The suggested date to restart after the winter break is 11th January. Let me know if you'd prefer to start on the 4th.

If you can't make the session that you're due to lead then please contact someone on the list to arrange a swap.

Aberdeenshire Thursdays

Thursday sessions will restart at Monymusk Hall on 17th August. In the meantime if anyone fancies some practice to revise / share what we studied at the intensive you'd be welcome to come round to Balvack on Thursday evenings or Sunday afternoons.

Principle and Relationship

Last weekend teaching in Gothenburg we were working on softness in outreaching and connection, and maintaining our centre-line (uprightness). 

One way to describe this is that softness (the possibility of yielding) is our relationship to others. Uprightness (integrity) is our relationship to ourself. 

Of course, one quality is nestled inside the other, ad infinitum. But it's a good place to start. 

Winter practice

This time of year it is lovely to fill a hot water, or heat a wheat bag (or similar) and place it on the lower tan tien or ming men, held in place with a scarf or wrap. Then do a long form with the extra warmth and weight, a bottle back and front is even better. If you haven't done it, try it. No more shivery sessions, and a legitimate way to fake your T'ai Chi belly.