Newsletter #105 - May 2010

May 8 - May 9, 2010. Singapore, Singapore
Tai Chi for Diabetes Instructor Training

May 22 - May 23, 2010. Singapore, Singapore
Tai Chi for Arthritis Instructor Training

May 29 - May 30, 2010. Berg en Dal (bij Nijmegen), Netherlands
Tai Chi for Arthritis Instructor Training

June 5 - June 6, 2010. Tacoma, WA, United States
Seated Tai Chi for Arthritis and Tai Chi @ Work Instructors Training

July 15 - July 16, 2010. Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand
Tai Chi 4 Kidz Instructor Training

July 17 - July 18, 2010. Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand
Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis

July 24 - July 25, 2010. Sydney, NSW, Australia
Tai Chi for Arthritis Instructor Training

July 24 - July 25, 2010. Sydney, NSW, Australia
Tai Chi for Diabetes Instructor Training

July 24 - July 25, 2010. Sydney, NSW, Australia
Tai Chi for Arthritis Part ll & Update

August 14 - August 15, 2010. Sydney, NSW, Australia
Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis

Many other workshops conducted by my authorised master trainers are listed in the Workshop Calendar.

 

In the vernacular, it means a sudden big breakthrough.

As I do not have a magic formula for making sudden, huge breakthroughs in tai chi, I decided to do some research to find out what quantum leap actually meant. I found that in physics, a quantum leap is only a small change but this small change gives a dramatic effect.

 

To make this quantum leap, the key is to make small changes or improvements. Because they are small changes, they are achievable.

 

We can work on our

Balance
Standing up straight
Relaxing your shoulders
Sinking your elbow
Being soong
The list goes on

 

Find a movement that you know really well, so that you are not worried about where you arms and feet are, and how execute the movement. Concentrate on that movement and think of a point that you want to improve on, and work on that.

 

Once you have mastered this, move on to another movement and apply the same thought to the next point to improve on and so forth. Do not be greedy, only work on one point of improvement at a time. Try to practice it so that it becomes second nature – i.e. it has been practised into your form. Try not to make too many corrections as this will end up being frustrating and may slow your improvement.

 

Once you are satisfied with this work on another point. These are achievable improvements, and if practiced into your form, will make a huge difference – it will enable you to make your quantum leap.

 

Having said all this, I have to stress that you should not be too hard on yourself. There is always something you are doing well and always something that you can improve on. Sometimes not everything the instructor says will make sense to you. Work on the bits that make sense, the other bits will make sense when you are ready. Celebrate your successes – do not be weighed down by your perceived failures.

 

Imagery is another useful tool to use. As you practice, imagine your self executing a perfect movement. Watch Paul’s DVDs or watch a practitioner who you admire, and watch their execution of the form. Pay attention not only to the movements but also to the general feeling,

the serenity,
their awareness of the movements,
their concentration and focus as well as
their spirit.

 

When you practice, see this in your minds eye and practice with them. If you try to do this, not only will you see their movements, with practice you will also remember the essence of the demonstration and to learn to incorporate that into your practice.

 

Tai chi is an internal art. Practice with intent and awareness, use your mind to direct your movements, try not to just wave your arms around aimlessly. Above all, have fun. The journey is what matters not the end result. This joy or eagerness in learning is probably best demonstrated by a story about Socrates.

 

Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher who lived around 400BC. He very much enjoyed learning and was a moral and social critic of the Athenian establishment. The government did not take kindly to his teachings and marked him for execution.

The night before his execution, as he was sitting in his cell, a young lyre player was sent to him to entertain him in his last hours. Socrates listened to the boy playing the lyre and thought the music was beautiful. He asked the lyre player, “Can you please teach me how to play? The music is beautiful.” The lyre player replied “What is the point? You will die tomorrow.” Socrates replied, “I know but I still have a few hours left. I would really like to learn, please show me.”

 

May we all have the spirit of Socrates in learning new things; never lose our enthusiasm to learn. Let us strive to improve and in time, to make many quantum leaps, both in tai chi and in our own personal lives.

 

back to the top

 

How to Find Quantum Leap in your Tai Chi Journey
Jim Starshak, Master Trainer, Shawnee, KS, USA

 

In science, a Quantum Leap is a revolutionary (or instantaneous) event, rather than an evolutionary one. In life, it is when something abruptly happens that alters the way we do or think about something. In its simplest form, it is an “Ah Hah” moment!

In my tai chi journey, I did not find my first quantum leap—it found me! While taking a break from fishing, I was talking with a long-time friend about how relaxed and healthy he looked. He simply said, “Jim, it’s Tai Chi!” These four words were my first quantum leap and I did not even know it happened.

My next quantum leap was finding an instructor—one who meshed with my learning style. My evolutionary search went through several instructors, but as if by fate, my quantum leap instructor turned out to be Bill Douglas – founder of World Tai Chi and Qigong Day. His love of tai chi inspires me to this day.

When I attended my first Depth workshop with Dr. Lam, I was not sure what to expect, but I knew my tai chi would be significantly better by the end of the weekend! However, like many of you, I learned more than I could remember, and by Monday morning, my tai chi actually felt worse! Then, as I applied what I learned, I realized my tai chi was not worse—it was just changing; evolving. I did find my quantum leap after that Depth workshop—although it did not evolve until months after that workshop.

Throughout my life, my mother often commented on how lucky I was that good things just “fell into my lap”. I am not sure she ever realized that they only “fell into my lap” because of my previous diligence and hard work. So it is with our tai chi journey. We may feel our quantum leap as that revolutionary experience, but without the evolutionary process, our quantum leaps cannot appear.

So, how do you find your own tai chi quantum leap? My advice is to quit searching! Rather, set your vision on creating the appropriate conditions. Keep an open mind; ask for advice and then listen to it; be diligent in your practice; and passionately apply each tai chi principle to your forms. If you do this, your quantum leap in tai chi will find you, and probably when you least expect it.

Now, what if your Quantum Leap only turns out to be a Quantum Step? No worries! It is still a step in the right direction, and after all, the evolutionary journey is really what it is all about.
Ah Hah!

 

back to the top

 

Stalking the Depth of Tai Chi
Caroline Demoise, Master Trainer, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

 

Exploring the depth of any style of tai chi involves seeking balance and harmony in mind and body. The curriculum of depth involves practicing the underlying principles with enough repetition to create changes in your body of the magnitude of carving a sculpture from a block of wood. I like this metaphor of depth because it draws your attention to what is involved in transforming your body to express depth in tai chi. First, it takes time. Depth is not mastered in a weekend or weeklong workshop. The process is eternally ongoing. Second, it takes correct repetition of movement under the microscope of focus. Those of you who have taken Dr. Lam’s Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis “more than once” may have noticed how different each workshop seemed while revising and refining the same movements. This is because each time he is expressing more depth in his teaching and you are expressing more depth in your ability to learn. This is true of his MT’s who each year have digested more of the principles into their practice and teaching. Third, it takes refinement. Revisiting the same movement over again looking for a subtle feeling or a nuance that wasn’t there before, perfecting the art of focus and intention through movement all lead to a deeper appreciation of tai chi.

 

People recognize depth when they see it in a tai chi demonstration, but defining depth is tricky and explaining how to get there is an art because basically it is experiential. When you understand that being soft is a position of strength and can consciously soften your muscles, open your joints and feel increased qi flow, you are deepening your experience of tai chi. When you feel your body respond to an intention in your mind and your arms move effortlessly following the energy, you are operating beneath the surface of external movements in the internal realm. Awareness of which movements are yang, and which express yin, recognizing what yang and yin feel like in your behaviour and in tai chi movement, and seeking the ability to flow from one state to another draws your focus inward toward depth.

 

Like the sculptor, using imagination and intention to create a work of art, you use awareness and feeling to slowly reshape the communication and interaction between mind, brain and body. Transforming underlying principles from words on paper to a living expression in your body unfolds slowly over time. Stalking depth in tai chi requires practice, attention to detail and consciously moving from a backdrop of stillness during practice time.

 

I trained in Yang style for ten years with my first teacher and gained a solid foundation and strong legs. Dr. Lam mentored me on subtleties leading to greater depth for another ten years. By engaging in long-term relationships with teachers and digesting fine points over time, you move deeper into your relationship with a tai chi form. A weeklong workshop is one bite of a complete meal. Teacher and student continue to learn and grow together down the road of many encounters, classes and workshops. When contemplating your next step, consider reconnecting with “a previously learned form” by participating in that workshop again to gain greater depth. This happens whether you repeat the beginning class or take a depth class or repeat a depth class. Numerous times I have assisted Dr. Lam with Tai Chi for Arthritis workshops over the years and came away from each experience with a deeper understanding of what depth means. Revisiting what you have done before is a gift not always valued in western culture, but is precious nonetheless. Each year you are different and ripe to discover new dimensions in your expression of the form. As students of depth, it is about attention and focus, about engaging in the process again to claim new insights and experience the transformation of pursuing depth in tai chi. Give yourself time to grow and listen with your body to what practicing the principles has to teach you.

 

The depth of tai chi awaits you.

 

back to the top

 

Touring Tai Chi’s Birthplace
Maureen Miller, Senior Trainer, Galesville, MD, USA

 

For 14 days in March and April, I travelled through Chinese cities, towns and countryside. While this tour was planned months ago, it grew from a seed sown years ago. Conceived as a homeward journey for Dr. Paul Lam, an Australian physician and the founder of the Tai Chi for Health program, and a varied learning experience for those of us who chose to join him.

 

Physically, the China Dr. Paul introduced to us is a country of contrasts, full of yin and yang: old-new, big-small, grey-gaudy, crowds-emptiness. The variety of Chinese treasures, we soon discovered, is awesome. It’s disparity in living and working conditions, eye-opening. Culturally, the gulf we Westerners felt, in understanding this country and people, was wide. But Dr. Paul and his wife, Eunice, were always there to help us to bridge this gap, as was our fantastic local guide, Carol Lu.

 

Our tour began in Beijing, China’s most renown and capital city, with a population of over 14 million. A three day stay in this bustling place provided time for acclimatization, as well as an introduction to China’s history, culture and food. With Carol and her bright yellow flag as our leader, we toured a number of ancient and spectacular sites; the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners proved an opportunity to practice our chopstick handling. Evenings found us comfortably ensconced in a five star hotel.

 

The highlight of our Beijing stay, a moment carefully planned by Dr. Paul and Carol, was a trip to the Great Wall to do tai chi. We arrived in the chilly morning air, bundled in jackets atop our Tai Chi for Health instructor shirts, and set off to be videoed playing tai chi in this ancient setting. Carol had picked the spot well; a little wandered cobblestoned area, below steep, uneven steps, with a precipitous drop-off to the front and impressive views of the Wall both behind and before us - a perfect photo shoot backdrop. Our warm ups and practice of TCA piqued the curiosity of uniformed guards and other tourists, who turned to stare or take photos of their own.

 

Curiosity and encouragement continued to follow us throughout our journey, particularly as we took every opportunity to play tai chi together. For not only did China’s many ancient palaces and temples provide perfect backdrops, such as at Wudang Mountain the legendary birthplace of tai chi, but so too did roadside rest-stops, city promenades, parks and hotel grounds.

Daily, our Master, Dr. Paul, gave freely not only of his tai chi expertise, but also of his thoughts and knowledge of his former homeland. For in addition to escorting us to the misty temples of Wudang, the beautiful Chinese city of Hangzhou, and peculiarly-shaped granite peaks of the Yellow Mountain, Dr. Paul led us through the nuances of Chinese tea drinking, introduced us to the cornucopia of Chinese dishes, took us to the very house in which he spent the first sixteen years of his life and introduced us to his relatives as his “tai chi family”.

It is difficult to describe the feelings, the energy and power generated during this trip. The personal discoveries made, as well as the bonding which occurred while touring and playing tai chi among China’s treasures along with fellow Tai Chi for Health trainers and the person who united us, will last a lifetime. As will the memories of the country’s architectural wonders, like the Great Wall built along mountain spines, a vision of the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty as protection from his warring neighbors. Such engineering feats, built and rebuild throughout the ages, like the people and culture of China themselves, have stood the test of time and are impressive. But no more impressive than Dr. Paul, who grew up in this land during the Cultural Revolution, with his current vision - to spread the use of tai chi for the safeguarding of health among the world’s populations.

 

back to the top

 

TCA in the Gresham Senior Center
Gerry Von Ahn, TCA instructor, Gresham, OR, USA

 

In my mid thirties, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and told, because of the severity of my condition, I should prepare to soon be confined to a wheelchair. The doctor’s advice was simply to rest when my joints hurt and be more active when they did not and then I was sent on my way.

 

As I entered my fifties his prediction began to come true and I purchased a motorized scooter because walking for even a few hundred feet resulted in a night spent in my chair in pain. I instinctively knew that exercise would help but held a lifelong distaste of it until one day when I saw a television commercial for Depends adult diapers in which people were performing tai chi in a park. That was when a light bulb went off in my head. “I think I can do that”, I told my husband. “That exercise is very slow and so beautiful. It looks almost like dancing. I want to try that.”

I purchased a DVD of a Yang 108 form set and my husband and I began following the exercises every morning. One day he rushed in from the garden and excitedly told me he could bend his knees and crouch low to reach the plants. I too was experiencing a new level of flexibility and strength and we began to look for a teacher and a class.

We found a class at our local Senior Center and joined the group. The form being taught at the time happened to be a version of Yang 108 which was a daunting task to learn but we persevered and revelled in the improvement in our health. After a time, the instructor asked me if I would be interested in becoming his assistant and I reluctantly agreed to give it a try. I found that I enjoyed sharing my tai chi experiences and small bit of knowledge with others and grew to help during most sessions.

 

One day the instructor came to me and told me he was retiring and asked if I would lead the class. One of the things that had constantly plagued our group was the dropout rate due to the rigors of learning a form that included 108 moves. I had previously become aware of Dr. Paul Lam’s instructional DVD’s and owned the Tai Chi for Arthritis disk. I learned the set and presented it to the class. It was an instant hit. We began practicing the TCA set but it soon presented a new, albeit delightful, problem. When we had practiced the 108 form set, we usually had between 8-12 people regularly attending our classes. People came and went quickly, discouraged by what they perceived as the immensity of learning such a long form. After changing to the TCA form, suddenly the interest in tai chi at the Senior Center grew very quickly. Within a few weeks of introducing the set, our attendance count went from a dozen to over thirty. I was teaching two classes a week and each class was crowded. Soon, we had to add two more classes to accommodate the interest. We are beginning our third year of teaching TCA and the Senior Center is now asking us to add more classes. Fortunately, people have stepped up and taken the instructor training so I am no longer teaching alone. I am now approaching my seventieth year and the help is greatly appreciated.

 

We have now gone from one instructor to six certified instructors and several volunteer assistants and from a dozen attendees to over seventy-five and growing. In addition to our class participants, hardly a month goes by without someone telling us that they are teaching someone else the exercises or the set which is the thing that truly makes my heart sing. Dr. Lam recently mentioned that TCA is believed to have reached approximately two million people and it gives me such delight to know that our little group of practitioners is helping to spread the news of health improvement through Tai Chi for Arthritis. For myself, my scooter is being donated to someone who really needs it and I have become, through practicing TCA, a happy, healthy little old lady.

 

back to the top

 

Humour, Laughter and Radiant Health
Dr Bob McBrien, Salisbury, MD, USA

 

Traveling at times can test one's capacity for managing stress. Airports, lost baggage and jet lag are sources of stress that take a toll on our peace-of-mind. Any chance we get to employ our sense of humor we can have a laugh, relax, find time to do some tai chi and enjoy the trip. My travels occasionally took me to countries that are not English speaking. Much fun can be found in reading the various English translations found on hotel and shop signs catering to tourists. I am sure the reverse can be found by tourists visiting the USA and reading signs in their language. Here are a few signs from around the world that visitors from the USA enjoyed reading.

 

 

Do you have a favorite humorous sign discovered in your travels? Please add to my collection. Send some humor to: drbobtaichi@juno.com

 

back to the top