Lessons For Castletownbere Class and some vievs of W Cork and Kerry

Here is yesterday's lesson and the full Mini form. Thanks for a great term in Castletownbere looking forward to seeing you all again in the New Year. We will start back on January 11th.


trim.9C681BF8-20D3-4A9F-9CDF-A4196ED233EC from ann on Vimeo.


Full Mini Form from ann on Vimeo.

Blue skies and winter colours as I head towards Castletownbere.

These views never fail to to Wow me on my way there,

And again on my way homm !

The winter light and colours are so new right now , there is a freshness to them.

Looking across the bay I got a glimpse of snow on the Kerry Mountains and couldn't resist coming home by Moll's Gap,

So glad I made that decision.

The lakes so still and beautiful in the evening sunshine.

Such an inspiring journey.

Allowing Everything To Be As It Is

Some years ago a good friend gave me a meditation CD called Allowing Everything To Be As It Is.
The meditation was presented by Aydashanti. I must have listened to that CD every day for months. My mind fought with the idea of allowing things to be. At that time I believed that  "allowing everything to be as it is " was lazy.

Back then I really believed in pushing, forcing or efforting to change myself and those around me. I thought that if only my external world would change all would be well and I could finally 'Let Go' and Relax.

Listening to Aydashanti's advice of allowing things to be , resonated with my T'ai Chi practice of non resistance, hearing the same advice in a different context made me aware of subtle levels of resistance which had been unconsciously blocking me from 'Letting Go '.

Over time I have come to realise that 'Allowing Things To Be ' is anything but lazy. It often takes a lot of releasing inside to allow others to have their own experience. To trust their own knowingness and keep my opinions to myself ( unless asked for ).

This is anything but passive or easy , and yet it is so satisfying to begin to trust that life does know best. When you allow yourself to relax into life's unfolding and just watch becoming a bit like a passenger in your own life it becomes a lot more fun.

Unseen Helpers

What a fabulous group of people we have in our Blackrock T'ai Chi Class. Here they are doing the Mini Form led by Anne Marie.
It is so encouraging to see how this group has grown and deepened in the practice. There is no substitute for practice if you want to learn T'ai Chi ( or anything else ), especially if you practice with like minded people , when we get together with the intention of working together to help each other to grow , there is a great energy in the room. On those occasions we feel helped on a much greater scale than if we were working on our own.
 It often feels to me as if past masters come along to help, inspire and encourage us.
I felt that very strongly at last Saturdays Workshop. The 5 hours flew by and it felt as if we were being moulded into shape by unseen forces.
New insights often open up to us on days when we make the extra effort, knowing that encourages us to keep working.
 Looking back over years of training it seems to me that there has always been help from unseen helpers who nudged me forward when the odds seemed stacked against me. At times when rooms were freezing and students lost interest helpers kept my spirits up, encouraged me to try once more to trust the teaching and the practice.
So I encourage you no matter what you practice , invite past masters to your work ask them to guide and direct you and watch how much easier your tasks become.


trim.79406549-DBCF-4F12-9F4C-15799915AFB8 from ann on Vimeo.

Hidden Contemplatives

Here is Anne Marie I am delighted add her newly launched blog  Hidden Contemplatives to my links.

Anne Marie Maguire is a Herbalist and Naturopath, with special interests in writing, energetics, plant medicine, spirituality and the inherent rhythm found in Nature. She has a BA in European Studies & Languages, and completed an MBS in 1995 in Dublin City University with her thesis exploring Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. She has worked for German, Australian and Irish multinationals writing informational, promotional and spiritual material. She has travelled extensively, with periods of time living in Germany, France, and more recently, New Zealand and Australia. She wrote a spiritual travel blog throughout that latter time. She now lives in Ireland, her home country, with her husband and son.   Enjoy a read here,  Hidden Contemplatives

Uprooting with John Kells. Thanks to the British T'ai Chi Chuan team for sharing this video of John ( my teacher ) demonstrating how to uproot. So inspiring to see John in action.

John Kells

In Honour Of Our Beloved Su

Our Beloved Su has died.

She filled our days with joy and fun.

Her Love was total and unconditional.

She ' attended ' every T'ai Chi session that happened at home.

It was such a blessing to have her presence these last fifteen years I am full of gratitude for all the great times we shared.

Beginning Lesson Of The Mini form and Figure 8 Heart Exercise

Beginning Posture of the Mini Form from ann on Vimeo




 This is a wonderful exercise for the  heart and whole energy body.  It enlarges your energy and is a great exercise to practice if you want to feel your connection to the heavens and to the centre of the earth.

  trim.D088F31A-F74F-410A-AE7B-82A36A5AF330 from ann on Vimeo.