Listening and connecting to your partner's energy is part of our training in T'ai Chi. John Kells was a great believer in 'tuning in' to energy. i am so grateful for his teaching that awakened me to partner work and the joy it brings.

trim.8A235032-5D07-4E71-8105-0214EE6449EF from ann on Vimeo.

Monday's music students' listeing'.

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A big shout out guys....It's Movember and in support of the Movember Foundation Ireland initiative to help create a positive change to men's health Cork ARC are hosting a talk on Prostate Cancer.

This free talk will take place on Wednesday 18 November @ 7pm at the Kingsley Hotel and will be faciliated Greg Nason, Specialist Registrar in Urology and Anita Cahill, Prostate Cancer Co-Ordinator CUH.
We encourage you to get into the true spirit of Movember by attending this event where you will learn how cancer of the prostate can be managed. For further information and bookings please phone Cork ARC on 021 4276688. Please share this update with your family and friends ‪#‎movember‬

Wet And Windy In The West

trim.1F693629-D933-4D30-8EB1-D34A6A85F827 from ann on Vimeo.

I didn't take any photos during today's session but I couldn't resist a short video to remind me of this great trip to Castletownbere.

This was the only blue patch of sky that appeared to me today.

But I loved the mist shrouded hills.

  And sea,

Everywhere along the coast road seemed dreamlike.

 But the sheep were busy ignoring the wind and rain.



  trim.7493E519-F375-4B16-BBF6-B351EB5AB54C from ann on Vimeo.

I loved the 'feel'  of the countryside in the wind and rain, it felt ancient and mystical. The colours were soft and yet stunningly beautiful in a shy way quite different to the dazzling blue on my last trip west.

Open focus Exercise

Paying attention to space and /or silence is a great way to calm the mind and relax the body.
Open Focus training enables us to become much more conscious of the healing power of space consciousness.
 Learning to pay attention to the space in and around our body helps us to be more fully present in each moment, to become more conscious of the beauty in nature. It helps us to relax into the here and now.
Learning to listen to the silence in which all sounds arise and dissolve back into, is a balm. It helps us to notice that internal sounds ( that voice in our heads which can appear to be constant )also comes and goes.  The  sound of that voice in our head also arises in a silence and with practise we can allow ourselves to become more interested in the space or silence in which it arises rather than the sounds it is making.
Here below is a link to an Open Focus Exercise which was recorded at one of my T'ai Chi and Open Focus Workshops.

Open focus Variation

November 2015 Workshop

Such a great day at yesterday's Workshop, I love to watch as people experience awakenings, realisations of how the body works and how cross-energy works.  The  Open Focus practise enhances our awareness by allowing us to experience space  very consciously. This consciousness enriches our t'ai chi practise in many ways. We come to the t'ai chi already open and relaxed and 'tuned in' to the space in and around and between us.





trim.4B233CAD-CDCE-43FB-9236-3D3259F70E2B from ann on Vimeo.

We investigated the 'feeling' of cross-energy in this exercise as a preparation for working on ' Step Back To Repulse The Monkey posture.







trim.023B7971-4CE4-4A9D-88C3-ACF8A053EF0F from ann on Vimeo.




Here we are applying the cross -energy principle in  Repulse The Monkey posture.

Good fun, great learning and how enjoyable to spend the day with such a fabulous group of people.

 A Huge Thanks You All For Being There  Wholeheartedly



 

Saturday's Workshop (Only 2 spaces left.)

Nov workshop from ann on Vimeo.

I can't wait for Saturday's Workshop such a fabulous group of people coming along and I have some amazing work to share.
This space has been a bit quiet because I have been incubating, reflecting and refining work for Saturday.
We will explore connection in new and interesting ways. We will 'sink' deeply into our bodies and get to know ourselves from the inside out.
We will explore energetic connection with each other to enhance each others energy and awareness.


                                  

                      Mind at Peace   
  

                  When the mind is at peace,

                  the world too is at peace.

                  Nothing real, nothing absent.

                  Not holding on to reality,

                 not getting stuck in the void,

                 you are neither holy or wise, just

                 an ordinary fellow who has completed
                             his work.
                                                          P'ang Yün (龐蘊 Hõ Un)


We will 'Sink And Relax ' into a mindful day of practise, awakening to deeper levels of awareness and relaxation. This day will be an opportunity to listen deeply to the body and mind. We will explore how Open Focus practise can enrich our T'ai Chi and our lives.
It is great to give yourself the gift of 'Time Out', space to recharge through deep listening and practise.


The next T'ai Chi and Open focus Workshop will held in Blackrock Community Centre

Blackrock Community Centre
Saturday November7'th

11.30am - 4 .30pm  

Cost €35 per person 

To reserve a place
Phone 087 6616800  or email taichimcilraith@yahoo.co.uk

Inspiration

Give yourself a few minutes to do this exercise I bet it will inspire you.
Think back over your life and allow yourself to remember someone who really had an influence on you. It might have been a teacher , a neighbour, a family member, even a stranger who helped.

Go on close your eyes right now and reflect.




Who was it ? How did they make the difference?


When I did this exercise I was surprised to find  myself remembering a neighbour, a quiet man I hadn't thought about him for years and yet when I asked myself that question, it was the feeling of warmth and acceptance that I felt in his presence that came to mind. I didn't have to do anything or be anything special, there were no expectations from him.  


Who came to mind for you ? How did they make you feel ?


Would you like to be remembered in that way by someone. I for one would love to embody that ability to allow someone to feel accepted and loved for being themselves.