Partner Work

Tai Chi has always been and still is mysterious to me. Its beauty and depth are beyond my conscious understanding and there are those Ah! moments when I think here yet again is another reason why I love this practice.This morning working on 'ward off' in pushing hands it happened again. The ward off filled out naturally, defenceses dropped away and my partner's spirit shone through radient and beautiful. This to me is our work, to encourage the the unlimited spirit present in all of us to find expression . I read an article lately about optimists and pesimists , who had got it right ? Interestingly the author declared both were correct as we always find more of what we give our attention to ! So let's practice together with the intention of finding and freeing each others true radient nature.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hnah is a Vietnamese Buddist monk poet scholar and human rights activist, famous for his meditation exercises here is one for you to try.

The exercise begins with words that can be said to yourself. At first you may want to say the whole sentence. Then, you might just say the shorter phrase to the right of the sentence.

Calming the Mental Formations


......................Breathing in, I feel calm. ...................Calm
......................Breathing out, I smile.........................Smile




......................Breathing in, I dwell........... .............. Present moment
......................in the present moment

.....................Breathing out,it is the .........................Wonderful
.....................most wonderful moment..................... moment





The practise of Zen is often recommended to Tai Chi students to calm the 'monkey' mind and develop the courage to enter the still presence within and without.
Many thanks to John Connell for Thich Nhat Hnah's 'The Energy of Prayer'

Press with Michael and Dave

I'd like to dedicate this new blog and year to that still point in all of us where tai chi resides.
Lets sink deep into our core letting the mind quieten and allow all our movement come from there.

Your body is... the expression of your existence...

So many of us are not in our bodies, really at home

and vibrantly present there. Nor are we in touch with

the basic rhythms that constitute our bodily life.

We live outside ourselves - in our heads, our memories,

our longings - absentee landlords of our own
estate

Gabrielle Roth

Dervilla sent me this and it sums up the presence we are working to embody.

For newcommers to tai chi Illustrated Elements of Tai Chi by Angus Clark is a good aid to remembering the postures.Thanks to Dave

2008 Tai Chi

The first official class of the year at Mallow