Golden Roosters on a Sunday morning !

For the past eighty years I have started the day in the same manner. It is not a mechanical routine but something essential to my daily life. I go to the piano,and play two preludes and fugues of Bach. I cannot think of doing otherwise. It is a sort of benediction of the house. But that is not it's only meaning for me. It is a rediscovery of the world of which I have the joy of being a part. It fills me with awareness of the wonder of life, with a feeling of the incredible marvel of being a human being.
Pablo Cassals( 1876-1973)

A day of circles and semi circles

Multi partnerwork using the circle

Here is Uncle Seamus (92 years old ), who couldn't wait to try biofeedback.

Using your non dominant hand to do simple chores can improve your mood and your memory;
that's because the action stimulates the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDFN) a protein that encourages the growth of neurons linked to long-term memory and mood. " When you're depressed or under stress, your brain's producion of BDNF plummets", says Moses Chao, professor of neuro science at New York Universitv School of Mecdine. ( One of the lesser-known effect of antidepressents he says,is to raise the levels of BDNF.) Anything unexpected, smelling rosemary first thing in the morning, for example can activate BDNF. From the Oprah magazine for those like me who need a lift at times.

Before learning T'ai Chi, like most people I felt enveloped in a sack, my skin which separated me from the air around. Practicing T'ai Chi we learn to pay attention to the apparent boundry and in doing so come to realise it's not as real as we once believed. In paying attention to our skin and the air touching our skin simultaneously we become aware that the " inside " and the "outside are are very much interconnected. We are no longer separate but part of this whole universe of space, energy and particles dancing in time.
Here working together are John Kells and Steven Moore two great T'ai Chi Masters who awakened me to this reality.

"That wall is mostly empty space" was all he said, my world has never been the same.I will never forget the explosion in my mind and body,something had opened and life was suddenly new and exciting. That was over thirty years ago, it all came back to me when listening to an open focus exercise that asked. "Can you imagine that an atom consists of a nucleus with electrons revolving about it. Can you imagine that the diameter of the atom is 200,000 greater than the diameter of the nucleus. Can you imagine that the atom is mostly empty space? Can you imagine that your body is made of atoms? Can you imagine that your body is mostly empty space?" Again an explosion of possibilities !

Here ( for Simon) is Ken on the neuro feedback machine and Dr.Fehmi instructing. My niece Margaret brought mine from the US today. I've been having fun setting it up, John enjoyed his first session tonight.

Life doesn't happen to you it happens for you.
Byron Katie

Can you imagine feeling the presence of your whole body and all the feelings and emotions in your body simultaneously? Can you imagine the space around your body, the space above, below , in front, behind and at the sides of your body simultaneously?
Questions like these draw me into open focus enabling me to be more present in my body and in my environment simultaneously. Can you imagine ? This is such a wonderful invitation to new possibilities of awareness.

It's about thirty years since I first read about brainwaave biofeedback in a book called "The Lives Of A Cell". Since then I've come across refrerence to biofeedback in other books and have always been interested in it's use in studies on relaxation and meditation. Then last summer I read "Open Focus Brain" by Dr Les Fehmi and Jim Robbins. The book recounts Dr Femhi's work with biofeedback machines and his development of open focus exercises. Dr Femhi discovered that when he asked clients to imagine distance volume or space there was a dramatic increase in alpha waves produced in their brains. He realised that 'Objectless Imagery' was very conducive to alpha wave production and thereby very relaxing and healing for his clients. Having read the book and practised the exercises I really wanted to experience working on the machine,so a few weeks ago I travelled to Princeton to train with Dr Fehmi. Working with Dr Femhi and his wife Susan Shore Fehmi was wonderful. I loved getting feedback from the machine and the open focus exercises left me energised and more open relaxed and aware than ever before. The exercises have opened me to a whole new level in my T'ai Chi practice.

http://openfocus.com/