Friday Morning T'ai Chi

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Here is todays T'ai chi lesson for Friday morning's group.



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And here is the Miny Form  we have worked  on so far.

Here  is a link to the video about the fascinating life of the monks  on Mount Athos. It is a rare view into a completely different ' World ' . Well worth forty minutes .
Mount Athos

Brush Left Knee and Play Guitar Mini Form Lessoms

Here are the lessons for the Mini Form Classes

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And Here is the Full Mini form
Full Mini Form from ann on Vimeo.

Space And Silence

Just for a moment repeat the word Silence while listening to the silence that surrounds and interpenetrates all the sounds around you.
Silence     Silence      Silence 

   Allow yourself to sense that silence resonating inside of you.
Notice how good it feels to resonate with Silence.

Now for a few moments repeat the word Space while seeing and feeling the Space all around you and the Space that permeates your body and mind.
Space      Space       Space  

  Now allow yourself to resonate with this space , allow it to fill your body-mind awareness.

Notice how your body relaxes and  how your mind relaxes. Notice how good it feels to become aware of Space and Silence. This feels good because the feeling of  Space and Silence are very close to our true nature. Our true nature is beyond words and concepts, when we pay attention to Space and Silence we become more attuned to our natural state of Peace and Connection and so we feel good.

Try it I'm sure you will agree.

Becoming Aware of Awareness

The soft conscious movements of T'ai Chi help develop awareness.  This is not necessiarly a comfortable process  because as soon as one becomes more conscious one realises just how frantically active and busy our  minds tend to be.  A similar discomfort arises when one begins to sit in  meditation.

I don't know of any way to avoid this, however realising that this discomfort is actually a sign that you are awakening , that you are becoming more present can hepl.

Knowing that as you become more interested in awareness itself,  rather than it's  contents ( thoughts , emtions etc ) your life will flow more easily , your relationships will become more harmonious, your work will become more fun and enjoyable , knowing all this will help you to percist in the practice and become daily more interested in this subtle awareness that is always present.

This is the awareness that lets you know that you have slept well ( how else would you know next morning when your conscious mind was asleep ? ).

This awareness knows all , loves all, allows all. Befriending this awareness is the greatest healing power of the universe because it is pure unconditional LOVE.

T'ai Chi in Castletownbere

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It was good to practice here in Sarah Walker's Gallery . It is such a wonderful space and to be surrounded by inspiring Art work who could ask for a better place to share T'ai Chi. It is good too to see people 'getting ' T'ai Chi and enjoying our practice sessions. I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

Here below is the full Mini Form

Full Mini Form from ann on Vimeo.

Another Great Trip West

I Just Love these journeys West

The long road and the ongouig adventure.

I'm stopping often to appreciate the beauty .

To enjoy the changing 

Colours

And variety of landscape.

Rushing rivers.

Splenderous Autumn colours

To delight the senses.

Roads inspire and delight me with their possibilities.

One never quite knows what delights await over the next hill.

And when you reach the Kerry mountains. .     .        .

And Lakes

Your heart is overflowing

With Wonder 

Peace

And gratitude for this journey and life.

                                   Each Step

                          Through the deserted gate,

                          full of ripened leaves,

                          I follow the small path.

                         Earth is as red as a child's lips.

                         Suddenly

                         I am aware

                         of each step

                         I make.



Walking meditation is meditation while walking . We walk slowly , in a relaxed way, keeping a light smile on our lips. When we practice this way, we feel deeply at ease, and our steps are those of the most secure person on Earth. All ou rsorrows and anxieties drop away, and peace and joy fill our hearts. Anyone can do it. It takes only a little time , a little mindfulness, and a wish to be happy.


                                                                                                                        Thich Nhat Hanh

True Nature

Love,  Peace, Joy, Harmony, Abundance these are our true nature , always present but we tend to look away.

 We tend to pay attention to what is 'wrong,  in our lives. Our mind tries to figure out answers and we get lost in the search.

Then if we are lucky, very lucky, we hear ,we really hear and turn our attention away from the search to fix ourselves and instead we begin to notice where the peace already is present in our lives.

We look for and notice where Joy is already showing up.

We begin to notice the Harmony and Abundance that id already here right now and our life unfolds in new ways we could never have imagined .

Thoughts On The Body

 Study for Adam Michelangelo


It seems to me that most of us have a very ambivalent attitude towards the body. We prefer not to inhabit it fully. We want it to be in optimum health and ' leave us alone ' to get on with life. On some level this is an unconscious recognition that we are not the body, that this body is a vehicle which we use temporally. However I feel that when we live this way , we miss the opportunity to experience life on a deeper level. Yes  I am not this body ( or this mind ) however I have ' borrowed ' this vehicle and I can learn a lot from and through this body if I give it some focused attention.   Becoming more present to this body helps me recognise that it is not 'my SELF.  It's sensations come and go, spending time noticing that all body sensations art temporary allows a more detached attitude to the body, while also having a deep respect and love for this amazing vehicle which affords such a great opportunity for growth and SELF awareness.

Full Mini Form

Full Mini Form from ann on Vimeo.

Relaxing Into Each Moment

Space and silence being the great healers that they are aford us the opportunity to relax and heal our bodies.

So just for this moment allow yourself to ' feel' the vast space in all of the universe.

Also allow yourself to feel the space all around and through your body.

Imagine hearing the Silence in the vast space of the whole universe and allow yoyrself to relax into that Silence.

Just for this moment Let Go and feel this monment with all your senses.

Close your eyes for a moment and Feel all the Space and Silence in and around and through your body.

Now I promise if you do this exercise you will feel more relaxed , more present , more alert, and more serene.

 Notice you can reenergise in a moment.

TIE CHI

T'ai Chi On Fridays With Music Students

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Here are Friday's School Of Music students who are taking a module of T'ai Chi as part of their final year . It seems to me that they are already well 'tuned in'.  They grasp the ideas and the postures with ease. Is is so unusuall to have a class of all young people,and  especially unusuall to be young interested and naturally fluid.



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And here  they are investigating ' Brush Left Knee And Push '.

Imagine that when you see a city's skyline, you taste blackberries. Or maybe when you hear a violin, you feel a tickle on your left knee. Perhaps you are completely convinced that Wednesdays are light red. If you have experiences like these, you might have synesthesia.

Synesthesia is a condition in which one sense (for example, hearing) is simultaneously perceived as if by one or more additional senses such as sight. Another form of synesthesia joins objects such as letters, shapes, numbers or people's names with a sensory perception such as smell, color or flavor. The word synesthesia comes from two Greek words, syn (together) and aisthesis (perception). Therefore, synesthesia literally means "joined perception."

 Synesthesia can involve any of the senses. The most common form, colored letters and numbers, occurs when someone always sees a certain color in response to a certain letter of the alphabet or number. For example, a synesthete (a person with synesthesia) might see the word "plane" as mint green or the number "4" as dark brown. There are also synesthetes who hear sounds in response to smell, who smell in response to touch, or who feel something in response to sight. Just about any combination of the senses is possible. There are some people who possess synesthesia involving three or even more senses, but this is extremely rare.
Synesthetic perceptions are specific to each person. Different people with synesthesia almost always disagree on their perceptions. In other words, if one synesthete thinks that the letter "q" is colored blue, another synesthete might see "q" as orange.

           























Some of the flavours that appear on Mr Wannerton's ( president of the UK synaesthesia Association) "taste map" of the London Tube

Read more about this fascinating condition in thr link below. 
Synaesthesia When Two Senses Become One

Nothing is more real than nothing Samuel Beckett

             

    Dr Fehmi and me at his Open Focus/Brain SyncronyWorkshop


 " " Nothing " is not merely nothing. Nothing is in fact a great and robust healer and is critical to health and well-being of our nervous system. Space is unique anong the contents of attention because space, silence and timelessness cannot be concentrated on or grasped as a separate experience. It slips through, permeates your attention, through all your senses. Seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and thinking of space, basking in it - while simultaneously experiencing timelessness- is a powerful way to let go, the most powerful way that I know. "
                     Les Fehmi

I practice Dr Fehmi's Open focus exercises daily and agreee that they are a fabulous way to let go. They really compliment T'ai Chi , Releasing and bring great relaxation and presence to all aspects of life.





  

T'ai Chi working on applications

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Here we are investigating how to connect and yield in Play Guitar posture. T'ai Chi as taught to me is all about connection. Connecting to ' heaven ' through the crown of the head.  Connecting to the ground through the soles of our feet. And connecting to each other through energy and touch. This connecting outward is so important as it is our means of constant feedback and also of nourishment, nourishment for our souls through that magical joining that happens when we listen deeply.



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Michael and Sara investigating  Fair Ladies and Kick postures of the T'ai Chi Dance





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Joan and Steven working on Roll Back , Single Whip variation and Strike Tigers Ears also from the 'Dance'.

T'ai chi Beginner's Lessons

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First 2 lessons.




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Lessons 4,5 and 6




Full Mini Form from ann on Vimeo.

Full Mini Form

A short visit yo Derreen Garden in Lauragh Co. Kerry

..

Here is the house in Derreen Gardens, it belongs to the descendants of the Marquess of Lansdowne who was drawn to the area and decided to Derreen his summer house.

 

He embarked on an ambitious plan to transform the bare rock and scrub oak into the luxuriant garden of today. 

The garden covers over 60 acres and 12 kilometres of paths.

Giving wonderful views of the Caha Mountains.

And Kilmakilloge harbour

Luscious green paths

Where you can see and feel the care and love of trees

Moss covered steps

Mountain Views

Gurgling streams

Mysterious dwellings

Secret bridges

Fungi that have funny faces

And endless corners that draw you on and on. I am so grateful to he Marquess and his descendants for planting and maintaining this treasure.

Beautiful West Cork

Morning mists herald a great day ahead.

I'm full of joy and anticipation for the journey

Love being on the road . .   .      .

Want to capture all this beauty

Ah and then Kenmare

And the sea comes into view

A blue reflection of a perfect sky.

Distant hills

Reflections in lake mirrors

And Awe inspiring Mountains as I approach

Castletownbere 

Now T'ai Chi calls so I must leave my memories and practice my Art.

Looking forward to some more reflections later.