T'ai Chi Lessons and Partner Work

Here is the Full Mini form for T'ai Chi beginners. A big welcome to all new beginners, so delighted to have the opportunity to share this great practice with you all.

Full Mini Form from ann on Vimeo.


Short form Lesson

trim.C87A200F-3D41-460A-BB4E-06029DAE4A9A from ann on Vimeo.



Da Lu with Mallow Advanced Short Form Class
We have just begun the interesting Da Lu exploration , lots to learn and discover using this partner work 'form '
trim.14D80023-566C-48EF-B931-DCD7F210D939 from ann on Vimeo.




Here are Michael and Sara investigating Roll Back as a partner work exercise.


trim.FB3C271A-83B0-46AE-AE4F-424BEBDFB391 from ann on Vimeo.

Benefits Of Releasing

One of the great benefits of Releasing it that it can be used anywhere any time to 'Let Go' of stressful thoughts and limiting beliefs and allow us to open to the flow that is already here right now.

Often we limit ourselves by holding on consciously and subconsciously to memories of ' what happened last time ' and these memories block us from being present to this NEW moment.
 When we learn to even recognise this pattern and Release our memories we open to new possibilities.
We see people and places in a new light, life becomes new and fresh each moment. Possibilities and opportunities open to us ( or maybe we just see them now because we have dropped some old beliefs).
Take a moment to Release right now. It is simple to just drop your thoughts for a moment and allow yourself to become conscious of what is right here right now. Feel the body sensations notice the thoughts passing through your head and Relax.  This is releasing you from your past and allowing you to be present to this moment. Say, Thank You to yourself for taking the time to Let Go .
Do this often and I promise the benefits will multiply.

RememberTo Relax

It's a new week so why not make'  A New  Week's Resolution '.
Why not decide to make this a week of relaxation by remembering to take a short relaxation break every hour.

Let's start now, it doesn't need to take long but the benefits will be huge.

While reading this just allow yourself to notice how your body is feeling.

Become aware of your eyes and allow them to soften their focus while they are reading.
Notice the spaces between and around the letters and words while you are reading .
Become aware of the space around your body, the space between you and the device your reading on.
Notice how paying a little attention to space is helping your body to relax already.
Now notice that while you are still reading you can soften your face muscles, your jaw muscles,the muscles all around your eyes and around  your mouth and lips, just allow them to soften and relax.
And now notice how your hands feel, are they warm or cold, feel right down to the tips of your fingers and feel their presence, become conscious of your fingers and hands and how they feel today. 

I bet you feel more relaxed already and it didn't take long, a short time every now and then during the day means that by evening you will be still fresh and relaxed, for some evening fun .

Work In Progress

We are still working on the T'ai Chi ' Dance ' or Fight Set ( I have heard it described both ways ).
Anyway it is very interesting work if one lokes partner work and I have loved partner work from the first very early on in my training. I love how I can 'feel' my body's state of tension or relaxation 'through ' my partner. There is nothing like getting the feedback through one's body.  Here we are below working on rollback variations from the 'Dance '. I love that we have so much more to investigate and explore.

trim.910B01EA-F3F5-4B90-BCCF-E28A3FD5D18C from ann on Vimeo.

In this version when Joan does a roll back she also does the press and then I repeat the posture same on her.




trim.9BBFFDAD-13FE-4AF2-B07A-23F5F1D70C9B from ann on Vimeo.

In this version when I do a roll back on Steven the turns and presses into me. Then we swith 'roles' mid way.  


Scroll down for this weeks lessons.

T'ai Chi Lessons for this week Feb. 17th

Short Form to Ward Off Left

trim.C87A200F-3D41-460A-BB4E-06029DAE4A9A from ann on Vimeo.







Working on the application  for Ward Off Left

trim.B3B4ACEA-2FA0-4EF8-A14D-F5D69F3F3958 from ann on Vimeo.







Full Mini Form
Full Mini Form from ann on Vimeo.





Short Form to Shoulder Stroke

Short Form to shoulder stroke for Blackrock class from ann on Vimeo.

" Most Important, I had to be willing to try. The try is everything. The try is me saying to my brain, hey, I value this connection and I want it to happen. I may have to try, try and try again without results for a thousand times before I get even an incling of a result, but if I don't try, it may never happen " . Be Inspired By Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor' s Amazing Courage

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained and published neuroanatomist who experienced a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain in 1996. On the afternoon of this rare form of stroke (AVM), she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. It took eight years for Dr. Jill to completely recover all of her physical function and thinking ability.

 I'm reading her book  My Stroke of Insight  at the moment and it's a wonderful read plus reading it confirms much of what I have learnt and experienced through many years of studying my own mind. It confirms the value of training our brains.

" Neurons either thrive when connected in circuit with other neurons, or they die when they sit in isoation without stimulation. "
 This knowledge is really useful to those of us who want to 'train' our brains , using this information we can focus our attention on developing and connecting neurons that empower us while  'starving ' neuron connections which deplete us.
As Jill worked to retrain her brain and her rational ' left brain hemisphere ' began to function she noticed that her judgements and blaming began to reemerge, she decided not to feed these aspects of her thinking and to focus more on positive aspects of thought. This she did successfully confirming that it is possible to take charge of our ' thinking ' by rewiring our brains.
I wish that I could give everyone a copy of her inspiring book but at least I can give you a link to her speaking about her experience on at this TED Talk   Jill Bolte Taylor

Resonating With LOVE

Words are really important and effect our body and our mind in either positive or negative ways.

When we hold a word in our minds we can begin to resonate with the experiences that that word awakens in us.

Take a moment to repeat the word relax in your mind , Relax , Relax , Reeeellllaaaaxxxxx, repeat it softly slowly and notice your body responds.

Now repeat the 'experiment ' saying Peace , Peace , Peace , Peace.

 Repeat it and allow yourself to 'feel' the word begin to resonate with the cells of your body, sink deeply into the feeling of PEACE.

Then ,  Calm, Calm, Calm , Calm,  Calm  .     ..........Calm  . . . . . .Calm             . . . . . .Calm

Now we come to LOVE,  Open your heart and begin feel your own LOVE

 Repeat LOVE    LOVE     LOVE        LOVE      LOVE        LOVE           LOVE       LOVE           LOVE            LOVE          LOVE         LOVE

 Feel how your body responds feel how your muscles relax.

Now move deeper into this resonance with your own LOVE 

Repeat, I LOVE YOU,   I LOVE YOU.      I LOVE YOU,      I LOVE YOU

         I LOVE YOU   toes and feet, 

         I LOVE YOU  ankles,

         I LOVE YOU  knees,

         I LOVE YOU thighs,

         I LOVE YOU  tummy,

        Now spend some time in your HEART saying

                             I LOVE YOU,

                             I LOVE YOU,

                  I LOVE YOU MY HEART

        I'm Grateful to you for all the LOVE and Insights You have brought me this lifetime.

        Thank You, Thank You, Thank You ,  I LOVE YOU

       Allow yourself to Relax more into this LOVE and Gratitude to Your HEART.
 
       Now allow that HEART LOVE to spread out all over your body, feel it flowing up to the top of your head filling and recharging all the cells along its way.

 Feel it flowing right out to the tips of your fingers recharging all the cells, feel how your cells are beginning to sparkle with bright shining LOVE.

Now it's flowing down to the soles of your feet.

 Your whole body is tingling and sparkling with LOVE and Light and you have become Your Very Own Valentine Resonating With LOVE

And Now Just Imagine This LOVE Spreading Out From Your Body And Shinning It's Light Into Your Whole World.

                                    Happy Valentine 

     
       
           

        

Setting Clear Intentions

As Larry Crane ( of the Release Technique ) says, " If You don't know where you are going you can't get there.
When I trained with him he kept reminding us to set intentions, long term intentions and short term intentions.
I remind myself to this regularly and have found it to be great advice.
Before I begin to meditate or teach or meet someone I set my intention, this could be to have fun, to listen well, to give my best class ever, to find the beauty in my surroundings.
 I find that when I set clear short term intentions they help me to focus on the present moment and give it my best energy.
As Lester would say, " Take it for testing. " . I'm sure you will find it every bit as rewarding an exercise as I do.
I bet you can guess today's intention from my choice of photo.  

T'ai Chi Lessons For This Week Feb.10'th

Here is the Mini Form Video we made on Sunday I still haven't figured out why Vimeo are posting it this way, it looks as if it wont work however it does play!
Well Done to all of you Casthetownbere 'taichiers' you are great to have 'stuck' with the practice and finish your first T'ai Chi Form.
  See you again on Feburary 22'nd.



  trim.92539594-D11A-4784-A07A-FFD039FDCC8B from ann on Vimeo.






Mini Form To Brush Left Knee and Push
Mini Form to brush left knee and push for the Monday Morning Class from ann on Vimeo.






Full Mini Form from ann on Vimeo.




Short Form to Shoulder Stroke

Short Form to shoulder stroke for Blackrock class from ann on Vimeo.

Winter Wonder In West Cork And Kerry

It started so Foggy,

And  filld me with that sense of mystery and magic,

As I drove west,

Then it began to open up !

And delight,

By the time we stopped for our tea break, 

Castletownbere seemed magical in this perfect sunlight.

Seeing the snow capped Kerry mountains in the distance,

I just knew that I would have to take the ' long' way home.

Sometimes you jusy Know !

That it will be so worth the extra time,

You just Know how your heart will Fill, 

And your energy and Love will grow, 

By trusting your instincts,

So you can see, 

These lakes and mountains in this winter glow,

So glad I took this long road home ( often fun happens on the detour ! ).

Ps I'm waiting for the Tai Chi video to upload so Ill post that in the afternoon when I get home from T'ai Chi. 

Wants versus Needs

" I have what I need as I need it "

 When I was at my last retreat in Sedona a few people told me that Lester Levenson used to live by that quote.
It remained in my mind and I have been reflecting on it quite often since I came home.

It really rings true to me, when I look back over my life I have always had what I needed. There was never a time when I didn't have enough to eat or somewhere to sleep. I always managed to do the things that I really put my mind to doing .
On reflection many of the 'WANTS' that I felt were really important turned out not to really matter.
In fact I often looked back with relief when some of those wants hadn't materialised and thanked my lucky stars for being spared.
When you reflect on your life I'm sure you will also come to realise that what you need and what you want are often quite different.
When we focus on our real needs life gets more simple , more grounded, more real.
We recognise what really matters and can relax into our day realising that our needs are met and enjoy the present moment.
  Funnily enough I have found that the more I recognise that my needs are met the more my wants seem to coincide with my needs.

Some More Silhouettes and Sea Views on my way to T'ai Chi

Beautiful tree skeleton, I love how winter reveals tree form, stripped of leaves we get to see the beautiful  underlying structure clearly.

Sunset on a frosty evening, freezing hands, glowing sky and heart.

Magical castles,

Dreamers who built  .     .         .

Moon gasers,

Spire lovers, so blessed to see this beauty.

This Week's T'ai Chi Lessons for Mini form And Short Form Classes(Feb. 4'th)

Mini Form First Few Lessons
Mini Form to brush left knee and push for the Monday Morning Class from ann on Vimeo.

And Full Mini Form
Full Mini Form from ann on Vimeo.



Diagonal flying Lesson

trim.D1A6E853-A850-4EB2-9798-7878996B5ABF from ann on Vimeo.




 Diagonal Flying Application

trim.4CBD0042-4BB4-413D-BCCC-3C210D8E2E26 from ann on Vimeo.



I don't know why these look like this but they actually play. It doesn't seem to matter if i upload them again it they still come up ' stripey  ' !

 Short Form to Ward Off Left ( beginning ).
  trim.E7DA3E11-C69E-46A7-A722-B3510218B69D from ann on Vimeo.








Ward Off Left,  application connecting and yielding
trim.10C0D895-C404-4D8F-8E26-54F1902F587A from ann on Vimeo.






Fair Lady beginning posture.


trim.48B17242-B47D-4BE4-B02B-08896B120A6C from ann on Vimeo.

It doesn't matter how often I watch Ramachandran his energy and enthusiasm always inspire me. This is the talk on mirror neurons I promised to share. I hope it inspires you too.

Ramachandran The Neurons That Shaped Civilization

And Here is the Mini Form to Brush Left Knee And Push  One lesson beyond where we got to yesterday.

Mini Form to brush left knee and push for the Monday Morning Class from ann on Vimeo.

Waking Up To A Deeper Love And Understanding

I agree with Lester Levenson that we are all searching for our  Summum Bonum ( the highest good ).
If you reflect on your life and on ' mistakes' you appeared to have made you like me will probably come to realise that at that time and with the experience you had then you made the 'only' choice that you could.
 Check inside, remember some event that you now feel you could have handled better and I bet you will recognise that you were actually doing your 'best' at the time. You did whatever you believed would lead to your happiness (which of course you believed consciously or subconsciously would bring your highest good).
When I came to understand myself from this perspective it really helped me to deal with guilt about past 'mistakes'. It also helped me to have more compassion for others. When you can understand  accept and love yourself for having this life of experiences, when you can acknowledge that it is Okay to make 'mistakes', life gets lighter.
You can understand how people get carried away in actions that seem unbelievable to you. It doesn't mean that you agree with some cruel or hurtful actions but you can now at least feel more understanding and compassion for people who act in ways you consider to be immature and hurtful.
I feel deeply that we all 'chose ' to come here to learn from life's experiences and maybe sometimes those experiences need to be extreme just in order to wake us up.
Maybe we would never turn in and reflect if life didn't shake us awake through disappointing us in some way.
What I love about Lesters method of enquiry is the fact that through using it,we release our limiting beliefs, our guilt and shame and grow in love and compassion for ourselves. When we come to know ourselves and accept our human nature we can love and accept others much more easily and allow them to have their own experiences and grow in their own unique way.