Summertime T'ai Chi at ARC House

trim.8FFAB141-FD88-4314-A81D-D3E607C84C5C from ann on Vimeo.

It's lovely when we get the weather to practice outside in the garden .



trim.AC8ABA64-A6AC-4BEE-9070-54D25B1566E8 from ann on Vimeo.

Our T'ai Chi is enhanced by all the great plant energy.

Theremin Musicians And Reconnective Healers

Joan Neill  a friend and T'ai Chi enthusiast who is also fascinated by science and all branches of learning brought me an article about Léon Theremin and his instrument.
 What an surprise it was to me to read about his invention.  When I saw some photos of him and others playing the instrument and watched some on Youtube ( Léon Theremin  ) I was immediately struck by how their attention style and 'listening ' looked so similar to our attention style when we work with Reconnective Healing Frequencies!

            Here is Lev Sergeyevich Termen, known as Léon Theremin in the United States, he was was a Russian inventor, most famous for his invention of the theremin.
                          

                                                                     

The theremin is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the thereminist. The sound of the theremin has been described as "a purified and magnified saxophone" [source: Beckerman] and "a cross between an amplified child's slide whistle, a human voice and the squawks that emanated from early radio speakers" [source: Taub]. Inside the first theremins, a circuit of vacuum tubes, oscillators, coils and wires created electromagnetic fields around the instrument's two antennae. Players fluttered their fingers and waved their hands near the antennae to raise or lower the Theremin's pitch and volume. Inexperienced players often created nothing more than atonal blats and bleats. Theremin masters, however, made the instrument sound as gorgeous and haunting as any operatic aria one might have heard broadcast from Carnegie Hall. ( thanks to howstuffworks.coms)Thermemin


Playing with subtle 'energy' listening with ones hands is a skill muscians develop and those of us who discover and love Reconnective Healing also become absorbed and fascinated by subtle sensations. Reconnective Healers learn to 'play' the Reconnective Frequencies,  tuning in to the connection between the Frequencies and the persons body causing a resonance between the client and the frequencies. This allows the body's cells to dance to a new more harmonic tune.
For a little more about Reconnective Healing see my blog post : Feel for It Find It Play with It

All Things Grow With Love

My daughter Ruth gave me this 'watering can' many years ago, and it's message has challenged and inspired me.
To me " All Things Grow With Love " is clearly a message from the Heart. It resounds with Heart Wisdom.
It's often hard for our brains to come to terms with Heart Wisdom, our brains are designed to be completely logical and the intuitive wisdom of our hearts often seems illogical to our rational brain.  If we try to force this wisdom on our brains it doesn't work. So we need to get the brain on the side of our heart, this is done by pointing out to the brain how the wisdom of the heart can actually help us.
The brain is not a 'baddie', rather it is just a much more insecure fearful aspect of us, it is designed to protect us and our bodies, it is great at watching out for potential problems. It will come up with all the logical reasons to be sparing with your LOVE fearful that you can run out of LOVE.
 It, your the brain, needs to be reassured that the LOVE inside is infinite. To teach our brains and get them on our heart's side we need to give our brains  real examples of how this wisdom is true and how using it can actually helps us.
Over the last few years I have tested this wisdom in many areas of my life, from relationships to work.
When I have 'watered' relationships with LOVE even very challenging ones have improved.
The brain will tell you that showering a difficult person with LOVE s a waste of your energy ( logical reasoning) , your brain will tell you that they do not deserve your positive regard never mind your LOVE. When your brain tells you not to LOVE.
 STOP !
 Ask your brain to feel what LOVE feels like?

Then ask your brain to feel what disapproval feels like?

Then ask your brain which feels nicer?

 Now ask your brain to notice where are these feelings happening ?

When your brain begins to recognise that feelings all happen inside of you and that choosing to feel LOVE feels much better to you and your brain,  it's logical conclusion will be that it is better to feel LOVE.
Little by little it will come to realise that LOVING everything is a good idea for you and your brain and you will have made an accomplice of your brain, your brain will be learning to trust the Wisdom of Your Heart. 

A Cool Idea from Rioghnach

Here is Rioghnach ( centre back ) At our last Releasing Session everyone was fascinated with her zentangle 'drawings', and I persuaded her to share here so more people could benefit.

A form of meditation I really enjoy is Zentangle.  The reason I love it so much is that you don't have to be artistic or able to draw well to do it, you can do it anywhere, on a bus/train/plane, in a restaurant while waiting for a friend, in the front room maybe while your partner watches sport or xfactor, mistakes don’t matter and are just incorporated into the pattern and you always end up with something that looks really artistic.  And then you can make a card with it and share your creativity.  Even though certain types of paper and pens are suggested, any type of paper, pen, marker, pencil can be used.

zentangle has lots of information and

tanglepatterns.com has loads of easy to master doodle patterns to choose from.

An Experiment In Love

The next time you find yourself feeling frustrated at the lack of love in your life.
Stop for a minute and try this little experimen.
Turn your attention inwards and begin to feel your own heart. Can you find some loving thoughts to think about yourself and others?

 What do you love about yourself find at least 3 things.

Now think of 3 things that you love about others in your life.

3Things you love about life itself.

3 Things you love about your country,

3 Things you love about this planet.

If you actually take the time to find the things you love you will be feeling more loving already.
We tend to find what we are looking for in life so why not make a practice of looking for LOVE.
Asking thr right Questions is really important, Ask your heart to search for the LOVE and you will always find it.

Resistance

Resisting things in our life is often difficult to recognise. However as soon as you ask yourself to list the things in your life that you want to change you become aware of what you are resisting.
 Wanting to change or control things and people in our lives is another way we resist our life.
How much time in our day do we 'waste' trying to change or 'fix ' people . Here in Ireland we spend a lot of time resisting the rain , does it work , has the rain stopped ? No ! And all our resisting does is build up frustration inside of us.
In releasing we remind ourselves to let go of resisting, and allow what is to be.
If this is too difficult we welcome the resistance and really allow ourselves to feel it fully. This is a form of releasing because at least we have stopped resisting our resistance.
If you make a list of the things( and people) in your life that you are wanting to change and let go of wanting to change and or fix them you will notice a change happening.
Firstly you will free up a lot of energy that was being used in resisting.
You will be more present in your life and relationships which will allow you to enjoy your life more fully.
  When someone is trying to control us, we all feel it, ether consciously or subconsciously and we don't like it, it makes us want get away from that person. People feel it from us when we are trying to change or fix them and they don't like it either. When we release our wanting to control and stop doing it our relationships really blossom.

Reflections

More and more I realising that this world works a bit like is a mirror. 

It shows us ourselves, it does this through our relationships, when we

 are constantly coming up against difficulties it is reminding us to turn

 inward and reflect on what we are radiating out into our world. 

I have noticed that when I Let Go of my negative feelings and take the 

time to nourish my good hearted feelings my world reflects goodness

 back to me. 

When I catch myself feeling stressed or worried I remind myself to 

Let Go even for a moment.  

To breathe in LOVE on each breath, 

Try this now for a few moments ( even if you are not stressed )

Notice how good it feels to Breathe in Love. 

Love is all around and when we remember to breathe it in we find it reflected out there in our world. 

An Mullach Mór County Sligo

       
                Mullaghmore was a great stop,

 

              We were not the only ones to take advantage of the dry spell,

             The rain clouds rolled in,

              And were ignored,

             We walked all the way to the rocks,

                And watched the crashing waves,

            Enjoying the last views,

         
        Of An Mullach Mór before turning for the journey home.

Derry And Letterkenny

         The Peace Bridge across the river Foyle.

       Late evening walk on  Derry's Walls

   Looking down on 'The Bogside'.

      Sun set view from the Peace Bridge.

  
    Letterkenny,




   

                Main street full of activity,

             Narrow streets,

         And hills reminding me of home.

Glenveagh National Park

   A path winds along the shore of Lough Veagh,

To the Glenveagh Castle

The Kitchen Garden is stunning,

Full of colour and sweet scents,

A path from the garden leads high up above the castle.

      Where the views are sublime.

Donegal Town To Killybegs

 We were planning to go to Árainn Mhór today  but even as we passed by the Owenea River I was becoming seduced by the landscape.

                   The turf was being cut,

                And stood up to dry.

                    On to Dungloe,

                       And it's view of the sea.

                There are no words to describe the  views along the
                      drive from Ardara to Gleann Cholm Cille.

                       And Benbulben across Donegal Bay.

              Killybegs was a fitting resting spot in the late evening.

Off To Árainn Mhór

We got our first views of the north west coastline last evening.

Can't wait to for our boat trip to Árainn Mhór.

On The Road To Donegal

One of the reasons I love heading up west is it allows me to visit Coole Park.

It's mature trees and buildings are a delight.  Here is a link to another one of my visits to Coole Park Coole Park

We arrived in Sligo late in the evening wishing that the day was longer to explore the city and view the changes since our last visit over fifteen years ago. I have lots more photos but the Internet connection is terrible here in the hotel so I will have to wait until tomorrow and hope to find a better connection.

T'ai Chi Lesson For The Open Session At ARC House

Here is the beginning of the T'ai Chi form we worked on yesterday, I have also included some of the 'warm up ' exercises to help you remember to practise.  Looking forward to seeing you all again next week.
I'm off to Donegal for a few days.  I can't wait for morning and the adventure ahead. I'm sure I will have lots of great photos to share here so do keep an eye on the blog. 

trim.F0884CAB-46CB-4C17-AA07-F9291B6A69A2 from ann on Vimeo.



Beginning Posture of the Mini Form from ann on Vimeo.




Warm up exercises from ann on Vimeo.

Yes Yes Yes I Love This

                                                                  Amy Cuddy
Knowing How Your Body Posture Changes You Brain Can Greatly Enhance Your Life. Listen To Amy Cuddy's Ted Talk It really will make a difference. Amazing confirmation to what I have discovered through years of T'ai Chi practise - how we hold our bodies has a huge influence on our physiology.
I have been practising T'ai Chi for 26 years. This practise has changed my life in every imaginable way. It has awakened aspects of perception I could never have imagined were possible. It has sharpened my mind, transformed my body, thought me to relax,and has had so many other positive outcomes that I could write a book about the benefits of practising this Art.
I am always interested in how we can learn and improve our life experience.
In Releasing our limiting beliefs we transform our 'thinking' and open our lives to more possibilities. Releasing always  moves us from lower to  higher states of consciousness.  Each release is an act of courage, Letting Go and opening to a new possibility is courageous and sometimes it is difficult to find the courage to release. 
 I  have noticed that when I feel stuck that T'ai Chi session will often shift my state and open me up to seeing solutions, I am more courageous after a practise session, more open to releasing, more willing to seek solutions and let go of my 'problems'.  
Sometimes I longed for a tool that I could  share with people that wll help them too, to access their courage and cope with stress quickly. Releasing and T'ai Chi are amazing but sometimes we need a 'Quick Fix' that really works, something that can help us to cope,and give us the courage to act.
 I think that Amy Cuddy does just that and you can see how in this Ted Talk so inspiring and also easy to use. I have used  her technique and am sharing it with you because It Works, and I want you to have the benefits of her findings too.
Your Body Language Shapes Who you Are

West Cork In August Sunshine

Rosscarbery looked inviting so we stopped there on the way to the official opening of ARC  in Bantry.

The day got nicer and nicer so we decided to take the 'long' way home through Glengariff.

The views were stunning.

The foliage  tropical.

Glengariff always feels exotic to me and reminds me of childhood visits to the gardens on Garnish Island.    We didn't have time to visit but you can get an idea here on my post from  July 2013 Trip to Garnish Island

Up over the Caha Pass back to Kenmare all in all a great trip west.