Feel the Qi~
Some years ago while learning Tai Chi, I encountered a personal experience. I jotted down some notes and later typed them out. Over the years, the print-out vanished. A few weeks ago, I remembered my story. I even saw the printed paper and type font in my imagination. I pictured myself holding the story in my hands and savoring it again. A week later, while discovering bins of archives, writing, articles, photos, sketches and more this exact story popped into my hands! And here it is:
Dr. Yang Jwing-ming and his Electric Handshake
Rewinding time, I read again....
June melted toward July. Excitement mounted about our trip to A Taste of China Tai Chi Seminars held in Winchester, Virginia hosted by Pat Rice. It was the Saturday Morning Tai Chi class in the park right before my husband and I left for the Blue Ridge Mountains for the seminars.
I remembered Dr. Gu's words. My teacher told me, "I want you to meet experts."
Aaron, a Tai Chi student and friend, shook me out of my daydream. "Dr. Yang jwing-ming is my hero! If you talk to him tell him I said 'Hi,' and I hope to meet him someday.' "
I mused to myself. "How would 'I' connect with a Tai Chi Master let alone speak to him in person, ask a question, or relay a message?"
The morning of Take-Off Rob, my son Rob smiled, "Have fun at Tai Chi Camp!"
"Send me some energy," I replied weakly wondering how I would be able to get through the rigorous classes.
Rob shot back, "You're meeting Jou, Tsung Hwa and Dr Yang, you can send me energy!"
When my husband and I got to Tai Chi camp the "etiquette' rules suggested students not ask the Masters for favors, pictures, or autographs. "It's not Hollywood," my friend Louise mentioned before I had left home.
Seeing Jou, Tsung Hwa in a Chinese restaurant and catching his eyes was heart stopping enough. Then the next night to be sitting "front row center" for his seminar was an unplanned event! My Tai Chi life was changing fast!
The following morning dawned sunny and hot, attending Dr. Yang, Jwing-ming's Taiji Qigong Seminar filled me with energy! I crackled and sparkled all over. His dynamic personality exploded in person. Better yet, many seminars were open to all levels. As a beginner, I felt comfortable. Dr. Gu had trained me well.
"Have fun with your practice! Just like break dancing: shake rattle and roll!" Dr. Yang showed the true "Creeping Like a Cat," then "Explosive Power" of Tai Chi energy.
After the seminar, I gingerly approached Dr. Yang's display table, a banquet of books, video, and music. I searched the box of Cd's for music for Yang Long Form practice. There were several hundred music selections, most of these were written in Chinese characters.
"Help!"
I looked up in desperation. There was a pause in the milling conversations...I took the chance while a fellow was getting out his cash. "Oh can you help me please find the music for the Yang Long Form?"
Without hesitation, "Here it is," Dr. Yang fished out the Cd Taiji Melody. "Long Form music is the 88 Pattern, The Short Form (Yang 37) is on it too!"
I headed downstairs with my prize! I opened the car door and slid into my seat. Paul suggested I buy more products as well, for gifts and home practice. When I went back to the counter, many items were already sold!
Again I blurted out:
"Dr. Yang, Jwing-ming, I have a Tai Chi friend. His name is Aaron. He can't be here today, but he hopes to meet you sometime."
"Give him this!" Dr. Yang smiled as he extended a warm powerful yet gentle handshake. Chinese Master's hands are often very warm with buildup of Qi (energy) through many years of practice. I felt the electricity of the touch.
During that summer, a group Tai Chi friends met in the park for daily morning form practice. Aaron came to practice when he could. I didn't forget the handshake, but I was sort of shy and waited for the right opportunity.
One sunny day, Aaron and I talked after class. He was thinking of moving out of town, looking for new paths on his continuing life journey.
The time had come!
I repeated the above story to Aaron and added, "This handshake is from Dr. Yang!" I transferred the energy of the handshake.
Aaron was blown away for what he called the "jolt" of electric qi that came through my hand and from Dr. Yang, Jwing-ming's original handshake.
"I can still feel the qi!"
So can I!
Harmony and Balance
Related Posts:
Keywords: Tai Chi, Meditation, Intuition
Resources:
Dr Yang, Jwing-ming, Yang Style Tai Chi, Qigong, and Martial Arts Master, books, DVD's, seminars, music and more. Story printed with permission from Dr. Yang.
http://www.ymaa.com
Dr. Yang, Jwing-ming
Jou, Tsung Hwa, mathematician, author, Tai Chi master, The Dao of Taijiquan, The Dao of Meditation, "Thank you for all you taught us...."
http://www.taichifarm.org
Taiji Melody, a selection of Form Practice Music is now available in MP-3.
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor
dahlis.roy@gmail.com
Images:
Feel the Qi detail of oil painting by Dahlis
Yin and Yang, a study in balance and harmony
The Dream of the Black and White Horses
Years ago, my son, Rob and I took a drive to a nearby park for a walk in the woods and prairies. A horse and rider came by on the trail. How exciting to be so near to a horse again! I remembered my dream of a horse family, black and white, in cut and paste cartoon style.
I pick up *Silver Butterfly and read:
"Driving home from the park and rounding a hilltop, I saw a field: a field of black and white horses!...."
"In the dream, to the left of the horses was a broad expanse of bright green, an unreal neon hue....The style of the painting in my dream was entirely different from the usual delicate Impressionist look. The horses were boldly drawn and sharply outlined in black, something my father told me never to do as he coached me in drawing skills. The sky was grey white, and the immediate foreground was white...."
"I took out my rough pencil sketch and prepared to paint the vivid dream vision. I thought about the field of "painted" pinto horses I saw after my walk with Rob...."
There are many dimensions on life's canvas:
The Dream
The Sketch
The Scene
The Painting
"In sharp contrast to my usual pastel oil shades, I chose bold black and white, bright yellow, and vivid veridian green. I picked up a broad sweeping brush for sky and ground, and added horses in sharp outlines with a thin liner brush. The paint was fluid and flowed out like a watercolor image...."
Paint Your Dreams
I proudly showed the small finished painting to my friend Joanna at our monthly informal meeting over coffee and books at a local cafe.
"I think the horses represent your inner strength. The green symbolizes hope to develop this inner strength waiting there."
"We can clarify our dreams with a walk in the park."
Related Posts:
Key Words Blog Search: Horses, Dreams, Meditation, Intuition, Tai Chi
Forgetting is more Precious than Remembering guest author Paul Lam, M.D. (May 2013), Off the Grid (Oct 2012), Running with Horses (March 2012)
Resources:
http://www.taichiforhealthinstitute.org Paul Lam, M.D., a family practice physician in Sydney, Australia, helps people worldwide connect with Tai Chi exercise for balance, strength and well being.
dahlis.roy@gmail.com
Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor. Request free E-book PDF, Silver Butterfly Create A Vision, a Tai Chi journey with a mystic twist.
Images:
The Dream of the Black and White Horses and Detail Black and White Horses, oil painting by Dahlis Roy
The Bigger Picture
* "Almost Heaven, West Virginia,
Blue Ridge Mountains,
Shenandoah River...."
A song runs continuously through my head in a stream of vocals and music by John Denver.
Take Me Home Country Roads is so persistent, I get out my Cd and play it on repeat track. The music sticks overnight in my head and into the next day. The next day I played the song again. Continuously turning and returning to the chosen frequencies, catching the zone of needed energy and contemplation, I got out my paints and canvas.
* "Radio reminds me of my home far away...."
Paint, sacred blue, touched canvas with a well worn brush. I thought back over the momentum of music on car radios playing as we moved to a new locations, from mountains to cityscapes, to prairies and back again to lakes. I saw and felt visual images from long ago as the lyrics and melody rolled along.
Still playing Country Roads, I sat down later to write on the computer picking up a bands of color and light, letting captured words flow out ready to cut, paste, and edit later. Spontaneous flow gives a kick of accomplishment and achievement, sort of like passing an exam...sort of like meditation becoming one with the relaxing clicking of the keys.
* "Drivin' down the road I get a feelin' that I should have been home yesterday (repeat) yesterday...."
Several weeks later I had a phone conversation:
"To avoid the interstate, we drove through the mountains of West Virgina on our way south. What a trip that was! I was woozy with the high elevation, narrow roads, no guard rails, and twists and turns."
"My travel companion loved the mountain trails (trials) stating, 'I want to go back and drive this again!' "
"When were you there?"
The day and time I first heard Country Roads playing in my imagination was approximately when my friends drove through the Mountains of West Virginia! I wondered if I had consciously or subconsciously picked this up? In my mind's eye I viewed a panorama of the blue and green mountains and turning narrow roads. My memory shifted down to Virginia's Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway winding around to Mabry Mill. I tasted hearty buckwheat pancakes made from local seed, stone ground right there at the ancient mill. Pancakes so packed with nutrition, they satisfied for hours.
Many months later, late at night, I played the John Denver Cd again. The next morning, I went to retrieve the Cd to take with me for more writing inspiration. John Denver's Greatest Hits has vanished (for now). When will he return?
** "Comin' Home to a place he'd (we'd) never been before"
 |
| Top of the World |
Related Posts:
Phantoms (May 2011), and By an Unfaltering Trust (July 2011)
Resources:
John Denver singer-songwriter, * Take me Home Country Roads, ** Rocky Mountain High, and many more
http://www.totallyadd.com ADD/ADHD in Adults, ADD and Creativity, The ADD Blog. Rick Green and Patrick McKenna give comic insight into ADD and Managing It.
dahlis.roy@gmail.com
Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor
Photos:
Blue and Green Mountains and Top of the World, photos by Rob
Intent Leads Energy
"Mom, I was out on the beach walking alone and cherishing the solitude. I was squinting in the bright sun. I had lost my trusty sunglasses."
"I thought to myself as I looked out over the expansive water and waves, 'Oh, I wish I had a pair of sunglasses Right Now!' "
"As I gazed out at the ocean, I saw something floating near the water's edge. I walked nearer and found a pair of sunglasses bobbing on incoming gentle waves! I picked up the sunglasses and tried them on. They were a perfect fit!"
"Imagine This! They were celebrity style. I wondered who might have worn them?"
"Do you still have the sunglasses?"
"No, I wore them for a long time, but I left them somewhere. I imagine someone else has picked them up and worn them now."
Imagine Your Dreams and Thoughts Manifesting Quickly in the Here and Now!
*Dream * Imagine * Create*
Related Posts:
Phantoms (May 2011), T-I-M-E and In The (K)now (Dec 2011), and The Pink Lotus, (Apr 2013)
Search this Blog, Key Words: Manifest, Meditation, Tai Chi
Resources:
"Intent Leads Energy," a principle of Tai Chi and Meditation practice.
dahlis.roy@gmail.com
Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor
Photo:
Sunglasses by Maddy
* "Forgetting is More Precious than Remembering," Paul Lam, M.D.
Paul is a Family Practice Physician and Tai Chi expert. Our conversation begins:
"When introducing my workshops, I often ask participants to allow themselves to forget any new material throughout the workshop. In our modern world, we place too much demand on not only ourselves but also everybody as we are required to know so much and are bombarded with facts."
"I recently heard a famous author say that over the last few years he found it important to keep away from the Internet and Television because he found that there was too much information and not enough knowledge. I found this fascinating. Knowledge is acquired from thinking not just remembering the facts....[Knowledge] is internal like Tai Chi."
"In our busy lives we try to learn many things, and we end up getting a lot of information that is relatively superficial. The real knowledge is deep inside us. Imagine when you forget what you have to say when you are speaking publicly. You have to start thinking and re-organizing your thoughts. That is where you really exercise your thinking. Your thinking ability can be applied in different places and situations whereas facts remembered do not wok in different situations. This is why forgetting is an effective way to learn."
"The Power of Mindful Learning written by Harvard Professor Ellen Langer says it is good to forget because when you do, you become more mindful and you learn more quickly. Professor Langer has studied various people from children leaning to play the piano to older people with Alzheimer's....She found that through scientific studies, by being mindful, learning is much more effective than just remembering."
Learning About Tai Chi and Life
"Why is it advantageous to forget while we are studying Tai Chi? Should we not give it our all and get it right the first time? When learning a new concept or a new movement, participants often find it difficult to understand the full concept and to incorporate it perfectly. It is important to understand that we can't do everything perfect to start with. Actually there is no perfection in Tai Chi practice. It is a journey."
"What is important is that the human process of leaning always goes through failures [and questions]...and retrying is where we improve and find better ways. By trying to remember everything and thinking you need to do everything right then you set yourself up for failure."
"There is no need to know know everything about Tai Chi. I find it helpful to let knowledge permeate through osmosis to you, and when you relax into it, allow yourself to fail. Allow yourself to forget and simply do what is comfortable and right for you. Think about what works for you and why. By doing this, your Tai Chi will gradually develop and grow much quicker. And it will be more enjoyable without placing excess pressure on yourself."
"Tai Chi is based on the law of nature. Like nature, learning step by step without forcing, and with your mind open, the knowledge will be acquired more easily and naturally. If we never allow ourselves to forget, similar if we don't 'empty our cups,' we won't be able to accept new knowledge. A quantum leap in Tai Chi development is more likely to come naturally. There is a whole world of possibilities waiting for us if we are willing to take a couple of steps backwards before we move forwards."
"I have been learning Tai Chi for over 40 years, and I have allowed myself to forget many of my earlier impressions... with forgetting, new insight and understanding comes to me."
**"Letting Go of the Form is the True Essence of Tai Chi," Shelia Rae
**** "You must be present to win!" Debra Basham
*** "I'll be right backwards," Daniel Tiger
Related Posts:
Search Key Words: Tai Chi and Meditation
Posts: Carry Water Chop Wood, attending Dr. Lam's workshop (June 2011), Fully Present (May 2012), Tiger Tales (Mar, 2013)
Resources:
* Forgetting is More Precious than Remembering, Dr. Paul Lam, Director, Tai Chi for Health Institute, Narwee, NSW, Australia. Excerpts from Dr. Paul Lam's article in his free online newsletter Dec 2012 and photo reprinted with permission.
http://www.taichiforhealthinstitute.org Learn about Tai Chi to empower well being in all areas of your life. Video, Music, Workshops and more
**
Book by Dr. Paul Lam, Teaching Tai Chi Effectively,
quote by Shelia Rae,
Master Trainer in Dr. Paul Lam's Internationall Tai Chi for Health Teaching Team.
*** http://www.pbs.org Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: Playing Backwards Day at School reminds me of Repel the Monkey movement in Tai Chi. Practice "Backwards Walking" with Daniel and His Friends, a cartoon show for kids of all ages.
**** http://dbasham.blogspot.com Post Water Reflects (May 2013) quote from Debra Basham's Blog
http://imaginehealing.info Joel P. Bowman, Ph.D., and Debra Basham, CHTP, NLP, HTt, RMT create your healing journey for you and your pets.
Books:
http://www.deepakchopra.com
Super Brain, book by Deepak Chopra, M. D, endocrinologist, with Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, Ph. D., neuroscientist.
http://www.ellenlanger.com
The Power of Mindful Learning is by Ellen Langer, Psychologist and Harvard Professor. Other books by Ellen include Mindfulness, On Becoming an Artist, and Counterclockwise.
See Ellen's art work on the site!
dahlis.roy@gmail.com
Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor
Images:
Dr. Paul Lam smiles and relaxes (2012), photo of Paul
Monarch with Marigolds photo by Dahlis
Turtle photo by Maddy, "Slow and Steady Wins the Race."
