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Charlie Gorrie's Tai Chi blog coming soon

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Pride

8/22/2019

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Pride; a sense of ones own dignity or worth. it is also said that pride comes before a fall. However, it is not pride that causes the fall, but the excess of it. And an excess of pride is vanity and vanity is narcissistic.
Narcissism;  inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity, self-centredness, smugness, egocentrism.
A few years back I had a particularly successful year. Everything had gone way better than I could possibly have expected. I walked around for quite some time at the end of that year, feeling rather pleased with myself; smug. I was holding my head high, it was wonderful.
Then I caught sight of myself in a shop window, and the thought, puffed up, came to mind. I wasn't just holding my head high. My head had got so big that it was falling back, and my chest,the one I thought was sunk, all puffed up, was providing counterbalance. From such a position, one cannot help but look down ones nose at others. This brought back memories of standing at attention, chin in and up, chest out, etc and the encouragements to be proud of your group, your nation, your religion, your team, your gang, your martial art, your lineage.
For me, pride equates to a sufficiency, while vanity equates to an excess. An insufficiency would relate to a lack of fastidiousness and low self esteem.
It seems to me that an excess of pride can be a great cover for low self esteem, in that way that an excess of yin becomes yang. It also seems that an excess of pride is a way of separating us from our fellows.
So what about personal achievement? At which point do satisfaction and pride become vanity?
Think Icarus, think Babylon, think titanic, think the banks.
And these poets and poems:


P.B. Shelley's Ozymandias.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away


Robert Browning's Love amongst the ruins.
In one year they sent a million fighters forth
         South and North,
And they built their gods a brazen pillar high
         As the sky
Yet reserved a thousand chariots in full force--
         Gold, of course.
O heart! oh blood that freezes, blood that burns!
         Earth's returns
For whole centuries of folly, noise and sin!
         Shut them in,
With their triumphs and their glories and the rest!
         Love is best.
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Tai chi benefits

2/25/2019

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‘Tai Chi is born of Wu Chi and is the mother of Yin and Yang.
In motion it separates.
In stillness they return.’
Tai Chi is according to legend rooted in the Chinese philosophical systems of Taoism and Confucism. The idea of bai shi and the teacher  student relationship come from Confucius. The doctrine of the mean and the idea of enough, no more no less come, as far as we know from a grandson of Confucius.
 Taoism arises from ancient Chinese thought, the term tai chi appears in the I Ching. Its roots may lie in shamanism. It now has many branches both Mystical  and philosophical. The branch that is of most interest to us is the philosophical school of the Complete Reality Sect.
It is an over simplification but to put it simply, Taoism presents a method for being natural i.e. Comfortable within yourself, comfortable within your environment.
Tai Chi training is a representation of that method in action.
The term Tai Chi can be translated as meaning Supreme Ultimate. The Taoists called it Tao, meaning
‘the way’.
So how does this help us?
To begin with you can say that to be at one with the way is to be natural, at ease, comfortable
within yourself and your surroundings.
Anything else can be said to be a state of disease.
Many modern and not so modern ailments can be argued to arise from this state of disease.
So how does it work?
For most people the way Tai Chi works is through the Hand form.
What is the Hand form?
The Hand Form represents a way of applying the principles of Tai Chi to movement.
Four of those principles are:
1/ Suspended from above, supported from below
Posture relates directly to, provides a window into, our physical and psychological  well being.
Working with posture is working within that window.
Some styles call this suspended head top. Others may talk of the Golden Thread.
It relates to correct, natural, posture and is a method that when applied creates a base upon which
the other principles can be developed. Basically it means to extend the spine from the crown of the
head, by use of that Golden Thread, allowing the body to hang from the spine, while at the same
time relaxing into your feet by unlocking the knees and extending gently out through the hands.
 
2/ Natural breathing
To breathe naturally means here, to breathe from the diaphragm. That is to breathe into the belly,
long and slowly. By doing this we use our respiratory system more economically and breathe more
easily. We also cause the body to relax and aid digestion. This is the way babies breathe. Over time
as we grow and our surroundings take us over, we may lose this natural facility and begin to chest
breathe, which is associated with the fight or flight syndrome, anxiety, tension and Asthma.
3/ Distinguishing Yin and Yang
This relates to balance and also closely to another principle; Balanced Turning and stepping. Yin and
Yang are polar opposites. They combine but do not mix. By learning to distinguish Yin from Yang you
will learn to move freely.
Yin is still, heavy, dark, female and night while Yang is active, light, bright, male and day. There can
be no one without the other. At the extremes one becomes the other.
In the Tai chi Symbol, One always contains a small amount of the other.
4/ The Dantian
The Dantian is the Chinese name for the point; one to two inches below the belly button and two
thirds of the way in towards the spine, which is roughly the body’s centre of gravity. Becoming
aware of this point and working with it greatly enhances relaxation, balance and co-ordination.
Body systems
As can be gleaned from above, Tai chi works primarily on the musculoskeletal system, joints,
the cardio vascular system and the respiratory system. The results of this work though are felt in the
central nervous system and the digestive system
By working on ourselves using the aspects discussed above we create an upright relaxed awareness
within ourselves that is balanced and co-ordinated.
 
Sports
All sports will benefit from the practice of Tai chi: The improved relaxation, posture, breathing,
balance, visual field and co-ordination not to mention the mental benefits, enable sports people to
improve their performance. One aspect that many people comment on is the development of tai chi
reflexes. Also a relaxed person uses less fuel than a tense person and so has greater endurance.
Illnesses and injuries
Applying the principles of Tai chi to your life can prevent injuries happening. If they do happen they
can help speed recovery.
There are research papers that tell of great benefits in fall prevention, it is recommended in cardiac
recovery. The light gentle twisting and turning of the exercise works very well on arthritic conditions.
The low impact weight bearing and postural work is very good for people with Osteoporosis.
M.E., M.S., Parkinson’s and Asthma (to name but a few) sufferers all benefit from the training.
Age
As we age our bodies change. If we fail to stay active and or respond negatively to our environments
then the results will show.
Posture, stance, balance can all be affected. Staying on our feet can become a problem. We may
have skipped and hopped and jumped in our youth, stood on one leg even just for the fun of it.
These things can be lost with time.
Tai chi training is that it works to develop skill in all these areas.
The training can be adapted to the needs of any person wishing to give it a try. Work can be done
from a seated position. Breath practise can be done anywhere as can Dantian practise. If the legs are
weak and or balance poor, training can begin with a mixture of sitting and standing postures
(without stepping).
So no matter what the starting position Tai chi has something to offer everyone. From the
relaxation/ meditation work of the breath and Dantian, through the movements of the form and
beyond.
Training in Tai Chi really does prolong active life.
 
The I Ching: the classic of change.
The Tao Te Ching: The Classic of the Way and its Virtue is the primary book of Taoist thought.
Taoism is a Chinese Philosophical/religious system
The term Tai Chi originates in Taoism.
Tai Chi Chuan literally means the Fist of the Way.
Tai Chi means Supreme Ultimate. The Taoists call it the way. There is another term Chi which
means breath/energy (as in transformation) and is used to in relation to another set of Chinese exercises called Chi
Kung; breath/energy work(Kung=work).
Chuan means fist and is a term used to designate a martial art in Chinese.
The art of Tai Chi Chuan is thought to have been developed by an obscure Taoist adept called
Chang San Feng (literally Chang of the three peaks) around the 12th and 14th centuries.
The Martial Art of Tai Chi Chuan consists of 5 components. These are Hand form, Applications, Pushing hands/partner work,
Weapons and Internal Work (Nei Kung).

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​Repaying A Debt… a poem by Nick Brooks

12/27/2018

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​Repaying A Debt… a poem by Nick Brooks
The acupuncturist Bian Que once saved King Jizhao
from a heart attack
prescribing Three Mineral Wine.
Another time he saved the life of King Miaochuan’s favorite concubine
with a birth inducing alcohol mixture.
In the historical encyclopedia of the Han
wine is hot
reaches every part of the body
harmonizes blood and qi
opens the meridians
fosters yang
expels cold
is warming and blood vitalizing
has uses for almost every major disease.
Yet, still in love with the sun
drying out after the Yellow Wine of Wudang
social drinking
plus a little more – and, ah!
Li Po reaches for the depths.
The blackout
the drying out
still stubbornly staring
over the curative abyss of language
we two, strangers
repay a debt
retrieve the moon from the sea
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​Meditation and depression

12/27/2018

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​Meditation and depression
I have thought a lot about what I was going to write for this column. The subject of meditation
and depression has been giving me cause. As someone who has managed his own mood
swings for many years using meditation, I felt there were a few things that should be said.
There is some research that says that certain types of meditation may be beneficial in the
treatment of depression. There is, it seems, also a meta analysis that says that the benefits
of meditation are over stated.
Meditation is not a treatment for depression. It is a way of working with the mind, derived
from contemplative spiritual practice. It is not good for everyone. Where someone is
stressed, tired and in a negative place, then, like cognitive behavioural therapy, NLP, and
relaxation, some forms of meditation may help. However, anyone feeling low and non
functional should see their G.P..
If you become concerned about a friend or acquaintance, then attempt to engage with them.
It is not necessarily easy to tell if someone is depressed. Some people feel there is shame in
admitting to it. The idea of talking about it to anyone, or even worse, then taking the
medicine, is something they would rather not do. The shame to me is in the unnecessary
suffering.
And it's not just the shame associated with mental illness. Shame, guilt and feelings of
unworthiness are part of the depressed state. This is where meditation can help. By giving
you the experience of knowing that you are not your thoughts, you are not your feelings.
They are things you experience , mental states can become easier to recognise.
Two years ago my life changed markedly and I had to make a considerable number of
changes. I did what was required. To begin with all went well, then I noticed a change in my
thinking. I was meditating, I was getting things done, but It was dark and unpleasant. It was a
few months before I realised what had happened. Having been there before it surprised me
that I missed it.
A visit to the doctor and a small dose of the medication later and the darkness lifted.
There is no shame in this and it is far better to be functional than not.
In the absence of references for this piece I will give a few opinions.
The mind is like a river, if you just go along with the flow, you are controlled by it. If you try
and dam it, dams silt up and can burst. Learning to watch the river flow, that's another thing
altogether.
Meditation is a spoke in a wheel of spiritual practice, in the same way that tai chi hand form
is a spoke in a martial wheel. If you try to make a wheel of a spoke you are liable to end up
with a hoola hoop.
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Us and Them

12/27/2018

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Us and Them
In Alice, the caterpillar asks, who are you, who are you; which is a very good question, especially when put by a caterpillar. Bit of a Zen Koan, bit of a Taoist mystery, who are you? Who am I?
In groups with identity the question becomes who are we in relation to them.
Empathy is the word used to describe how we relate to what others are feeling.
So they experience pain, we suffer sympathetically with them and in the brain our pain receptors spark up.
According to an article I read recently this reaction can lead to us(humanity) doing terrible things to people who are not us. This is because we empathise most with those we regard as us and dehumanise those out-with our group.
As we suffer sympathetic pain, so we can also feel sympathetic joy. We feel when our side wins, when our friends do well.
Metta bhavana is a Buddhist meditation method used to overcome the idea of the us and the them, the you and the me, the inner and the outer. It starts with the self and is shared with the other. The method aims to create sympathetic joy in the self, that can be shared with all others.




The article titled, Empathy: Over rated?  was written by Spencer Kornhaber who writes for the The Atlantic.com
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Meditation & Tai Chi

12/26/2018

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There has been a fair bit written recently about the corporate packaging of mindfulness, both within businesses and as a business. The idea being, that by being mindful and reflective, we can become positive, functionally effective people and thus more productive.
What the packages seem to miss is the aspect of coming face to face with yourself through the practice of mindfulness. This meeting can be shocking and for some this shock is damaging.
The discussion turned in this direction recently on a tai chi Facebook page. There were two others, I can't remember who now. Both, reflecting on some point relative to the thread, mentioned this kind of scary/freaky experience. It's nice to think nice things about yourself, but coming face to face with your own roiling uncalled thoughts can shake you up. Some people just can't deal with that. They are the thoughts, what else could they be. I remember in the beginning  it made me feel quite ill. Of course the thing about mindfulness is that over time the thoughts become fewer and as you allow them to go on their way without you, they lose their power over you.
Physical work, done with mental focus, seems to bypass this problem. Almost any activity will do. The more immersive the better; if it's the dishes, it's the dishes, if it's a hand form, it's the hand form.
 
So
 
Where are you when you practice.
How present am I when I practice.
These movements are our meditation
These principles, our tools
To fully appreciate something, a person has to be present.
To fully appreciate a person, you have to be there with them, in body and in spirit.  ​
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    Charlie is the Principal Instructor of Practical Tai Chi Chuan Scotland

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