I have always been fascinated by Tai Chi. I remember very clearly the first time I saw someone doing Tai Chi. I was 10 and visiting my grandmother in Toronto. There was a park near her apartment that had swings and a wading pool and an amazing garden area. In the middle of the garden was an elderly Asain couple doing Tai Chi together. I was amazed at how they moved so fluidly and with ease. Every time since then when I see someone doing Tai Chi I'm capivated by the movement. There is a grace and serenity of movement that calls to me.
Now I have started Tai Chi myself and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I am no where near as graceful as that couple I saw so many years ago. But with a few years of practise and persistance, I hope to maybe inspire someone else someday. I have only done 2 classes so far but I know this is something that I know I will be doing for the rest of my life. I don't even have the words to describe how much I am enjoying it. It just feels so right to be learning.
I know Tai Chi is going to benefit me in so many ways in my becoming a martial artist. This journey I have begun this year is so awesome. To think it all started with my son asking me in a shy voice if I would do Kung Fu with him so he had someone to practise with. He has given me more of a gift then he ever could imagine, and I thank him often for it.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
week 28 sick again, sigh
This week I let myself get run down to much and caught the bug thats been going around work. Its hacking cough that is very persistent. Everytime I tried to lie down and rest or sleep I would start coughing and coughing. This led to loss of even more sleep and the avalance began. I missed both of my Kung Fu classes and helping with the kids clases on thursday. I really don't like missing classes. I always come away from a class feeling energized, even if I dragged my sorry butt through the warmup.
I also didn't get in my daily forms , pushups or situps and that really nagged at me as I felt I was failing to keep up with my commitments. I finally realized that my body was telling me that it was to run down to keep up the pace I was at. Between 9 to 11 hour days at work plus KungFu and family life. I was wearing myself out. My wife and I have been looking for a new vehicle for her and had been researching different options and ideas, plus test driving and surfing the net for available vehicles. This took up alot more of my time then I thought it would, and contributed to my getting worn down.
We have found and purchased a vehicle my wife likes and will work well for the family. Plus I have deligated out some of the work I was doing for my crew at work to a few of the more experienced guys and this has reduced my work load signifigantly. I am a perfectionist when it comes to work, I do the absolute best job I can. But this leads to me sometimes doing too much extra work that really isn't necessary. My crew at work do good work and are capable and responsible. I just had to let go of over controling and let them do the job they know how to do. I set out the parameters of what needs to be done and they give me feed back on how they think it can be accomplished and then let them go to it more now. They don't need me to do all the planning, layout etc like I was. Sure it made the job really easy for them. But they weren't growing as tradesmen that way either.
Next step is to make sure I'm getting the rest I need when I start feeling run down. Getting run down and then sick doesn't do me any good. Plus I can be "oh woe is me" when sick and that is not a positive way to be.
So one of my new mini goals is to listen to my body each day. Just take a moment or two to assess how I'm feeling both mentally and physically. Then allow myself time to heal or rest if needed or even to workout a little harder if I'm having a good day. I'm not as young as I once was, I can't expect to push and push and not have something give somewhere. Working towards effortless effort, that's a positive direction to move in.
I also didn't get in my daily forms , pushups or situps and that really nagged at me as I felt I was failing to keep up with my commitments. I finally realized that my body was telling me that it was to run down to keep up the pace I was at. Between 9 to 11 hour days at work plus KungFu and family life. I was wearing myself out. My wife and I have been looking for a new vehicle for her and had been researching different options and ideas, plus test driving and surfing the net for available vehicles. This took up alot more of my time then I thought it would, and contributed to my getting worn down.
We have found and purchased a vehicle my wife likes and will work well for the family. Plus I have deligated out some of the work I was doing for my crew at work to a few of the more experienced guys and this has reduced my work load signifigantly. I am a perfectionist when it comes to work, I do the absolute best job I can. But this leads to me sometimes doing too much extra work that really isn't necessary. My crew at work do good work and are capable and responsible. I just had to let go of over controling and let them do the job they know how to do. I set out the parameters of what needs to be done and they give me feed back on how they think it can be accomplished and then let them go to it more now. They don't need me to do all the planning, layout etc like I was. Sure it made the job really easy for them. But they weren't growing as tradesmen that way either.
Next step is to make sure I'm getting the rest I need when I start feeling run down. Getting run down and then sick doesn't do me any good. Plus I can be "oh woe is me" when sick and that is not a positive way to be.
So one of my new mini goals is to listen to my body each day. Just take a moment or two to assess how I'm feeling both mentally and physically. Then allow myself time to heal or rest if needed or even to workout a little harder if I'm having a good day. I'm not as young as I once was, I can't expect to push and push and not have something give somewhere. Working towards effortless effort, that's a positive direction to move in.
week 27 behind again aarg
Dang. I manage to keep up with my daily counts of forms etc that I write down in my binder. But I keep getting behind journaling here. I really have to make a much more conscious effort to set one day a week for journaling and not let any excuse interfere with it. This week was basically plugging along for me. Lots of pressure and stress at work is affecting my concentration and quality of my workouts at home.
I'm feeling run down and tired even when I get a 7 to 8 hour sleep(mostly I get 5 to 6 hours). I need to refocus on a new goal and set out the steps to achieve that goal and then I know I'll make progress.
The UBBT meeting was inspiring for me as it always is. I have so many amazing examples to follow and a huge knowledge base in all the people in the group. It's nice to know that everyone is there to help each other out through the good and the bad. I never really thought about how much you can learn from failure. I always looked on failure as a negative thing. Now I look at failure differently, it's an opportunity to learn and grow. This old dog learn something new again, go figure.
I'm feeling run down and tired even when I get a 7 to 8 hour sleep(mostly I get 5 to 6 hours). I need to refocus on a new goal and set out the steps to achieve that goal and then I know I'll make progress.
The UBBT meeting was inspiring for me as it always is. I have so many amazing examples to follow and a huge knowledge base in all the people in the group. It's nice to know that everyone is there to help each other out through the good and the bad. I never really thought about how much you can learn from failure. I always looked on failure as a negative thing. Now I look at failure differently, it's an opportunity to learn and grow. This old dog learn something new again, go figure.
Friday, July 8, 2011
week 26 a new adventure
This week I started sparring for the first time. I have been nervously antiscipating sparring since I got my orange belt. I'm not afraid to spar. I was more nervous that I would not have proper control and do something that injured someone else or even myself.
Sifu Masterson was prepared and reminded everyone that it was my first time sparring. I have to thank everyone in my class that I sparred with. Everyone was patient and helpful by going slow and trying to show me the openings that I wasn't seeing yet.
I truly enjoyed the class and it was an awesome learning experience. It is definately another level of intensity in this class. I am learning so much each day that only a few things are sticking in my head atm, but thats ok I am happy to just be making progress. I have really taken to working hard on form first. The rest will follow. My journey in Kung Fu has really only just begun. But it is a journey I am thoroughly enjoying and I look forward to each day more and more. As my wife says I seem to have found my niche, I can't disagree with that.
Sifu Masterson was prepared and reminded everyone that it was my first time sparring. I have to thank everyone in my class that I sparred with. Everyone was patient and helpful by going slow and trying to show me the openings that I wasn't seeing yet.
I truly enjoyed the class and it was an awesome learning experience. It is definately another level of intensity in this class. I am learning so much each day that only a few things are sticking in my head atm, but thats ok I am happy to just be making progress. I have really taken to working hard on form first. The rest will follow. My journey in Kung Fu has really only just begun. But it is a journey I am thoroughly enjoying and I look forward to each day more and more. As my wife says I seem to have found my niche, I can't disagree with that.
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