Amazing Start for the Weekend

The "Rise and Shine" Qi Gong Session in Detert (Jackson) Park on Saturday morning was the perfect way to start this weekend.  A small group of people arrived at the park at 6:30 in the morning looking forward to trying something new.  A couple of them have been to my Tai Chi classes before, but we usually only spend a small portion of the Tai Chi classes practicing Qi Gong and at this event....it was all about Qi Gong.  :)

The air was cool and crisp, the park was practically empty, and the sun was just rising into the sky when we began.  We started by taking a little walk in the park to help get our blood circulating, then we practiced a moving Qi Gong set, took some time to work on stationary Qi Gong focused on breathing, and we topped it off with some very simple and invigorating Qi Gong cool down exercises that left us feeling revitalized, rested, rid of the weeks burdens, and ready to fully enjoy our weekend.  :)

After we were done everyone who came told me how much better they felt, how much more alive they felt, and how happy they were that they came.  :)  Hearing that thrilled me because that was the whole point of this early morning session.  If that sounds like a way you want to start your weekend come join us for the next "Rise ans Shine" Qi Gong session.  I'll post the time, date and location soon.  So stay tuned.  :)  I hope to see you there.

"Rise and Shine" Qi Gong in the Jackson Park

Just a heads up that on Saturday (7-30-11) I will be hosting a Qi Gong "Rise and Shine" session in the Jackson park at 6:30am.  It will last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much fun we're having.  :)  Qi Gong exercises help open the body's vital energy flow and they relax the mind while revitalizing the body.  They are meditative movements that focus on breathing and mental concentration.  You won't need to wear any special clothes just dress in layers as it will still probably be a bit brisk at this time of the morning.  :)  I will accept donations, but there is no obligation to pay anything for this "Rise and Shine" session.  This is just about starting your weekend off right.  :)  I hope to see you there and please tell everyone you know who would be interested in trying this.  :)

New Tai Chi Class Time at New York Fitness

Since the Tuesday afternoon classes at New York Fitness will interfere with my school schedule in Aug. Natalie and I have moved that class to Wednesday mornings from 7:30 to 8:30.  Same time as the Monday morning class.  This new time will be starting on Aug. 3rd and continuing indefinitely.   The Tues. afternoon from 4:00 to 5:00 Tai Chi will be ending this Tues. (7-26-11).  I hope this new time works well for everyone.  I'll see you all there!  :)

Update and Some Screen Shots for the Tai Chi DVD

Good news!  I'm coming up on the half-way mark in the editing process.  I've still got a lot of work to do before this DVD is ready for everyone, but it's coming along!  :)  I thought I would share a couple of still photos from the video footage so you guys could get your first glimpse of what's on this DVD.  :-D

This first photo is from the Qi Gong section of the DVD.  In this photo I'm explaining how to do the Qi Gong exercise called "Sink the Qi to the Dan Tian"

 

The next picture is from the section of the DVD where we go over the Yang Tai Chi 24 step form.  In this photo I'm performing the move called "Single Whip" :)  

  

And finally, this last picture is one of my dad and me working on a partner exercise for "Firming the Center." A practice designed to help you learn to maintain your balance....even if someone is trying to knock you off balance.  :)

I'm actually taking a break from editing right now to post these pictures, but I thought you all might enjoy seeing them.  :)  I'll keep you all updated as this project progresses.

Good News About Tai Chi Instructional DVD

Just an FYI, I've had several students asking me if I could make a DVD with the things I teach in class so they can work on them at home between classes...

Well, my Dad and I spent about seven hours straight filming today and I think we got all the footage we need.  Now we just need to work on editing it to get it ready for everyone.  :D

I've been working on a sash ranking system for my Tai Chi classes to add a little more structure to the way the lessons are taught and this DVD covers the requirements needed to get a white sash.

Here's a list of contents:

• A simple warm up set similar to what we do in class.
• The 8 Basic Stances of Tai Chi (Ji Ben Ba Shi)
• Basic Body Movement Training and Basic Footwork Training
• 5 Stepping practices of Tai Chi (Wu Bu) (Part of the 13 Postures of Tai Chi)
• Tai Chi "Standing Like a Tree" Qi Gong
• Tai Chi Moving Qi Gong Set (10 different postures)
• The Yang Style Tai Chi 24 Steps Form (From the beginning to the end, then broken down into individual movements with explanations)
• Proper Chinese Martial Arts Salute and its Meaning
• It also includes our normal Tai Chi cool down exercise set which can be used after any work out or first thing in the morning to wake up and vitalize the body and mind.  

All of these, except for the warm up and cool down exercises are requirements for the White Sash in the ranking system I am putting together.  I'm really excited about getting this all filmed today.


It'll probably be at least a few more weeks before it's ready, but I wanted give everyone a status update.  :D

Product of the Month for July 2011. :)

Since the month of July usually flows with the thoughts of freedom in America and we celebrate our nation's independence, I thought I would choose a product for July's "Product of the Month" that has to do with freedom...

Because these products have to do with health, and not national independence, the freedom I'm referring to is the freedom of a person's body from toxins.   Detoxing has been a big subject amongst health gurus for many years and it's importance is recognized by many health care professionals.  If your body cannot adequately eliminate the waste it produces, that waste accumulates and starts to break the body down from the inside out. 

Unfortunately, detoxing has become a fairly expensive endeavor for those who don't know much about it.  I saw an advertisement, a couple weeks ago, for a week-long detox.  They would provide meals that were supposed to help the body detox for one week and the cost was around $200.  That seemed a bit excessive to me...

The Colon is one of the body's main waste elimination systems and it is used to move many toxins out of the body.  If the colon is working correctly it will help move toxins out of the body before they get the chance to start causing damage.  If the colon is not working correctly, however, then these toxins can begin to build up in the body and cause problems.  Dr. Anthony Badzier, after conducting a 25-year study with 5,000 cases, said, "...intestinal toxins are the most important primary and contributory cause of many health problems of the human body." 

The Product of the Month for July of 2011 is Experience.  It's made of natural Mediterranean herbs that are blended together to make a formula that has been used in the Mediterranean for over 100 years to cleanse the colon and promote healthy colon function.

If you know anyone that's interested in detoxing their body, have them check out Experience on Amador County's Online Health Food Store.




Detox your body and cleanse your colon with this Mediterranean herbal recipe.  Ancient Wisdom for The New You is proud to present Experience as Product of the Month.  Click Here for more info.