Shaolin . It's very graceful, yet from the second you start watching, you'll see it also demands quite a bit of strength, both inner and outer. Yin and Yang are perfectly blended. And having that calibrated just right, it's beautiful to watch. I've advised my students, if you don't want to necessarily learn these moves, just sit back and enjoy this charming monk's performance. The practitioner, in the video is Thich Man Tue, who is affiliated with Thich Nath Hanh's Tibetan Buddhist tradition, in particular with their Deer Park Monastery in California. About half way through, you'll come across their version of Eight Pieces of Brocade -- maybe the most practiced qigong sequence there is. (There's another version of it shown in its entirety on this blog, as demonstrated by Laoshi Faye Yip. And I've learned a third way, courtesy of my former teacher, Master Hawkes.) So if you come to my qigong class (Tuesday mornings) you'll
This is a blog about t'ai chi, specifically how we can apply the teachings of this ancient practice to our contemporary lives. How do we navigate an icy sidewalk? What is the best posture for that dreaded job interview? There are the eternal problems, of course, of back pain and creaky knees. My intention is to have a place to share ideas about t'ai chi methods of caring for our spirits and bodies in today's complicated world.