5 Days - no practice

Bollocks
Got to get back in the saddle ASAP, if I fall out of the routine it’s going to be hard to get back in to it

 

A bad weekend for practice

To say that this weekend was a bad one practice wise is an understatement! I did bugger all!
Going to take things up a notch this week and get a bit more serious again!

Practice so far

Been doing lots of the 5 Tibetans and the 100 days practices on a pretty through basis (check here) and haven’t really felt anything yet. however, this cold that has affected everyone for at lest 14 days only lasted at most 5 and also both my outer ears got infected and they are pretty much better after 5 days. hummmm, is that because I’m eating 3g of vit C a day and loads of multi vitamins or because of the practice? all I know is that the person that gave me the cold has still got it and I haven’t.

Thoughts on why I practice the way I do

I haven't graded in either of the last three Martial Arts that I've studied for any length of time (5+ years) for at least the final 2 to 3 years of my training because I haven't felt the need to. People ask why not. I prefer it when I'm practicing with people that don't know my grade and they assume I'm higher graded than I am on paper. It's like the grade other people actually think you are is actually the grade that you're worth…. I'm pretty sure there's a saying that goes something like, 'The person gives the honor to the belt, not the other way round,' or something like that.
There's more to it though; I'm reading Glenn Morris' Shadow Strategies of an American Ninja Master (Don't even get me started on the title! ) and he comes up with a nice few sentences that more aptly apply to why I train with the attitude that I do than I could: 

'They keep playing. [...] focusing/ on the process of becoming rather than the outcome, [...] more concerned with quality than immediate desire, the process or path is the goal, and the end is but a beginning.' 

. I'm going to wrap this post up with this: Buy Glenn Morris's books (see the right bar). That's all there is to it. You need them in your life. Frankly, you're not doing martial arts unless you've read all three of his books and at least practiced Chi kung (qi gong) and meditation for a substantial period of time. Get his chi kung course and the meditation CDs and get the 100 Days book and the second book by Eric Yudelove, Taoist Yoga and Sexual Energy. Practice, Practice, Practice.

If you do it, you get it, if you don't you don't. It's not rocket science

Headaches - An Investigation

Over the last 5 or 6 days I’ve been having regular headaches and getting an overwhelming urge to go to sleep at 7 and then waking up at 9. Just looking through some books now (The Gold Pavilion, Michael Saso. p91) And this apparently corresponds to:

Colour Time   Image   Season  Lunar Months  Organ  Tone Direction
Violet    7-9pm Purple Orchid  Winter   Tenth/Eleventh  Kidneys G#  North

So maybe there’s a problem with my Kidneys? A bit more investigating come up with this:
(Awaken Healing Light, Mantak Chia, p206)

The left Kidney generates Yin chi and the right generates Yang chi.
Apparently, ‘when a man loses sexual energy through too much sex, or when a woman loses it through pregnancy or menstruation, the Kidneys become depleted, weakening the spinal cord and causing back pain.’

This is a bit weird because since I’ve been ill I’ve hardly been horny at all (which believe me is something very abnormal for me ) Also recently while doing the Five Tibetans I couldn’t bend back so far on the third Tibetan. Maybe there’s something to this TCM nonsense

‘Shaking the Kidneys no Relieve Fatigue,’ a good exercise to do in this situation (p503) which is basically just hitting the Kidneys with the back of your fist and then warming them with chi from the hands. This is an exercise I’ve been doing from the 100 weeks, I’ll increase the amount of time I do this from now on.
Also going to try this (p520) Massaging the Three Yin Crossing point (Spleen 6) which is three finger widths up from the ankle on the inside of the leg. 36 times in a circular motion increases the kidneys’ Yin energy (what about the Yang kidney??). reverse directions and repeat another 36 times.

From a quick look at Between Heaven and Earth - A guide to Chinese Medicine by H.Beinfield L.Ac and E.Korngold L.Ac,O.M.D, eating things that may help my Kidney - Heart harmony might help. Also (p367) Depletion of the Kidney occours when essence or vital warmth becomes deficient. Foods that replenish essence and warm the body are needed.

The Remedial principal is: Tonify Qi and Essence, disperse moisture and eliminate cold

Maybe ‘Water is overcoming fire and invading earth’

After looking though these books I’m no nearer to a solution! I’m going to put it down to getting over a cold, and brush up on any Kidney enhancing chi kung that I can find. Now back to practice.

Another meditation article

Scientists find that meditation not only reduces stress but also reshapes the brain

Those who had been taught to meditate performed 10% better—”a huge jump, statistically speaking,” says O’Hara. Those who snoozed did significantly worse. “What it means,” O’Hara theorizes, “is that meditation may restore synapses, much like sleep but without the initial grogginess.”

More here

Vegan and toxin free diet

Today is the first day of this 10 day vegan and toxin free (as possiable) diet.
It’s been a living hell so far. no tea! I never been so long without tea in my life!

Add to this misery of eating all this healthy crap, the fact that I’ve got a pretty nasty cold, and I’m definatly not feeling that hot today!

I’m not sure if I’m going to do the excersises tonight? might help? I don’t know. If I can manage to breath through my nose at all I might bust out the 5 Tibetans.

A bit of explanation

This is what I'm up to at the moment.
Interested? Buy the book (100 Days to Better Health, Good Sex and Long Life) and practice it as well!
 
Week One
basic regulation of the breath
first healing sound - the lung sound
Rubbing the hands together to gather the chi
Rubbing the nose rubbing the sides of the nose
rubbing the bridge of the nose massaging The lower nose
rubbing the face
slapping the chest 
Baduanjin - the first two pieces
The first piece - propping up the sky with interlocked fingers
The second piece - drawing the bow on both sides  sitting and stilling the mind - part one

Week Two
The abdominal breath
The second healing sound - the kidney sound
hitting the kidneys
massaging the lower rib cage and diaphragm
massaging the ears
beating the heavenly drum
baduanjin - the third and fourth pieces
The third piece - raising one hand to regulate the spleen and stomach
The fourth piece - turning the head to look back over the shoulder
sitting and stilling the mind - part two 

First thing - my arse!

Did Glenn Morris’s cd meditation when I woke up this morning. First thing in the morning (even though it was 11 am!) is just not the right time for me to be doing anything I think. It felt alright though, but I couldn’t fully concentrate though.
I Did the 5 Tibetans a bit later in the afternoon (after a kip). Did the whole set.

Been reading ‘The Tao of Meditation - Way to Enlightenment’ by Jou, Tsung Hwa at the moment - This book is well worth reading. He makes a lot of good points and I appreachate the fact that he puts airy fairy concepts into easy to grasp ideas through the use of basic observable physics. A very good book. I’m half way through it at the moment and I’ll probably review it when I’m done.

I’m also reading ‘Qiong Empowerment’ by Liang and Wu. This is a book that often crops up in recommended reading lists and bibliographies, it’s pretty hard to get hold of for a reasonable price so I’d put of getting it. But I managed to get a copy the other week and I can see why it’s so highly recommended. It’s absolutly packed with information, both quality theory and excercises that cover all the major systems of QiGong. Some Martial QiGong is also included as well. This is highly recommended! Buy it! a rewiew might come later when I’ve read it all.

 

Sessioning it!

Had a bit of a chi kung session tonight! did the Tibetans (all 21) and then the 100 days routines one after each other. Spent my time with the Tibetans and enjoyed it!
When I did the 100 days Diaphram/Lower ribcage massage I discovered some very painful spots thoug. most of that area in fact. A bit suprised by that. Don’t know if it’s because of the stretching and leg raises from the Tibetans though? I’ll carry on with the massage and keep an eye on it