WONDERFUL VALENTINE COURSES IN IRELAND 2013
Kevin performing Lifting Water
Kevin
Shaolin Wahnam Ireland
27th February 2013
Dear Family,
Much like my dear brother Santi, I too feel like I have been floating in a cloud in the days since Valentine's 2013. Feelings of deep contentment, happiness and inner peace have been flowing through me and yet again I find myself with a profound sense of gratitude to Sigung for the gifts he has so generously bestowed on us.
My experience of the five wonderful days was like one long Chi Flow punctuated with sheer moments of awe, bliss, introspection and great laughter.
The awe arose from two unexpected moments where my understanding of the essence of Taijiquan, and later Chi Kung, deepened immeasurably in somewhat mysterious ways. Bizarrely, the Taijiquan moment happened in Bone Marrow Cleansing and the Chi Kung moment happened in Flowing Water Floating Clouds!
In a flowingly still Chi Flow after cleansing at the meridian level, and with thoughts completely absent, I found my Chi gently drawing some of the fundamental patterns of Taijiquan out of me. They were light yet powerful, flowing and smooth. It was as if catching a little glimpse of the very essence of the art by experiencing it on a profoundly deep level within me. It was a truly beautiful moment and forever deepened my understanding of Taijiquan.
On the first morning of Flowing Water Floating Clouds Sigung was leading us through Lifting Water and gave us very specific instructions to perform the patterns very slowly and to let the Chi move us in the patters. Following Sigung's instructions, a gorgeous moment blossomed. I felt the immense power of our Chi as it moved my arms up and down like the ebb and flow of the tide. As if in the distance, happy thoughts came to me: This is Chi Kung! This is healing! This is the “Work of God”! This is amazing! In ways I can’t explain, it was a completely different experience to the one described above and somehow my understanding of the healing nature of Chi Kung deepened greatly within me.
Kevin practicing Flowing Water Floating Clouds
The bliss was owing to the sheer pleasure we derive from practicing these wonderful arts with the first morning of Flowing Water Flowing Clouds being the most outstanding example. Using the mystery of Cloud Hands, Sigung led us very deeply into Taijiquan that morning – deeper than I ever reached in Penang or St Petersburg last year. For the first time I understood from direct experience how Taijiquan itself evolves from Cloud Hands. Cloud Hands is like an ever present dynamic flowing energy in our Taijiquan and we simply manipulate it in different ways and means to form what we call patterns and sets. The joy of practicing our art in this manner on that Monday morning was to step beyond wonder.
The moment of introspection happened when cleansing at the Bone Marrow level. Towards the end of the Chi Flow, in a state of bliss, my head arched back and an awareness of a circulating field of energy developed in me. As if on the distant horizon, I felt the faint presence of sentient beings above us. It was a deeply humbling moment.
The Great Laughter needs no explanation – the times spend with the wonderful people who I shared the course with! From the moment I met Anthony Sifu at the airport I was immersed in the presence of wonderful and beautiful people whose company I enjoyed immensely and deeply. It never ceases to amaze just how lovely members of the Shaolin Wahnam family are!
These are just some personal highlights. I have many, many more:
Listening to Sigung's solution to Andrea Sifu's problem on the 36 Strategies course. Wonderful! It was the moment when I truly understood how effective strategies can be in daily life;
Engaging in group work on the 36 Strategies -- Tremendous fun and so very, very useful for learning how to communicate in team environments;
Learning the Wudang sword! Immense! Brilliant! Beautiful! Simply stunning and amazing. This course deserves a post all by itself (will follow very soon!).
I would like to again offer my sincere and heartfelt thanks to Sigung for so kindly and generously offering us gifts so extraordinary they simply cannot be measured. Thank you, Sigung. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
I would also like to offer my sincere thanks to my Sifu: for another amazing Valentine’s festival, for the many amazing Taijiquan weekends, for the years of help, guidance and encouragement that have lead me to be the person that I am today. Thank you Sifu. For everything.
And many thanks as well to my dear brothers Dominic and Peter for being such wonderful people and friends and for being super-efficient in making sure Valentine’s 2013 was the outstanding success that it was! Thank you!
All the best to the Shaolin Family,
Kevin
Kevin practicing the Wudang Sword
The above is taken from the thread, Valentine's 2013 Ireland in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum
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