We're about to head into 3 days of meditation. By this, I don't mean that we meditate for 72hours straight. We have three sessions of 2 hours every day, for three days. We also have a free morning class where we can practice Qi Gong to start out our day.
I'm excited and apprehensive about it. I'm not a natural when it comes to meditation and I find it difficult to quiet my mind. But that being said, that's one of the greatest things about meditation for three days, you're bound to get something out of it so long as you stick with it.
I had the inspiring experience of just giving my Shifu a massage. I know, it doesn't sound that inspiring. The difference in the feeling of his muscles and tendons, compared to mine are tangible. I don't believe I've ever felt tissue of that consistency before. He used the word melting to describe the state of his body's softness. He also said that sometimes his body is too soft, so he has to practice to strengthen the muscles. His internal practice sometimes just leaves me in awe. Truly motivating.
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Competition
I find myself worn out and especially frustrated right now. There is an upcoming competition that we've all been 'encouraged' to enter. I have to say that I am naturally quite a competitive person and so try to avoid this setting. Being the younger sibling, as a kid, I was always out to prove myself to my sister and to my family. As I've grown older, I've realized I don't have anything to prove to them. They don't care if I win or lose, they love me all the same.
This is not always true of myself. I struggle a lot against my own ego. I don't know if everyone encounters this, but it's something I've become used to. Sometimes it helps motivate me, and sometimes it's very detrimental. Generally, I try to keep the attitude that the only person worth competing with is myself.
I'm struggling to keep that posture right now. How else do you compete but by comparing yourself to those around you? I am using this opportunity to improve my forms, and in that sense, find the process very exciting. Yet, it has already proved to be an arduous exercise for me. I hope that no matter what the outcome proves to be, that I can keep my ego in check and use this as another learning experience.
This is not always true of myself. I struggle a lot against my own ego. I don't know if everyone encounters this, but it's something I've become used to. Sometimes it helps motivate me, and sometimes it's very detrimental. Generally, I try to keep the attitude that the only person worth competing with is myself.
I'm struggling to keep that posture right now. How else do you compete but by comparing yourself to those around you? I am using this opportunity to improve my forms, and in that sense, find the process very exciting. Yet, it has already proved to be an arduous exercise for me. I hope that no matter what the outcome proves to be, that I can keep my ego in check and use this as another learning experience.
Thursday 17 May 2012
Guilin
We've just arrived home from an amazing trip. Not only did we all get the chance to eat tonnes of Western food, but it was amazingly beautiful. Guilin is a city where there are so many activities to do, it's hard to be bored. If it hadn't started raining buckets on our last couple days there, I don't know how much rest I would've actually gotten.
It just reminded me how much I love being outside, in a natural setting. I often take it for granted while training, because I spend the majority of my time outside, sweating my butt off. There's many days where the weather is oppressively hot and the last thing I want to do is be outside. But going on this trip gave me the opportunity to reflect on my past jobs and activities, and to consider myself fortunate to be able to enjoy this kind of lifestyle every day.
I feel a certain sense of freedom being able to detach myself from the problems of every day life, and to just revel in the wonders of the earth. I feel tired from the trip, but revitalized.
It just reminded me how much I love being outside, in a natural setting. I often take it for granted while training, because I spend the majority of my time outside, sweating my butt off. There's many days where the weather is oppressively hot and the last thing I want to do is be outside. But going on this trip gave me the opportunity to reflect on my past jobs and activities, and to consider myself fortunate to be able to enjoy this kind of lifestyle every day.
I feel a certain sense of freedom being able to detach myself from the problems of every day life, and to just revel in the wonders of the earth. I feel tired from the trip, but revitalized.
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