So Far So Good

So, the year of the dog is underway. Here's a brief rundown on where I'm at.

I had my first Pilates class this week. I'm trying to strengthen some of my core muscles to help with my posture and stability of my back. I actually have an incredibly flexible spine, which sounds great, but also means that it requires a lot of muscle to keep everything where it should be.

I was so fortunate to start teaching some of my sword forms at the I Ho Chuan class and open training. I feel lucky to have this opportunity. I learn so much from every question, and every time I have to explain something, whether it is the first time, or the tenth.

I wrote in my gratitude journal every day this week. I feel this really keeps my perspective in the right place. It keeps me focused on enjoying the time that I have and making the most of these experiences.

I started a marketing course that I'm taking through Athabasca University. I can see it's going to be heavy, but I find the content surprisingly interesting. I'm always thinking of ways that I can apply the things I'm learning mentally. It helps that my parents own a business and that is also a goal of mine for the future.

I connected with an old friend and made plans for dessert on Saturday.

And, I recorded most of this stuff. I have to say, I struggle with keeping track of things. But there's no way to get better at it, than to just suck it up, and do it.

The Year of the Dog

I'm second degree now. Do I feel different? Actually, yes. Having the chance to look back at our past few Chinese New Years banquets, I can see how far I've come. I can also see how much I've grown and changed since I earned my black belt. How much my mental game has changed. How I've realized that I need to be the one pushing my training forward. Being left to your own devices can be intimidating, and frustrating. But worth every internal argument that I've had with myself.

The coming year, most of my personal goals are oriented towards my mental health. I think over time I've realized that I don't recognize very quickly when I'm getting overwhelmed. It sort of sneaks up on me, and before I know it, I'm past the point of recovery. Before GBS, I thought I could take on anything and deal with it. Now I realize that is a completely unrealistic expectation of anyone. I am more prone to anxiety and fatigue, but in some ways, it has also made me more aware of my mental state. Another good thing that has come out of this experience.

I have set goals to help me spiritually and mentally, but I am keeping the physical goals as per the usual. I set some goals for the year of the rooster for my kicks and stances, and I have made progress and intend to continue that. Another goal I have for this year is learning to deal with my lower back/hips. I have chronically had an on again/off again struggle with my lower back. So, I've been getting physio and practicing some boring but effective exercises and stretches. Looking into learning some functional exercises for strengthening or supporting.

I am going to be focusing on all of my long fist style forms. They are kind of like Kempo, in that they all kind of fit together, so it will be a good refresher. Plus, doing long fist forms requires a different sort of coordination, which I think will benefit my training at this point. I also have a goal of working on some of my long weapon training. Part of my issue there, is that a couple of them need to be constructed. One step at a time I suppose.  I'm gonna have an awesome weapon collection by the end of it... Good luck to everyone in the coming year. I'm excited to see the potential of the dog team!

Adopting Driveways

This is one of my favourite parts of being on the team. I know it can be frustrating sometimes, but I get so much out of this requirement, I find it difficult to hold onto any resentment. I feel bad that so many of my teammates are missing out on the experience.

It's important to have empathy. We can't all completely understand each other but, trying to put yourself in your neighbours' shoes, can really change your perspective. Every time I go out to the driveways, I end up reflecting on my own circumstances and how grateful I am to be able to be a part of this. There are certain experiences that trigger memories and feelings for each of us. This one always reminds me that I could have been there. It could have been me that struggled through winter snow falls. I could have ended up house bound. I could have needed that help.

But instead, I'm blessed with the strength of character and body to help out some seniors. I get to do that for them because of how lucky I am. I don't know if I will ever take that for granted again. It's good to have these reminders. Remembering difficult times can make some of the sweet ones, all the sweeter.

Although, I usually fail to feel the same when it's my own driveway....

Program Vs. Process

In the meeting on Saturday, Sifu Brinker once again reminded us that the I Ho Chuan is not a program, it's a process. And this really resounded with me for some reason this time more than others. Maybe because I'm on the verge of attempting to continue this process on a more individual basis, but I don't feel like I'm on the verge of the end of a program.

I have a vision of where I will be in the next ten years and it involves a lot of change. But I feel like I have fairly realistic expectations. It doesn't mean that I can't achieve something great. But I do realize that, great change takes great effort. As much as I have a vision, I also need to have a plan and take action to get myself where I want to be. I have worked very hard this year, to deal with some of my anxiety since getting sick. I have done a lot of introspection to see what I really want for my future. And I feel that I have a great support structure to help me along on my path.

I'm excited for next year and to see what this process has done for me outside of the team. I'll continue to journal my experiences.