I just finished an exceptional weekend of training. On Saturday, we had our regular monthly Qigong gathering at the Park. Immediately following that, I reconnected with my old Pilates teacher and resumed my study of that art. My teacher has minimized her teaching schedule due to personal reasons and is now ramping back up after a couple of years of flying low. Accordingly, so am I. While I have been steadily training in various ways since halting my Pilates work, I haven't practiced any Pilates in nearly two years--and it shows. Despite the stiffness, I felt energized and strong after class and am looking forward to keeping a disciplined approach.
Then on Sunday, I visited my friend Dan's Yang Tai Chi school. Dan has a background in Shaolin Gongfu and starts his classes with various Temple Stances and assorted Shaolin hard-style Qigong. This is not your grandmother's Yang Taiji school. This is hard work. I'm writing this on Monday and I can still feel the afterburn in my legs--but in a good way. We wrapped up the class with some free-style push hands, and Yiquan Shi-Li. I hope to make it back to Dan's class, at least for the Qigong part of the training.
It was a good weekend of training. I am reminded again of the importance of balancing Yin and Yang. Too often, Taiji and Qigong players are tempted to keep it soft and low-key. But we need to burn calories and build muscle too. As in all things, moderation is always key. And it can be tempting to try to do too much. But finding the right balance and staying with it pays off big time.
Then on Sunday, I visited my friend Dan's Yang Tai Chi school. Dan has a background in Shaolin Gongfu and starts his classes with various Temple Stances and assorted Shaolin hard-style Qigong. This is not your grandmother's Yang Taiji school. This is hard work. I'm writing this on Monday and I can still feel the afterburn in my legs--but in a good way. We wrapped up the class with some free-style push hands, and Yiquan Shi-Li. I hope to make it back to Dan's class, at least for the Qigong part of the training.
It was a good weekend of training. I am reminded again of the importance of balancing Yin and Yang. Too often, Taiji and Qigong players are tempted to keep it soft and low-key. But we need to burn calories and build muscle too. As in all things, moderation is always key. And it can be tempting to try to do too much. But finding the right balance and staying with it pays off big time.