Photos from the presentation for HP
Gongfu Leader
Martial Arts at Work

More about the practise from practitioners: http://small-steps-neijia.com/recommendations.php

Impressions by Lorraine

Today, the 5th day of the 21 day challenge, I practiced on my own by the hotel pool since I will be away from Beijing for the weekend.

I intuitively drew support and inspiration knowing that the rest of us were at that very moment practicing with me on the other side of the world in Ritan Park.

As my thighs burned and my legs quivered I could hear Liu Shifu’s voice “tail bone down, relax your shoulders”. It became more and more difficult to hold without being able to see the others shaking beside me. Then all I could hear in my mind was Liu Shifu saying “O-ver!”, over and over again even though it wasn’t yet time to release. My thighs burning, knees shaking. Then another voice came to me, in Dalida’s beautiful Serbian accent “it’s norrr-mal”.

Thanks for joining my practice in Bangkok!

Grace, Sabine, Flore, Loraine, Alexandra, Nataly, Alejandro and me practicing with Liu Shifu

Ritan Park, Beijing March 2012

contribution Alejandro Andrade

Day 6

Everyday is different, the lessons have many layers. Today’s practice challenged my imagination. Liu Shifu told me to feel needles pinching all my skin as I was doing one practice, not just the skin, but my whole body.
Velocity, readiness, stillness. Practice.
Bring it on.

contribution Alejandro Andrade

This morning I woke up with a three letters word in my mind. As I was coming back to the waking life, I could hear from the back of my brain: why? Why am I doing this 10 days challenge? Is it because is one of Shifu’s ideas? Is it because I want to prove to myself that I am capable of doing it? Do I want to probe it to the rest of the people? Do I want to get Gong Fu? In Neijia practice, I have been told not to ask why. During my educational years, I was constantly told to do just the opposite. If I wanted to drop this experience, right now I could do it. Why dont I quit? I don’t know. Am not supposed to ask why. Six more days to go.

Turtle Snake

Characters for Turtle and Snake representing Yang and Yin. If you look at them for a while they will start moving. Can you write the characters without lifting the brush?

Impressions from Alejandro Andrade, 6th Generation Bagua lineage about the detox practice we started yesterday: 6.30 to 8am, no smoking, no drinking and no eating after 6pm. Have you done anything similar?

It’s been two days and it feels like a week. Waking up at 6 AM has never been a problem for me, stop having my relaxing evening beers for sure will help my mid 30s years old belly and not eating after 6 PM will reduce the stress on my stomach. But stopping smoking… That’s never been easy. I have the feeling that time has expanded, and that I need to fill those holes during the day with more “productive” activities. Cleaning is always an option, writing about this experience can be extremely revealing and of course, studying Chinese, keeps my mind busy. However, temptations are everywhere.
What to do when your mind tells you that the only options to get over that moment is to have a cigarette?
What am doing now, is lying on the sofa, waiting for the answer to unfold itself.

I started with 90 day challenge in practice exactly two months ago. I have stopped and started again 4 times and with a dose of regret I wonder how would it have felt like to announce that I practiced for 2 months already! Well, I can’t say that but I can proudly announce that Jelena V is going steady with her challenge into the second month while Emma M. counts over 60 days, approaching the completion of full 90 days of practice.

I am on the 28th day, passed the 7th and 21 day wall and am feeling in sync with the rhythm and flow of the practice. Actually, if I don’t do it now I feel like something is missing and my body starts feeling uncomfortable. Additionally we started a 10 day spring challenge, practice in the park. We practice from 6.30am until 8 under supervision of Liu Shifu but the challenge doesn’t end up there. For the next 8 days I hope I can endure with no smoking, no drinking and no eating after 6pm as part of the request for practice. I am looking forward to the next week of this detox challenge although secretly I wish I could cheat without feeling guilty and have that one cigarette…

After the struggle to keep the practice momentum, few days ago I felt I entered the space of determination and flow. I have less sense of ‘making’ myself to practice, mind is more willing to join me in the relaxed state and I generally feel more energized, inspired and creative.

The practice time is still 40 minutes, xingyi is replaced by bagua and I do bagua meridian postures according to the situation. As it is that time of the month I am doing more of wood and fire exercise to improve circulation. Apart from slight mood swings I feel this time I am more stable and grounded.

Another practitioner, Jelena V, has been doing the challenge  without the break for 3 weeks now. This is the first time she has done it and I am amazed with her determination. Well done!!!