Infinite Qi

Amazing women!!!

Kung Fu Nuns of Nepal Smash Convention In Himalayan Buddhism, the religious roles of nuns have long been restricted by rules and customs. But one sect is changing that, mixing meditation with martial arts and environmental activism.

I have resumed teaching in person Tai Chi classes on Mondays at Noon. If you have ever wanted to explore Tai Chi this is an excellent time to start learning. I love inspiring students to explore and expand their awareness of movement and how it is intricately connected to their inner landscape. The style of Tai Chi that I teach is a combination of Wu Style and Yang Style. This form is older than small frame Wu Style. This was developed as Wu Style was developing from Yang style. Feel free to contact me with any questions. Hope you can join me.

Continuity in Motion: Learning the 108 move long form of Tai Chi takes a considerable amount of time. When we no longer have to think about which move comes next then we can work on making the form continuous. This is not simple or easy. Notice what happens between the beginning and the end of each movement. There is an entire world right there. Notice the transitions from one movement to the next. These are very interesting areas to study. By delving deeper into the in-between spaces our entire movement becomes alive and integrated and our minds get quieter. Over time the form will become continuous. Happy Training!!!
Photo by Meric Dagli on Unsplash
www.robinrosario.com

Happy Spring Equinox!!! I personally love the transition from the stillness and quiet of winter to the blossoming of spring. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) five elements theory, springtime is a time of movement, renewal and new beginnings; a time of growth and cleansing. We see it in nature as flowers start to bloom and the deciduous trees leaf out again after the still of winter. The change of the season is not only reflected in nature but also in ourselves. Yang is beginning to rise as the days grow longer. We may feel a sense of blossoming by wanting to spend more time outside, begin new projects, plant a garden, start spring cleaning and connect more socially.
In TCM Spring is associated with the Liver, the Wood element, the direction east, wind and the color green. The liver and liver energy is especially vulnerable to imbalances during this time. Liver qi stagnation can lead to a variety of problems such as headaches, depression, anger, irritability, problems with tendons and ligaments and possibly digestive issues. Conversely, long periods of stress and anxiety can cause liver qi stagnation.

Here are a few ideas to keep us healthy and happy during this transition time:
Practice Tai Chi and Qigong
Move our bodies, enjoy walks near the ocean or in the redwoods.
Take a bike ride.
Drink some dandelion tea
Eat well and include lightly cooked greens, radishes and quinoa.
Organize and declutter your space.
Take care of unresolved conflicts.
Enjoy life!!!
www.robinrosario.com
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFRsAXvL8JZZIkRmcn0UiXg

Sinking the Chest and Raising the Back: Tai Chi & Qigong are very complex practices. There are many principles to pay attention to. One of the "10 Essentials of Tai Chi" is to “Sink the Chest and Raise the Back”. What does that mean? One of the fundamental principles in Tai Chi and Qigong is that everything is arcs and circles. That pertains to our body position as well as our movements. It is a challenging process to be round without forcing our bodies into an unnatural position and creating tension. There is a fine line between allowing the roundness and holding the roundness. Often when people think of standing up “straight” they will raise their breastbone which in turn raises up the ribcage and arches the back. This position makes it very difficult to breathe deeply. Air and energy will get trapped in the chest. Tai Chi is based on the theory of Yin and Yang, a theory of opposites and how they relate and interact with each other. Given this theory, if we sink the chest the back will naturally rise and fill. It is two sides of the same posture. When we allow the front of the rib cage to relax and flatten, the chest will relax and sink. This will naturally raise and fill the upper back. We want to make sure that we are not collapsing the chest or hunching our back. As Tai Chi and Qigong practitioners we must look at both sides, the yin and the yang, of every posture and movement. Happy Training!!!
www.robinrosario.com
Photo by Laurie Cahn
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFRsAXvL8JZZIkRmcn0UiXg/featured

Arm Swinging Exercises: Arm swinging exercises are not just about swinging the arms. They engage the entire body from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head. They move all your joints, lubricate your entire body and improve circulation. I personally love these exercises and do them every day and teach them in all my classes. To do them properly is not as simple as it appears. Here are a few things to be aware of when learning arm swinging.

We start the exercises by standing up with our toes are pointing forward. Our feet are about armpit width. The knees are soft. Make sure that you do not place any stress on the shoulder joints. I often teach students what I call backstroke. You do this by never letting your arms go behind your body. Basically if you put your arms out to the sides in the 3PM and 9PM position your arms never go beyond this point, meaning that you do not throw your arms behind your shoulders. It is an optical illusion that you are moving your arms behind you. Your arms are moving from the 12:00 and 6:00 o’clock positions to the 3:00 and 9:00 o’clock positions without putting any stress on the shoulder joints. This teaches you how to recognize the kwa, the connection, between your arm and shoulder and torso.

You use these positions in combination with turning your torso gently from corner to corner. Be aware of how much you are twisting your spine. The feeling is a gentle spinal rotation and not an intense spinal torque. You will feel the movement start in the sacrum and go through the torso. Blood and energy will flow to the hands.

Notice your feet. The weighted foot is the side where the arm is in the 12:00 o’clock position. Notice how the weight shifts from leg to leg as you swing your arms. Work on form before speed.

These same principles apply when you are swinging your arms around your waist. I practice what I call coiling arm swinging. It is the opposite of what I see most commonly practiced in the arm swinging exercises. Feel your feet, don’t allow the knees to move laterally, side to side. The movement will start in the feet, move through the sacrum and torso and out your hands.

Please check out my arm swinging video on You Tube. I break down 3 arm swinging exercises. If you like the video and would like to be alerted when I post new videos please click on subscribe. Here is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/Ts1Z8k-p1js
Happy Training!!!
www.robinrosario.com
Photo by Mohamed Almari on Pexels

Tai Chi & Stretching: I very seldom do any static stretching and yet I’m flexible and can move easily. I credit Tai Chi and Qigong for that!!! Tai Chi and Qigong incorporates “internal stretching” rather than “static stretching”. This means that we engage the connective tissue, (fascia, muscles, tendons) which in turn engages the whole body. Fascia is an internal netting like a spider web. The deep fascia surrounds our organs, blood vessels, nerves, muscles, bones and helps keep everything in place. By engaging our fascia, muscles and tendons we gain knowledge of our physical boundaries. As Tai Chi and Qigong practitioners we never force anything to move past the point where we lose the engagement. We do not contract the muscles and joints but instead expand. There are no locked joints or tense muscles. Tai Chi and Qigong creates elasticity and resiliency. I know some of you may be thinking, “Our fascia, muscles and tendons are always engaged just by being upright.” Good point and true BUT not in the same way that we engage them in Tai Chi and Qigong.
For example, take your hands. Let them hang down by your side. Now, bend your arms at the elbows. The elbows are at the waist and hands are hanging down from the wrist in a relaxed way. Notice the feeling in your forearms. Leaving your arms where they are raise your hands up until the palms face the floor. The next step is to lightly bring your fingers together, open the tiger’s mouth (the arc between your thumb and forefinger) and both physically and with your mind, expand your hands in all directions, while still keeping your fingers lightly touching. Feel energy in the pads of each finger. Every joint is expanding. Your hands should not be tense or tight in any way. If you turned them palm up you could carry a little bit of water in your palms. Expand them until there is a feeling that you have lightly stretched a rubber band from your elbow to the tips or your fingers. You may not feel it at first. It is a subtle feeling. This feeling is everywhere in Tai Chi and Qigong. Allow this feeling to inform your movement. When we move beyond our boundaries, we lose the “connection”. You can feel it even standing by focusing on Ding Jin or upright energy. Tuck your chin until your neck lengthens. The head feels like it is being lifted up. Connect the feet to the ground and allow the body to relax. Now there is a dynamic polarity between heaven and earth, top and bottom. Feel the whole body engage and every joint expanding. Feel how the fascia engaged just by standing and putting your attention on it. Over time learning to engage the fascia, muscles and tendons in this way creates flexibility and suppleness of movement. This will keep us “young” as we age. Happy Training!!!
www.robinrosario.com

Photo by Richard Verbeek on Pexels

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFRsAXvL8JZZIkRmcn0UiXg

Balance is a precarious thing!! It is especially important to keep our feet, ankles and calves supple and stable. Please check out my short 9 minute video for a feet and ankle sequence. Working on balance exercises can help your reaction time if you get off balance. and may help to prevent falls.
More balance exercises to come.
Please subscribe to my You Tube channel so you will know when I post new videos. Happy Training!!

Warm Ups for Feet & Ankles In this short 9 minute video I am sharing a warm up sequence for you fee, ankles and calves. It is important to warm up all the joints before you start your ...