Release Tension & Heal Injuries
In Chinese astrology my sign is a dragon, which I have to say, is quite a relief. I’d be disappointed if the cosmic alignment had timed my birth in the time of a rooster or pig (no offence) – it’s a much better selling point for a martial arts instructor …
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Cold Water
I first read about the cold water immersion a long time ago when I was reading ‘Confessions of an English Opium Eater’ by Thomas de Quincey, in which he wrote about immersing his head in cold water at the start of the day. I’m not sure why it always stuck …
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Dealing with Stress in the Workplace
I’m lucky enough to be able to work for myself now but I spent the best part of 20 years in a corporate career. Whilst I didn’t always feel that way, many times over the near two decades people would frequently comment on how un-stressed I was at work. My …
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How does an undisciplined person become a martial arts instructor?
I was asked a question recently related to disciple, and how I’d managed to become a martial arts instructor, when as a person I’ve often had a downright disdain for discipline (school!) and have often been one to (at least sometimes metaphorically) stick two fingers up to authority figures. Admittedly, …
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Staying Healthy at Work
I always remember as a child that at family parties, or other places where there were lots of adults around, that if I sneaked myself onto a chair, I’d soon have to give up my seat and retreat to the floor, so that the adults in the room could have …
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Martial Qigong
Welcome to another edition of the weekly White Crane Online blog. Over the past few weeks we have been exploring topics in and around the theme of Taoism. Last week I introduced the core concept of Qi (if you missed it, you might want to read it here first) and …
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Qi
Teacher: ‘Well done today everyone, great class! Does anyone have any questions?’ Student: ‘Yes, I was wondering, what is Qi?’ Teacher: ‘Good question. Have you seen Star Wars?’ Student: ‘Yes.’ Teacher: ‘It’s The Force.’ Being a man, and tai chi instructor, of a certain age there are two cultural …
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The 5 Elements
The previous two blog posts in this Taoism series have explained the concepts of Wuji, and Yin-Yang. Respectively the unseen, unfathomable void from which all existence springs (Wuji), and the duality of natural phenomena which gives it its definition (Yin-Yang). Our next step in our journey of understanding Chinese thought …
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Tai Chi and Dementia
This week is Dementia Awareness Week. In the UK alone there are over 850,000 people living with dementia and this figure is only set to rise – to a predicted 1 million by 2025. Dementia comes in many forms, the most common of which is Alzheimer’s, which counts for …
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