There was a man in the bus the other day, who was acting strange. He sat alone and was initially musing to himself in a low voice. As more and more people entered the bus on its way to the stop connecting to the main train station, the man started to raise his voice. Eventually, he was talking in a loud voice, as in a public speech. He was a tall, strongly-built black man with rasta hairdo, dressed in loose and colourful clothes. Such a person already stands out in an European city, let alone with such an attitude. Read more...
Push hands is the study of the seamless and relaxed interaction with a partner. Its martial implications are obvious: it teaches the practitioner how to react effectively to a non-collaborating partner, who is trying to punch, grab, or kick. However, in my humble opinion, that is not the most interesting benefit of practicing push hands. I would like to argue in this post how this is rather a remarkable by-product of a delicate cultivation process. Read more...
One of the benefits of a regular meditation practice is the way it grounds us into the present moment, without dismissing it, without embellishing it. Blending in this way with the instantaneous reality of our existence can be tremendously healing, as we tend to be pulled into the frantic planning of the future, or the ceaseless reevaluation of the past. Read more...
This is a common question, especially when starting taichi push hands and more so after having experienced different approaches. We are referring here to the pressure applied on the point of contact, without actually pushing or applying techniques. Read more...
Qigong and taichi are key practices for prevention. One of my teachers used to say: “the reason why we train today is so that we feel the same in 10 years”. Picture yourself in 10 years. Depending on how positive or negative you are, you'll see yourself 10 years wiser with lots of energy and a strong body, or like a wreck. Read more...
Qigong is an excellent discipline to practice for life, no matter your condition. From very demanding to extremely gentle, qigong has something to offer for everybody. However, this time and age you have more activities than ever to choose from: tennis, football, karate, taekwondo, aerobic, pilates, yoga, … you name it. Some of these disciplines look very cool indeed. They are “sexy”. Read more...
In reality, qigong is an umbrella term for all kinds of exercise where you use the mind attentively, deepen your breath and hold or move the body in space. Practically all human activities can qualify, given the appropriate state of mind. That is why you can use a qigong approach to riding a bike or pounding spices with a mortar, for example. Therefore the most important aspect in qigong is an understanding of the principles. Then, the ways in which these principles can be applied are endless. So let's talk about the principles! Read more...