Flute and Tai Chi

03/03/2024

From 2017 into 2020 I was studying Tai Chi (T’ai Chi Ch’uan) in classes led by Stan Swartz (swartztaichi.com). He had studied with senior students of Grand Master Cheng Man-ch'ing several years prior and thus his beginner’s classes were all about the popular Yang-style tai chi in 37 Postures. It takes time and patience to learn a tai chi form and at the time of this recording, we were a little more than half-way through learning the form. Here is where I was at in April 2020 after things got put on hold for a while – a little unstable in the grass but glad to have captured the progress (~4 min. video)

07/21/2022

05/27/2022

Just sharing a 2 minute Flute Friday video from a bike path pavilion in Ohio; Flute is Dm bass in aromatic cedar by High Spirits in Arizona; Song at the end of the pentatonic improv is Aspen Leaves by Scott August; A good šventė to all!

03/22/2022

Here are some of the benefits of Constant Bear:
Gently works the Inguinal Groove and ligament, aka the groin, or the kua in Chinese medicine where the thigh meets the torso helping to improve range of motion in the hips

Promotes circulation of lymph by exercising the lymph nodes in that area; the continuous and fluid motion working the waist area lymph nodes has positive benefits for our immune system

Promotes better body coordination which is especially useful in tai chi
Strengthens the legs
Stimulates internal energy in the body, which also might be felt as warming

10/16/2021

What do I love about ChiFusion™ Tai Chi and Qigong? So much is built-in, and you come to realize this over time. For example, the native peoples of our lands have the Medicine Wheel and the Four Directions. ChiFusion™ has an affinity with these ideas with an emphasis on the Four Elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Most medicine wheels have four common compass points, each with a guiding spirit, that symbolize the four stages of life.

10/03/2021

What is the flute all about? The Native American Style Flute is one of the easiest instruments to learn how to play. This is due to the way the flute is designed:
• Pentatonic Scale means that any note you play will go well with any other note on the scale
• Fipple sound hole means you don’t need to learn an embouchure
In a similar way the ChiFusion™ qigong exercises have this built-in energetic design whereby if you practice the movements as outlined in the course you will achieve benefits in a short amount of time (https://cloudwater.com/), just like learning music in a short amount of time on the flute.

Here I am playing music written for the pentatonic scale by Scott August at https://cedarmesa.com/:
Silent Pueblo and Stars and Space.
Flute is by https://highspirits.com/ Aromatic Cedar “throat chakra” Spirit Flute in Gm

09/29/2021

There is an amazing opportunity for anyone who sees themselves doing what I did, namely become a certified instructor of Tai Chi and Qigong, through the ChiFusion™ Mastery program. Click here for details: https://cloudwater.com/letters/cfmastery

The world needs good instructors, and this program is structured so well to get you there.

I almost let this opportunity slip away 3 years ago, but when I reached out to Al back then, he could sense my determination, and graciously accepted me into the program. What a sense of accomplishment I have now, to have manifested that vision, and what a loss it would have been had I never taken that step forward. Highly recommend!

Al Simon, Certified Tai Chi and Qigong Master, Three-time Inductee to the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame, with 35+ Years of Experience in Tai Chi and Qigong

09/19/2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQcSxUxuv6g
Learn this tip from Francesco Garripoli (esp 2:20 to 4:30) – whereas Qigong combines movement, breathing, and mental engagement – the last is most important, known as Yi, which involves Shen Qi, or the Heart-Mind, the Intuitive Mind (not the head-mind or survival mind).

Francesco shares the critical importance of what the ancient Taoists referred to as “Yi” and its role in deepening Qigong practice. Along with breath and pos...

09/11/2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xZLDzaLRZI
One of my favorite channels for information on Tai Chi – Eli explains in this video about what we call tucking the pelvis, or dropping the sacrum, or flattening out the lower back. Learning to do this is key in training the body to stand properly. In our course we start out with a Wuji stance, an excellent precursor to getting into the Tai Chi stances. We can do it!
Eli starts talking about 30 seconds into the video.

Eli's tip of the day, showing how when you sink just that little bit more in your standing Qigong, it will correct many things about your posture.

09/09/2021

For Level 1, on Day 1 we learn a movement called Hold The Sky.
On a physical level, Hold The Sky has these benefits:
• Opens the body
• Increases flexibility and range of motion
• Helps waist and Back problems
• Improves respiration and breathing
• Improves balance and coordination
• Helps stimulate the circulation of Lymph from the Lymph Nodes in the shoulders and armpits. Our body requires movement to actively circulate lymph which in turn aids in maintaining good health.

On an energetic level:–
• Excellent for stimulating the chi energy meridians associated with the Triple Burners. (in TCM this refers to respiration, digestion, and elimination).
• Activates chi meridians in the arms, torso, and legs.

All in one movement!
If these benefits and more sound like something you would be interested in, click on the "send email" button, or send a PM. ChiFusion™ is an excellent way to start on the Qigong path!

09/06/2021

Our Level 1 exercises open the 12 main meridians or energy pathways of the body according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). By opening these pathways, energy flows freely in a systematic manner.