Alicia Flinn, Karen Garofalo, April Scott
Sean Flinn, Michael P.
Garofalo, Michael D. Garofalo
2004 Garofalo Family Portrait
Happy Winter Holidays
January 2005 Valley Spirit Journal
November 2004 Valley Spirit Journal
Index to the Valley Spirit Journal
December 31, Friday, 2004
"In truth, people can generally make time for what they
choose to do;
it is not really the time."
- John Lubbock
"I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand."
- Confucius
Updated the webpage on Yoga.
I did my Morning
Exercise Program for 100 minutes:
Walking, Qigong,
Taijiquan,
stretching, and jump
rope drills. I am now learning and practicing the
Wild
Goose (Dayan) Qigong 64 Movement Form.
Worked around the house from 8-4pm: Take down and pack all
Christmas/Yule
holiday decorations indoors and outdoors. Improve large shed and
reorganize
garage.
My "Morning Exercise Program" includes the following:
Walking
for 6 to 8 laps up and back on Kilkenny Lane (11-15 minutes per lap)
at a moderate pace. I usually begin walking as soon as I can see and
be
seen safely as I walk down the road. I begin at approximately 7 am
in the early winter months. The road is a relatively quiet cul-de-sac,
although
Highway 99 West at the east end of the cul-de-sac can be quite noisy. Normally,
I walk four days every week. My walking is done at a moderate pace
of
about 3 miles per 70 minutes. .
While walking I do the Thirteen Treasures Walking
Qigong.
In between some of the walking laps, I do one or more of the:
Wild Goose Qigong Form,
Sun Style 73 Competition
Taijiquan Form,
Traditional 108 Yang
Style Long T'ai Chi Ch'uan form,
and the Standard 24 Yang Style
Form.
I practice my Taijiquan forms at a moderate pace at times rather than extremely
slowly.
I am continuing my jump rope training program. Following Buddy Lee's
instructions,
I do 160 jumps with a simple hop jump to condition the body. I do jump rope
training
every day. I use his book: Jump
Rope Training. Techniques and Programs for
Improved Fitness and Performance. By Buddy Lee. Champaign,
Illinois, Human
Kinetics, 2003. Index, 156 pages. MGC. ISBN: 0736041516.
My morning workout varies in time required from 70 to 130 minutes depending
upon how many laps I walk, and he amount of Qigong and Taijiquan and stretching
that I do during a morning training session.
I use the time while walking for reflecting, thinking, meditating, observing,
analyzing,
synthesizing, planning, self-hypnotizing, daydreaming, rehearsing, creating, and
enjoying the time.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
New Year's Eve activities and celebrations.
Updated the webpage on Flexibility and Stretching.
December 30, Thursday, 2004
"See first that the design is wise and just; that
ascertained, pursue it resolutely."
- William Shakespeare
I did my Morning
Exercise Program for 90 minutes:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan.
Learning and practicing the Wild
Goose (Dayan) Qigong 64 Movement Form.
Studying the
ACE
Personal Trainer Manual for the upcoming certification exam.
Updated the webpage on Exercise for Older Persons.
The www.egreenway.com website was off
line. The domain registration had
expired, and DotRegistrar had not notified me. I spend hours trying to
solve
this problem. DotRegistrar overcharged my credit card. What a
mess!
DotRegistrar never returned any of my three telephone calls to them.
What a disappointment. As soon as I can get everything back up and
running again, I plan to switch registration of the domain to NetSolutions
where I registered www.gardendigest.com.
Debbie, Jordan, and Terry Christensen all came over for a party at our house.
Three lively ladies and one gentleman. Delightful.
I had insomnia last night.
December 29, Wednesday, 2004
"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the
stream always
wins - not through strength but by perseverance."
- Jackson Brown
I did my Morning
Exercise Program for 90 minutes:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan.
Learning and practicing the Wild
Goose (Dayan) Qigong 64 Movement Form.
Cleaned out the ditch near my neighbor's driveway. Only light drizzle in
the
morning.
Prepared the Mat
Pilates webpage. I've not been able to post to the website
for a few days.
Weightlifting for 45 minutes: Bench press, incline squats, dumbbell shrugs,
forearm curls, upright rows.
Yogalates class with Lauren from 6:00 - 6:45 pm at TFFC.
Studying the
ACE
Personal Trainer Manual for the upcoming certification exam.
Reading the Bhagavad Gita.
Started the skip rope program developed by Buddy Lee. Minimum of 140 jumps
with a simple hop jump.
Jump
Rope Training. Techniques and Programs for Improved Fitness and
Performance. By Buddy Lee. Champaign, Illinois, Human Kinetics,
2003.
Index, 156 pages. MGC. ISBN: 0736041516.
Updated the index webpage on Fitness and Well Being.
I had insomnia last night.
December 28, Tuesday, 2004
"Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but
just look at what
they can do when they stick together."
- Vesta Kelly
Steady rain all day. We have had another 1.5 inches since
yesterday afternoon.
I worked on cleaning and rearranging the garage during the day.
Sitting
naked in the rain -
thoughts drizzle down.
Weightlifting for 45 minutes: Pull downs, leg curls, triceps press downs,
seated leg presses. Yoga class with Gudrun Volpat from 5:30-6:45 at TFFC.
Studying the ACE Personal Trainer Manual for the upcoming certification exam.
"It is easier to act yourself into a new way of feeling
rather than feel your way into a new way of acting."
- G. D. Morgan
December 27, Monday, 2004
"Strength is a matter of the made-up mind."
- John Beecher
We left Portland, Oregon, at 5:30 am, and we arrived back in Red Bluff,
California, at
5:10 pm. The drive from Ashland, Oregon, down to Redding, California, was
very
slow and dangerous. Snow covered this mountainous terrain, rain and snow
fell
during the drive. The traffic slowed to a complete halt over the highest
passes (3,900
feet). The traffic was very heavy. We arrived home very tired.
Unpacked and relaxed.
When I returned home, I checked the rain gauge. It had rained 4.25
inches since last
Thursday. Everything was soaked and large puddles were on everyone's property in
the low areas. We expect rain for the next five days.
December 26, Sunday, 2004
"Success is a ladder you cannot climb with your hands in your pockets."
"You can have anything you want if you want it desperately enough. You
must want
it with an inner exuberance that erupts through the skin and joins the energy
that
created the world."
- Sheila Graham
We hiked around Mt. Tabor, shopped in the Hawthorne district, and
enjoyed
a fine Italian meal. We spend the evening at Mick and April's
apartment.
We watched Kill Bill, Part II.
I had a gift certificate from Powell's books. We went to the Powell's
Bookstore
on Hawthorne Blvd., in Portland. I purchased two used books:
Yogalates: Total Body Toner. The Breakthrough Workout that Combines
the Best
Elements of Yoga and Pilates. By Louise Solomon. London, Virgin
Books, 2003.
Appendices, 144 pages. ISBN: 0753507579. MGC.
Yoga
for Men: Postures for Healthy, Stress-Free Living. By Thomas
Claire.
Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, Career Press, New Page Books, 2004. Index,
262 pages. ISBN: 1564146650. MGC.
December 25, Saturday, 2004
Christmas Day!
"Meditation in the midst of activity is a million times superior
to meditation in stillness."
Zen practice in the midst of everyday activities is far superior
to seated meditation.
Real Zen efforts in the middle of everyday activities greatly improves our
results during quiet meditation.
Quiet contemplation is greatly enriched by contemplation during daily
activities.
Living by Buddhist principles in everyday situations is more challenging than a
silent retreat.
The Japanese Zen Master and renowned calligrapher Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1768) quoting
the
Chinese Chan (Zen) Master Dahui Zhonggao (1089-1163).
The excellent scholar, John Stevens (Three Zen Masters, 1993, p. 100)
says that the
above quote about "Zen effort in the MIDST of activity" was Hakuin
Ekaku's motto.
Bringing your Zen Buddhist practices into all your everyday activities
greatly enhances the quality of your quiet seated meditation.
Hakuin with Staff Refer to my webpage on the Staff.
We spend the day with Alicia, Sean, Mick and April at Alicia's house. We
enjoyed many
fine foods, drink and conversation. The Christmas dinner was an elegant
prime rib
roast with many vegetables and wine. We shared presents and
conversation.
We spend the evening at Mick and April's apartment. We watched Kill Bill, Part I.
December 24, Friday, 2004
"A resolute determination is the truest wisdom."
- Napoleon
I did my Morning
Exercise Program for 90 minutes:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan.
Learning and practicing the Wild
Goose (Dayan) Qigong 64 Movement Form.
We spend the day with Alicia, Sean, Mick and April at Alicia's house. We
shopped
at a few fine markets for excellent food for the party. We enjoyed many
fine foods, drink and conversation. Sean played rock and roll music all
day. A good
friend of Alicia, Marian stopped by to announce her engagement
today.
December 23, Thursday, 2004
"We shrink from change; yet is there anything that can come
into being without it?"
- Marcus Aurelius
We left Red Bluff, California, at 6:15 am, and we arrived in Portland,
Oregon,
at around 3:30 pm. The weather was clear and cool. There was no snow
or
rain during the drive north. It had not rained in Red Bluff for over two
weeks.
We visited with April Scott briefly and gave her presents from her father and
sister.
Then we went to Alicia and Sean's house. We enjoyed a nice dinner at the
German restaurant.
December 22, Wednesday, 2004
"Progress in every age results only from the fact that there are
some men and women who refuse to believe that what they know
to be right cannot be done."
- Russell W. Davenport
Updated my webpages for my Yoga Class and Taijiquan and Qigong class
at the Tehama Family Fitness Center: Posted them at TFFC.
Yoga Class 2005, Thursday and Saturday
Taijiquan and Qigong Class 2005, Saturday
Full-Body
Flexibility. By Jay Blahnik. Human Kinetics, 2003.
216 pages.
ISBN: 0736041508.
I did my Morning
Exercise Program for 90 minutes:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan.
Learning and practicing the Wild
Goose (Dayan) Qigong 64 Movement Form.
Studying the
ACE
Personal Trainer Manual for the upcoming certification exam.
December 21, Tuesday, 2004
"A will finds a way."
- Orison Swett Marden
Explore Tantric Ecstatic Left Hand Path - 6 Hours from 5 am - 11 am.
Rest, read, nap, and reflect in the afternoon.
December 20, Monday, 2004
"If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few
things
are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not
by strength, but perseverance."
- Samuel Johnson
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan for 90 minutes
in the morning (7:00- am).
Finish review of Part III of Yang
Style Long Form. Studying the
ACE
Personal Trainer Manual.
Shoveling gravel in the driveway and sheds - 6 hours of very hard work outdoors.
"The obstacles that distract thought are disease, apathy, doubt, carelessness,
indolence, dissipation, false vision, failure to attain a firm basis in yoga,
and restlessness."
- Pantanjali, Yoga Sutra (1.30), 200 CE, Translated by
Barbara Stoler Miller.
"The first, sickness (vyadhi), is a physical obstacle, but the
other eight can
be considered mental. These include languor (styana), doubt (samshaya),
heedlessness (pramada), sloth (alasya), dissipation (avirati),
false
vision (bhranti-darshana), nonattainment of yogic states (alabdha-bhumikatva),
and instability in these states (anavasthitatva)."
- Richard Rosen, The Yoga of Breath, p. 39.
Stretching
in the Office. By Bob Anderson and Jean Anderson. Shelter
Pubs.,
2002. 112 pages. ISBN: 0936070293.
Added entries to my Flexibility and Stretching webpage.
December 19, Sunday, 2004
"It's the constant and determined effort that breaks down all
resistance and sweeps away all obstacles."
- Claude Bristol
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan for 120 minutes
in the morning (7:00- am).
Review Part III of Yang
Style Long Form.
Studying the ACE
Personal Trainer Manual every day. Today I studied about
the leadership skills required in the Personal Fitness Trainer.
Stretching.
20th Anniversary Edition. By Bob Anderson and Jean
Anderson.
Shelter Pub., 2000. 223 pages. ISBN: 0936070226.
Help around the house. Shoveling graveling and digging sump holes.
Debbie and Jordan come over for dinner around 3 pm. We enjoyed a feast of
shrimp, gumbo, fresh bread, vegetables, cheesecake, and coffee.
Reading:The
Yoga of Breath: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pranayama.
By Richard Rosen. Foreword by Rodney Yee. Illustrations by Kim
Fraley.
Boston, Shambhala, 2002. Index, notes, 304 pages. ISBN:
1570628890.
December 18, Saturday, 2004
"It's easier to go down a hill than up it but the view is much better at
the top."
- Henry Ward Beecher
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan for 70 minutes
in the morning (7:00- am).
Review Part III of Yang
Style Long Form.
Teach Taiji and Qigong from 9:30-11, and Yoga form 11-12:30 at TFFC.
Informed students about the new schedule for Saturdays starting in
January 2005.
Shoveling gravel and digging sump holes.
Studying the ACE
Personal Trainer Manual every day. Today I studied about
strength training.
December 17, Friday, 2004
"Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must
do."
- Johann von Goethe
Start winter break from CUESD work. I am off work until January 3, 2005.
My main focus for the next two weeks will be to study the ACE
Personal Trainer Manual
every day. I will be prepared for the upcoming exam in
February.
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan for 90 minutes
in the morning (6:30- am).
Review Part III of Yang
Style Long Form.
Qigong and Taiji class with Kevin Weaver from 9 -10:20 am at TFFC.
Weightlifting: squats, bench press, bicep curls, upright rows.
Attend Maywood staff luncheon at Mexican restaurant in Corning at 1:30.
Teach arithmetic to a neighbor taking a math test.
"Julie, I am not familiar with the Five Clouds
Meditation method to which you
referred.
December 16, Thursday, 2004
"Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us
the
determination to make the right things happen."
- Peter Marshall
Work for CUESD 7:30 - 4:00:
Weightlifting for 45 minutes: pulldowns, reverse leg curls, forearms, dumbell
shrugs (85lbs)
Teach the evening yoga class from 5:30-6:45 at TFFC.
Watch Lakers vs Sacramento on TNT television. The Lakers really
played a
fast, athletic, and accurate shooting game. They surprised me!
"Dear Mr Garofalo,
Thank you for your excellent website. I have been doing Qigong Shibashi
for
several months and recently started a beginners' Tai Chi class. In my
area,
there are two main schools, one of which teaches full Yang form broken up
into six levels, and the other teaches Beijing 24, 42 Competition, 32
sword
and 42 sword.
I decided to go with the Beijing 24, which is broken into a beginners class
teaching
Beijing 12, and even shorter form, and the follow on class which teaches the
rest of
the moves for Beijing 24.
I have found many book and web resources for B 24, but nothing on B 12,
aside from references to it's existence. Maybe it is just something people
do on the way to B 24 and more advanced forms?
My question is, do you know of any web resources for Beijing 12, even a
list of the moves in correct order? I would be most grateful.
Yours sincerely, Robert Shields, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia."
Dear Mr. Shields,
I have not heard of a Beijing 12 Yang style. Dr. Paul Lam
has created some short forms blending Yang and Sun styles
that are 8-12 movements. Chen Xiaowang has a 17 Chen form.
Maybe the people are just dividing the 24 form into two parts,
like others have divided the Yang long 108 into 6 parts (as I do
on my website) for teaching purposes.
I think your choice of "Beijing 24, 42 Competition, 32 sword and 42
sword"
is an excellent one. The standard Beijing 24 Yang and standard 32 sword
are
really good forms for those starting to learn Taijiquan. You will enjoy
yourself, and benefit greatly from the experience.
Thanks for the positive feedback about my website.
Best wishes for a fine summer,
Mike Garofalo
December 15, Wednesday, 2004
"Men who are resolved to find a way for themselves will
always find opportunities
enough; and if they do not find them, they will make them."
- Samuel Smiles
Added links to the webpage on Willpower.
Work for CUESD 7:30 - 2:00:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan for 90 minutes
in the afternoon.
Review Part III of Yang
Style Long Form.
Little gardening to do because the recent rains have left the soil damp.
The cool and cold weather has removed all the leaves from the deciduous
trees. I fertilized all the evergreens before the rains. I water the
potted
plants on the front and back porch on a regular basis.
December 14, Tuesday, 2004
"Mind is all that counts."
- Robert Collier
Work for CUESD 7:30 - 1: Writing and grant research.
Weightlifting for 45 minutes: Squats, bench press, bicep curls, tricep
extensions.
Yoga class with Gudrun Volpat from 5:30-6:45 at TFFC. I
was totally out of energy
by the end of the workout.
Confirmed my 2005 teaching schedule with Cori Dittner, Program Coordinator,
at TFFC:
I will be teaching Yoga on Thursdays and Saturdays, and Taijiquan on
Saturdays. I filed
paperwork for the YogaFit Level I certificate.
December 13, Monday, 2004
"In order to excel, you must be completely dedicated to your chosen
sport.
You must also be prepared to work hard and be willing to accept
constructive
criticism. Without a total 100 percent dedication, you won't be able to do
this."
- Willie Mays
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan for 90 minutes
in the morning (7:00- am).
Review Part III of Yang
Style Long Form.
Studying the ACE
Personal Trainer Manual every day. Today I studied about
strength training.
Attend the Tehama County Library employees workshop at the TCDE
library
in Red Bluff in the afternoon. Christmas shopping
afterwards.
Weightlifting for 45 minutes in the afternoon at TFFC: Back, forearms, leg curls.
Studying the ACE
Personal Trainer Manual every day. Today I studied about
strength training.
"Greetings Michael P. Garofalo,
Your website lists [http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/cheng1.htm] what I
think is a dvd entitled: Listing of Movements, Cheng Man-Ch'ing, 37
Movements
Short Form, Yang Style, Master Cheng Man-Ch'ing (1901 - 1975)
as "coming in December 2004". Has this actually appeared?
I've been
searching for a good TCC Yang style, short form dvd and haven't found much
out there of worth. My thanks, in advance, for any help you can provide!
David Lee"
David,
I'm a little behind in web publishing now that I am teaching Tai Chi, Qigong,
and
Yoga at a local large fitness center. I'm not sure I will ever "catch
up" - and that
is OK by me.
Get hold of the Wayfarer publications catalog for purchasing videotapes
of
the Cheng Man-ch'ing short form. There is a nice quality production by
Terry Dunn.
Robert Cuckrow's videotape is very grainy and dark. These are listed in my
Cheng Man-ch'ing
webpage.
Best wishes, Mike
December 12, Sunday, 2004
"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find that the harder I work, the more
I have of it."
- Thomas Jefferson
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan for 90 minutes
in the morning (7:00- am).
Review Part III of Yang
Style Long Form.
Teach Greg Tai Chi.
Studying the ACE
Personal Trainer Manual every day. Today I studied about
strength training.
Karen and I put up Christmas lights and decorate tree. Shoveling gravel
into
the driveway.
December 11, Saturday, 2004
"It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it
fails, admit it frankly
and try another. But above all, try something."
- Franklin Roosevelt
Teach Taiji and Qigong from 9:30-11, and Yoga form 11-12:30 at TFFC.
Work around home on garage, shed and garden areas. Winterize sheds.
Studying the ACE
Personal Trainer Manual every day. Today I studied about
strength training.
Dealing with a mild cold.
December 10, Friday, 2004
"Any significant long-term change requires long-term practice, whether that
change has to do with playing the violin or learning to be a more open,
loving person. We all know people who say that they have been permanently
changed by experiences of a moment or a day or a weekend. But when you
check it out you'll generally discover that those who ended up permanently
changed had spent considerable time preparing for their life-changing
experience or had continued diligently practicing the new behavior
afterward."
- Michael Murphy and George Leonard
Northwest Yoga and Meditaiton Festival, Seattle, April 28-May 1, 2005.
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan for 90 minutes
in the morning (6:30- am).
Review Part III of Yang
Style Long Form.
Weightlifting for 45 minutes, and then Qigong and Taiji class with
Kevin Weaver from 9 -10:20 am at TFFC.
Work for CUESD 12:00 - 4:00: Finish Maywood Book Sale.
Prepare paperwork for Yoga Fit Level 1 certificate and mail.
Studying the ACE
Personal Trainer Manual every day. Today I studied about
strength training.
December 9, Thursday, 2004
"Ichigo ichie" means "one meeting, one life." in Japanese.
The expression is used in the tea ceremony and highlights
the fact that each experience is unique, an event in and of
to itself, precious, memorable in its own right, special,
an event that will never come again.
Nourishing
the Essence of Life: The Outer, Inner and Secret Teachings of Taoism.
By Eva Wong. Boston, Shambhala, 2004. 112 pages.
ISBN: 1590301048.
Work for CUESD
7:30 - 3:30: Work Book Sale before school,
during break, during lunches. Writing and grant research.
I taught the yoga class from 5:30-6:45 at TFFC.
"A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves
simply as something to aim at."
- Bruce Lee
"Good
day from South Africa. Thanks for the informative site and welcome links. I have
been practising Beijing Wu style and a bit of Yang style tai chi for the last 2
years and it has truly improved my overall health. We did a few silk reeling
exercises in class, which I found very stimulating. ... I tried to search
the web for info but cannot find something worthwhile. Are you in a position to
refer me to a source on this subject, any good books or video's to recommend, or
perhaps some thoughts of your own?
Regards, Johan
Maritz
Johan,
Chen
Style Tai Chi teachers always introduce silk reeling
exercises to their students. Nearly every Chen style instructional
videotape/DVD includes some silk reeling exercises. Yang style
teachers demonstrate discuss silk reeling exercises much less.
Chen
Style Taijiquan: Chan Si Gong - Internal Spiral Energy, Part 1.
Instructional videotape
by Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang.
Eighteen
Postures Silk Reeling for All Ti Chi Chuan. Instructional videotape
by Shifu Jiang Jian-ye. 71 minutes, VHS. Instruction and multiple
demonstrations.
Capital District Tai Chi and Kung Fun, Albany, New York.
Website: Jiang's Tai Chi Videos. CDTKA,
1997.
Sinking,
relaxed, turning, imagining a sphere in the Dan Tien
(manipura chakra) turning on a horizontal or vertical axis,
breath coordinated with circular-spiraling movements,
learing specific forms, mind leading chi, drawing and discharging,
and lots of esoteric aspects of qigong.
Get
into Chen Tai Chi and you will learn much about
silk reeling. Refer to my website on silk
reeling.
Best wishes for a fine summer, Mike Garofalo
December 8, Wednesday, 2004
"Gongfu is an ancient Chinese term describing work/devotion/effort
that
has been successfully applied over a substantial period of time, resulting
in a degree of mastery in a specific field. Although the term is
synonymous
in the West with martial arts (though it is most over rendered Kung Fu),
it
is equally applicable to calligraphy, painting, music, or other areas of
endeavor."
- Andy James
The
Taijiquan Classics: An Annotated Translation. By Barbara Davis
and Chen Wei-ming.
San Francisco, North Atlantic Books, 2004. 200 pages. ISBN:
1556434316.
Work for CUESD
7:30 - 2:00: Work Book Sale before school,
during break, during lunches. Writing and grant research.
Fighting off a sore throat and sinus problem. Rest at home in the
afternoon
and evening - no exercise today. REST!!! REST!!! Lots of
chicken soup.
December 7, Tuesday, 2004
"Those that only take a nibble here and a nibble there
will never attain anything ... Those who really want to be
yogis must give up, once and for all, this nibbling at
things. Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life -
think of it, dream of it, live on that idea."
- Swami Vivekananda
Work for CUESD
7:30 - 3:00: Work Book Sale before school,
during break, during lunches. Writing and grant research.
Fighting off a sore throat and sinus problem. Rest at home in the
afternoon
and evening - no exercise today. REST!!! REST!!! Lots of
chicken soup.
Yin
Yoga: Outline of a Quiet Practice. By Paul Grilley.
Ashland, Oregon,
White Cloud Press, 2002. 118
pages. ISBN: 1883991439. MGC.
December 6, Monday, 2004
"Each new day beckons you to walk on the road of self-transcendence.
We transcend ourselves, we do not compete with others. We compete
only with our previous achievements, and we get joy. Life is nothing
but a
perpetual possibility."
- Sri Chinmoy
Work for CUESD 7:30 - 3. Book Sale setup at Maywood, writing. .
Fighting off a sore throat and sinus problem. Rest at home in the
afternoon
and evening - no exercise today. REST!!! REST!!!
Reading the The
Spiritual Legacy of the Shaolin Temple: Buddhism, Daoism,
and the
Energetic Arts, by Andy James.
Richard,
Many scientific studies have shown that mild expercise benefits those suffering
from depression, insofar as the depressive epsiodes are less frequent or
less
severe. Exercise increases the rate and volume of oxygen
consumption.
I recommend walking and the books at: http://www.egreenway.com/wellbeing/walk.htm.
Specific breathing techniques used in Yoga (called pranayama) and in Chinese
Qigong,
have helped persons with depression. For my recommendations on good books
to
read, loook at http://www.egreenway.com/wellbeing/breathing.htm
Among the newer books, I like:
Free
Your Breath, Free Your Life. How Conscious Breathing Can Relieve
Stress,
Increase Vitality, and Help You Live More Fully. By Dennis Lewis.
Boston,
Shambhala Press, 2004. Index, recommended reading, 193 pages.
ISBN: 1590301331. Reviews.
MGC.
Best wishes for better health,
Mike Garofalo
December 5, Sunday, 2004
"Never give up, for this is just the place and
time that the tide will turn."
- Harriet Beecher Stowe
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan for 60 minutes
in the morning (8:00- am).
Review Part III of Yang
Style Long Form.
Teach Greg Taiji.
Set up Yule holidays decorations around the house. Relax, read, and
go to
bed early. Fighting off a sore throat and sinus
problem.
Added text and links to the webpage on the Eight Section Brocade Qigong.
December 4, Saturday, 2004
Yoga" is a light which, once lit, will never dim.
The better you practice, the brighter the flame."
- B. K. S. Iyengar
Teach Taiji and Qigong from 9:30-11, and Yoga form 11-12:30 at TFFC.
Watched the USC and UCLA game on television. Final game of the regular
season for both teams. Being a USC sports fan since my childhood,
and a Master's
degree graduate of USC, I naturally am very pleased with the USC football
team this year.
They won the National Championship last year, and have been ranked as the #1
college football team all season, and are undefeated at 10-0. I have
watched all
their games that have been on television this season.
My father, Michael James Garofalo, attended USC in the 40's. He played
football for a
year under Howard Jones. Injuries and World War II prevented him from
having
football success. He was a star in high school football. When
I was a child, my dad
took my brothers and I to many USC football games at the Colesium in Los
Angeles.
We always listened to USC football games on the radio, and watched on
TV.
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan for 90 minutes
in the afternoon (4:00- am).
Review Part III of Yang
Style Long Form.
The
Spiritual Legacy of the Shaolin Temple: Buddhism, Daoism, and the
Energetic Arts.
By Andy James. Foreword by Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson.
Summerville, MA, Wisdom
Publications, 2004. 179 pages. ISBN: 0861713524. MGC.
Added links to the Taijiquan Links webpage.
December 3, Friday, 2004
"Eden is that old-fashioned House
We dwell in every day
Without suspecting our abode
Until we drive away."
- Emily Dickinson
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan for 90 minutes
in the morning (6:30- am).
Review Part III of Yang
Style Long Form.
Weightlifting for 45 minutes, and then Qigong and Taiji class with
Kevin Weaver from 9-10:20 am at TFFC. We
did a stretching warm up (similiar
to the Sun Saluation), Temple Qigong, Long Taiji form, and Six Star
Qigong.
Weights: back, bench press, squats, wrist curls.
Clean house and yard, and do chores: fireplace wood, water, rake lawns.
Added links to the webpage on Willpower.
Studying the ACE
Personal Trainer Manual every day. Today I studied about
strength training.
December 2, Thursday, 2004
"The secret of happiness
lies in taking a genuine interest in all
the details of daily life, and in elevating them to art."
- William Morris
Work for CUESD
7:30 - 4:00: Reading First Grant meeting,
Tech plan, library annual report.
Chatted with people in the gym, and then taught the 5:30-6:45 yoga class at TFFC.
It was the first time that I taught this class. I followed the routine the
Gudrun
Volpat uses. I got some positive feedback from a number of the 8
people
attending. I felt good about my teaching work.
Added links to the webpage on the Five Animal Frolics.
Keeping a detailed daily journal of
exercise and diet program. I am
taking constructive and planned action to loose 10 pounds. I need
to
work on reducing eating at the dinner meal.
Her hair smelled so fresh,
my lips watered.
I stopped and stared hard
at the hair in my soup.
December 1, Wednesday, 2004
"To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing."
- Eva Young
Work for CUESD
7:30 - 4:00: Completing work on the new 70
page CUESD District Technology Plan, prepare proposal for Maywood
Site Council, solve Olive View web problems.
Rest in the evening. Yoga and Taijiquan practice for 60 minutes at home.
Setbacks add some salt to every sweet success.
Temperatures have dropped to 34 degrees at night and to 52 during the
day. Relatively speaking, this is cold for most of us. You see more
people
starting to suffer from colds and the flu.
Added links to the webpage on Taiji Ruler.
Gravelpit pools
reflect the dawn -
I yawn.
A New Weekly Workout Plan
Monday
Beat around the bush
Lift myself up by the bootstraps
Make mountains out of mole hills
Jump to conclusions
Climb the walls
Tuesday
Drag my heels
Make my point
Push my luck
Pull my own load
Hit the nail on the head
Wednesday
Bend over backwards
Jump on the Band Wagon
Grab all I can get
Run around in circles
Shoulder my share of responsibility
Thursday
Shop till I drop
Hang loose
Grind to a halt
Rest and recuperate
Friday
Push it to the limit
Pull out all the stops
Add fuel to the fire
Pave the roadway to hell
Throw it all away
Saturday
Open a can of worms
Put my foot in my mouth
Start the ball rolling
Go over the edge
Sunday
Pick up the pieces.
Wade through the morning paper
Lift my spirits
Toot my own horn
© Michael P. Garofalo, 2004, All Rights Reserved
Cuttings: Haiku and Short Poems
Cloud Hands: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Ch'i Kung Website
Tai Chi Chuan, Taijiquan, T'ai Ch'i Ch'uan,
Tai Chi, Tai Ji Quan, Taiji, Tai Ji Chuan, Tie Jee Chewan
Walking, Gardening, Weightlifting, Yoga, Meditation, Stretching, Exercise,
Physical Fitness
Chi Kung, Qi Gong, Qigong, Chee Gung, Qi, Chi, Tu Na, Dao Yin, Yi, Neigong, Gung
Fu
Valley Spirit Blog, Gu Shen Blog, Valley
Spirit Taijiquan Journal, Tai Chi Diary
Tai Chi Chuan, Taijiquan, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Tai Chi, Tai Ji Quan, Taiji, Tai Ji
Chuan, Tie Jee Chewan
Chi Kung, Qi Gong, Qigong, Chee Gung, Qi, Chi, Tu Na, Dao Yin, Yi, Neigong,
Tai Chi Journal, Tai Chi Diary, Taijiquan Journal, T'ai Chi Ch'uan Journal
Ch'i Kung Journal, Ch'i Kung Diary, Qigong Journal, Qigong Blog, Qigong Diary
Yoga Journal, Yoga Blog, Yoga Diary
Walking Journal, Walking Blog, Walkng Diary
Meditation Journal, Meditation Blog, Meditation Diary
Valley Spirit Taijiquan Journal Blog
Cloud Hands Tai Chi Journal
Taijiquan Notes, Comments, Reflections
Alphabetical Subject Index
Cloud
Hands Website
Taijiquan, Qigong, Taoism, Classics,
Weapons: Sword and Staff
Fitness and Well Being Website
Gardening, Meditation,
Walking, Yoga, Strength Training,
Fitness for Older Persons, Aerobics, Relaxation
The Spirit of Gardening
2,700 Quotes Arranged by 130 Topics,
History, Guides,
Psycho-Spiritual Aspects of Gardening
Web Guides, Bibliographies, Links, Directories, Quotes, Notes
Alphabetical Subject Index
Alphabetical Subject Index to the Cloud Hands Website
Ancient Goddesses - Quotations, Poems, Sayings, Prayers, Songs
Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi): Tiger, Bear, Crane, Deer, and Monkey
Arthritis Therapy - Exercise: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Chi Kung
Bear, Standing Bear, Level 1 Ranking, Valley Spirit Taijiquan
The Bear: The Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)
Bird - Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)
Blog - Valley Spirit Journal by Michael P. Garofalo
California (Northern) T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information
Charkas (Energy Centers of the Subtle Body)
Ch'i Kung: Bibliography and Links
Ch'i Kung Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California
Classes, Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Instructional Program
Cloud Hands: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Ch'i Kung
Cloud Hands T'ai Chi Ch'uan Journal
Cold Mountain Poets: Wanderers, Mystics, and Sages
Confucius (K'ung Fu-tzu) (551 - 479 BCE)
Crane - Bird - Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)
Crane, Soaring Crane, Intermediate Program, Level 3, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Cuttings: Short Poems by Michael P. Garofalo
The Deer: The Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)
Diabetes Therapy - Exercise: Taijiquan and Qigong
Disclaimer of the Cloud Hands Website
Eight Section Brocade Ch'i Kung
Embrace the One - Zhan Zhuang - Standing Like A Tree
Entering Tranquility (Ru Jing) Meditation
Exercise - Diabetes Therapy - Taijiquan and Qigong
Feedback, Kudos and Reviews for the Cloud Hand's Website
Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi): Tiger, Bear, Crane, Deer, and Monkey
Five Elements (Wu-Xing) and Taijiquan
Five Stepping Movements of Taijiquan
Five Elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Metal)
Gardening: Quotes, Poems, History, Sayings
Gardening: Quips and Maxims by Michael P. Garofalo
The Four Gates: Grasping the Sparrow's Tail
Michael P. Garofalo's Biography
Michael P. Garofalo's T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Practice
The Goddess - Quotations, Poems, Sayings, Prayers, Songs
Goose - Bird - Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)
Green Way Research - Taijiquan and Qigong
Gu Shen (Valley Spirit) Taijiquan Instructional Program
Health and Fitness - T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Hidden Tiger, Beginning Program, Level 2, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Index to the Cloud Hands Website
Instructional Program, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Journal - Valley Spirit Journal by Michael P. Garofalo
Kudos for the Cloud Hands Website
Kundalini (Coiled Serpent) Energy
Kwang Ping Taijiquan of Kuo Lien Ying
Links and Bibliography: Qigong
Links and Bibliography: Taijiquan
Long Form 108 Yang Style Taijiquan
Master Chang San-Feng (circa 1350)
Master Cheng Man-Ch'ing (1901 - 1975)
Mastery, Self Control, Self Mastery, Choices, Will Power, Strength of Character
Meditation Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California
Meditation Methods and Techniques
Meditation - Standing Like A Tree
Meditation - Wu Ji - The Edge of Emptiness
Michael P. Garofalo's T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Practice
Months of the Year: Quotes, Poems, Links
Moving Hands Like Clouds: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong
Northern California T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information
Nine Movement Temple Ch'i Kung Exercise Set
Older Persons Exercise and Wellness Programs
Oregon T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information
Original Waving Hands Like Clouds URL
Photography - Valley Spirit Photography Gallery
Pranayama: Breathing Techniques from Yoga
Private Instruction by Michael P. Garofalo, Instructional Programs
Pulling Onions: The Quips and Maxims of a Gardener
Qigong: Bibliography and Links
Qigong, Ch'i Kung - Chinese Mind-Body Exercises
Qigong Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California
Red Bluff, Valley Spirit Taijiquan Instructional Program
Reviews of the Cloud Hand's Website
Self Control, Self Mastery, Choices, Will Power
Senior Citizens Fitness Programs
Sensing Hands: Push Hands - T'ui Shou
Shoong, Sung, Song - Loose, Relaxed, Open, Yielding, Responsive
Short Form, Yang Style, Beijing Simplified 24
Simplified 24 From, Yang Style
Soaring Crane, Intermediate Program, Level 3, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Speaking to the Spirit Meditation
Staff Weapons: Jo, Bo, Can, Staff, Spear
Standing Bear, Level 1 Ranking, Valley Spirit Taijiquan
Standing Like A Tree - Zhan Zhuang
Stork - Bird - Five Animal Frolics
Subject Index to the Cloud Hands Website
Swordsmanship and T'ai Chi Ch'uan
T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Bibliography and Links
T'ai
Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information, Workshops
Northern California,
Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia
T'ai Chi Ch'uan Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California
T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Red Bluff, CA
T'ai Chi Ch'uan Short Form, Beijing Simplified 24, Yang Style
T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Links and Bibliography
Taijiquan: Bibliography and Links
Taijiquan For Good Health, Fitness and Vitality
Taijiquan Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo in Red Bluff, California
Taoism, Nature Mysticism, Alchemy
Temple Qigong - A Nine Movement Exercise Set
Thirteen Postures: 8 Gates and 5 Steps
Thirteen Treasures Walking Qigong
The 300 Missing Poems of Han Shan
The Tiger: The Five Animal Frolics (Wu Qin Xi)
Tiger, Hidden Tiger, Beginning Program, Level 2, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Tree Qigong - Zhan Zhuang - Standing Like A Tree
Trees - Quotations, Poems, Lore, Wisdom
Trees - Lore, Magick, Myths, Magick
Valley Spirit Journal by Michael P. Garofalo
Valley Spirit Photography Gallery
Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan Club
Valley Spirit Taijiquan Instructional Program
Valley Spirit Taijiquan and Qigong Journal by Michael P. Garofalo
Vancouver, B.C., T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools
Walking - General Fitness Exercise
Washington T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Directory: Instructors, Schools, Information
Waving Hands Like Clouds: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong
Will Power, Self Control, Self Mastery, Choices, Strength of Character
Yoga Class, TFFC, Red Bluff, CA
Yang Style Taijiquan Long Form 108 Movements
Yang Style Taijiquan Short Form 24 Movements
Yin-Yang Sensitivity Training: Sticking Hands - T'ui Shou
Yoga Class, Red Bluff, CA - Instructor: Michael P. Garofalo
Zhan Zhuang - Standing Like A Tree
Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan Club
Red Bluff, Tehama County, North Sacramento Valley, Northern California, U.S.A.
Cities and small towns in the area: Oroville, Paradise, Durham, Chico, Hamilton
City,
Corning, Rancho Tehama, Los Molinos, Vina, Tehama, Proberta, Gerber,
Manton, Cottonwood, Olinda, Cloverdale, Dairyville, Bend, Centerville,
Summit City
Anderson, Shasta Lake, Palo Cedro, Igo, Ono, Redding, Shasta, Colusa, Willows,
Richfield, Fall River, Montgomery Creek, Alturas, McCloud, Dunsmuir, Yreka,
Happy Camp,
Shingletown, Burney, Mt. Shasta City, Weaverville, Williams, Chester, Orland,
Susanville, Weed, Gridley, Marysville, Yuba City, NorCalifia, CA, California.
November 14, 2004
Cloud Hands: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Ch'i Kung
