Michael P. Garofalo
Playing Fair Lady Works the Shuttles from Yang Style Taijiquan
May 2005 Valley Spirit Journal
March 2005 Valley Spirit Journal
Index to the Valley Spirit Journal
April 1, Friday, 2005
"Most
people suffer not from physical illness but from spiritual aimlessness.
They have lost sight of who they really are and what is really
valuable."
- Carl Jung
Relax around the house during the day. Reading and writing.
Posted the final version of Eight Section Brocade:
Eight
Section Brocade Qigong By Michael
P. Garofalo. 309Kb, April, 2005.
Provides information about the history and purpose of this popular Chi Kung
practice. Detailed
descriptions are provided for each of the eight movements; including information
on
movement variations, health benefits, qigong meaning, and cautions. The
document includes
the most extensive bibliography, link guide, and comments on Ba Duan Jin Qigong
resources
available anywhere. Some animated graphics are provided in linked files.
This document
is updated as new information is discovered. This qigong set is the most
popular set
practiced around the world, and is also known as: Baduanjin, Pa Tuan Jin, Eight
Silken Treasures,
Ba Duan Jin, Pal Dan Gum, Ba Duan Gin, Pa Tin Kam, Otto Pezzi di
Tesoro, Acht Delen Brokaat,
Les Huit Exercices del la Soie, Eight Silken Treasures, Brocade Qigong, Wudang
Brocade
Qigong, Brocade soft qigong (Rou Gong), Eight Treasures inner qigong (Nei Gong),
Silk Treasures
Qigong, and the first eight Buddha Lohan Hands. The document is about
80 pages long.
"Dear Mr. Garofalo:
I logged onto your website today to find some gardening quotes to use in an
announcement
that our Integrated Medicine Program is making about an intensive gardening
seminar at
our hospital. Your quotes not only served my purpose perfectly, but also
delighted me and
enlightened my day. Thank you so much for adding a bit of soul to the
experience.
Peace,"
Betsy Blazek-O'Neill, MD
Medical Director
AGH Integrated Medicine Program
New additions to Pulling Onions:
532. Springtime flows in our veins.
533. A garden is a great place for a good laugh.
534. Gardening can be a spiritual practice, and a way of smiling in the sun.
535. Where and when will we be content with always being here and now?
536. Someday the hidden waters will stop flowing, and one exhale will be our last.
537. Birth and death placed us in the Heavenly Garden, but some choose to make hell for others.
538. Sowing and reaping - the karma of becoming.
539. Trust, my friend. Don't the trees leaf out - just like that?
540. DNA steers our watery flesh, forcing us to be ourselves.
541. Work a miracle? Hah! Gardening is miracle enough.
April 2, Saturday, 2005
"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
I taught Qigong/Taiji from 10-11 am, and yoga from 11-12:15 pm at
TFFC.
Karen and I went to Redding: shopping, lunch at Outback steak house, bookstore
browsing. A beautiful overcast day - green fields everywhere.
Jivamukti
Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body and Soul. By Sharon Gannon and
David
Life. New York, Ballantine Books, 2002. Glossary, index, notes, 300
pages. MGC.
ISBN: 0345442083.
April 3, Sunday, 2005
"Eden is that old-fashioned House
We dwell in every day
Without suspecting our abode
Until we drive away."
- Emily Dickinson
I did my Morning
Exercise Program for 60 minutes:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan.
Learning and practicing the Wild
Goose (Dayan) Qigong 64 Movement Form. Listened
to Ken Cohen's "The Way of Chi Kung."
Started preparing my standard morning breakfast: oatmeal, dates,
soy milk, and butter.
Approximately 500 calories.
Taught Greg Taijiquan from 10-11 am. Practice string
figures. Worked on various
household improvement chores. Finished ETTT grant. Shopping for
new living room
sofas.
Weightlifting at
TFFC for 30 minutes, then aerobics:
Stairmaster,
bicycle, and treadmill
aerobics workout.
Working on YogaFit Level III homework assignment. Reading for ACE Personal Trainer exam.
Review YogaFit Level I Manual and practice poses.
Working on YogaFit Level III homework assignment. Reading
for ACE Personal Trainer exam.
Self-Awakening
Yoga: The Expansion of Consciousness Through the Body's
Own Wisdom. By Don Stapleton, Ph.D. Director of the Nosara Yoga
Institute,
and former Yoga Director of the Kirpalu Center. Includes CD-V of
guided
explorations. Rochester, Vermont, Healing Arts Press, 2004. 304
pages.
ISBN: 0892811838. MGC. Very useful for yoga and qigong meditators.
April 4, Monday, 2005
"To hell with reality! I want to die in music, not in reason or in
prose. People
don't deserve the restraint we show by not going into delirium in front of
them. To hell with them!"
- Louis-Ferdinand Celine
I did my Morning
Exercise Program for 60 minutes:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan.
Learning and practicing the Wild
Goose (Dayan) Qigong 64 Movement Form. Listened
to Ken Cohen's "The Way of Chi Kung."
Work for CUESD
from 9:30 - 4:30 pm. Finish and mail EETT Round 3 Grant.
Reading documents related to Reading
First project. Presented my first
program on string
figures for GATE students in the 3rd-5th grades. Some mental
and bodily relief from finishing various work projects. As William James
so aptly
observed, "Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an
uncompleted task."
Weightlifting at
TFFC for 30 minutes: Pull downs,
triceps and shoulder pull downs,
leg curls and reverse leg curls. Spin bicycling class with Lori from
5:30-6 pm
at TFFC. After
I returned home, we worked in the garden for awhile - weeding
and preparing the soil. The change to Daylight Savings Time this past
Sunday has
shifted the morning into darkness and the evening into more daylight
hours.
Review YogaFit Level I Manual and practice poses.
Working on YogaFit Level III homework assignment. Reading
for ACE Personal Trainer exam.
Daodejing:
"Making This Life Significant" - A Philosophical Translation.
Translated with introduction and commentary by Roger T. Ames and David L. Hall.
New York, Ballantine Books, 2003. Glossary, appendix, thematic index,
notes,
bibliography, 241 pages. ISBN: 0345444191. MGC.
"Dear Mr. Garofalo, I would just like to thank you for your website. It is just beautiful.
I discovered it searching for a Zen
poem to add to my term paper, and found just
what I needed. Thank you again for taking the time to put together such
a
marvelous collection. Most sincerely, Maria Monks."
April 5, Tuesday, 2005
"The past is not what it was."
- C. K. Chesterton
Work for CUESD
from 7:30 - 4:30 pm. Reading documents related to Reading
First project, supervising employees, starting on West Street library upgrade
project.
Weightlifting for 45 minutes: Bench press, squats, dumbbell curls, shrugs, triceps
kickbacks.
I enjoyed the yoga class taught by Gudrun from 5:30-6:45
pm
at the TFFC.
Working on YogaFit Level III homework assignment. Reading for ACE Personal Trainer exam.
Added quotes and notes to the Valley Spirit webpage.
April 6, Wednesday, 2005
"And no expectation of Heaven.
Rather on some fine morning to walk alone
Now planting my staff to take up a hoe,
Or climbing the east hill and whistling long
Or composing verses besides the clear stream:
So I manage to accept my lot until the ultimate home coming.
Rejoicing in Heaven's command, what is there to doubt?"
- T'ao
Yuan-ming (365-427 CE)
Work for CUESD
from 6:30 - 4:30 pm. Attend Reading First conference in Sacramento.
Patti Thurman was kind enough to drive me down with her. An inspiring
group of
educators and educational administrators at the meeting. I really enjoyed
myself,
and benefited from the information presented. I don't get to go to many
professional
development sessions, so this event was special for me. Mrs. Miller joined
us at the
conference.
Weightlifting at
TFFC for 45 minutes: Pull downs,
triceps and shoulder pull downs,
leg curls and reverse leg curls. Spin bicycling class with Tanya from
5:30-6 pm
at TFFC.
Added quotes to the Zen and Taoist Poetry webpages.
The quiet pond,
Basho wades in--
"burrrrr!"
April 7, Thursday, 2005
"Mild and moist were the months of spring;
Cool and clear is the white season of autumn.
Now the dew congeals, no longer drifting mists.
The sky is high, the landscape sharp and clear.
Soaring peaks rise from yonder mountain range --
Seen from here, their lofty beauty is unsurpassed.
Fragrant chrysanthemums deck the woods with splendor;
The green pines stand in rows above the cliff.
I admire their beauteous grandeur,
Elegant and lofty under the frost.
Holding my wine cup, I toast to the mystics
Who once roamed along the pines.
Searching for the essence I have not yet acquired,
Reluctantly I await the rising moon."
- T'ao
Yuan-ming (365-427 CE)
Work for CUESD
from 7:30 - 4:00 pm.
Weightlifting for 45 minutes: Bench press, squats, dumbell curls, shrugs, tricep
kickbacks.
I taught the Yoga class from 5:30-6:45
pm
at the Tehama Family
Fitness Center.
Added quotes to the Spirit of Gardening webpages.
Listening to and uplifted by music all evening.
"One Love - Y'all!
It might feel good, it might sound littl' somethin'
But damn the game if it don't mean nothin'.
What is game, who got game, where's the game in life
Behind the game behind the game.
I got game, she got game
We got game, they got game, he got game.
It might feel good, it might sound littl' somethin'
But fuck the game, if it ain't sayin' something."
- Public Enemy, He Got Game
April 8, Friday, 2005
"Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and
knowledge."
- Plato
Heavy rain all last night and through the morning hours.
After the rain stopped, and despite very high winds, enjoyed my Morning
Exercise Program for
90 minutes:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan.
ducklings huddled
in a ball of feathers--
April rain
Working on YogaFit Level III homework assignment. Reading for ACE Personal Trainer exam.
New Moon, 4:32 pm
Try to repair kitchen dishwasher line. Outdoor work
projects. Start on Bagua walking area
and heavy bag area.
Watching TV put me into a foul funk:
Worship at the Altar of Enron
that dirty old rag doll
uncle sam republican:
red faced, blue balled,
pasty white all over.
fucking up
poor folks again -
privatizing private parts,
or preemptively butchering for fat sheiks.
sniveling "god bless amerika,"
over and again and again,
after every preachy speechy.
lapdogs for the 'religious right,'
seldom religious and seldom right;
often pointing fingers and full of spit,
often jack-stepping pompous hypocrites.
Now don't get me wrong,
democrats sing the same sad sucking songs,
riding the vox populi and Most Hated of the Year, and
Who Do We Fear, and the politics of jeers.
April 9, Saturday, 2005
"At first, form is needed.
Then doubt and inhibition must be dispelled
Eventually, form is celebrated with joy,
And expression becomes formless."
-Deng Ming-Dao
I did the Morning
Exercise Program for 90 minutes:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan.
Taught Qigong/Taiji from 10-11 am, and yoga from 11-12:15 pm at TFFC.
Added quotes to Zen Poetry webpages.
Golden Lantern:
Buddhist and Taoist Poetry
April 10, Sunday, 2005
A monk introduced himself to the teacher Hsuan-sha, saying,
"I have just entered this monastery. Please show me
where to enter the Way."
"Do you hear the sound of the valley stream?" asked Hsuan-sha.
"Yes," said the monk.
"Enter there!"
Worked on outdoor and indoor home projects all day.
Taught Greg Taijiquan form 10-11 am.
"Thank you so much for the wonderful pages, especially those on
Han Shan, the many
approaches to Zen Buddhism, and the general intrinsic uplift to your
approaches.
Your presentations all exhibit a labor of love, and I detect in your way of
presentation,
if not an enlightened soul, then one who has glimpsed the Ox and ridden
him home
a time or two. I have some gardeners in my class who integrate their
lifestyles with
our studies. I will surely let them know of your site. I am
humbled by your devotion
to your sources."
- Lee Schultz, PhD., Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas
Sitting in the shade in the vegetable garden after weeding.
Mike Garofalo and Rowdy the dog.
April 10, 2005
Red Bluff, California
April 11, Monday, 2005
"The reality is more excellent than the report."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
I did my Morning
Exercise Program for 60 minutes:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan.
Learning and practicing the Wild
Goose (Dayan) Qigong 64 Movement Form. Listened
to Ken Cohen's "The Way of Chi Kung."
Taught a string figures class from 2-4 pm at Maywood.
Weightlifting at
TFFC for 45 minutes: Pull downs, tricep and shoulder pull downs,
leg curls and reverse leg curls. Spin bicycling class with Lori from
5:30-6 pm
at TFFC.
"This collection
is dedicated to all those who love gardens, gardening and
the Green Way. The quotations were compiled by Michael P. Garofalo, who
also has a collection of his own worthy works included on the site."
- Cincinnatti Post, Jan Penny, Winter
Inspiration, 25 February 2005
April 12, Tuesday, 2005
"There must be some primal force,
but it is impossible to locate.
I believe it exists, but cannot see it.
I see its results,
I can even feel it,
but it has no form."
- Zhuang Zi, Inner Chapters, 400 BCE
Work for CUESD from 7:30 - 3:00 pm.
Very tired and having sinus problems again. Damn!!!
No exercise and rest.
April 13, Wednesday, 2005
"Every person who uses Qi cultivation methods consistently
experiences some form of health improvement and personal access
to greater energy and power."
Roger Jahnke, OMD, The Healing Promise of Qi, p. 31
Work for CUESD
from 7:30 - 4:00 pm. Rewrite Technology Plan
edits.
Dinner in Redding at Casino with Debbie, Jordan, Karen. No exercise and rest.
April 14, Thursday, 2005
"The Ten Phases of Cultivating and Mastering Qi:
Discover Qi, Gather Qi, Circulate Qi, Purify Qi, Direct Qi, Conserve Qi,
Store Qi, Transform Qi, Dissolve Qi, Transmit Qi."
- Roger Jahnke, OMD, The Healing Promise of Qi, p. 80.
Work for CUESD
from 7:30 - 12:00 am. Attended Tehama County Literary
Festival at Red Bluff High School. I taught two 50 minute classes on
Using the Internet
to Advance Your Writing. .
Weightlifting for 45 minutes: Bench press, squats, dumbell curls, shrugs, tricep
kickbacks.
I taught the Yoga class from 5:30-6:45
pm
at the Tehama Family
Fitness Center.
April 15, Friday, 2005
"The life-force of the valley never dies-
This is called the dark female.
The gateway of the dark female-
This is called the root of the world.
Wispy and delicate, it only seems to be there,
Yet its productivity is bottomless."
- Dao De Jing, #6, Translated by Roger T. Ames and David
L. Hall
I did my Morning
Exercise Program for 60 minutes:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan.
Learning and practicing the Wild
Goose (Dayan) Qigong 64 Movement Form.
Drive to Sacramento. Attended the Level II YogaFit teacher
training workshop.
Stuart Rice was our workshop leader. 11 women and I attended this
workshop.
We did a 2 hour and 20 minute Master yoga class - an extremely vigorous power
workout.
April 16, Saturday, 2005
"Retiring to the bogs and marshes, dwelling in the vacant wilderness,
fishing and living leisurely - all this is merely indicative of
non-action. But
it is favored by the scholars of rivers and lakes, men who flee from the
world and wish to be idle. Blowing and breathing, exhaling and inhaling,
expelling the old and taking in the new, bear strides and bird stretches--
all this is merely indicative of the desire for longevity. But it is
favored
by scholars who channel the vital breath, and flex the muscles and joints,
men who nourish the physical form so as to emulate the hoary age of
Progenitor P'eng."
- Chuang Tzu, Wandering on the Way, #15, 300 BCE, Translated by
Victor H. Mair.
Participated in Day 2 of the Level II YogaFit teacher training
workshop. Two yoga workouts
today - 3 hours of vigrorous exercise.
April 17, Sunday, 2005
"From joy all beings have come,
by joy they all live,
and unto joy they all return."
- Taittiriya Upanishad
Participated in Day 3 of the Level II YogaFit teacher training workshop.
Two yoga workouts
today - 3.5 hours of vigrorous exercise. Class from 8 am to 5 pm.
Drove home to Red Bluff
from Sacramento.
April 18, Monday, 2005
"The first duty of those who really want to do yoga is to
eliminate from their
consciousness, with all the might, all the sincerity, all the endurance of which
they are capable, even the shadow of fear. To walk on the path, one must
be dauntless, and never indulge in that petty, small, feeble, nasty shrinking
back on oneself, which is fear."
- The Mother, The Sunlit Path
I did my Morning
Exercise Program for 60 minutes:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan.
Learning and practicing the Wild
Goose (Dayan) Qigong 64 Movement Form.
Caught up on paperwork and home chores.
Studying for the ACE Personal Fitness Trainer exam.
Weightlifting at
TFFC for 30 minutes: Pull downs,
triceps and shoulder pull downs,
leg curls and reverse leg curls. Spin bicycling class with Tanya from
5:30-6 pm
at TFFC.
The Queen Mother of the West descends from Heaven on a
multi-colored phoenix
and holds the sacred peaches of immortality. Embroidered satin
scroll from the
Ming Dynasty in China (1368-1644).
The
Roaring Stream: A New Zen Reader. Edited by Nelson Foster and
Jack Shoemaker.
Hopewell, New Jersey, Ecco Press, 1996. Resources, bibliography, 374 pages.
MGC.
ISBN: 0880013443.
Riding
the Ox Home: Stages on the Path to Enlightenment. By John Daido
Loori.
Edited by Konrad Ryushin Marchaj. Boston, Shambhala, 2002. Glossary,
82 pages. MGC. ISBN: 157062951X.
The Art of Just Sitting. Essential Writings on the Zen Practice of
Shikantaza. Edited by
John Daido Loori. With an introduction by Taigen Dan Leighton.
Boston,
Widsom Publications, 2002. Index, 241 pages. MGC. ISBN:
0861713273.
The Ox Herder: A Zen Parable Illustrated. By Stephanie Wada.
Translated by
Gen P. Sakamoto. George Braziller, 2002. 80 pages. ISBN:
0807615110.
Riding the Ox - A Zen
Parable. Bibliography, links, resources, quotes,
notes.
April 19, Tuesday, 2005
"I'm not crazy about reality, but it's still the only place to get a decent
meal."
- Groucho Marx
Work for CUESD
from 7:30 - 4:30 pm. Rewriting Technology Plan.
Weightlifting for 45 minutes: Bench press, squats, dumbbell curls, shrugs, triceps
kickbacks.
I enjoyed the yoga class taught by Gudrun from 5:30-6:45
pm
at the TFFC.
Studying for the ACE Personal Fitness Trainer exam.
Riding
the Ox Home: Stages on the Path to Enlightenment. By John Daido
Loori.
Edited by Konrad Ryushin Marchaj. Boston, Shambhala, 2002. Glossary,
82 pages. MGC. ISBN: 157062951X.
The
Ox Herder: A Zen Parable Illustrated. By Stephanie Wada.
Translated by
Gen P. Sakamoto. George Braziller, 2002. 80 pages. ISBN:
0807615110.
Riding the Ox - A Zen
Parable. Bibliography, links, resources, quotes,
notes.
Lots of email correspondence.
April 20, Wednesday, 2005
"All art is a vision penetrating the illusions of reality,
and photography is one form of this,
vision and revelation."
- Ansel Adams
"The Vital Importance of the Qigong Tree Hugging Experience
and Installation."
By Steven Kh Aung, M.D. Qi: The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health
and
Fitness: Spring 2005, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 36-43.
Work for CUESD
from 7:30 - 4:30 pm. Rewriting Technology Plan, library management,
grants.
Weightlifting at
TFFC for 30 minutes: Pull downs,
triceps and shoulder pull downs,
leg curls and reverse leg curls. Spin bicycling class with Tanya from
5:30-6 pm
at TFFC.
Lots of Email correspondence.
Added links to Steve Doobs Chen workshop and Grants Pass information.
April 21, Thursday, 2005
"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination."
- John Lennon
Morning Exercise Program for 60 minutes: Walking, Qigong, and Taijiquan.
Work for CUESD from 7:30 - 4:30 pm. Grants, library management, rewriting Technology Plan.
Weightlifting for 45 minutes: Bench press, squats, dumbbell curls, shrugs, triceps
kickbacks.
I taught the yoga class 5:30-6:45
pm
at the TFFC -
started the Power Yoga sequences.
April 22, Friday, 2005
"Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or
ideal."
- Earl Nightingale
Did a new routine in the TFFC weight room: stepping up and down on the high
step,
Olympic style clean and press, and heavy barbell shoulder shrugs. I really
worked
up a sweat because of the high stepping. Spin class at TFFC from 8:30-9 am
with Tanya.
Tai Chi class with Kevin Weaver from 9-11. He showed our group some moves
with
the Tai Chi Ruler.
Work for CUESD
from 12-4 pm. Finish Technology Plan, RFG grant managment
bugeting. Teach string figures to SERRF class at 4 pm.
"Tradition was once function. But today there is no
tradition. Where is there a true path?
In the past, people didn't question the teachings of Tao. There was a living
tradition, and if one
followed it, one could reasonably expect to walk a good path. ... Adopting
arcane methods
will not lead to success. We must discover Tao for ourselves. Seeking it
in the here and now
means fulfilling the spirit of tradition instead of merely copying it. How
can we ape the past?
The old ways are gone. Tao means different things to different people in
different times.
Indeed, we might say that the Tao of today leads in unprecedented directions. We
have to
adapt, but being contemporary should not be an excuse for adulteration and
shortcuts.
Once we find the true path of today, we must walk it with the same determination
as
the ancients."
- Deng Ming-Dao, 365 Tao: Daily Meditations, Tradition
April 23, Saturday, 2005
"The good society is one in which virture pays."
- Abraham Maslow
I did my Morning
Exercise Program for 90 minutes:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan.
Very overcast and cool. It had rained a little last night.
Added links to the Baguzhang webpage.
Taught Tai Chi 10-11, and Hatha yoga from 11-12:15 at TFFC.
April 24, Sunday, 2005
"Reality in our century is not something to be faced."
- Graham Greene
Raining on and off all way - very overcast and cool. I
started work on
the baguazhang training area, digging for a new water line, and planting
trees and shrubs along the north property line.
Taught Greg Taijiquan.
Work around house and reading.
"Time to say thank you!! I have just put together a new computer, and
one of the
first things I did after everything was working was to bookmark your site
again. I
have been visiting for years now, and your site is always a treat for body and
spirit." - Cate Kerr
I've been doing lots of reading and research about Baguzhang.
April 25, Monday, 2005
"Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a
preparation for
future living."
- John Dewey
I did my Morning
Exercise Program for 90 minutes:
Walking, Qigong, and
Taijiquan.
Very overcast and cool. It had rained a little last night.
Clean up garage and but ducks in dog pen. Move electric tools into
garage.
Work on kitchen dishwasher. Digging projects.
Weightlifting at
TFFC for 45 minutes: Pull downs,
triceps and shoulder pull downs,
leg curls and reverse leg curls. Spin bicycling class with Tanya from
5:30-6 pm
at TFFC.
Added links to the Green Wizard's webpage.
Way
of the Shaman. By Michael Harner. Harper San Francisco,
1990. 208 pages.
ISBN: 0062503731.
The
Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives. By Dan
Millman.
H. J. Kramer, 1984. 216 pages. ISBN: 0915811006.
Animal
Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small.
By Ted Andrews. Llewellyn, 1993. 383 pages. ISBN: 0875420281.
"Shows readers
how to identify his or her animal totem and learn how to invoke its energy and
use it for
personal growth and inner discovery."
Journeying:
Where Shamanism and Psychology Meet. By Jeannette M. Gagan,
Ph.D..
Rio Chama Publications, 1998. 177 pages. ISBN: 0964208806.
"Tai Chi is a unique art, yet
in my experience it is also best understood in relation to other
arts, sciences, and methods of personal growth. For me personally, Tai Chi
relates to six
other important worlds of engagement and expression: poetry, shamanism, martial
arts,
therapy/healing, spirituality, and living well."
- Don
Ethan Miller
April 26, Tuesday, 2005
"Freedom is born of self-discipline. No individual, no
nation, can achieve or maintain
liberty without self-control. The undisciplined
man (or woman) is a slave to his own
weaknesses."
- Alan Valentine
Work for CUESD from 7:30 - 4:30 pm. Library management projects.
Weightlifting for 45 minutes: Bench press, squats, dumbbell curls, shrugs, triceps
kickbacks.
I enjoyed the yoga class taught by Gudrun from 5:30-6:45
pm
at the TFFC.
April 27, Wednesday, 2005
"Four innate sentiments dispose people to a universal moral
sense.
These are sympathy, fairness, self-control and duty."
- James O. Wilson
Work for CUESD from 7:30 - 4:30 pm. Library management projects.
Weightlifting at
TFFC for 45 minutes: Pull downs,
triceps and shoulder pull downs,
leg curls and reverse leg curls. Spin bicycling class with Tanya from
5:30-6 pm
at TFFC.
April 28, Thursday, 2005
"Industry, thrift, and self-control are not sought because
they create wealth,
but because they create character."
- Calvin Coolidge
Work for CUESD
from 7:30 - 4:30 pm. Library management projects, Reading First
Grant Meeting.
Weightlifting for 25 minutes: Dumnbell work on shoulders and arms.
I taught the yoga class from 5:30-6:45
pm
at the TFFC. I
have decided to do two things:
1) a moderate to easy Thursday night workout, Mellow Down, Refresh for the
Weekend,
and 2) do the same routine every Thursday: start standing.
Dancing
the Dream: The Seven Sacred Paths of Human Transformation. By
Jamie Sams.
Harper San Francisco, 1998. Glossary, 265 pages. ISBN:
0062515144. MGC.
Hsing
Yi Chuan: Theory and Applications. By Liang, Shou-Yu and Yang,
Jwing-Ming.
Chinese Internat Martial Art. Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, YMAA, Yang's
Martial
Arts Association, 1990. Glossary, appendix, 221 pages. ISBN:
0940871084.
April 29, Friday, 2005
"Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control ... these three alone lead life
to sovereign power."
- Lord Alfred Tennyson
Lots of digging and garden work projects. A warm day.
Workout for 30 minutes: Machine and free weights - overall body.
Spin bicycling class with Tanya from 8:20-9
at TFFC. Tai
Chi class with Kevin
Weaver from 9-10:00 am.
Hsing
Yi Chuan: Theory and Applications. By Liang, Shou-Yu and Yang,
Jwing-Ming.
Chinese Internat Martial Art. Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, YMAA, Yang's
Martial
Arts Association, 1990. Glossary, appendix, 221 pages. ISBN:
0940871084.
Started a Hsing Yi Chuan webpage.
Reread:
Tai Chi Chuan's Internal Secrets. By Doc Fai Wong and Jane
Hallander. Burbank,
California, Unique Publications Inc., 1991. 124 pages. ISBN:
0865681473. Photos
and brief descriptions of the 108 movement Yang style long form. Brief,
but
informative, presentations about stances, chi kung, breathing, practice tips,
applications, and push hands. A good book for Yang style beginners to
purchase,
to supplement direct instruction.
Added book and video recommendations to Yang Long Form weppage.
April 30, Saturday, 2005
I did my Morning Exercise Program for 60 minutes: Walking, Qigong, and Taijiquan.
Taught Tai Chi 10-11, and Hatha yoga from 11-12:15 at TFFC.
Home chores: set up evaporative cooler system, close up acces to under
the
house to keep the dogs out, work on plumbing problem in kitchen.
Spent two hours viewing:
Yin Style Bagua Bear System, Volumes 1-10. Presented by Xie Peiqui and He
Jinbao.
Each DVD is over 2 hours long. Plum Flower Press. Instructional
media. Yin Style Bagua
Martial Arts Series. Produced by the Association
for Traditional Studies. MGC.
A parent, Lindsey A., wrote and asked:
"Hi. I have a question! I got your email address from
your website.
You seem to know a lot about energy so I picked you. I hope
you don't
mind. Here it is:
Is chi kung/qi gong a spiritual practice? Raising energy seems to be
practiced by spiritual healers of all kinds and they all seem to be
raising this "life force energy" using the same methods - breathing
guided
visualization; meditation and physical exercise.
The reason I ask is that I signed my son up for tae kwon do classes.
I
went to see the instructor before I signed the contract, and he told me he
did NOT teach anything spiritual. It then turned out that he
taught chi
kung in the higher belt classes. He insisted that it is not a
spiritual
practice. I disagree.
Please send me your views. If he would just give me my money
back I
would disappear like a puff of smoke from his life, but he is the most
stubborn person I have ever met!"
I responded,
Dear Lindsey,
The words "spiritual" and "religious" are often associated,
and sometimes thought to be the same, but I believe they
can have different meanings in usage. Some "spiritual"
practices, meditation/prayer/pilgrimages/compassion/good
works, etc., are common to many different religions.
Most martial arts make use of qigong practices. I don't
interpret these as "spiritual", and they are certainly
not religious. In martial arts, qigong practices are intended
to help with concentration, staying relaxed and calm, bringing
power/energy/strength to various parts of the body, reducing
the impact of hits to your body, controlling your temper,
respect for others, etc..
The term "Chi" (Chinese) is normally used to refer to the
power/energy/strength
we obtain from air, food, exercise, mental control, our natural
constitution, and good bodily functioning. The Chinese character
for "Chi" is steam coming off of cooking rice. It is also often
used in
traditional Chinese medicine. The term "prana" (India and Tibet)
has some of the Chinese meanings, but tends to refer more to
an esoteric/aural/spiritual body. Martial artists refer to Chi (Qi or Ki)
a lot, but never, to my knowledge to Prana. Prana is often spoken of
by people practicing Yoga. I don't recall the exact meaning of
"mana" -
was it not some kind of nutritious food that fell from from Heaven?
I know many people who practice Yoga and/or Qigong
and/or martial arts who have widely different religious and
spiritual beliefs. We all get along just fine, respect each
other's viewpoints, and work together for a peaceful and
happy world.
I hope you and your son can develop a solution to your
concerns. Martial virtues and exercise have proven
benefits for nearly everyone.
Best wishes, Mike Garofalo
www.egreenway.com
A New Weekly Workout Plan
Monday
Beat around the bush
Lift myself up by the bootsraps
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, 2005, 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
Green
Way Research
Online Publishing, Research, Indexing,
and Services
By Michael P. Garofalo
Red Bluff, California
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
Book of Changes (I Ching) and Qigong (Dao-yin)
Breathing Practices: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotes
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
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
Direction of Movements in 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
Hexagrams and Trigrams of the I Ching (Book of Changes)
Hidden Tiger, Beginning Program, Level 2, Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan
I Ching (Book of Changes) and Taijiquan and Qigong
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
Learning and Teaching Taijiquan, Qigong and Yoga
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)
Master Kuo Lien Ying (1895-1984)
Master Sun Lu-Tang (1861-1932)
Master Yang Cheng-Fu (1883-1936)
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 - Brief Biography
Michael P. Garofalo - Internal Martial Arts Practice History
Michael P. Garofalo - T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong Practice
Months of the Year: Quotes, Poems, Links
Movement Direction Instructions for Taijiquan and Qigong Forms
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
Pilates: Links, Bibliography, Resources, Quotes, Notes
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
Red Bluff, California, Qigong Classes
Red Bluff, California, Yoga Classes
Resolve, Will. Willpower, Self Control, Self Discipline
Reviews of the Cloud Hand's Website
Self Control, Self Mastery, Choices, Will Power
Senior Citizens Fitness Programs
Senior Fitness - Red Bluff, CA
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
Teaching and Learning Taijiquan, Qigong and Yoga
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
Trigrams and Hexagrams of the I Ching (Book of Changes)
Valley Spirit Fitness and Well Being Website
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
Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Qigong, and Yoga
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
Yogalates: Links, Bibliography, Resources, Quotes, Notes
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.
April 1, 2005
Cloud Hands: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Ch'i Kung
Older Persons Fitness, Exercise, Strength
Training, Tai Chi, Qigong, Personal Trainer
Senior Fitness, Exercise, Yoga, Taijiquan, Chi Kung, Yoga, Pilates, Meditation,
Walking
Mature Persons Fitness, Exercise, Strength Training, Walking, Meditation, Yoga
Senior's Fitness, Exercise, Strength Training, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Qigong, Yoga,
Meditation
Instruction, Classes, Lectures, Seminars, Training, Lessons, Group Instruction
Over 55 Fitness, Over 60 Fitness, Over 65 Fitness, Over 70 Fitness, Over 75
Fitness
Exercise, Strength Training, Tai Chi, Qigong, Yoga, Meditation, Walking
Grandmother, Grandfather, Older, Elderly, Great Grandmother, Great Grandfather
Aging, Aged, Old, Senior, Seniors, Octogenarian, Old Ones, Elder, Elders, Senior
Golden Years, Codger, Codgers, Old Man, Old Woman, Patriarch,
Matriarch, Oldster, Golden Ager, Old Timer, Geriatrics, Gerontology,
Retired Person's Fitness, Retirees, Retirement,
Retiree Fitness, Senior Fitness, Seniors' Fitness
Easy Workouts, Light Exercise, Mild Exercise, Moderate Exercise
Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Fitness Yoga, Pilates, Mat Exercises, Mindfulness
Exercises
Fitness, Exercise, Strength Training, Tai Chi, Taijiquan, Chi Kung, Qigong,
Yoga, Meditation, Walking
Personal Instruction, Classes, Lectures, Workshops, Seminars, Training, Lessons
Group Instruction