Hello and welcome to read my Shaolin journal! This was partially inspired by the beautiful thread of my Sisook Santiago, but then I have always entertained the thought of keeping a regular journal to keep a detailed watch over my "inner progress." Now there is no excuse of lacking utility, so I might share with everyone my personal experiences with regular practice. You can read my introduction thread here, where I briefly went over my practice highlights to this day.
~ Let the chi flow ~
On last monday I finally learned the Lohan Art that I had waited for the most: Golden Leopard Trains Claws. The experience was not what I had anticipated after the vigorous sweetness of the Big Bird Spreads Wings purifying my hands and fingers, as I had expected something in similar vein. Instead I got through-outly consolidated internal force, the strongest so far of seven exercises, with tremendous mental clarity that had a strong view of ponderousness to it. I can certainly understand why the Northern Shaolin monks used this exercise or something similar to train their chin-na and why Sigung says that training Tiger Claws helps grasping of intellectual concepts. Considering my student status and aspriration of becoming a world class mathematician, I am certainly most interested in detailing the progress of what doing this exercise once a week for a year might already grant me. Not to mention the problem solving aspects of the forthcoming Intensive Zen Course in Dublin, haha!
My Sifu (lovely and superbly competent Nessa, in case you didn't know) asked by the end of class if any of us had interest in learning the other half of the 18 Lohan Art in the next autumn. I think about half my Shaolin siblings (lovely term) raised their arms along with yours truly, so if everything goes fine with Sifu's scheduling, we will the opportunity to complete this training soon. There are so many interesting courses this year, and I can just amaze the range of regional courses: what a buffet! I had to pass the opportunity for the Legacy of Zhang San Feng this year in Dublin because I did not have enough of my health recovered so far for me to think it as a wise commitment. Sigung will be teaching the Shaolin Five-Animal Set in Vienna, but likewise it remains a question mark for me for now. I have been slowly warming up to the UK Summer Camp which could be the perfect complement to the Zen Intensive. Then of course, how could I ever miss the chance to learn from Sigung during the proposed King's Road series?
All these opportunities are wonderful beyond doubt, but the practical question of money is becoming a hot issue for me. I live a stingy life and spend fairly frugally, but that alone is not capable of granting me financial muscle. Luckily I had some savings and could ask a favor for this time for my Dublin participation. Filling into your job application that you have been years away out of workforce because of chronic pain and a variety of other ailments which modern medicine can't treat and that you are still kind of recovering is not exactly what the usual employer is gladly looking for. Applying for a loan will not do either without employment, as I have discovered. Hopefully after Dublin I posses the magic of transforming some of my chi flow into money flow. Or maybe I can find a pot of gold at the rainbow's end?
Really looking forward to see my luck change! Yesterday I skipped the morning session out of hurry, which was a bad idea. The whole day felt like I was constantly missing the beat for good things. Experiences like this illuminate how important it is to get the chi flowing the first thing in the morning or carry on with the consequences of not having nice chi flow carrying you through out your daily affairs. To this day I have not a single day without any practice, and only seldomly skipping one of the daily sessions, but I think at this stage when my health is still not completely recovered it is very important to do a complete session of chi kung twice a day. Hopefully I will not get up on the wrong side of the bed anymore!
With sincere respect,
Olli
~ Let the chi flow ~
On last monday I finally learned the Lohan Art that I had waited for the most: Golden Leopard Trains Claws. The experience was not what I had anticipated after the vigorous sweetness of the Big Bird Spreads Wings purifying my hands and fingers, as I had expected something in similar vein. Instead I got through-outly consolidated internal force, the strongest so far of seven exercises, with tremendous mental clarity that had a strong view of ponderousness to it. I can certainly understand why the Northern Shaolin monks used this exercise or something similar to train their chin-na and why Sigung says that training Tiger Claws helps grasping of intellectual concepts. Considering my student status and aspriration of becoming a world class mathematician, I am certainly most interested in detailing the progress of what doing this exercise once a week for a year might already grant me. Not to mention the problem solving aspects of the forthcoming Intensive Zen Course in Dublin, haha!
My Sifu (lovely and superbly competent Nessa, in case you didn't know) asked by the end of class if any of us had interest in learning the other half of the 18 Lohan Art in the next autumn. I think about half my Shaolin siblings (lovely term) raised their arms along with yours truly, so if everything goes fine with Sifu's scheduling, we will the opportunity to complete this training soon. There are so many interesting courses this year, and I can just amaze the range of regional courses: what a buffet! I had to pass the opportunity for the Legacy of Zhang San Feng this year in Dublin because I did not have enough of my health recovered so far for me to think it as a wise commitment. Sigung will be teaching the Shaolin Five-Animal Set in Vienna, but likewise it remains a question mark for me for now. I have been slowly warming up to the UK Summer Camp which could be the perfect complement to the Zen Intensive. Then of course, how could I ever miss the chance to learn from Sigung during the proposed King's Road series?
All these opportunities are wonderful beyond doubt, but the practical question of money is becoming a hot issue for me. I live a stingy life and spend fairly frugally, but that alone is not capable of granting me financial muscle. Luckily I had some savings and could ask a favor for this time for my Dublin participation. Filling into your job application that you have been years away out of workforce because of chronic pain and a variety of other ailments which modern medicine can't treat and that you are still kind of recovering is not exactly what the usual employer is gladly looking for. Applying for a loan will not do either without employment, as I have discovered. Hopefully after Dublin I posses the magic of transforming some of my chi flow into money flow. Or maybe I can find a pot of gold at the rainbow's end?
Really looking forward to see my luck change! Yesterday I skipped the morning session out of hurry, which was a bad idea. The whole day felt like I was constantly missing the beat for good things. Experiences like this illuminate how important it is to get the chi flowing the first thing in the morning or carry on with the consequences of not having nice chi flow carrying you through out your daily affairs. To this day I have not a single day without any practice, and only seldomly skipping one of the daily sessions, but I think at this stage when my health is still not completely recovered it is very important to do a complete session of chi kung twice a day. Hopefully I will not get up on the wrong side of the bed anymore!
With sincere respect,
Olli
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