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"What if someone sees me?", "What if some weirdo thinks I'm mad?", "What if some weirdo thinks I'm on drugs?", "What if some weirdo thinks I'm mad and on drugs?"...or heaven forbid, "What if my boss, or that hot Spanish girl I fancy, thinks I'm mad and on drugs?"...and so on and so fourth.
I found this quite amusing.
A couple years back, I read in the newspaper that a man had been reported to the police for "erratic behavior" and "moving wildly" in a very small park by a lake here in our little Alaskan town. My immediate thought was, "It must be one of my fellow students in chi flow."
The newspaper went on to say that when the police investigated, they realized that the man with "erratic behavior" was in fact fly fishing.
Now this may sound odd, but I often think of this little news story right before I practice in public. Something about that humor lightens my shyness, and I can usually practice with no inhibitions.
Yes, I have a blockage about practicing outdoors by myself and it manifests itself in many ways: "What if someone sees me?", "What if some weirdo thinks I'm mad?", "What if some weirdo thinks I'm on drugs?", "What if some weirdo thinks I'm mad and on drugs?"...or heaven forbid, "What if my boss, or that hot Spanish girl I fancy, thinks I'm mad and on drugs?"...and so on and so fourth.
I have the same blockage! Though its in a queue behind other blockages so I don't worry about it
Also if that hot Spanish girl that you fancy see's you during practice it might become a topic that you can share a conversation about. Sharing your knowledge and experiences of the Shaolin Arts with a beautiful woman over a drink cannot be a bad thing.
Ha ha, awesome. Kevin please make this happen and let us know - you can inspire us shy practitioners all round the world, even I would practise "mad" stuff outside if I could win a beautiful Spanish girl from it!
if someone observes you during Chi Flow your behavior may make them laugh. Laughter is a good thing as this is making someone happy and what more could you do for a stranger.
Thanks for the advice John. You are right. And come to think of it, not only could you cheer their day up you could, perhaps, stoke their curiously and inspire them to learn Chi Kung for themselves. How brilliant would that be? Very!
So the strong possibility of helping others, plus the huge benefits to my own practice, should therefore mean I’ll find myself practicing in the park tomorrow morning? Right?
Blockages in our way of thinking are funny things. While one can see very well how they are constraining us, and know very well that working through them is only in our very best interest, we still let them lord over us. Or at least I do. And the incredible thing is when they are eventually worked through (as a lot of them are with daily Chi Kung practice), we look back in wonder at how completely irrational it was for them to even be a blockage in the first place!
Practicing in a public park is the latest in a long series of blockages personal to me and its only a little cat compared to some of the other tiger blockages I’ve had. It will be overcome…just not yet!
make this happen and let us know - you can inspire us shy practitioners all round the world, even I would practise "mad" stuff outside if I could win a beautiful Spanish girl from it!
Blockages in our way of thinking are funny things. While one can see very well how they are constraining us, and know very well that working through them is only in our very best interest, we still let them lord over us. Or at least I do. And the incredible thing is when they are eventually worked through (as a lot of them are with daily Chi Kung practice), we look back in wonder at how completely irrational it was for them to even be a blockage in the first place! best![/FONT][/COLOR]
Kevin,
Thanks for the conversation. Chi Kung has a way of being quite direct in showing us our blockages. Being honest with ourselves about blockages (as you have been) and viewing these blockages with humor is accepting the gift of personal transformation that our training offers us. We are truly lucky.
As a thought, what about grabbing a few of your pals and practicing together in public--the strength in numbers theory--until you're comfortable practicing on your own?
As a thought, what about grabbing a few of your pals and practicing together in public--the strength in numbers theory--until you're comfortable practicing on your own?
Thank you for the suggestion and feedback Zach.
I have practiced outdoors in public with some of my brothers and sisters in the past. My Sifu and dear brother Peter (a great man) hosted a public demo in Galway some months ago to take our beautiful arts out of the kwoon and into the public sphere for all to see. The freedom of practicing in a very wide open space and breathing in the clean fresh crisp air (we were on the shore of Galway Bay) were a revelation to me. I had an excellent day and I couldn’t care less who saw me. A number of people approached us asking about our Chi Kung. This was deeply satisfying. (as was winning the coolest teddy bear ever…but that’s a story for another day!)
Given that wonderful experience one should expect I’d have no problem practicing on my own. Yes: one should expect that. But no, that’s not the case and my excuses in trying to justify this contradiction include: (a) I don’t know anybody in Galway, (b) There was a group of us, (c) We were wearing cool Wahnam tee-shirts, (d) Brendan’s Chi flows scared all the knackers away so there was nobody there to mug us…and..and…and…but…but…but: BLOCKAGE!
Writing about this issue here on the forum has magnified it in my thinking. I need to address it. I do, I do, I do…and I will, I will, I will...just not today!
Well, I won't win the original idea award on this one, then.
Practicing outside does indeed bring greater results. My favorite places are on the beach facing the ocean, as well. But I'm fortunate to have that right outside my front door. Other than practicing with Sifu and senior brothers, my most memorable sessions have all been outdoors.
...I'm just giving you one more great reason to practice in that park.
Ah, you'll get there. And I think you've given lots of us a little extra courage in practicing in public.
I've been working on that ever since I started. When I have practiced in my fenced-off backyard I'm still doing it on my porch, worried that someone might see me from certain angles. As my anxiety has broken down I've become less concerned about it, but self-manifested chi flow is still a big thing that I feel nervous doing around people.
Even my wife makes me nervous, despite her shrugging and telling me how much she doesn't care when I try to tell her all the odd things I might do that might make me look weird.
All in all, I tend to fall back into an ego mind whenever anyone is around because my head is busy intellectualizing how they are going to see me.
Though my perspective/terminology on the whole thing might be slightly different than someone more heavily trained in this school, because I think of a lot of this as a matter of relaxing and letting go mentally than physically. Of course they both go hand in hand, but it's the mind that does all the excess work in these situations.
Either that, or I'm just ignorantly describing the same things with different words.
One Finger Shooting Zen cured me of ever worrying about what my neighbors think...practice daily (when you're ready and have learned from your Sifu) and within a week or two you're almost guaranteed to be free of all worry!
Practicing outside does indeed bring greater results. My favorite places are on the beach facing the ocean, as well. But I'm fortunate to have that right outside my front door. Other than practicing with Sifu and senior brothers, my most memorable sessions have all been outdoors. ...I'm just giving you one more great reason to practice in that park.
One Finger Shooting Zen cured me of ever worrying about what my neighbors think...practice daily (when you're ready and have learned from your Sifu) and within a week or two you're almost guaranteed to be free of all worry!
Hi Zach, Thank you again for your valuable feedback and encouragement.
In addition to my issues with practicing in a park, I also have issues with practicing in a back garden where either family members or housemates may be looking! Thinking about it now perhaps the nub of the issue is a lack of confidence on my part. Yes, it will be overcome but for now I have decided to not beat myself up over it.
(Beating myself up over things is something I used to get an A in. Now I average a B-).
I have done a lot of things over the past while for which I must give myself credit for. One example: I ended many years of vegetarianism by eating a delicious Chicken stew at my Sifu’s kwoon a few weeks ago. It was a huge moment! Being more in tune with the needs of my body through Chi Kung, the attraction to eating flesh again had been growing for some time. But I resisted as, quite simply, I liked being a vegetarian and the sense of identity it brought. And then: Bang! The blockage dissolved, I eat the stew (thank you Sifu!) and I’ve been happily eating chicken and fish since.
So practicing in that park will happen too. I can feel it.
The One Finger Shooting Zen comment was very interesting. Yes I practice this, but not everyday due to the loud sounds and living with housemates issue (another reason to practice outside!!!) which is, I’ll freely admit, plain ridiculous as I really enjoy OFSZ when I do practice it. What was it about OFSZ specifically that helped you get over worrying about what your neighbours thought? Or is that a rhetorical question?
What was it about OFSZ specifically that helped you get over worrying about what your neighbours thought? Or is that a rhetorical question?
Hello Kevin,
You're on the right track. One Finger Shooting Zen helps us to achieve a single pointed mind.
After practicing OFSZ for a couple of weeks, I sat down one morning before practice and did some helpful intellectualizing:
Practicing authentic Kung Fu and Chi Kung is a commitment to making myself a better person, and who could ever fault me for that?
Who was I trying to protect from hearing me practice?
If my neighbors hadn't heard me practicing by now, they never would.
I agree that a fair amount of this does involve confidence, at least for me. Conviction is the other word that comes to mind.
Interesting, too, on moving beyond being vegetarian. I decided something similar for myself a while back, for similar reasons. Congrats on your breakthrough.
You're on the right track. One Finger Shooting Zen helps us to achieve a single pointed mind.
After practicing OFSZ for a couple of weeks, I sat down one morning before practice and did some helpful intellectualizing:
Practicing authentic Kung Fu and Chi Kung is a commitment to making myself a better person, and who could ever fault me for that?
Who was I trying to protect from hearing me practice?
If my neighbors hadn't heard me practicing by now, they never would.
I agree that a fair amount of this does involve confidence, at least for me. Conviction is the other word that comes to mind.
Thank you again Zach for taking the time to share your thoughts and offer words of wisdom and encouragement.
Conviction is indeed a quality one needs to cultivate to set ourselves free from from the many blockages that can limit is. Conviction, confidence and courage: The three C's which require further cultivation in my practice and in my daily life. Chi Kung will show the way. It always does.
I will take on board your One Finger Shooting Zen suggestion.
Thank you for your thoughts Alex. You have some success to focus on. Well done!
You're welcome, and thank you! I appreciate the encouragement.
I was quite excited the other day as I joined my wife at a public ritual (we follow a Wiccan religious path) as a head priest in front of a good dozen people, some of whom I didn't know. This would have absolutely terrified me months ago, but I was quite relaxed and comfortable.
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