Blog Archives

Happy Halloween everydaytaichi mystery lesson...

10/31/2013

The Heisman among the pumpkin patch at Half Moon Bay, California.

Today's Lesson #8 was a "mystery" lesson. everydaytaichi lucy said because it's Halloween we should have a different kind of lesson. " I will let you figure out what my focus is instead of telling you." everudaytaichi students were quick to observe and comment that there was:

1. NO music
2. NO instructions
3. NO camera ... no filming
4. NO Victor
5. NO counting

For about 25 minutes we did all our warm up exercises, tai chi walk and Yang 24 and 10 Form without any instructions. This is not the norm.

We had no audio cues and had to watch others or do our own tai chi. A few said that it was nice because they got carried away and did thier own thing. They went with the flow.

What was the purpose?
everydaytaichi lucy wanted her students to understand that at some point you have to have the confidence and trust that you can depend on yourself and do tai chi independent of others.

You gradually internalize your tai chi and take ownership of what you do, feel and want in your journey to learn tai chi.

We all have our own GPS so to speak. Turn it on, listen and follow and get to your own destination.

It is your path you develop in finding peace, happiness and balance in life.

Happy Halloween...this article on GPS Guide seems to be quite appropriate for today...

10/31/2013

GPS Guide: Rob White's Tips For Greater Happiness
Posted: 10/31/2013 8:24 am EDT
how to be happy
GPS for
the Soul

The stress and strain of constantly being connected can sometimes take your life -- and your well-being -- off course. GPS For The Soul can help you find your way back to balance.

GPS Guides are our way of showing you what has relieved others' stress in the hopes that you will be able to identify solutions that work for you. We all have de-stressing "secret weapons" that we pull out in times of tension or anxiety, whether they be photos that relax us or make us smile, songs that bring us back to our heart, quotes or poems that create a feeling of harmony, or meditative exercises that help us find a sense of silence and calm. We encourage you to look at the GPS Guide below, visit our other GPS Guides here, and share with us your own personal tips for finding peace, balance and tranquility.

By Rob White

It's wise to understand that, in every moment, you are about as happy as you assume it's your right to be. And, it's profoundly relieving when you trust that it’s your birthright to be happy and enjoy life.

If, right now, you were to rate your life by laughter, where would you place yourself on a scale of one to 10? If you find that you're living lower than eight on the Happiness Scale, it's important to accept the fact that only one person can help elevate your attitude -- and that person is you.

When you catch yourself wandering down an alley where dark thoughts exist, you always have the power to flip the switch and turn on the light. You flip the switch by looking beyond "the imperfections of life." Where your attention goes, your feelings flow. Scroll through the list below and find five tips to help you look beyond the imperfections and turn on the light.

1. Joy and happiness are your natural states.
Rob White
Every morning, before getting out of bed, take time to remind yourself that it's a brand new day and opportunities to be happy will come in many ways. Say, "I am receptive to experiences that lift my spirit high today."
2. Appreciate the idea of living long and well.
Rob White
While eating a healthy breakfast, take a moment to smile and feel grateful while saying, "Healthy food nourishes my body and healthy thoughts nourish my mind, and the combination offers me a feeling of inexhaustible vitality today." The feeling of vitality makes us feel happy and supports longevity.
3. Be grateful for gadgets and appliances that make life easier.
Rob White
Inventors give us opportunities to enjoy life in new ways. By high noon, before lunch, think of five inventions that lessen strain and tension in your life. Take a moment to say, "I love these gadgets; they lift my mood and make me laugh."
4. It is great to be alive.
Rob White
As mid-afternoon arrives, make time to throw your arms in the air and exclaim, "I find it fascinating that life has so much good in store for me." You spawn absolute positivity when you rejoice in what life offers today while eagerly anticipating the goodness that’s coming your way tomorrow.
5. It's fabulous being human.
Rob White
By the time the day's eve is upon you, and the sun is setting, offer silent gratitude for the brightness that humanity brings to the world. You're here to be happy and make the best of everything. The more you understand this, the more you live it.

Visit RobWhiteMedia.com and download the free Daily WOW! Smart Phone App. Now you can or order a free copy of Rob’s book, 180 to help you stay cool, calm and collected throughout your day.

everydaytaichi at Kahala Mall helping with Halloween costume contest

10/31/2013

Apparent Closing, Cross Hand, Closing Form...class instructions by everydaytaichi lucy

10/29/2013

Click here for Lesson #8 INTRO Class

everydaytaichi students spread everyday aloha around the world...

10/27/2013

Betty Koike strikes a tai chi pose in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Click here for more everydaytaichi friends and students who spread everyday aloha around the world.

Yang 10 Form Cloud Hands is different from Yang 24 Cloud Hands...

10/25/2013

Apparent Closing, Embrace Tiger, Closing Form...Yang Style everydaytaichi lucy

10/25/2013

Click here for NOVICE Lesson #7

everydaytaichi ken's evening catch...Two - 2 pound papio

10/24/2013

Yang Tai Chi Apparent Closing, Cross Hands, Closing Form by everydaytaichi lucy chun

10/24/2013

Click here for BEGINNERS Lesson #7: Apparent Closing, Cross Hands, Closing Form

Luk Tung Kuen Hawaii Kai welcomes the Hokulea, the Polynesian Ship

10/23/2013

Click here for more Luk Tung Kuen Hawaii Kai with Hokulea docked near by.

Click here for everydaytaichi lucy & ken welcome the Hokulea.

Tai Chi Walk, Yang 24 and Yang 10 Tai Chi by everydaytaichi lucy students at Kilauea Park

10/22/2013

Click here for INTRO Lesson #7: Grasping the Bird's Tail

a note that means so much from a someone who saw our lesson on YouTube...

10/22/2013

It is always so nice to hear from others around the world who view our website and comment on our videos, such as the one below.
To see more comments from everydaytaichi friends around the world, click here.

gyruss2008 has made a comment on Yang Style Tai Chi 24 Short Form everydaytaichi by lucy chun Honolulu, Hawaii

Your students are very lucky to have you as their teacher. I've watched a number of your youtube uploads and have favourited most of them now :)

everydaytaichi lucy & ken welcome the Polynesian ship, the Hokulea in Hawaii Kai at Maunaloa Bay

10/22/2013

Click here for a video of everydaytaichi's visit on the Hokulea in Hawaii Kai

From May-October 2013, the two wa‘a kaulua will sail 1,000-miles statewide, with stops at 30 ports, before departing for Tahiti in May 2014.

The Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) was founded in 1973 to carry out an experiment that would help answer some questions: how did the Polynesians settle the far-flung islands of the mid-Pacific – by accident or by design? Did their canoes and their knowledge of navigation enable them to sail purposefully over the vast sea distances between Pacific islands? PVS began with the building of a replica of a Hawaiian voyaging canoe, Hōkūle‘a, launched in 1975, to explore the seafaring heritage and the voyaging routes of our ancestors.

Hokulea or Star of Gladness
Ship
Hōkūleʻa is a performance-accurate full-scale replica of a waʻa kaulua, a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe. Wikipedia
Launched: March 8, 1975
Propulsion: Paddles, Sail

What are the benefits of tai chi?

10/18/2013

In China, it is believed that tai chi can delay aging and prolong life, increase flexibility and strengthen muscles and tendons, and aid in the treatment of heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, digestive disorders, skin diseases, depression, cancer, and many other illnesses. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a good deal of scientific evidence to support all of these claims. In a special study of tai chi called a meta-analysis, where many studies on one subject are reviewed, the author concludes that although there is some evidence to support the positive effects of tai chi on health, fitness, and balance and falling, most of the studies are limited by small numbers of subjects and wide variation in the type and duration of tai chi used. With that said, here are some of the documented benefits.

Balance and falling

Most of the research on tai chi has been done in older individuals in the area of balance and fall prevention. This area of research is important because fall-related injuries are the leading cause of death from injury and disabilities among older adults. The most serious fall injury is hip fracture; one-half of all older adults hospitalized for hip fracture never regain their former level of function. Because tai chi movements are slow and deliberate with shifts of body weight from one leg to the other in coordination with upper body movements (sometimes with one leg in the air), it challenges balance and one could speculate that it would help improve balance and reduce fall frequency. This has been shown in some research.

One study compared men age 65 and older who had more than 10 years of experience practicing tai chi and no involvement in any other regular sports and physical activity, with similar-aged men who had not practiced tai chi or any other physical activities (they were sedentary). It was found that the men who studied tai chi performed better on tests of balance, flexibility, and cardiovascular function. In another study involving 22 men and women aged 22 to 76 years with mild balance disorders, it was found that eight weeks of tai chi training significantly improved function on a standard balance test (called the Romberg test).

Fear of falling and improvement in self-confidence

In an interesting twist on studies of falling, researchers found that the frequency of fear of falling was reduced from 56% to 31% in a large group of adults 70 years and older who practiced tai chi regularly. Confidence about not falling, and self-confidence in general, may be an unintended benefit of tai chi but one that is certainly worth pursuing. In a similar tai chi study of older adults, 54% of the subjects who practiced tai chi attributed their improved sense of confidence to improved balance. The authors concluded that "when mental as well as physical control is perceived to be enhanced, with a generalized sense of improvement in overall well-being, older persons' motivation to continue exercising also increases."

Strength and endurance

A recent study of adults in their 60s and 70s who practiced tai chi three times a week for 12 weeks (60-minute classes) were given a battery of physical-fitness tests to measure balance, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility before and after the 12 weeks. Statistically significant improvements were observed in all balance, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility measures after six weeks, and they increased further after 12 weeks. The authors of the study concluded that tai chi is a potent intervention that improved balance, upper- and lower-body muscular strength and endurance, and upper- and lower-body flexibility in older adults.

Aerobic capacity

Aerobic capacity diminishes as we age, but research on traditional forms of aerobic exercise show that it can improve with regular training. In another meta-analytic study, researchers looked at seven studies focusing on the effects of tai chi on aerobic capacity in adults (average age 55 years). The investigators found that individuals who practiced tai chi for one year (classical yang style with 108 postures) had higher aerobic capacity than sedentary individuals around the same age. The authors state that tai chi may be an additional form of aerobic exercise.

Walking

Walking speed decreases with age and research suggests that it may be associated with an increased risk of falling. In only one study, however, was it found that individuals who practiced tai chi walked significantly more steps than individuals who did not. Walking is clearly associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic illness, and so if tai chi can improve walking, then it's certainly worth giving it a try.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders and is associated with high levels of impaired health and painful symptoms that frequently flair up without relief. The cause of FM is unknown, and there is no known cure. In a study of 39 subjects with FM who practiced tai chi twice weekly for six weeks (one-hour classes), it was found that FM symptoms and health-related quality of life improved significantly after the study. This should be good news for individuals who suffer from this disorder.

Stress

The demands of living are stressful for adults of all ages. Although one can't point to studies showing a reduction in stress from practicing tai chi (although in one study subjects who practiced tai chi did report that mental control was one of the benefits), the breathing, movement, and mental concentration required of individuals who practice tai chi may be just the distraction you need from your hectic lifestyle. The mind-body connection is one that deserves attention, as it has been reported that breathing coordinated with body movement and eye-hand coordination promote calmness. I know that when I practice yoga or tai chi, the inner sense of peace and calm is indisputable, and so I suggest that you give tai chi a chance if you're looking for a creative and physically active way to reduce how you mentally and physically respond to stress.

Some more reasons to practice tai chi:

Movements are low-impact and gentle and put minimal stress on your muscles and joints.
The risk of injury is very low.
You can do it anywhere, anytime.
It requires very little space (no excuses apartment dwellers!) and no special clothing or equipment.
You do it at your own pace.
It's noncompetitive.
It can be done in groups or by yourself (find a tai chi instructor to come to your workplace at lunch hour!).
There are lots of movements to keep you interested, and as you become more accomplished you can add those to your routine.

Yang Style Tai Chi movement: Grasping the Bird's Tail by everydaytaichi by lucy chun

10/17/2013

Click here for NOVICE Lesson #6: Grasping the Bird's Tail