Train hard, breathe easy I teach several kung fu classes per week. At the beginning of each is a warm-up and series of conditioning exercises which I lead. The students then follow me and listen to my instructions. Therefore it’s essential that I am not only able to perform these exercises – which can be hard and fast – but that I also have enough breath left over to be […]
The world is full of competing forces – work pressures, family life, desires to conform yet stand out – yins and yangs that pull us this way and that. These create energy, and often turmoil in our lives. Taoists have spent many centuries exploring the interplay of forces, the yin and yang throughout human life and nature and they always strive to find the middle path. Only through finding equilibrium can […]
Everybody carries far too much tension around with them. This tension drains them ofenergy, pulls their body apart and resists every move they make. We are so often told to relax but not many people realise that relaxation is a skill that needs to be learned. To find out why read my book “Stress Proof Your Body”. The first and most important principle in everything I teach is ‘Relax Down’. […]
Virtually all negative emotions are based on fear. Fear is our most primal emotion and one that a great many people feel, to a greater or lesser extent, every single day. We have around 30 names for different types of fear, and many more slang words: anxiety, dread, panic, alarm, terror, dismay and so on. Two types of fear However, there really are only two types of fear you need […]
As mentioned in my book ‘Stress Proof Your Body’, one of the most popular relaxation exercises is called progressive muscle relaxation. A more efficient and powerful way to achieve the same level of relaxation, is not to tense then relax the muscles but to send a message from the brain for the muscle to lengthen. In this way you gradually train your muscles to relax at will and so defeat the […]
As anyone who comes to my classes will know I talk a lot about leg strength. Basically, without strong legs you have no real support so your upper body will be full of tension to keep your weight off your weak legs. Strengthen your legs and your upper body can then relax down onto them and you will maintain great mobility and power well into your old age. I cannot […]
Why you should stop eating As I write this I am four days into a fast. The first two days were water only and then I started eating some red grapes for the last two days. I intend to fast for 7 days eating only red grapes and drinking only water. Why am I doing this, why would anybody do this? The all-natural cure-all All animals, apart from man, stop eating […]
The single most important thing you do every second of every minute of every day is breathe. Your breath powers every cell in your body. It is intimately tied in to your emotional states and energy levels. The health of every single part of your body is utterly dependant on it. So why on earth aren’t Doctors taught about the power of breath to change your physiology? Learning to breathe […]
Unclench Your Teeth One of the most common areas of tension and pain is in and around the jaw. Thousands of people, when under stress, clench their teeth together or grind their teeth. This often happens at night but also may occur regularly during the day when under pressure. TMJD is caused by the way you react to stress. It can cause tremendous pain and suffering. Why this is so […]
Chinese exercise is very different from Western exercise. Here in the West we don’t consider we’re doing exercise unless we’re struggling and straining, gasping and sweating. The aim is always harder, faster, more and more. We push our bodies to the maximum in the gym or pounding the streets but still we’re exhausted half the time and struggle with pain and limited mobility in older age. This kind of exercise […]
Tai chi is a profound martial art and exercise system that has become universally popular because tai chi health benefits are so wide-ranging. What’s more ongoing research is constantly showing new areas where tai chi is beneficial. One year it is in the news for treating anxiety and the next year for helping hugely with fibromyalgia. So what makes it so beneficial for such a wide range of physical and […]
The term tai chi (taiji) refers to the constant interplay between the forces of yin and yang. Tai Chi Chuan (taijiquan) is the martial art that uses those forces to develop extraordinary power. Very few tai chi schools now teach the development and use of these forces. This is a huge shame and is leading to the gradual decline of tai chi and the loss of the treasures it contains. […]