| Frau Sieghilde Kirchmayer
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 6:23 AM
Subject: Salzburg summer....
Today I had an interesting experience with my little granddaughter:
While she was struggling a bit with her homework for school she asked
me to do "this special dance" (Tai Chi) in the meditation room.
She quickly finished the remaining task and came over twice during the
exact same movement to look at me. It was after “Cloud Hands”
when the right middle finger is... When she saw me last (in February)
she complained that it was so slow she could not stand it. This time she
was seriously interested and tried to follow my movements. The question
is, where was the change? With me or with her?
Friday, May 20, 2005 9:36 PM
10 years ago I met an Austrian Tai Chi teacher, took a few lessons but
decided to stop because I just could not learn the movements from him.
After 2 more years I met a Chinese teacher in Salzburg who had newly arrived
to teach Tai Chi Chuan. Although I was more successful with him I stopped
soon after because I was extremely busy at the time and there was also
a feeling of something missing when I practised; I could not feel the
energy flow. And 4 years later I met an old Chinese man who gave private
lessons in Peking Form, which was quite easy to learn but left me completely
unsatisfied. The feeling of emptiness was intense....
When I came back to Sydney last year I started to search for a "real"
Tai Chi Teacher until one of my friends saw Ric teaching in the park and
told me about a special teacher she had met.
After 7 lessons practising with Ric Lum I felt my energy level rising
and my migraine, which had become chronic in recent months, disappearing.
Before I had to work with physiotherapists regularly to open my chest
and to improve my posture. I had a tendency to pull up my shoulders and
all these bad habits....
I am a passionate walker, but during the previous months I had serious
problems with blisters on my feet; after just 2 hours of walking, one
toe was cramping and pulled inwards and got very painful even after short
walks. I had to support it with cotton pads to walk nearly normally. I
could not wear my normal shoes anymore; I felt pressure everywhere...Right
after the first week of practice the problem was gone. Today I have no
problems at all while walking and I now run up staircases quite effortlessly.
It felt like slowly but constantly my whole back and hips got relaxed
and easier to adjust, and I became aware of my bad posture. Also my regular
back pain after sitting or lying down disappeared. More and more I became
aware of my body and I experienced a new feeling of satisfaction, fullness
and inner peace.
While practising Ric's very special form of Tai Chi Chuan,
a sense of
detachment from outside influences takes place.
When I go swimming I can
adjust better to cold water, a very significant experience of being less
sensitive to changing temperature.
Now, after almost 13 weeks of teaching from Ric Lum I feel a lightness
in my movements which I could never imagine to gain after such a short
time. The teachings happen also on a very subtle level, increasing sensitivity
and awareness for my inner progress.
I'm sorry that I have to interrupt the teachings now for 3 months when
I go to Europe, but I am looking forward to completing the 108 movements
after my return. I 'm enjoying my daily practice more and more; it feels
like a gift, which gets unpacked by and by.
Thank you Ric!
Subject: WATCH 3X
Tuning into my experience whilst "watching 3x" I also must say
that right after it I feel an empty space in my brain, means I could not
repeat the movement at that moment, although I "try hard" to
watch carefully. My mind is definitely switched off, but the memory of
the unconscious has not settled yet.
When I forget a movement at home and I am able to relax completely, just
doing slowly the previous movement suddenly brings out the next one out
of the unconscious. Maybe it’s not always 100 % correct.... but
it comes back slowly.
Sieghilde
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