It’s just me, Aron. I’m currently working in IT but have other preoccupations as well; Sahaja Yoga, Coaching and Yuan-Chi Tai-Chi…
Thus I began recently helping people regain their balance and reconsider a bit their lifestyle throughout these methods.
Best regards,
Aron
Cluj-Napoca,
ROMANIA
You can follow me here in:
- Hungarian: tuzdki.wordpress.com; eberseg.blogspot.com
- Romanian: taichichuan.ro
On 25/02/2014 11:03 PM, Sipos Aron wrote:
Experimenting in the Way of Yuan-Chi Tai Chi Chuan
In the last 2-3 years an old desire reawakened inside me, the wish to practise Tai Chi… to follow my own being, my own movements by remaining in a meditative state at the same time.
I presume this was a collective desire, as lately I found out to my surprise, that there is a Sahaja Yogi who is teaching Tai-Chi. It’s Sifu Ric Lum from Australia, who is already teaching Tai-Chi in Europe and I was quite surprised last year, in 2013, to hear about an intensive seminar in the Czech Republic, at Moravka resort.
Well, OK, sure, let’s join in 🙂 We were the only ones from Romania, my wife and me.
This seminar was organised by sahaja yogis, so there were daily meditations as well as 4 Tai Chi sessions per day.
What struck me at the beginning of the first session were both the introduction into Tai-Chi in general as well as Yuan-Chi Tai Chi Chuan in particular.
The style of Sifu Ric Lum
Gently explaining and presenting the movements while singing. By performing just the opening moves, at the raising of the hands the second time I already started to feel the vibrations flowing, a slight change in the energetic awareness. The vibrations were getting stronger and stronger each day, I just felt my mind getting blocked, the thoughts felt like they were frozen, I mean I just couldn’t think! It was an interesting experience, I was familiar with that state but it never lasted so long as during this seminar.
I’ve been surprised to find that Yuan-Chi Tai-Chi movements follow (mimic) the dance of the All Pervading Power of Divine Love, the Paramchaitanya. In order to feel it, sooner or later you’ll be connected to this power.
I just understood and felt during the practice of Yuan-Chi Tai Chi Chuan the essence of the Tao and of Sahaja Yoga becoming one (the essence is actually the same).
How?
By following Sifu’s principle and advice: “Neither assist nor resist – be neutral.”
For additional info please watch our chat recorded at Moravka during a break:
http://www.constantbalance.com/interview-with-master-ric/
Subject: Reflections
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2017 12:26:06 +0000 (UTC)
Following Sifu & My Story
Moravka [Yuan-Chi Intensive in Czech Republic]: 2013 was a year with many changes in my life, perception, awareness etc..
I just raised simple questions: what is my mission on Earth?
What drives me and towards what exactly?
What could I do more?
All these when I was partly “coordinating” the Sahaj collective of Cluj, I mean coordinating: doing most things alone 🙂 As if I were in a boat stirring everywhere but the boat did not go anywhere. Practically a waste of energy. 2012, 2013 were the years when I was also thinking about practising Tai Chi, but I felt it was not the moment for me, until I found out about the Moravka seminar 🙂
I was also starting to learn about the basics in leadership, marketing, entrepreneurship that changed my mindset, the way I saw the world etc.. It was a shock, a mental disaster 🙂 and I just knew I needed to change a lot, restructure slowly parts of my life, habits etc. Due to this radical change in my understanding, on the vibratory level I was going down a bit.
But I learned something very precious: progress = practising daily bit by bit
This is what I did after the Moravka seminar, after section1[S.1] of the Tai Chi form settled down within me, I really needed a couple of months after that intensive week. I had some time to reflect on what happened there and why, what I felt, what others felt and how people can be manipulated even inside ‘enlightened’ groups.
Then I knew I had a choice to make:
– continue with the learning via Skype
or
– say bye-bye to the opportunity
Then the progress started with the 108, practising daily, watching the DVDs, learning, then practising it over & over again.
Subject: lesson feedback
During the meta-therapy meditation I felt the left side being cleansed and having the Swadisthanas activated then getting into thoughtlessness and feeling the bliss which is quite rare lately.
Dancing the S3 was very profound, the subtle ground had been prepared via meta-therapy, so the flow was there: followed the movements of the kundalini, there was no tension, everything went smoothly as an active meditation. Very pleasant and soothing experience.
Thank you,
Aron
Subject: dance report
Starting of the dance:
eased opening, arms up-down, forgot to continue with Grasp Bird’s Tail; then continued on my own and observed I’m already lagging behind due to different pace; Sifu 2x faster
Didn’t bother much, speeded up myself and lost balance several times, haven’t paid attention to details (body, limbs), just went with the quicker flow, from time-to-time entering the flow (vibrations in the lower arms).
S2: managed to catch up with Sifu and even got ahead of Sifu, as Sifu began to lower the pace BUT something strange happened by the end of S2 as reaching Left strike tiger Sifu already finished S2 and was starting S3. Paced up to catch up with Sifu, however Sifu paced down.
During S3 I felt as if something was moving around the body (energetic soup), viz. in Jade Maiden – Heaven & Earth, but it was just for a glimpse of a moment, also felt it 1-2 times when Pushing. I might need to clear my attention to be more aware of the energetic field around the body while dancing >
Thank you Sifu for this opportunity.
Best wishes,
Aron
Dance report:
– I followed Kundalini matta during the Dance, finished S.2 before Sifu did, then just sat down and watched Sifu dance onto the end of S.2.
The difference between us instantly popped up: Sifu’s dance in Paramachaitanya is different from simply following the inner Kundala movement. The major difference is observable in the extremities, how the limbs move, whether there is the personal intention or not, control or not
– I did control my steps, kicks, punches, pushes.
But Sifu was effortless
Subject: 3.07 SLOW
For me this lesson was the subtlest at Fire level.
Never thought we can reach up to 50 mins dancing S.3, but yes, it can happen, beyond any imagination.
And this is the way the Chaitanya really flows, fighting with then rising beyond thoughts, expectations, emotions, and afterwards remaining in a steady state of mind or in a state of just BEING.
Today I just practised the SLOW lesson again, dancing S.1 and a part of S.2, I just have more time to become conscious of what is going on inside my body.
I’ve realized my posture is changing, that the lower back – Swadisthana Chakrum – is moving at first strange, or in an uncommon way.
The Swadisthana is above the sacrum bone, the location of the Kundalini. The movement of the body – weight shifts – move the sacrum bone as the hips move. The hips time-to-time are also adjusted vertically when the body / upper side is moved slightly (bent) to the front or to the back. At this certain point in time the lower back with sacrum is also adjusted to be inline with the upper body – and vice versa – if the hips are moving the upper side of the body follows.
If the column is not inline (there is no bending but a fixed straight position of the back), the muscles will get contracted and can result in back pains. Time to time I felt this.
But, as per now, I felt the significance of “following the Kundalini” or the movement of the Sacrum bone on the physical level in such a way to be much more on the central channel – parasympathetic nervous system – the natural way – resulting in a higher level of awareness and vibrational awareness.
Subject: Re: Romanian progress
From Sifu’s feedback during Skype lessons I evaluate and introspect myself 🙂
Although this may not be comfortable it pushes me forward. I do not think this is a drawback as per Mother’s teaching “you can be satisfied with anything, except your own progress in sahaja yoga”{Spirit} – The same applies to Yuan-Chi.
++ I really appreciate Sifu’s coaching style in teaching (the Socratic way, this is also an art)
Subject: Re: 2.09 – feedback
2.09: the solar plexus region of the belly has to rest and …this energy exercise, only just standing and letting things go, made me experience again the uplifting force of the chi, the surrounding energy field (or chaitanya) around the lower arms and palms which I generally feel in deeper meditations only.
Subject: Report on meta-therapy:
Due to my lumbar pain-lumbago – we had to stop progress in newer Tai Chi lessons. Instead, Sifu offered a meta-therapy session that I couldn’t refuse.
I sat on a chair in front of the Skype camera ~2.5-3 metres away and after a short preparation Sifu started the session. I entered into a meditative mood, and started to feel heat coming out of the soles of my feet. Then an activation of my left Vishuddhi, an opening up and I went into deeper meditation, the head and agnya cleared out and I started to feel the flow of the Chaitanya around my head.
I also experienced lightness in the body and even transcending the sense of the body, in this vibratory state the pain was gone, I mean no sense of the body – no pain.
The heat also disappeared from the soles of my feet.
Then we continued with the exercise of putting my attention on the painful area and also on Sifu’s same part of the body (lower back). I started to feel tingling, then heating up of my lower back, and again feeling the pain disappearing.
After this I watched sifu performing stances cycle but I just didn’t get the point here, maybe the torso and the body are always aligned?
In the last few minutes I followed sifu in simple weight-shifting and turning exercises, actually this part was quite subtle, I felt it had parts of unweighted foot/unweighted knee but also felt the body movements being guided.
The highest Art?
A simple discipline can be forced out or forced upon someone using the right side (yang), however true art comes from within, not from the outside world. Discipline in art manifests in simplicity and in being as natural as possible.
Going further, integrating art with science is very hard to achieve and the way is very-very narrow, only some people could do that e.g. Leonardo da Vinci 🙂
Yuan-Chi Tai Chi is both science (knowledge of the gross and the subtle) and art (motion and dance: external and internal); they integrate.
Is it The Highest Art?
Subject: Feedback
After a longer period of learning CMC’s short form, we had a kind of revision lesson that took me to the finer aspects of Yuan-Chi, to the internal side of it. As I rarely felt energetic and vibratory changes in / around me while practising the CMC short form, this lesson was more about the Cool Breeze rather than on revising styles.
We started with the Tai Chi opening, 1st Wu style then CMC style. For me, even before Sifu moved my lower arms were getting lighter and lighter, as if someone pulled my forearms (a bit lower than the elbows) up, then I saw Sifu started moving as well. This was the Wu style of manifestation.
The CMC opening was harder for me, I didn’t feel as much uprising energy as in the previous style, however after several re-tries once or twice I felt the spontaneous energy flow inside my arms.
Then we clarified some of the aspects of CMC Cloud hands and the exit style of Cloud hands, mainly by following Sifu. I started to feel things clearing out, in time I shall gain a better understanding of Tai Chi, or perhaps better said, a better experience of what Tai Chi is.
Thank you very much,
Aron
I still remember watching sifu through Skype showing “Left grasp bird’s tail” and “Grasp bird’s tail with” the “new-u foot” method. It is still unbelievable and I cannot even copy the moves; they were as fluent as the flow of a river. No more breaks between the moves (as a series of pictures), but more a movie-like continuity.
Now I can sense that the moves really come from the feet and hips, the arms and hands just follow the body movements and act as balancers when the weight is shifted from one foot to the other or when the body turns.
I also experienced something with the hips, when there is the final push in Grasp bird’s tail, if the hip goes a bit down and backwards (a sit-down like pose – sinking hips), then the balance remains more in the center-line of the body, the push is more comfortable and natural.
Aron
Subject: Re: 04.12: report 2
By applying the eye technique.. the attention is much more steady, thoughts cease easier, the mental process of analyzing things just stops. What do I/You gain? The present: being Here, In The Moment. At this point the subtleties of Tai-Chi show up.
Shri Mataji taught us to purify our eyes and Agnya chakrum by watching her picture (Agnya) through candlelight, which holds the attention steady and purifies it. Similar thing happens when applying “eyes f..h..” during the Yuan-Chi Tai Chi moves.
Subject: Re: 04.11: match report
Date: Wed, 06 May 2015 08:16:09 +0300
04.11. 8 sided hands
The vibrations were quite pleasant during the execution of these moves. It has benefits on both the physical level (articulation of the shoulders is warmed up) and subtle level (entering the witness state the joy and vibrations appear). These simple circular moves form the base of changing hands in the Tai Chi styles e.g. Brush Knee.
I felt very strong vibrations around the body while practising with Parvati (she was following me), the experience was the same as giving someone self-realization while opening up the heart (the feeling was the same).
Aron
Subject: Re: 04.09: Revision feedback 2
At the end of the lesson we conducted the invisible exercise – “neither assist nor resist” – with closed eyes, during which I felt Sifu pushing and pulling me several times, resulting in my moving round the room and sometimes losing balance.
Please note: these are Skype lessons.
Subject: Review: S2-S3
We are back on track with the Tai Chi lessons. We’ve successfully revised the forms of Section 2, there are some small parts that will need to be addressed but things are working out fine.
Sifu showed me how a brush knee (“pushing the hand”) should be performed without any effort, without muscular force and tension. I’ve tried to follow him, it was like sliding the hand in a sea wave or on the surface of the water.
Video footage will come up soon…
Subject: 04.07: high pat horse, right&left part foot
“Aron, in natural orientation please…” – Sifu.
It seems that my orientation has to be improved and the affirmation above will become a mantra for me 🙂
I remember the times back when I was a student and went to parties, in general I lost my orientation and balance quite easily while being in motion (dancing). It seems that a petal of the Mooladhara still needs to be cleansed, and Yuan-Chi Tai-Chi is the method/way that helps this process a lot. Steadiness, without tension, smooth weight-shifts, balance.
The moves above that were revised are not complicated, however beyond the orientation there is a small part where the wrists are resting while the hands are raised. So effortlessness even touches the joints, the body, not only the movement. Yuan-Chi Tai-Chi is not fancy at all, but it is spontaneous and effortless.
Report: Cloud hands – 2014.11.26
We immersed ourselves in the technical details of Cloud hands. I’ve had to take some serious notes here, I think I just missed this while learning the 108 forms.
We went through step by step from turning, changing hands, holding the ball, raising/moving feet, cloud hands, almost every movement and pose had to be corrected.
After the technical exercises we did a kind of energetic exercise; I cannot go into details right now as I’ve got no idea what the moves were about, actually they are not part of the 108. Really simple, small and slow movements as if the purpose(main point) was not the movement at all, but energy flow.
At a certain point I felt myself losing balance, as if my coordination got lost or something unbalanced me, as if someone just pushed me without touching me. Unfortunately through the Skype camera I couldn’t figure out every move.
After this part we did the remote{by skype, between Romania and Australia} push/pull exercise with eyes closed. I felt a push on the left side of the body, then on both sides, after this a pull in front.
I guess after a while the same should be happening with open eyes during the movements. Let’s see if the future holds the answer to this question?
Subject: 04.07: – report – Review S1
We’ve reached another milestone in learning the 108 styles. Specifically this particular revision of Section 1 – Poses and C…
I still have flaws in some of the moves but I feel significant improvement in most of my moves, some of them got polished, some of them still need some time (years?) of practice.. to feel how they should really be performed.
Only now have I realized the teaching/learning methodology in Yuan-Chi Tai Chi Chuan. First the flow, then the correction of the moves.
The same as in Sahaja Yoga, first the Self Realization, then the details.
It really depends on the practitioner how much time he spends on practising, doing the “homework”, but the time and curiosity invested in it is proportional to the learning curve (and progression) in Tai Chi.
Keep keeping on!
Skype lesson report
Opening
As I remember well, this was the second time we practised this warm-up move, by forming the “pyramid” with the 2 hands. It’ll take some time to figure out/feel what that’s for…
Jade maiden
The moves of the form have been clarified, the changing of hands on turning around + the weight on the front foot, and the exit of the form.
Grasp birds tail
by practising the sections I always felt that something was fishy how I performed this move…
this became one of the most complex/difficult moves 🙂 that might need further corrections in the near future. gentle, soft, however complex. or it might be only a mirage to the mind.
Repulse monkey
we closed the lesson by practising ‘Repulse monkey’, at this point I felt the vibrations better and the joy (and the gentle tinglings of the vibrations) overwhelmed the body.
I feel the mind has to get accustomed to the moves first, then the energy flow becomes stronger.
Personal experience:
Remove brain:)
Ray
Dear Aron et al,
A mirage to the the mind is right, as with experiences of the subtle, they are beyond the mind.
Therefore, the mind need only surrender, or bow to that which is higher to allow the flow.
Best wishes,
Andrew.
Hi Aron,
1) The more you look the more illusions you’ll see. The less you look,
the more illusions you’ll perceive! (As Sifu says, “Watch like a child”!)
2) Actually never mind! 😉
(Apologies for the cheeky tone. Don’t think too hard…)
Cheers,
Danya
I agree with Ray.
The mind will only get in your way. Thoughtless awareness is key to the flow.
“As I feel the mind has to get accustomed to the moves first, then the energy flow becomes stronger.” – the energy is there whether you are aware of it or not. It is a matter of becoming still enough to sense it. You can replace ‘still’ with quiet/ thoughtless/ awareness……
Kind regards,
Rodney
Hi Aron,
“gentle, soft, however complex. or it might be only a mirage to the mind.”
It is a mirage to the mind because it is so hard for the mind to comprehend but it is real.
“As I feel the mind has to get accustomed to the moves first, then the energy flow becomes stronger.
Although the body needs to get accustomed, the mind just needs to check out for a little while.
Sincerely,
Sara
Subject: Re: 04.05: Pt. 3
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2014 22:39:47 -0700
Cloud hands – (stationary stance)
Changing hands – changing balance (weight shifting) at the same time while letting go of the arm moving down (yin – resting), the upper arm is in action (yang). In the movement of turning aside these 2 become one in stillness.
Cloud hands – moving (the form)
The same as above, in the flow the thoughts cease, there is nothing else, just the movement and the vibrations. It is a lightness, a softness.
Sahaj point of view: as if Anahatha and Visshuddhi get activated on the subtle level (as a feeling)
Elements: air + ether ?
Wild horse ruffles mane
This might be the most difficult move to learn, the “slowest one” that requires a lot of patience. I practised this a lot, now we polish it.
During this move I just feel joy, a kind of freedom.
Sahaj point of view: as if Mooladhara and Visshuddhi get activated on the subtle level (as a feeling). The joy embraces the left & right Swadisthana.
Elements: earth + ether ?
Subject: 5 great repeaters review 2
This week I’m feeling more stable on the energetic/vibratory level.
I’ll introduce a new habit for the morning lessons, getting up 45 mins before the session and drink a cappuccino whilst meditating 🙂
Brush Knees
It is quite OK, I feel much better practising this form compared to last weeks session.
Repulse Monkeys
After watching you from the front the second time, I’ve figured out a small part that I was missing before.. turning aside while pushing the hand forward. If this is omitted (as I usually did before) then the muscles of the arm and shoulder are stressed/strained. Energy flow and the Flow stops as the attention is absorbed by the discomfort felt.
I just realize now the importance of being natural during the moves, without any blockages, any strains, any effort.
Cloud Hands
In the beginning I felt a warmth inside, I just couldn’t figure out what the move was. Cloud hands.
After this my mind calmed down and it was like floating, it was like being the air.
Subject: 04.05:
Homework:
Repulse monkey
– I’ve watched the DVD S.2 – Right Wing – I’ve tried to follow you as a warm-up – opened eyes vibrations were appearing in the palms
– I’ve tried several times with closed eyes:
1. I’m still facing orientation problems with closed eyes – I’m losing balance quite often
2. I’ve figured out that by bending more the knees helps in the stability
3. By putting my attention on the vibrations when doing repetitions, they were getting stronger and overwhelming completely both the lower arms
4. The attention is mostly split in 2 and juggling between doing the form (correcting the moves) and the vibrations.
Subject: Something beyond Turiya
I have to admit I have difficulty being spontaneous in the morning hours..
Today’s Skype lesson just signalled that having a meditative mood only in meditation is frankly not enough, the state should be established in motion, when being awake as well. Timelessness.
At the beginning of the class I could hardly follow anything, my attention was absorbed in the physical aspect of the moves, some thoughts were spinning inside my head (daily problems, projects etc.)
Sifu brought me back, showing that things won’t work out fine in this manner, so I took a decision to put my attention on the subtle level more.
It became better, the vibrations appeared.
Test 1: failed completely – at the beginning I didn’t feel anything
Test 2: something better – the second time I felt strong vibrations as if the first 2 moves were guided, after that a kind of disconnection took place.
Subject: 04.02 – Wolf & Stances
The WOLF principle is very useful and important as during the dance of 108 there are several moves when I just lose my orientation, I mean I have to think about how the feet should be in a more correct/natural way as sometimes I just lose my balance.
I feel that WOLF corrects the posture as well and the 5 stances give hints about smooth weight-shifts.
Nice.
Subject: Revision: lesson 1
Today’s lesson tried to push me outside my mind in the sense of controlling the movements.
I’ve observed things about the relaxation of the shoulders at last year’s intensive seminar, but it seems to me that I just forgot to put it into practice and now is the moment to apply it. No more theory, or just theory in practice. Not as easy in the morning as I imagined it.
Practising in mirror{via skype} is quite interesting, the laptop monitor seems too small to capture every detail, but on the subtle level things work out fine.
2014. July UPDATE
I’ve learnt the 108 styles (for the first time).
Actually this is the result of
● 7 days intensive learning at a Tai Chi seminar (last summer) and
● 6-7 months of practice (January – July) through weekly Skype sessions
Well, there were easy parts but I have to admit I’ve faced some harder parts as well, kind of milestones where I had to do more repetitions until the moves passed through my mind and body. The DVDs are of great help, it happened several times that after a morning lesson I completely forgot the new moves by the next day. So I had the possibility to review them and start practising …
In the next period we’ll be moving forward, polishing the moves as I feel that I do not do them correctly, but as per Sifu this is the normal way of learning Yuan Chi Tai Chi Chuan: “first the flow, then the rest”.
So I just became a rookie,
still a long road ahead,
the way, the tao,
the effortlessness.
Subject: My first conscious dream with Shri Mataji
A group of people had gathered in a large hall. I was among them. There were Sahaja Yogis, non-Sahaja Yogis and some other folk who had nothing in common with Shri Mataji’s personality or Her teachings. Quite a mixed community. The hall was L-shaped, kind of a public space, with restrooms and a changing room like in a sports centre.
There was no stage. Shri Mataji sat down to a modest armchair in an outlying part of the hall. She was in the shorter segment of the L shape, thus remaining unseen by most of the people. Even those who noticed Her didn’t pay much attention to Her presence.
I approached Shri Mataji and She put my head on Her lap. I think She caressed my head. I had a strong feeling of calm and in a few moments I started to get overwhelmed by Her Divine Love. I raised my head and asked Her:
“Do you need anything Mother?”
“Water.” – replied completely satisfied.
I poured Her a glass of water, my bottle became empty. She drank it and asked for more.
“Would You like anything else?” – I asked.
“No. Only more water.” – She responded, showing with Her hand it would be enough.
“Sure, just a couple of moments.” – I said and confidently headed towards the dressing room.
I searched my backpack, thinking that there must be another bottle. There wasn’t. In my despair I started asking people for water. Everybody was talking, having fun, enjoying themselves, but nobody had any water.
Then I glanced at Shri Mataji; She looked back confused. Her face was sweating slightly. I started to warm up inside and I signalled to Her that I would buy some water from nearby. It was Sunday and all the shops in the neighborhood were closed. Only some big supermarkets were open, but they were far away. There were buses in the station. I took one of them…
Then I woke up, but could clearly remember everything, the decisions taken, the importance of the situation and the whole experience.