Whole Body Mind

[Spectrum]

[rex]

Really interesting with much to ponder Spectrum - thanks. I couldn't quite fathom the following sentence - what does it mean?

Circles of mandala linguistic movement rings communicate non-verbal language influences to the individual process of growth through a collective group activity.

Edited February 19, 2007 by rex

[Spectrum]

Really interesting with much to ponder Spectrum - thanks. I couldn't quite fathom the following sentence -

 

"Circles of mandala linguistic movement rings communicate non-verbal language influences to the individual process of growth through a collective group activity. So just get together and move."

 

what does it mean?

 

Funny7 when you go back and look at something a year later you wonder what it means yourself...

 

"Circles of mandala linguistic movement rings" means two things at least:

 

- the personal rings which move inward and outward from ourself, non-verbally, through thought and action.

- the group rings which form through authentic relationship and collective activities. A group of dancers, painters, singers, martial artists; collective meditations in artistic mindsets and mediums.

 

"non-verbal language" means any communication process; not isolating language to a single medium. Easy examples are dance, music & martial arts.

 

"...influences to the individual growth through a collective group activity"

 

Again another two way street. Moving in two directions (or more) simultaneously is the begining of important types of movement vocabulary in the arts; so here the influences group to person, and person to group.

 

For example everyone being in tune in a choir can help someone else find their voice. group to person.

 

The influential nature of peers during times and states of suggestability can shape the course of your path. Likewise personally reactive or responsive states effect and are effected. The natural reflex to congregate and share is older then a lot of what modern culture calls "art".

 

"So just get together and move"

 

To many people take movement for granted until they are unable to move without pain. I think it's important to be serious enough to show up to practice everyday; but also to be light hearted enough to enjoy it once you're there.

 

Spectrum

[rex]

Thanks Spectrum, much clearer and appreciated. Best, Rex

Edited February 20, 2007 by rex

[Japhy Ryder]

 

When email and phones connect us through the barriers of space and time, traveling to meet people because of the way they move remains a consistently authentic growth experience.

 

 

Spectrum, your initial post in this thread resonates deeply with me these days, and the line above most of all. In all the travelling I do (in a general sense) from place to place, intention to intention, and idea to idea, rarely have I travelled--moved myself--to experience someone else's way of physical movement. Heck, I practiced qigong solo for over four years before I finally attended some workshops and experienced group practice.

 

By the way, I'm having a wonderful time working with Rob Moses' Nine Psalms kung fu DVD, and he just sent me a prototype of his Chi Wiz, a smaller cousin to the Sphere Knot. Rob says the Chi Wiz is especially good for core work, and after messing around with it yesterday, I see why; making sonorous spirals and circles begins and ends with the dan tian, and the Chi Wiz literally shows me how to do it.

 

A deep bow and mad props to you.

[Spectrum]

Spectrum, your initial post in this thread resonates deeply with me these days, and the line above most of all.

 

Just feeling it out. It seems at least humorous because of the Golden Mean connection to music and harmonics, a way to crack a qiqong joke to yourself or something. Because really, it's just the idea, it's not neccessarily the medium, there are a variety of instruments; the language I chose to prose suggests theres poetry in it all, but it's just a bent stick; <chuckle> That is something that he sent you a chi whiz. He puts just a little extra something into those. 'the devils in the details' .

 

In all the travelling I do (in a general sense) from place to place, intention to intention, and idea to idea, rarely have I travelled--moved myself--to experience someone else's way of physical movement.

 

Love traveling to places to move. Elsewhere did a nice job of this in his "detours" art endeavor.

 

http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?Sec...amp;TM=73789.63

 

In my own solo practice I've relished the solitute on and on, the quieter the better. It seems once the physiology of qi qong is observed for a while, practicing at a variety of times of day and year in various zones proves an endleslly worthwhile method of Taoist meditation. Mountain breezes feel different then the ocean mist which is different then being at home in the morning sun rising in the babbling water. In group practice I usually pay attention to the teacher or the person w/ the best technique until I get the essense then go solo but in sync if that's the flow.

 

Heck, I practiced qigong solo for over four years before I finally attended some workshops and experienced group practice.

 

Just drop in (litterally!) on any type of class you can find reference to wu ji in the description. If this core position is founded and developed, all permutations of techniques arrise from this in internal chinese martial art. The recognition of this by internal practitioners often results in part of class devoted to standing meditation and adjustments/alignment/integration process. I avoid practicing w/ people who will let people stand w/o adjustments, although pain is a good teacher, pain w/ bad posture is unsafe. The teacher / guide facilitates group safety as well as individual progress!

 

Also two person exercises that are kinesthetically educating low investment contact like pushinghands play, but being able to F-E-E-L what living movement feels like in dynamic exchange is working more towards a certain kind of creative or descructive dance, not just the recitation of the form; but breathing life into the what-if's with what is. This is spontaneous, and dare I say a self corrective method of sharing movement, so often it turns into a pushing match though.

 

Forms have a lot to teach in the classical sense of somatic education, to transend the form and break the rules ergonomic routines are avoided and you can constantly have fun and learn new things about movement, dance, art and music. Once you play the scales play jazz.

 

By the way, I'm having a wonderful time working with Rob Moses' Nine Psalms kung fu DVD, and he just sent me a prototype of his Chi Wiz, a smaller cousin to the Sphere Knot. Rob says the Chi Wiz is especially good for core work, and after messing around with it yesterday, I see why; making sonorous spirals and circles begins and ends with the dan tian, and the Chi Wiz literally shows me how to do it.

 

The principles of that DVD really embody a practical foundation for exploring the movement possibilities w/ any of the spiral fitness sticks; specially those little Chi Blenders he's sending out to folks it appears. On the dvd you can see how those mantis concept ideas evolved out of Rob's martial study and connections.

 

Speaking of videos Rob just sent me a couple more examples including a 40+ minute instructional introduction on Spiral Fitness that I think will be on sale soon at his website; I asked him about making some advance promos for the Tao Bums. He just wants to share the movement, I busted a gut a couple times at the vid; lol nutty professor.

 

An initial review of this DVD is that the content is consistant with the rest of his ideas, and the format is a nice mix between short interview clips, jam sessions w/ music and short voice overlays w/ explainations of each of the Kung Fu La Hoops and the Idea behind them.

 

A little chatty from a cup and a half of a new coffee blend. Time to go to the pool and practice some taiji in a Heated Rehabilitation Pool!

 

Spectrum

Edited February 21, 2007 by Spectrum

[Spectrum]

Hey Japhy if you get a chance soon take that bent stick to the pool and see what happens. Its unreal. Really. Im thinking we need to put some of this on film soon. The tube effect is outstanding, i was following this thing around the pool for an hour, the life guard on duty was getting a kick out of watching all the little spirals. Like dolphin lines. Just more experimental flight time. Maybe get some video this week and post it up. Pretty fun movement toy in the pool. No wrong way!

 

_Spectrum

[Japhy Ryder]

Spectrum:

 

That sounds like a blast! My wife and I will be going out to Lake Michigan for a couple days later this week, but the big lake's still a teeeny bit too nippy for Chi Wizzing. I imagine that playing Upstream Mantis-style while chest-deep in a lake and facing into light waves would be a lot of fun. Might attract fish.

 

Thanks for recommending several more ways to educate my imagination, movement-wise. Gotta learn more scales, more fuel for Ornette Coleman and Sun Ra -style kung fu sorties.