Thanks to everyone who came-out to the Functional Energy Seminar (Taiji-Shen Gung #5) last Week! That was a Blast-- we got to practice a whole bunch of things:

• Refining your ch'i-body into the 'Water-Drop', and especially 'feeling your feet'
  
• Clearing-out your center-of-head via a 'grounding cord' and 'trap-door'
  
• Using neutral cosmic energy for feeling, outreaching, & hitting (rather than 'using-up' your own ch'i)
• 'Blending' with your partner's motion (and energy) as they move towards you, -and finally-
  
• Practice hitting the bag and not 'losing your space'
  

...that was a LOT to work through and all of you did really well!!

So-- here's some Next Steps for continuing your progress:

(1) Keep practicing the physical & energetical techniques (listed above).
See how many of them you can do, while you're doing your t'ai ch'i / ba gua / hsing i forms. See how many you can (remember), when you're at work, or school, or during a family get-together. "Can you keep feeling your feet, & 'letting go' of any energy in your center-of-head?" Notice where & when you tend to 'forget', & be amused... Remember, it's easiest to "invest in loss" when there's "no Center to protect"...

2. Notice if you have a 'Growth Period '
If you're just working your physical body, the strain caused from repeated exercise will rebound if you eat well & get enough sleep. But since we're working with energy, sometimes the corresponding 'spiritual growth' doesn't seem to rebound as simply... Which is to be expected-- different dynamics, require different tools! So notice-- after a bit of practice using the cosmic energy, & cleaning-out your center-of-head... do you get any "hmmmm"  moments? Sometimes it's like a 'deep thought', or sometimes like a 'deja vu'; or sometimes it's a weird "I'm not feeling the way I usually do in this situation". Well, that's normal... you're learning to pattern your energy your own way, consciously... rather than letting all the issues around you put you at their beck & call. It's called "Being Senior" in your space, and the more you practice, the more space you'll create... to be 'consciously responsive', rather than 'unconsciously reactive'.

Sound like fun? It is-- & when you'd like a bit more info and techniques, feel free to read more about Growth Periods.

Great job, everyone, & see you next time!!

Dave A. Anselmi