Forms Seminar

Yesterday I attended my first forms seminar.....
I often wonder what makes a good teacher, how can I improve? How do I get to be like the ones I admire? They make it look effortless. They know the right words to say, the right thing to work on, they make it look like magic. They get get the wool-gatherers to pay attention, the defeatists to try one more time and the willing to push themselves harder than ever before! And they get me to keep on trying to be just like them! How do they do it?
I think that they wear their passion on their sleeves, for the world to see, that is how they do it! They love what they do and they would love for you to love it too. There is a purity to their motives, there is no self motivation, they just want you to be the best that you can be, no hidden agenda. That is what makes them shine, the purity.
How do I teach? I try to help students through parts that I found tough, I try to listen to what they think is their road block, and I try methods that have worked for me before, remembering advice from my mentors and watching them constantly for more tips and tricks. Of course, watching to see how the lesson is being received and being ready to change course if it not working! I guess that is a lot to think about while teaching a lesson but that is what is happening for me, I wonder what other teachers go through in their heads?
Some days I can't believe that I get to be an instructor, every day this motivates me to try harder, practice longer, and ask tons of questions so that I can be just like my mentors.

What a difference kung fu makes!

We all talk about how much kung fu has changed our lives and ourselves but I am not sure that I have truly appreciated it until this week.
I have been working on painting the trim of my house. Sounds easy enough! When you throw in fear of heights and lack of skill, it gets kinda tricky. At first, there was a lot of breath holding, heart pounding kind of stuff going on. And then it got a little easier, more work accomplished, less feeling like having a heart attack! I got four windows done and I was feeling pretty good about pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I moved to the front of the house and discovered that the caulking needed to be redone. Now, I needed to be on the ladder (way above the ground) and focus and concentrate, not only to get all the old stuff off but to put the new stuff on without making a really big mess. This took a bit more time, I had to work over my head (with a bit of muscle and precision) and battle the fear stuff too, it was exhausting. Yesterday I had a moment of clarity! The last time that this needed to be done, I got up on the ladder to begin the prep work, gave in to my fear and completed only the portions that I could reach (leaving the rest to my partner) and did not even attempt to face my fear. This time, giving up was not an option, I was determined that I would complete this chore and I am nearly done. It has taken much longer than the average person would take, as I have placed many obstacles in my own way (doing other chores and errands, hanging out with Katie, instead of working on the ladder) but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have one more window to do and I am confident that it will not take me as long as the other. I am able to take the fear, set it aside and get the job done. It feels pretty cool.
I think all of this has everything to do with kung fu, because kung fu has been all about pushing myself out of my comfort  zone. I have tried things that I didn't think I could ever do and succeeded, most recently a leg stack which I always thought was for other people to do not me. It turns out I really like it and it is getting easier every time that we do it. Now they are talking head stacks and shoulder rolls (from way up there!!!!), I am not dismissing the idea but I can't imagine doing it just yet. I will definitely try it when that class rolls around.

Block and Counter

Ever since I noticed that I have been blogging for five years consistently and consciously, I have been struggling to blog every week. Each topic I come up with seems lame and irrelevant, I have been trying to come up with things to write about instead of letting it flow. I say to myself each week, it's Sunday time to blog and then I spend the rest of the day coming with things to do instead. I am getting lot's of mundane chores done!
I am not sure what the block is all about, but it is starting to bug me! This past week, I had a good topic but it took me days to put the words together! I wanna say ARGH! This is frustrating!!! I acknowledge that with each struggle comes some growth, so I'm ready to grow 'cause I'm done with struggle.
The solution that I have come up with is to blog more (probably won't publish them all) and see if I can break through this crazy block :)

What the frack?

Have you guys heard of this fracking business? I have been doing a bit of research on it and simply said, it's not so good for us!
Here is the reader's digest version:
They (oil companies) take water and chemicals and force it into the earth to push out the natural gas. It gives them a better quality oil that can be used more than the regular old drilling way.
The problem:
It is supposed to be safe, it's not!
These chemicals are leaking into our earth and contaminating the soil and the water. This will get in the way of us living. In some cases, the water is so contaminated that you can light it on fire, I think that is scarey! We won't be able to grow food, raise animals, feed our children....basically we won't be able to live.
I don't understand how come we are not all protesting as loudly as we can and I don't understand how come we (the people) are not using the resources that we have (wind and sun).
I realize that I am somewhat simplifying the issue but that is how I roll. It doesn't need to be complex and full of chemical process and complicated graphs and equations. The bottom line is....this is not okay and it will definitely change how we live our lives.
Bottled water will become a necessity not a choice, process food will be the only viable option, fresh grown food will no longer be the affordable way to go. I could go on and on but I won't.
It seems to me that the guys with the most cash and the ones that get to make all the decisions that will affect our quality of life. This is not a forecast for what may happen, it is happening now! Some folks have been without drinking water in their homes for a few years already, it is time that we all speak up and tell them (oil companies), THIS IS NOT OKAY!

Walking Meditation

So.... the other day, I had to run an errand (only one for a change!) and I had enough time so I decided to walk. The errand did not take much time at all and on my way home, I decided to walk through the forest instead of by the road. What an amazing experience! I can't remember the last time I went walking alone and I only saw two other people the whole time (about 20 minutes). I listened to the birds and the insects, checked out all the flowers and trees and watched the butterflies flutter about. By the time I got home, I was at peace and energized. I had an amazing day thereafter. Nothing that happened seemed too serious, or too over-whelming, all seemed manageable. Seems like I have found the answer to my mediation troubles, I will definitely make this part of my routine. Thank you Boot Camp once again for impacting my life in such a positive way. :)