Tai chi and Journaling

Lately all I've wanted to practice is tai chi. Don't get me wrong, I still like hitting the bag or practicing kempo as much as always, it just seems that I almost have a craving for tai chi. Maybe it's because I have some personal struggles going on right now and tai chi gives me more peace of mind or maybe it's because I tired my body out over the 30 days I did and now it wants something more mellow. Whatever the reason, I think this is a craving that I want to give in to. I've noticed lately that some of the parts I've been struggling with are now coming together. There's certain places in part 3 and part 4 that have always seemed really awkward to me and now I can actually flow through them and it feels good.

One of my goals for 3rd degree black is to complete 250 repetitions of my tai chi form. So far I'm doing well but I still have a long way to go! It's a pretty high number so it keeps me motivated to push myself. since I'm working on several goals simultaneously I've set up a few pages in my journal to keep track. I've chosen one page per goal and I'm simply entering each rep or hour depending on the scope of my goal. This helps me stay organized and keeps it very simple which is especially great for me because I easily lose count of how much I've done. Even in class I often lose count of what I'm doing, though doing all these push-ups have certainly helped me with that! Now I just walk over to my journal and put a tick on the proper page and off I go.

Re-remembering

So since completing my first goal on the way to 3rd degree, I've been doing a lot of thinking. I'm starting to have a better idea of what exactly I need to work on and what is less of a priority. Some things I already knew. Some not so much. I was beginning to look at my remaining goals and think that perhaps some were no longer that important anymore and that maybe I should change things. When I asked Master Brinker about it he reminded me of something incredibly important. Once I've set a goal it's not necessarily the end result that's my reason for completing it, it's the journey. It's the discipline that's required that will change me as a person and help me in my life. The techniques themselves are secondary to the mental benefits of achieving what I set out to do. I don't know how I could forgotten that when I myself wrote a post about keeping your promises on this very blog months ago. I got too caught up in the details I think and wasn't seeing the big picture.

Now I'm full of spunk again and ready to buckle down and complete this shizzle. If anything I'm considering making the goal a bit harder to get myself more excited about it. I'm not quite ready to declare my next goal on here yet but it'll be soon.

Rest day

Today was the first real rest day I've had since I started the project. I must say it's been nice. I had a massage after work and I now feel fantastic. My body feels really good, exercised and yet relaxed. I'm saving some of todays push ups for tomorrow too. Though I couldn't resist going through a little tai chi. New habits die hard too I guess.

I wanted to share a trick I learned for sore muscles and such. It's not revolutionary but I didn't really buy it until I tried it....alternating hot and cold showers. I've been trying it for about a week and I've got to say, it's amazing. It works really well to loosen up stiffness and reduce/prevent soreness. Not to mention I always feel really relaxed yet alert afterwards. Try it out and see what you think.

Day 30! Hooray!

Yay, I did it!

I'm really happy today for obvious reasons. I saved all my push-ups till my training after work so I could do it all at once and really work up a sweat. I had a great workout. I went hard and pushed myself and beat up my heavy bag a bit which is always a good time. I was super pumped so even though I went harder than I do on the average day, it seemed relatively easy and fun. Another example of how my mind set changes everything.

Looking back I can't believe how the time flew by. It seems like I started just yesterday. On the other hand I've grown and learned so much about myself that I'm amazed it's only been a month. Although I may not train for 2 hours every time I will definitely continue to practice daily. I can no longer imagine what it would be like to go back to the way I used to do it which was very sporadic. I'm so glad I've done this project for many reasons. I feel healthier, I have more energy, I'm incredibly focused, I've learned a lot, I've developed more discipline, I feel good about myself, I've started a new habit, it's prepared me for China...the list goes on.

It's not just the training either, the journaling has helped me so much. I certainly didn't feel like blogging every day but I never regretted it once I did. It really helped me to stay motivated and to express what I was feeling and thinking. Several people have asked me whether I will continue to post daily. I can't guarantee that it will be every day but I definitely plan to continue where I've left off. So stay tuned!

Thanks again to everyone who encouraged and supported me. It means a lot and it helped me get through the bad days and keep pushing myself. It wouldn't have been nearly so much fun without you all! Thank you.

Day 29

Only 1 more day to go...
Yesterday I was really tired and grumpy but I felt better today. Still tired but more ok with it. My training went ok. I can tell I'm in much better shape than when I started because it takes more work to make me start to sweat or breathe hard. My left shoulder is really bugging me right now so the push-ups are not that fun but I stretched it out really well today and if that doesn't work I've booked a massage for Sunday after work. It's my reward to myself for completing my goal and I'm really really really looking forward to it. That'll be my first rest day and a massage on top will just be fabulous! I really need it too. So I'm super stoked and I plan to go extra hard tomorrow so I'll let you all know how that goes.

Day 28

Today was a super busy and exhausting day. I had a ton of stuff to do and work and squeezing in my training was not easy. I really really didn't want to do that second hour or finish my push-ups. I forced myself to do it and managed to make it through but I'm incredibly tired right now and today I'm really looking forward to being finished with this 30 day thing. Anyways, it was rough but I did it and now I'm going to sleep!

Day 27

Only 3 days left.
I'm not sure if I feel primarily excited or sad. I'm really happy that I've accomplished what I set out to do and that I've stuck to the plan and not cheated at all. I'm proud of myself and so grateful for everyone being so understanding and supportive. I really do feel as though this consistent training has become a part of my life now. It's a whole new lifestyle which was exactly what I was hoping for when I started. Not only have I integrated this into who I am, but it's also leading me down new paths of self-discovery. I'm learning more and more about who I am and what my beliefs and values are. It's totally rad.
I'm also a little bit sad that it's coming to an end. Although I have every intention of continuing to train hard, my little project is now done. It's no longer as new and exciting. Now my biggest challenge will be to keep it fresh and interesting so that I have fun and stick to it. Deep down I know there's no reason to be sad because this really has become a part of me. I will never go back to who I was before I began and I will always remember what I've learned.
For now I'm going to enjoy these last three days and train harder than ever. Finish it off with a bang!

Day 26

Despite the wonders of magnesium my shoulders were still a bit stiff today. I decided after some kicks, forms, and push-ups to give them a good stretch with a yoga routine focused specifically on shoulders and back. Great idea! I was careful not to do too much and to listen to my body so I think I got a really effective stretch while staying safe. Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't use my training time for yoga because I should be focused more so on just kung fu but at the same time, it's a great way to take care of my body while still progressing. I think it's better than taking a rest day... baring any serious injury of course. I feel as though I still get the benefits of consistency and discipline but I also get to mix it up and nurture myself at the same time. It works for me anyway. I'm pretty tired today though so good night.

Day 25

My shoulders and arms are pretty sore right now. Last night at class we did sparring with hands only and then today I did my push-ups of course as well as swimming, some weight training and working out on the heavy bag. That's a lot of upper body work and I'm feeling it now. I have some magnesium to take before bed so I shouldn't be too bad tomorrow. If you've never tried taking magnesium after a workout before, I highly recommend it. It helps to relax the muscles so you'll be less stiff and sore the next day, it helps you sleep at night, it's really effective for restless legs or nighttime leg cramps, it eases menstrual cramps, it prevents headaches due to neck tension, it can help with constipation, and it even helps your body to absorb other minerals like calcium. Magnesium is especially important for athletes because during strenuous exercise our bodies excrete it in our sweat.
I know this all may sound a bit cheesy but I really do love it and it is incredibly useful.
This is a diagram of a magnesium molecule.

Day 24

Today went well. I was feeling strong again for push-ups and pull-ups. It was just one of those days where I felt like I could do anything. I think that's happening more often which is exciting. I guess it's partly because I am stronger and more fit now. I'm glad that I've done all of this training before going to China. I think it'll really help me with the transition to what the routine will be like while I'm there. I'm getting more and more excited and nervous about the trip. On the one hand it still seems really far away, on the other hand time is just flying by like crazy. I'm already on day 24! It seems like I just started a few days ago and here I am already almost done. This goal has gone really well, I hope that I get as much learning and discipline from all of my future goals. I can't stress enough the benefits of writing out a goal and an action plan and following through. It's completely changed the way I feel about myself and my life. A while ago I wrote about keeping promises to yourself and this has been a wonderful exercise in that. I used to feel guilty because of not practicing consistently enough and I would get very down on myself which made me not want to try very hard at all. Now I feel great inside because I know I've done my best and there's no limit to what I can accomplish if I do my absolute best.

Day 23

It worked!

Waking up and knowing that I had extra push-ups to do today really motivated me to get started right away and push myself to complete them. I felt strong and able while I was doing them. Some days I feel so strong, as though I could do anything and some days I feel weak and tired. I'm still not sure exactly what makes such a big difference. I know it has something to do with my frame of mind though. More and more I'm realizing what a huge impact it can have on my experiences. Even though I know to a certain degree that our thoughts create our reality, I'm seeing real proof of that all the time and I'm learning it on some deeper level now. I think with a concept like that (thoughts and beliefs create reality) you can know it in theory but to really integrate it into your life you need to know it experientially. It's kind of like "the secret" except that it's not a secret and it's been around for thousands of years. So many people see the movie or read the book and think "Ok, now I can just manifest whatever I want" without doing any actual work. You can think positively all you want but you also have to take ACTION! You have to change your habits and rearrange your life to make room for this new stuff that you're manifesting. You have to look around and see all the opportunities that are around you and jump on them. I'm not saying it has to be difficult, but you do have to change your beliefs on a fundamental level. That's the real "secret" in my opinion.

I think I've ranted long enough now. Good night.

Day 22

I had an interesting day today. After work I went to the community hall where I teach my yoga class on wednesday nights but when I got there I found some people setting up for a concert. Turns out the hall was double booked for the night so I couldn't teach my class. I came home and decided to do yoga anyways for what was left of my training for the day. Steve joined me so we had a mini class in the living room. It was really relaxing and a good way to stretch out after the strength training we did yesterday. I'm really glad that I was able to stay calm and go with the flow so that I could enjoy the evening and get the most out of it. I think that as I age I realize what's important and don't get bent out of shape over the insignificant glitches in life. I can picture a younger me in the same situation being frustrated and angry even though there was nothing I could do about it at the time. Now if only I could maintain this calm attitude on a busy day at work...

I've been feeling really bored with my push-ups lately. A big part of me just wants the 26 weeks to be over with not because I don't want to do push-ups, just because I'm not excited about them anymore. So I decided that today I would do less and do the extra ones tomorrow to give me more of a challenge. Something to get pumped up about! I'll let you know how it goes.

Day 21

I'm falling in love with tai chi.

When I first tried it I didn't like it at all, then I grew to realize that it's actually pretty cool. Now I love it! The more I practice it the deeper I fall. Today I was going through the form and it was flowing well and my movements were all synchronized. It was like a beautiful piece of music that you just want to close your eyes and savour. I had this experience that my chi was the wind and it was swirling around me like a gentle breeze. I could actually physically feel it against my skin. I half expected to see my hair blow around. I wonder if other people have felt that too. I've never had a hard time feeling chi but this was much more tangible than most of the experiences I've had. Awesome!

Day 20

Today I got in a lot of training, especially cardio which I sometimes struggle with. I really feel like this training is becoming a part of my life now. It's almost hard to remember what it felt like to go a whole day without doing anything. I just know that at the end of the 30 days I'll have become a whole different person. Someone who is focused and disciplined. I wish that I'd decided to do this years ago. Imagine where I could have been by now. But I guess I probably wasn't ready to take something like this on until now. I can really see by looking back how there were many events and challenges in the past that prepared me for where I am right now. I know from experience that if something comes too easily, it's easy to take it for granted. I'm really glad that I've had to work so hard to progress in kung fu, there haven't been many other things in my life that have been both so challenging and so rewarding.

Day 19

I spent a fair amount of my workout today working on kicks. I'm noticing that stiffness and soreness in my lower back is affecting my kicks. Generally front kicks are ok, it's side kicks and roundhouses that are suffering. I figured that I should focus more on improving that by kicking a bit lower than I normally would and then working my way up higher and higher. I also think that I need to stretch more at work. I work in a standing position most of the day. I do get to walk and move around a lot which is good but my back and hips still get stiff after a full day. I'm going to start doing a quick stretch on each break throughout the day and see if that makes a difference. Yoga always helps but I'd rather be pro-active and prevent it before it becomes a problem.

Everything else is going well. My forms are coming along nicely and I'm noticing an improvement in my stamina. I find that having stamina for working out at the gym is a lot different than for practicing kung fu. They don't necessarily go hand in hand.

Day 18

I've mostly been practicing my hand forms lately to try an improve on my basics but today I decided to do some weapons and pulled out the old nunchuks. I'd forgotten how fun they are! Even though I wouldn't say that chucks are my forte, I have a good time with them. I started out practicing my form and then I just improvised for a while and made some stuff up. I was surprised at my creativity when I got to trying new things. I wonder if the fact that I've been training so much means that I've got the juices flowing and new ideas are coming to the surface? I've noticed that I seem to be coming up with some neat ways to mix up my training so this might just be the next step.

I also noticed that the nunchuk form is a great one to work on footwork. I was having a challenging time when shifting stances. My ankle seems to be doing a bit better when doing a horse stance so I'm pretty pleased. I was starting to worry that it would never fully heal and I'd be stuck with a lopsided horse stance forever. Now I see the light at the end of the tunnel as far as that goes.

I ate 2 sweets today and it was the most sugar I've had since doing that cleanse. I feel kind of gross. I think it was a mistake and I wish I'd been more disciplined and less concerned with being polite. I'm going to have to get over that unless I want to have a sore tummy too often. yuck

Day 17-Thanks!

Today was great.

I had the day off so I could just hang out this morning and perfect my vegan green tea latte making skills and tidy up the house. Then I went for a swim with my cousin and had a great time. Something about splashing around in water makes me feel like a kid again.

Kung fu class was a really good experience. I learned a lot just from being at the second degree brown class and then in our class I learned even more. Master Brinker helped me to see some of the mistakes that I've been making in my sparring and how to correct them. I got to really practice the techniques and get a feel for them. Some of the mistakes I was making seem so obvious in retrospect but for some reason I needed someone else to point them out to me. I think that's one of the good things about going to class consistently, your instructors can offer you really good advice on things that you might not ever notice on your own.

I also want to thank everyone who has complimented me on my blog and my current training project. I've had some very kind words lately and it's so nice to know that other people are benefiting from my actions. I feel encouraged and inspired to continue on.