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Imitating a Cloud

July 13, 2018 By Arlene Faulk

tai chi class

As part of my Tai Chi classes, I lead the students in a Qi Gong series that includes a movement called “uniting heaven and earth.” We start standing with our legs and feet hip-width apart, knees soft. The palms of our hands are facing up, in front of our bodies at the tan t’ien, right below the belly-button. With the little finger tracing up the center of our body, we spiral the energy up; the other arm and hand are by our side, gently energized. When the arm/hand turns over, our palm floats down like a cloud. Like a puffy, cumulus cloud, soft. Like a big cotton ball.

clouds over city

I love the image of a puffy cloud, floating effortlessly across the sky. It helps me relax, slow down, relax, just thinking about it and visualizing it in my mind’s eye. The cloud puts me in touch with nature, with the natural rhythms of the universe. Uniting heaven and earth does that for us in class. It puts us in the moment, right where we want to be.

city clouds

Whether in Tai Chi class or outside in our daily life, we need to pay attention.

Watch the clouds. Meditate on a cloud. Stop and enjoy the white against the sky. Take time to do that today.

Watch the clouds. It will make your day go better.

clouds

Filed Under: Energy, Inner Balance, Paying Attention, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Tai Chi Classes Tagged With: clouds, commune with nature, relax, uniting heaven and earth

Emulating Patterns of Nature through Tai Chi

October 1, 2017 By Arlene Faulk

Nature moves in a coordinated manner- the day dawns and night falls; the seasons have patterns of warm to cool, green leaves to beautiful red, orange and yellow leaves as they prepare to depart and welcome in winter; water warm enough in summer to attract us to swim or be at the beach; water freezes in the winter so it’s time for ice skating or sledding or skiing.

If you have been reading my blogs in the last few months, you know I have been focusing on clouds. The clouds, during the day and at sunset, have been spectacular this year. When I look up, gaze at the wispy clouds, the big, white puffy clouds, with their changing formations and gentle movement across the sky, I am still. I am in the moment. The clouds are part of the natural rhythms of nature.

clouds

While in Poland a couple weeks ago, I paid attention to the clouds, almost 5000 miles from home. The clouds at sunset in Lodz were stunning. And then back at home, out my front window, the clouds framed a great picture of my city.

These images came into my consciousness again today as I was reading the “Tai Chi Classics”. I’m eager to start my fall Tai Chi classes tomorrow and want to ground myself in major principles. In the treatise by Master Chang San-feng, (ca. 1200 C.E.), he says “Once you begin to move, the entire body must by light and limber. Each part of your body should be connected to every other part.” He emphasizes that the entire body needs to move, not just the hands, or elbows or legs. We need to be like the universe that moves in a coordinated way, with balance and harmony.

tai chi movements

For me, that’s like day turning into night, seasons changing, watching the clouds drift by with ease and grace and harmony. I aspire to move my body as a coordinated unit with Tai Chi. It’s a life-long journey and it’s so worth it.

I am grateful for students who are are with me in this journey.

Filed Under: Arlene Faulk, Changing Seasons, Energy, Paying Attention, Tai Chi, Tai Chi Classes Tagged With: clouds, coordinated movement, moving with ease, nature's patterns

Look at the Clouds

July 9, 2017 By Arlene Faulk

clouds

The puffy, white clouds suspended in space on sunny, warm days have been stunning this summer. Have you noticed? The big cumulus clouds that look like giant cotton balls and the delicate, wispy cirrus clouds, that look like a Chinese calligrapher has done a swirl with her brush, are my favorites.

These clouds are mesmerizing — watching them in stillness or in slow, smooth motion move across the sky makes me feel calm. All thoughts in my busy mind drift away with the clouds. I am filled with the lightness and soothing feelings these clouds transmit to me.

Maybe clouds, in general, match our emotions. There are purple and gray, angry clouds, heavy clouds filled with scary lightning bolts and then, in contrast, the clouds on the horizon that provide an exquisite setting for a beautiful orange and red sunset. And then the clouds I am focusing on right now, the beautiful white ones against a deep blue sky.

The principles and moves of Tai Chi are in sync with nature and clouds are an integral part of that. One of our movements is called ‘waving hands like a cloud’. It is slow and graceful, like watching the puffy and wispy, white clouds above. We do a Qigong movement called “uniting heaven and earth”, in which the palm of each hand lowers, slowly and gracefully like a cloud. I find that students relate easily to that image and the energy in the room changes. We become, for a few moments, like a cloud — graceful, flowing and magnificent.

clouds over city

Next time you look up or out over the horizon at those beautiful white clouds, stop, watch and take in what they are saying to you and how they make you feel.

Filed Under: Energy, Light, Mindfulness, Tai Chi, Tai Chi Classes Tagged With: clouds, empty out, in sync with nature

Arlene Faulk

Arlene Faulk

After a years-long struggle to understand and conceal debilitating symptoms while I ascended the corporate ladder, I found comfort and healing through Tai Chi and Chinese Medicine.

My memoir, Walking on Pins and Needles, is the story about the power to control our lives and move in the direction of possibility. Read more...

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FROM TAI CHI STUDENTS

Tai Chi makes me feel calm, yet energized. Because of my practice, the small irritants of life affect me less.

Tai Chi student

I had back surgery, was in pain and had little range of motion. Tai Chi practice at Heartwood has helped me increase flexibility, my range of motion and my overall stamina.

Tai Chi student

Arlene teaches the Tai Chi form in such a gentle and connected way that many movements now feel utterly natural and healing.

Tai Chi student

I've even shared some of the exercises with my bike club to help reduce injuries. They really work!

Tai Chi student

I've always been a klutz and have regularly lost my balance and fallen when walking outside. Arlene taught me how to stand and walk properly through Tai Chi. I really can't believe it: I haven't fallen in four years since I've been taking Tai Chi with Arlene!

Tai Chi student

I love Arlene's Tai Chi classes. She helps us understand not only what we're doing, but also why we're doing it. That really helps me take what I learn in class and apply it to my daily life.

Tai Chi student

I'm really inspired by what Tai Chi has done for Arlene. She is a great teacher, who is calm and very patient. She has really helped me not to be so hard on myself.

Tai Chi student

I play golf and had a lesson after school, on the same day we had Tai Chi class. My coach commented, 'Your posture is amazing and all of the balance issues that we have been fighting for so long seem to have just taken a vacation.' I mentioned to him that I thought it was due to Tai Chi.

Tai Chi student

Tai Chi relaxes your entire body and promotes peace and proper breathing. The more I manage to breathe properly while doing any activity in my life, I generally tend to do a lot better at it. I benefited from Tai Chi because it managed to help me with my breathing skills even more.

Tai Chi student

Tai Chi really gives my body strength to put up with the pains of my breast cancer and back problems. Tai Chi is 'sneaky'. You don't think it's helping, but eventually you realize it's helping you.

Tai Chi student

For me, Tai Chi brings comfort and quiet amidst all the chaos and change.

Becky, Tai Chi student

In just a few months, the practice has become perhaps the most nurturing element in my life during COVID times, when sustaining a commitment to anything else has been challenging.

Barb, Tai Chi student

The community Tai Chi has provided has been a gift. With so much we can now do whenever we wish --- with an app, YouTube video, or streaming service --- meeting weekly (via zoom) in real time, live, to practice Tai Chi creates true community.

David, Tai Chi student

I really enjoy our time together and I've found Tai Chi a great way to "keep moving," not only during this pandemic but also as a regular practice with a wonderful integration of mind, body and spirit.

Martha, Tai Chi student

Tuning into the class and seeing familiar faces of the other students brings a nice sense of community and connection during this time of separation and isolation.

Julia, Tai Chi student

I love the walking practice because it helps me slow down and focus only on the moment.

Tai Chi student

Tai Chi has made me aware of how I’m standing and where my weight is. My balance is improving.

Tai Chi student

I hear Arlene saying to listen to my body and only do what I can do. That helps me relax.

Tai Chi student

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25 Years Faulk Tai Chi

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