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Autumnal Equinox

September 25, 2023 By Arlene Faulk

We’re at that time of year where we mark the day when we have equal amounts of light and darkness and then the hours of darkness will increase and dominate until March. Equinox signifies balance and I visualize that balance in the two small circles of the yin/yang symbol.

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The dark and light spaces symbolize energy moving, continuously and the space in circles represents “balance”. We see this symbol associated often with Tai Chi, because through the gentle moves of this ancient practice, we hope to increase our internal and external balance.

Our lives, following the patterns of the universe, include both dark and light aspects. We need to embrace the dark, contemplative, intuitive inward yin creativity as well as the more active, outward, physical yang. energy. This can be a challenge for those of us who want to accomplish, reach goals, keep active. Are you someone who’s little voice in your head continually tells you “so much to do, too little time?”

Visualize the clouds, the trees. They are an integral part of the rhythms of nature. We, too, can be part of nature’s rhythms, with attention and intention to working towards a balance of doing and being. What can you do, or stop doing to have more balance in your life?

Filed Under: Changing Seasons Tagged With: balance between doing and being, intention, light and darkness, yin and yang

Find a Few Minutes for Stillness Each Day

November 3, 2013 By Arlene Faulk

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In our fast-paced world of instant communication, so many sources are seeking our attention, many times simultaneously. We feel pulled in different directions. We set out to do one thing and can’t finish because we’re diverted to do something else. These sources are not only our family, bosses, colleagues and friends, but also technology, being drawn to our phone, computer, television, ads flashing at us from all directions.

How important it is in our busy world to find a few minutes for stillness each day. Usually, these minutes need to be intentional and we might even need to program them into our schedule — a leisurely walk, looking at a beautiful lake, watching the cranes migrate, being on the top of a mountain staring, doing a favorite yoga pose, meditating on our cushion, playing some tai chi movements from our favorite form.

For me, it is taking time to create stillness through the motion of weight-shifting and gentle, flowing movements of tai chi. It is not only relaxing but also energizing and clears my head of clutter and competing thoughts that fly through my mind.

What will you do this week to bring some stillness into your day?

Filed Under: Arlene Faulk, Change, Listening to our Body, Mindfulness, Paying Attention, Tai Chi Tagged With: balance, intention, stillness through motion

A Lesson from the Turtles

April 19, 2013 By Arlene Faulk

So much negative news on the television right now — round-the-clock coverage on finding a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings last week. It puts our nervous system in a state of high alert, of fear lurking around the corner. Don’t go out of your house. Lock the doors. Don’t let anybody in. Will our city be next?

So, I will offer an alternative today, a story that will make you smile.

By chance I happened to see a little story on TV that offered a good life lesson for all of us. An organization on the east coast rescued turtles in the midst and aftermath of hurricane Sandy. I’m not sure what condition the turtles were in, but now they were ready to return to the Atlantic Ocean.

A truck arrived on a sandy beach. The pleased workers carefully took out 240 to 250 turtles, ready to return to their natural habitat. The spotted turtles, with about 16-inch or so shells, were lifted out of the truck. At the front of the TV screen were the turtles and toward the middle of the screen a few feet from the turtles were the waves lapping up onto the beach.

The turtles seemed to have smiles on their faces, looking directly at the water, anticipating their freedom. As their legs touched down on the sand, they looked forward and started moving. Slowly, ever so slowly. Their destination was clear but they didn’t hurry. They took their time and didn’t touch or run into each other. They just moved forward. Slowly, right side forward, then left, then right. . .then gracefully moved into the water and were at peace as they returned to their home.

In Tai Chi when we practice walking, I often mention that ‘the tortoise wins,’ meaning the slow, steady, purposeful movements of the tortoise, the turtle is what we want to emulate. The turtles are steady, focused and intentional. They are in the moment. The live a long time.

Filed Under: Mindfulness, Paying Attention, Tai Chi Tagged With: intention, smiling, turtles, walking

Filling Up, Emptying Out

March 11, 2013 By Arlene Faulk

March is the month when we really start thinking about the spring season. Yes, this month marks the calendar beginning of spring, although in Chicago, it  feels like spring one day and winter the next. We have had a cloudy, snowy and rainy start to spring this year, so right now we’re thinking about the season rather than experiencing it.

Just like making resolutions for January to start a new year, we plan cleaning out — closets, papers, broken appliances — to have our homes feel neat and clean for March and April. Good for those of us who actually take the time to empty out closets, catch-all drawers and give away or throw away.

We have to be intentional for this to work. We may set a specific goal and timeline to accomplish this. We may say our intention out loud, to increase our motivation and resolve. We know ourselves and what would light a little fire under us to actually take action.

Tai Chi can be like cleaning out a closet; a closet is a metaphor for our entire life. Too often, we take on more and more, in our life that if already full. We get overwhelmed, are frustrated, have trouble sleeping and can never cross off enough items on our ‘to do’ list.

In class we use breathing, breathing in — filling up, then breathing out — emptying out. Very slow, very focused. It helps to clear our mind and stop long enough to refresh and create capacity to take new things in. Intentional walking, which we practice in every Tai Chi class focuses on the same principle. Place 100% of your weight on one leg (filling up); allowing for 0% on the other so you can take a step (emptying out). Fill up (Yang) and empty out (Yin). We need both to feel some balance in our days and in our entire life.

Taking a Tai Chi class can help us cultivate a pattern and habit of these helpful practices. However, everybody can breathe with intention and walk with intention, wherever you are. What a great way to welcome spring into our lives — breathe and walk.

Filed Under: Change, Listening to our Body, Mindfulness, Paying Attention, Tai Chi, Tai Chi Classes Tagged With: breathing, cleaning closets, intention, slowing down, spring, walking, yang, yin

A Yin Time of Year

October 27, 2012 By Arlene Faulk

We are moving into a Yin time of year. This will be particularly evident when daylight savings time ends during the first weekend in November.

“My heavens, it’s getting dark before 5 p.m.”, we say. “I don’t like that it’s dark so much more than its light,” is commonly heard.

In our culture, Yin isn’t an everyday term, but in the Chinese culture, it is.  Yin is most often talked about in relation to Yang, the opposites in us, in all of nature that are always moving, always changing. Yin is dark, night, reflection, internal, water; Yang is light, day, activity, external, fire. Yin and Yang are part of system of thinking called correspondence thinking, that events occur in association with each other. Patterns develop. This philosophy which informs the principles of Chinese medicine are centuries old.

Yin and Yang theory also informs Tai Chi. The goal of Tai Chi is to promote balance in all things, starting with our own body, mind and spirit, and then moving outside of us to our relationships, and to our care of the external world in which we live. Through Tai Chi we bring intention to our breathing, our posture, our shifting of weight, all to achieve better overall balance in our lives, starting with the literal, increased balance of standing and walking every day.

We are surrounded by affirmations for Yang activities — setting goals, achieving, multi-tasking, doing more and more. The Yin activities — resting, reflection, turning off the TV and smart phones — are not affirmed externally. We individually, have to make the decision to stop, say no, revitalize and renew our energy.

Our bodies need moisture, not only moisturizer, but also moisture in our tissues. In Tai Chi class, I’m emphasizing QiGong movements right now, shifting our weight from the center of our feet to the ball of the feet, then back to center again. At the center of each foot is a strong energy point, Yongquan, also called “bubbling spring”, which stimulates and enhances Yin in our body.

Yin and Yang relate to water and fire in the body, the two main components we aim to balance. With balance we have health; with imbalance, we have illness. At this time of year it is helpful to recognize these two components and embrace importance of Yin, that surrounds us and can nourish us when we pay attention.

Filed Under: Breathwork, Change, Listening to our Body, Mindfulness, Paying Attention, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Tai Chi Classes Tagged With: attention, balance, fire, health, illness, intention, water, yinyang

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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