Training Tips
Greetings. I have been writing and sending these out since 2015, and for you who have just joined us, welcome to the Gilman Studio Training Tips. These Tips are a result of my desire to share my life’s study and teaching in the area of Internal Arts and human potential.
I have taught Tai Chi and Qigong since 1973 and shared with thousands of people, and yet feel limited, as I live in a small community in the northwest corner of Washington State. I wanted to reach a larger audience on a regular basis. Thus, the Training Tips was born.
Most books on Tai Chi are written by an instructor to share his or her form. They are meant to teach the movements. They also, usually include short chapters on history and philosophy, but that is usually limited. I have written two Tai Chi books and now these Training Tips, not as “how to” books, but as “why to” books. Most people who are attracted to Tai Chi seek relaxation, focus, balance, health improvement, and a very few, martial skills. What most people need to carry on with their studies is motivation. That is what these Tips are all about. I want to encourage students to continue to practice, and continue looking deeper into this marvelous art form, and that only comes from regular and continuous practice.
I hope you read through all of these and maybe one or more will stimulate you to stay with your initial interest and enthusiasm. You can bookmark the ones you like to go back to in the future. As you grow and change, the meaning of these Tips will change, and hopefully you will find you understand them in your body, mind and spirit. If you aren’t already receiving these in your mailbox, subscribe and it will come as regular as clockwork on Monday mornings. The Gilman Studio never shares your information.
I sincerely hope you enjoy these and share them with your friends. You will make me happy. Thank you for your interest in our beloved art.
Chi Kung- Guan Chi Fa: Threading Energy (Integration Breath) – 11/1/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #340 Chi Kung - Guan Chi Fa: Threading Energy - (Integration Breath) Chi Kung means breathing therapy exercises and has been a part of the Chinese culture for over two thousand years. Basically all chi kung must follow three...
read moreEnlightenment Through Tai Chi – 10/25/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #339 Enlightenment Through Tai Chi Enlightenment is most often experienced as a moment that occurs between the in-breath and out-breath. This special place is like a small crack in the cosmic egg. If we look close enough...
read moreTai Chi Scale/Chi Flow – 10/18/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #338 Tai Chi Scale Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do , or solmization, is the vocalization of the major scale in music. These are eight basic sounds, or since sound is nothing but waves of energy, we can say eight basic energies create an...
read moreStability and Mobility/A Favor – 10/11/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #337 Stability and Mobility The concepts of stability and mobility are the foundation building blocks of the internal arts. Stability implies something that is resistant to change or something that maintains equilibrium. Mobility...
read moreBalance/War and Peace – 10/4/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #336 Balance The idea of balance is paramount to our success in the internal arts. It is very apparent in the physical movements, and less so in the mind and spirit. Yet when we examine our lives, we see how balance is manifested...
read moreRandom Thoughts on Tai Chi – 9/27/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #335 Random Thoughts On Tai Chi * The study of Tai Chi and related subjects is not about changing who you are. It is about discarding who you are not. * Why should I study Tai Chi Push Hands? So I can train myself to have...
read moreThermometer – 9/20/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #334 Thermometer The thermometer offers a good analogy for how chi affects the body. Let me explain. When it is cold outside, the mercury (or whatever fills your thermometer) is compressed into the lower level of the glass tube. In...
read moreLearning – 9/13/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #334 Learning How often have you heard the expression -”Learn from your mistakes”? It is a well accepted idea. I'm afraid I have to disagree. Let me explain. When one wants to “learn” something, what does that person do? He or she...
read moreSensing With Hands – 9/6/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #332 Sensing with Hands In Tai Chi, the hands are our connection from our mind to someone or something else. It is important to develop sensitivity, and for the form, a sense of reality. Usually in classes, we work with partners to...
read moreTai Chi Birds/New Class – 8/30/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #332 Tai Chi Birds When you are a student of wonder, lessons are everywhere. Most afternoons, I sit on the top of an outbuilding, read, write, and enjoy the complete privacy of my back yard. I usually go about the same time in the...
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