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.
Learning – 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...
read moreSan Bao – Three Treasures – 8/23/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #331 San Bao – Three Treasures I talk a lot about the Three Treasures – Jing, Qi, and Shen. Tai Chi practice is fundamentally based on the concept of refining energy – of converting Jing to Qi and Qi to Shen. The Three Treasures is...
read moreEssentials of Practice – 8/16/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 330 Essentials of the Practice of Form And Push Hands by Li I-yu Li I-yu was a well respected Tai Chi Master in the Wu Style lineage. He lived from 1832 to 1892. It isn't often I share writings by others, but this well known...
read moreStanding Meditation – Zhan Zhuang – 8/9/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #329 Standing Meditation – Zhan Zhuang Standing meditation or Zhan Zhuang is an ancient form of Chi Kung that is gaining popularity in China and the rest of the world. This system is simple on the outside, and as deep as the...
read moreChi Kung (Qigong) – 8/2/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 328 Chi Kung (Qigong) Chi Kung is the study of Universal energy's becoming and interacting with the human body. Through this study, we strive to understand how the universe works, to understand our interaction with this universe,...
read moreThe Path / Structural Alignment- 7/26/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #327 The Path The internal arts have always been a path to enlightenment, a path to the full knowing of ourselves. This path is not without its ups and downs, detours, and obstacles. When we decide to start learning Tai Chi, we keep...
read moreYin and Yang of Travel – 7/19/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 326 Yin/Yang of Travel Summer is upon us and that gets me thinking of travel. And, of course, there is a yin way and a yang way to travel. Let me share some ideas. In 1967, I was a television director in San Francisco, engaged to...
read moreBring Joy – 7/12/21
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #325 Bring Joy It is, and has been, my life's philosophy, to make everyone I come into contact with feel better about themselves and others. My marriage was based on the idea of doing whatever I could to make the other person happy...
read more