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.
Spirituality – 3/21/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 360 Spirituality Most people have a belief in, and desire for, something greater than themselves. Groups of like minded “seekers” have been organized into what is called “a religion”. Religions have a belief in someone, or...
read moreMore on Tai Chi Meditation – 3/14/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 359 More on Tai Chi Meditation We have been examining meditation from the Tai Chi perspective for the last several weeks. Since most students of Tai Chi are seeking meditative exercise, let's look one more time at this topic....
read moreMonkey See-Monkey Do – 3/07/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 358 Learning to Learn Sequence “Monkey See – Monkey Do” Most of the people worldwide who learn Tai Chi do so by following someone who knows what they are doing. It is how I learned. I have evolved it a bit into a...
read moreTai Chi Meditative Sequence – 2/28/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 357 Tai Chi Meditative Sequence Most students approach Tai Chi with the final goal being health of mind and body and use Tai Chi as a meditative art. Every instructor has his or her own sequence to follow. Mine is fairly straight...
read moreThinking About the Pelvis – 2/21/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 356 Thinking About The Pelvis The pelvis contains the center of the body. The pelvis should be kept level during most of our Tai Chi practice. We do that for several reasons. First and foremost, the pelvis is the base for the...
read moreContinuous Movement/Push Hands – 2/14/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 355 Push Hands (Tui Shou)Videos After a practice in the Park, Stephanie (an instructor at the Studio) said that she had just watched the Push Hands video series that we produced for PTTV (public television) around the year 2000....
read moreImagination/Meditation – 2/7/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 354 Meditation- Yoga and Tai Chi The process of meditation in yoga and tai chi are quite similar – to build up energy in the lower belly, and send it up to the top of the head, refining it along the way. In yoga, the energy of the...
read moreReflection/Pushing – 1/31/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 353 Reflection Stand in font of a mirror and glance at what you see. Do you think you see yourself? No, you see a reflection of you – not you. When I was younger, I would go to The Fun House, located at the beach in San Francisco....
read moreThe Old Man – 1/24/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 352 The Old Man I was sorting some old papers and came across this article. A favorite of mine. I think you will find it touching and meaningful. It was written by Terry Dobson about Aikido , but could just as easily have been...
read moreLeader Article – 1/17/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 351 Article For Newspaper Just this week I was contacted by our local newspaper, The Leader, to see if I would be interested in doing a short article for their Wellness supplement, published twice a year and coming out the end of...
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