This week was a good week. I can feel myself distentangling from the web of winter blues. My UBBT7 numbers this week reflect this - pushups, horse stance minutes, kicks, and knitting hours are way up. Sifu Brinker has published a challenge for Valentine's Day - 1000 each of situps and pushups - and I'm pumped for that.
I am very happy with my knitting. I have finished my first charity project - a scarf. Though it seems insignificant at the moment, I envision a complete care package to be donated by the end of the year; quality wool scarves, socks, hats, at least one blanket, and more if time permits. All canadian-made yarn of course. I have been wondering where this package will end up; Canada? Tibet? Siberia? Afghanistan? Who knows? If nothing else, this project is fueling my sense of responsibility to everyone else in this world. Thoughts are leading to acts, and that was the purpose behind some of my UBBT7 goals.
I've just finished a MUST READ book relating to my comments above. "A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Raise Her Voice." by Malalai Joya. This woman, born in Afghanistan in 1978, was raised in the refugee camps of Iran and Pakistan; became a teacher in secret girls' schools in Afghanistan during the Taliban regime, helped established a medical clinic and orphanage, and most significantly, continues to speak out about the injustices that Afghan citizens face under the US-sanctioned present-day government. It is a book that clearly expresses the reality that the Afghan people live under; and we must be cognizant of this point of view if we dare to hope of a future where world peace figures into the picture.
"Every time you kill an angry young man overseas, you're creating fifteen more who will come after you." Major-General Andrew Leslie of Canada
Claire Finnamore
Student Member: Silent River Kung Fu
http://www.silentriverkungfu.com
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
'You can't stop the birds of sadness from flying overhead; but you can stop them from nestling in your hair.' Sharon Creech
There is alot to write about this week - it was an inspirational week. But the thing I must own up to is my terrible start to the UBBT7. I continue to struggle. There are alot of reasons for this - some I can do something about, others I have to accept and wait out.
The UBBT7 tracker that Sifu Prince created for Silent River Kung Fu is an excellent tool. I've just updated it and had a look at all the red sad faces (8 of them) which indicate that I have fallen significantly behind my goals. My automatic response to all these sad faces is to dwell on the reasons and the obstacles. But that's not productive, so I am endeavoring not to waste time in that zone. I'm focusing on the plan for this coming week - to turn 4 of those sad faces into happy ones. There are two numbers which are easy to catch up - knitting meditation is a little bit behind, and I will enjoy the excuse to spend more time on that this week. The other one is techniques - I am supposed to pick one technique from the Silent River Kung Fu curriculum each week, and repeat it 30 times. This week, I will have to repeat it roughly 130 times or just under 20 times per day. Not really that difficult, or time consuming. That leaves two big numbers to catch up on. I'm choosing kicks this week (I'm supposed to do 525 kicks per week) because Sifu Brinker commented on a problem with one of my kicks in the Lao Gar form which needs correcting). Instead of doing only 75 kicks per day, I will do 225 side heel kicks from bow stance each day. That ought to fix both my Lao Gar and my UBBT7. And looking back on my numbers last year in preparation for the Black belt test, I see I was pulling off over 300 kicks per day, to improve my roundhouse. spinning back kick, combination kicks, and flying kicks. So this is not an unrealistic one week goal. The other big number to fix this week is the sit ups. Instead of 150 per day, I will be at least doubling that number.
Well, I must get started. And I'm looking forward to a few more happy faces next week!!!
Claire Finnamore
Student Member - Silent River Kung Fu
http://www.silentriverkungfu.com
There is alot to write about this week - it was an inspirational week. But the thing I must own up to is my terrible start to the UBBT7. I continue to struggle. There are alot of reasons for this - some I can do something about, others I have to accept and wait out.
The UBBT7 tracker that Sifu Prince created for Silent River Kung Fu is an excellent tool. I've just updated it and had a look at all the red sad faces (8 of them) which indicate that I have fallen significantly behind my goals. My automatic response to all these sad faces is to dwell on the reasons and the obstacles. But that's not productive, so I am endeavoring not to waste time in that zone. I'm focusing on the plan for this coming week - to turn 4 of those sad faces into happy ones. There are two numbers which are easy to catch up - knitting meditation is a little bit behind, and I will enjoy the excuse to spend more time on that this week. The other one is techniques - I am supposed to pick one technique from the Silent River Kung Fu curriculum each week, and repeat it 30 times. This week, I will have to repeat it roughly 130 times or just under 20 times per day. Not really that difficult, or time consuming. That leaves two big numbers to catch up on. I'm choosing kicks this week (I'm supposed to do 525 kicks per week) because Sifu Brinker commented on a problem with one of my kicks in the Lao Gar form which needs correcting). Instead of doing only 75 kicks per day, I will do 225 side heel kicks from bow stance each day. That ought to fix both my Lao Gar and my UBBT7. And looking back on my numbers last year in preparation for the Black belt test, I see I was pulling off over 300 kicks per day, to improve my roundhouse. spinning back kick, combination kicks, and flying kicks. So this is not an unrealistic one week goal. The other big number to fix this week is the sit ups. Instead of 150 per day, I will be at least doubling that number.
Well, I must get started. And I'm looking forward to a few more happy faces next week!!!
Claire Finnamore
Student Member - Silent River Kung Fu
http://www.silentriverkungfu.com
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Zen Ox Diagram 7- more or less.
What a year.
In a week, I will hopefully be attending the private black belt promotion ceremony which will bring me to the final phase of my quest for black belt. If all goes well, I will finish up the Year of the Ox having acheived what I set out to achieve. I have been studying kung fu for ten years, and I chose this year to train, prepare and test for black belt because I was born in the year of the ox. I wasn't actually sure that I was ready to test, but I told myself that if there would be one year that I would focus my efforts on achieving a black belt, it surely must be in the year of my chinese sign.
It is truly meaninful to me that the ox is represented in an ancient set of drawings and prose called the Ten Ox Diagrams. According to Zen philosophers, the ten drawings represent the various stages in our search for our own true nature. The journey involves accomplishing the mastery of self. There are only two figures in the ten diagrams. The ox is our true self. The little buddha figure is ourselves as the seeker of truth or seeker of our true nature. The diagrams depict the little buddha looking here and there for the ox, finding it, trying to tame the ox with whip and rope, mounting the ox, and then becoming one with the ox, abandoning the whip and the rope after realizing that the unity of one's nature and oneself is effortless in the end. The message is that discovering enlightenment occurs within oneself; all has been one since the beginning; the ox was only a means to the rediscovery of our true self and thus enlightenment regarding all things in the universe.
It is safe to say that my black belt journey has been one of self discovery for me also. I think I spent a lot of time in struggle and turmoil with myself and the ox. Kung fu is the means by which I can discover the truth about myself, come to terms with and correct my flaws, practice humility and trust, remove limits, strive for effortless effort, walk in peace and harmony. It doesn't matter whether I earn the black belt or not; the journey has been worthwhile, and its not complete yet.
Claire Finnamore
Silent River Kung Fu - Student Member
In a week, I will hopefully be attending the private black belt promotion ceremony which will bring me to the final phase of my quest for black belt. If all goes well, I will finish up the Year of the Ox having acheived what I set out to achieve. I have been studying kung fu for ten years, and I chose this year to train, prepare and test for black belt because I was born in the year of the ox. I wasn't actually sure that I was ready to test, but I told myself that if there would be one year that I would focus my efforts on achieving a black belt, it surely must be in the year of my chinese sign.
It is truly meaninful to me that the ox is represented in an ancient set of drawings and prose called the Ten Ox Diagrams. According to Zen philosophers, the ten drawings represent the various stages in our search for our own true nature. The journey involves accomplishing the mastery of self. There are only two figures in the ten diagrams. The ox is our true self. The little buddha figure is ourselves as the seeker of truth or seeker of our true nature. The diagrams depict the little buddha looking here and there for the ox, finding it, trying to tame the ox with whip and rope, mounting the ox, and then becoming one with the ox, abandoning the whip and the rope after realizing that the unity of one's nature and oneself is effortless in the end. The message is that discovering enlightenment occurs within oneself; all has been one since the beginning; the ox was only a means to the rediscovery of our true self and thus enlightenment regarding all things in the universe.
It is safe to say that my black belt journey has been one of self discovery for me also. I think I spent a lot of time in struggle and turmoil with myself and the ox. Kung fu is the means by which I can discover the truth about myself, come to terms with and correct my flaws, practice humility and trust, remove limits, strive for effortless effort, walk in peace and harmony. It doesn't matter whether I earn the black belt or not; the journey has been worthwhile, and its not complete yet.
Claire Finnamore
Silent River Kung Fu - Student Member
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Wow! What a disasterous first week!! Right off the starting block, my motivation was incredibly low. I had forgotten about the cabin fever, winter blues. Looking back at last year's journal, I see that my numbers had taken a dive in Jan/Feb, and that in March I struggled and fought myself back on track successfully. So now I have to do better this year. First step is to look at the facts.
I did not meet my weekly goals on pushups, situps, techniques, self propelled travel or horse stance minutes. I came close to my goals for kicks, meditation journal entries and Chi kung forms. I met my goals for Tai chi sword form, knitting meditation, 10 day cleanse, maintaining goal weight, and abstinence from caffeine. There is no reason why a can't get on track this next week. So that is my goal. In the meantime, here is my January 8 journal meditation entry.
The knitting is not going so badly because I love to knit. The mindful part is not going so well but I've decided not to worry about it - stay relaxed and allow the progress to happen. So thus far, I've never made it through a whole row without noticing that my thoughts are once again in full throttle and far away from the present moment. Two areas of slight progress though. First, I have made it from an average of 3 stitches, up to 8 stitches with mindful focus intact. This has allowed me to become more aware and appreciative of the color, feel and rythm of the work. Second, I've started to trace how I got from 'focus' to a mind in full throttle. It starts only with one stray spark of a thought sneaking into my empty mind. Within stitches, that spark fires through the pathways of my mind, igniting a string of thoughts which relate to the intial spark. Its like a string, thread, or yarm - highly combustible, and fast burning.
I did not meet my weekly goals on pushups, situps, techniques, self propelled travel or horse stance minutes. I came close to my goals for kicks, meditation journal entries and Chi kung forms. I met my goals for Tai chi sword form, knitting meditation, 10 day cleanse, maintaining goal weight, and abstinence from caffeine. There is no reason why a can't get on track this next week. So that is my goal. In the meantime, here is my January 8 journal meditation entry.
The knitting is not going so badly because I love to knit. The mindful part is not going so well but I've decided not to worry about it - stay relaxed and allow the progress to happen. So thus far, I've never made it through a whole row without noticing that my thoughts are once again in full throttle and far away from the present moment. Two areas of slight progress though. First, I have made it from an average of 3 stitches, up to 8 stitches with mindful focus intact. This has allowed me to become more aware and appreciative of the color, feel and rythm of the work. Second, I've started to trace how I got from 'focus' to a mind in full throttle. It starts only with one stray spark of a thought sneaking into my empty mind. Within stitches, that spark fires through the pathways of my mind, igniting a string of thoughts which relate to the intial spark. Its like a string, thread, or yarm - highly combustible, and fast burning.
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