Category Archives: exercise

The Exercise We all Need to be Doing

Posted on September 16, 2020 by jyourist

Many years ago my sister and her wife bought me a punching bag for my birthday, an Everlast. It was gifted as a way for me to get some aerobic exercise especially in the cold winter months. We put it … Continue reading →

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That is enough

Posted on July 14, 2016 by jyourist

Today we ended Tai Chi class by doing the Six Healing Sounds. Connected with simple movements, these sounds are intended to rid the body of negative emotions and energies and to replace those energies with positive ones. When one participates … Continue reading →

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Orchids and Tai Chi

Posted on March 18, 2016 by jyourist

Yesterday I went to an orchid sale at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. It was at the closing of their annual orchid show and all plants (with a few exceptions) were $10 each. We stood in long lines, there was quite … Continue reading →

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Drunken Tai Chi

Posted on August 7, 2015 by jyourist

Yesterday in my tai chi class our teacher was telling a story about her teacher who liked to drink wine and was quite the connoisseur. She said he loved to meticulously pore over a wine encyclopedia when he was not … Continue reading →

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T’ai Chi on a bed of roses

Posted on July 27, 2015 by jyourist

There were rose petals all around. My guess— the floral remains of a weekend wedding or at the very least, of a weekend photo shoot for a wedding. Someone said they saw a ribbon adorned with small pearls laying about … Continue reading →

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Reverse the movements

Posted on June 15, 2015 by jyourist

For the past year I have been learning a Tai Chi form created by the Ni family, the Harmony T’ai Chi short form (originally the Integral Way spiritual tradition of ancient China). I have been doing this form, which includes … Continue reading →

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100 days to reach enlightenment!

Posted on March 19, 2015 by jyourist

  Today in Tai Chi class our teacher taught us “Swimming Dragon.” “You do this nine times a day for 100 days in a row and you will reach enlightenment,” she said. “If you do this exercise for nine times … Continue reading →

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Reserve of gracefulness

Posted on December 11, 2014 by jyourist

Today I learned the last of the movements in the T’ai chi form. Actually I have really completed only half of the movements because to do the whole exercise, all the movements need to be reversed and completed on the opposite … Continue reading →

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“Ten thousand times and much more slowly”

Posted on November 2, 2014 by jyourist

“Ten thousand times and much more slowly.” These are the words of my qigong and T’ai chi teacher. It is often the intent of exercise in our culture to work quickly, working up a sweat, getting the heart rate to speed … Continue reading →

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The hardest qigong and t’ai chi posture

Posted on October 12, 2014 by jyourist

There’s a woman in my qigong and t’ai chi class who usually drives me crazy. Every time she comes into the class she goes straight to the temperature control to make sure the room is warm enough for her which is way … Continue reading →

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