2010 Lenten Challenge

Discussion on the three big Chinese internals, Yiquan, Bajiquan, Piguazhang and other similar styles.

Re: 2010 Lenten Challenge

Postby Waterway on Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:36 am

Mines is going well too.

Quick recap: My challenge was to stretch one hour everyday (mostly by doing yoga).

A buddy of mine was able to get me a foam roller. It has really helped with my stretching.

Rick I can really relate to what you are saying about focusing while performing movements. In yoga I now and again have a little lapse in concentration and I then realize my posture is wrong! A bit of mindfulness goes a long way.

I have def. noticed some subtle improvements. My Halasana is getting very strong (http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/479).

I notice I have been able to "open" my spine more. While at a Bagua seminar, a teacher told me my back was too rounded. I had difficulty "opening" the vertebrae the way he did. I have noticed an improvement in this area.

Someone told me during my challenge that the main difference between Pilates and Yoga was that Pilates tried to maintain strong posture by building the core area, whereas Yoga attempts to create far great mobility in the spine.

The main thing I am enjoying is that I am able to focus on this sort of training for at least an hour everyday. It's a good feeling.
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Re: 2010 Lenten Challenge

Postby RickMatz on Thu Apr 01, 2010 6:43 pm

Technically, we are at the end of Lent. It's been my custom to continue on through at least Easter as it's reckoned by the Catholic Church, usually to Easter as it's reckoned by Orthodox Church (they coincide this year); and this year I've decided to carry on at least until the end of Passover, which is April 5th.

I put my focus on the Wu style taijiquan square form, and I'm not at all displeased how it's come along. A milestone is not only putting an end to going through it too quickly, I'm not forcing myself to be too slow either. I am simply not in a hurry and am instead focused on doing the form correctly.

I'll soon be turning my attention back to the round form which I've neglected since about October. By the end of the year I should have a good foundation for both forms.

I've started working with Rosetta Stone for Japanese, to give my Japanese language study a jump start. I like it a lot. I think it would provide a good base on which to build conversational skills and beyond, if you are willing to look beyond what the course itself offers.

The course can only offer a small variety of common sentence patterns, situations, and vocabulary. If you were teleported to the middle of Japan though, Rosetta Stone would provide you with enough for you to find your way back home.

You hear native speakers a lot, and you speak back to the software to test your pronunciation. There are tools that should out a waveform of the native speaker in comparison to yours, so you can get visual as well as aural feedback immediately.
Last edited by RickMatz on Thu Apr 01, 2010 6:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 2010 Lenten Challenge

Postby Waterway on Fri Apr 02, 2010 2:45 am

Can't believe its nearly over!!! I amazed looking back over my lenten journal at just how much I've done. A few lows, but a lot of highs too. It almost feels like a habit has formed at this stage. I don't need to make a conscious effort to stretch anymore, I just do it.

Had a great Ba Duan Jin Qi Gong lesson last Saturday. Really gave me a whole lot of stuff to work on (in addition to the stretching).

Like Rick says, I'm rolling on until Sunday. I am thinking about going for the 100 i.e. 100 days of stretching. I'm going to factor in my Lenten days, so it means I will have another 53 days to go (by going until Sunday I'll have done 47 days for my lenten challenge!).

I'd like to keep this rolling as much as possible, but maybe do both yoga and Qi Gong everyday, instead of yoga everyday and Qi Gong every once in a while.

Well done to everyone who took up the challenge. And thanks again to Rick for throwing down the challenge!
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