Tag: meditation

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Entropy Of Life

Steve Rowe

EntropyFrom organised structure into chaos.You’re already dead.Death is infinite and assured.Life sits inside death.It’s finite and tentative.From the moment you’re born,You’re also dead.Life/death is yin/yangWithout death, life has no value. From young, healthy, attractive, nicely scented and succulent,You rot into a grey, dry, wrinkled,Old, invisible and ignored carcass,Smelling of piss and biscuits.From mindlessly leaping out of chairs,You go to the ‘Dawn Of Man’ routine to stand.Or slide from chair to wheelchair. Only young people say “if you’re lucky enough to get old”.When old, sick people hear of a ‘sudden death’, they think ‘lucky bastard’,Even if they don’t say it.The key … Continue reading Entropy Of Life

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I Like Simple

Steve Rowe

I am a simple man.This is why I naturally gravitate to Taoism, Buddhism and Pantheism.I’m always looking for the bottom line.I don’t like clever or complicated.I don’t like deceit.I don’t like masks.I don’t like dogma.I don’t like robes.I don’t like temples and churches.I don’t like priests, vicars, bishops or popes.I don’t like flowery hands and embroidered feet.I dont like arrogance, false confidence or bluster.I like straight talk.I like patience, tolerance, kindness and compassion.I like unity, harmony, community and support.I rely on my gut, my instincts.I know a wrong ‘un when I see them.They pit one against the other.They rely on … Continue reading I Like Simple

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My Heavenly Dream

Steve Rowe

Woke up from a really vivid dream this morning where I was lost in Canterbury but it wasn’t the Canterbury I knew. All the buildings were huge and castle or cathedral like and bright heavenly white against a clear blue sky. I was frustrated because I was lost and trying to find my way but at the same time in total awe of all these heavenly, beautiful ancient white buildings. I was in such a deep sleep it was ages before I could move after waking and it all felt really powerful staying with me all day. I guess it … Continue reading My Heavenly Dream

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Buddhism & Taoism In The Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

There’s been a few comments recently about the relationship of Karate and Tai Chi to Buddhism and Taoism. You obviously don’t have to be any religion to study either. They are both practised by millions world wide from all cultures and religions, but they do arise from Buddhist and Taoist cultures. The names of the arts and their styles reflect this, any Japanese art ending in ‘do’ (karatedo, judo, aikido, iaido etc) the ‘do’ is the ‘Tao’ and the names often relate to gentleness, softness, emptiness, peace and harmony from the religion in those cultures. The name ‘Tai Chi’ relates … Continue reading Buddhism & Taoism In The Martial Arts

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Why Should I Be ‘Happy’?

Steve Rowe

Why should I be happy? One thing that’s always intrigued me is the human pursuit of happiness. Every quote, meme, lifestyle and business guru advert is about how to be ‘happy’, yet with only a little bit of examination we can see that to obtain and maintain the ‘happiness’ being shovelled to us is impossible. It’s an illusion that society’s manipulators captivate our souls with to keep us unfulfilled and forever chasing their carrot. Life consists of order and chaos and we need the wisdom to accept and deal with both aspects. All the time that we’re imprisoned in this … Continue reading Why Should I Be ‘Happy’?

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Sneezing In Tai Chi

Steve Rowe

Sneezing in Tai Chi When we sneeze, there is an incredible build up of energy, a hover, then a powerfulrelease. This is the natural way our body works and we can use it in our Tai Chi practice. The lines in our body that we can use this skill in are called ‘jins’, to identify them we need to practice neigong (meditation and standing postures) to calm the body, mind and emotions and then qigong (energy work) exercises to understand the sources of power in the body created with movement. When we have practised these skills we can employ them … Continue reading Sneezing In Tai Chi

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Waking Up Our Chi

Steve Rowe

Waking up the chi…. The most important part of the day. To get the energy working and vibrant we have to exercise the spine, core and vagus nerve together. Using the mind, breath, emotions and Tai Chi movements, we meditate, calm the system first and then open, close, stretch, compress, twist and release the three together firing up the neural system and releasing the good hormones into the system. It’s an incredible feeling, opening all the cavities in the body and pumping and manipulating them, the stretch goes from tiptoe, to head and fingertips like the ‘yawning stretch’ and release … Continue reading Waking Up Our Chi

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Manipulators & Indoctrinators

Steve Rowe

“If men lack knowledge and desire, then clever people will not try to interfere.” – Lao Tsu This reads to most people like you should keep people simple and stupid, but the meaning is far from that. We are indoctrinated and manipulated from birth, by family, school, business, culture and society to ‘want’ and think what they want us to desire and think. In fact the true qualities of empathy, kindness, patience, tolerance and compassion are only true if applied in a simple way to everyone and everything. It’s only our indoctrinators and manipulators that tell us that this is … Continue reading Manipulators & Indoctrinators

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When It’s Not Video Friendly

Steve Rowe

Talking to one of my kung fu brothers we were discussing why we don’t feel the need to demonstrate or video ourselves doing forms or techniques anymore. High level skills are supposed to be ‘hidden’ and subtle so they’re not necessarily social media friendly and if people don’t have the vision or perspective to see what’s being done there’s no real point in putting it out there. Being old and disabled I’m not so easy on the eye anymore either but last Sunday on the Coaching programme, instead of limiting my demonstration to what I wanted the students to work … Continue reading When It’s Not Video Friendly

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Receiving Feedback

Steve Rowe

Receiving Feedback I need constant feedback from my students to improve my coaching. Not flattery, but constructive feedback as to what is good or bad. It’s the only way to validate what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes in class when I ask for feedback no one speaks up and when anyone does it tends to be the same people. Some don’t like to speak in front of others and will message me afterwards. What at first appears to be a silly question or feedback often creates the best teachings and discussion, stimulating more questions, so everything is welcome in these … Continue reading Receiving Feedback