Taiji - a wonderful exercise

Below is a video of me practising the 8-step Yang style Taiji.  It is a very short and simple exercise but if done correctly (correct posture, mindset, attitude, etc), has enormous physical and mental benefits.

I also practise other forms of Yang Taiji (eg. 48 steps, swords, etc) and one set of Chen Taiji.

For me, the stance and posture is important.  One has to be relax, upright and rooted.  The motion has to be fluid and continuous.  The motion may stop but it never cease.

Mentally, one should pay attention to the movement.  If you are able to do this, this can be carried over to your daily life where you can learn to let go of negative thoughts and emotions and start controlling your brain.

For me, some people are making Taiji more mysterious than I consider it to be - especially the spiritual aspect.  To me, it is a form of martial art and has enormous health benefits if done correctly.  Don't be too concern about chi, dan tian, etc.  Just remember to be rooted, move from the navel region (dan tian), relax and be aware of the movement - enjoy the movement.  All the others will take care of themselves with time.

If you want to learn, just search from Youtube.  I think those from China are pretty authentic.

Holiday in Melbourne 12th to20th Dec 2013

Went for a short holiday to Melbourne with wife and 2 children.  Met my niece there.  She would be graduating from the Melbourne U on 19th Dec and then back to continue her Medicine Degree. Good luck.

First of all, it does not feel like summer.  It feels more like spring or autumn.  Though sunny, the temperature is about 20 degrees C.  Really nice.

We went to Yarra Valley first and booked into a farm. It is a wonderful experience.

We went shopping for meals at Coles.  The supermarket looks nice but I wonder how they manage.  The place is nice but looks empty. 

The picture below shows us having dinner - kangaroo meat with pasta.

On one of the days, we had pinic in a park.

We also visited Steaven Fall.  Nice treking.

We took a walk up Cathedral Lane.  Half the road is gravel and guess what, it is listed in Google map.  The end of the road offers a scenic view.

Tasted wine at Tarrawarra on the second day.

Before wine, we had tasted some beer at Clearwater.

We went for Mass at an abbey.  They got a mordern looking church.

We went to a Sunday market but it wan't fantastic. Took less than 3 minutes to walk through the market.  It is definitely nothing compared with Victoria Market.  However there was a group of buskers providing some good live music.

Next we drove into Melbourne town.  Went to Richmond area and had one of the most spicy Thai food I ever had.  But wow!  The place is called Ying Thai. 

Then went touring The University of Melbourne.  The U dates back to 1850 something and you can see new and old buildings in the campus.

In Melbourne we also rented a place from AirBnB.  Not cheap but cheaper than staying in a hotel.

 

We walked around St Kilda.  In Melbourne tjere are a lot of Victorian-styled houses. 

For dinner on Tuesday, we had metre-long pizza.  The headed out to Brunswick and lestened to some jazz in Uptown Jazz Cafe.

Brunswick reminds me of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. 

We took a walk in Albert Park near where we stayed in the late morning after a late breakfast.

We went lane walking at the CBD area (around Bourke Street). It is really happening with lots of small eateries and cafes in the alleys.

There were many buskers along the street - probably because it is summer.

Below is a video of the street. Note that the man in the suit just happened to be in the video. I was not following him.

In the evening of Wednesday we went to the Victoria Market.  Happening!!!

There were many stalls selling food.  There were also a lot of people and we actually sat on the kerb beside our table before getting a seat at the table.  They have 3 live bands playing different music at different locations.  There was a street performer who squeezed himself through a tennis racket.  

The pictures also showed our first visit to the market on Monday but it was closing. Those pictures with more people were taken on oit second visit - night market. 

Attending the graduation of my niece at the University of Melbourne on 19th Dec 2013.

Welcome address by Deputy Chancellor, Mr. Robert Johanson.

Address by Prof Gordon Lynch.

One of my niece's housemate receiving her degree.

Now my niece receiving her degree.  Congratulatons.

The Valedictory Speech.

The final procession. 

Our last in Melbourne was a hot hot hot day with temperature reaching up to 41 Deg C (for the rest, it was like being in an air-conditioned room in Singapore).  Spent time in shopping centre chit-chatting.  Had dinner at Cumulus Inc and then headed back to prepare for pickup early in the morning.

As they say, the best holiday is about experiencing (not shopping and rushing).  This trip and the one to Hanoi certainly wre about that.