Lifestyle and Appreciation

We choose and develop a specific type of lifestyle based on what is important to us, what we appreciate and what we respect.  I think for most of us as we look over the years we will see that our lifestyles undergo change as we grow and move through different stages of life.  This past week I have been confronted with a couple of situations that have caused me to reflect even further on the fact that I am guilty of taking many of my blessings for granted.  I have certain things and people in my life that are a part of my every day in one way or another and I have failed to give them the continued every day appreciation that I truly feel and that they deserve.  My lack in verbally expressing or consciously thinking how grateful I am for what I have and what I have been able to be a part of is really not because I no longer see how valuable they are to me, but rather because I have gotten so use to them always being there, part of my life, making up my ‘lifestyle’. I have allowed the routine of life to blind the fact that I neglect to show the appreciation I feel towards those that make my life so complete.  I have relied on them always being there and have overlooked the fact that in a blink of an eye they could be taken from my life.

This week had me looking at many parts of my life in a different light. I have become aware once again that I have somehow lost track of time with being busy, been easily side tracked and have lost opportunities to show my appreciation towards many people and opportunities. I have realized just how many times I have not lived in the moment, breathing in every smell, truly seeing every view, hearing every word because I have taken those moments for granted and assumed they would be there again tomorrow. I don’t want regrets in my life.  I want those around me to never doubt what they bring to my life, how much I appreciate and value them. Wake up each morning grateful for every breath and take every opportunity to show gratefulness and appreciation to those in your life who are deserving of it.

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

A Time and Place

I have been attending the Tai Chi classes for the last year and a half (minus the summer months) and to be honest have struggled more than a little right from the beginning. When I first started I found that I had the hardest time with relaxing and slowing things down. To first off transition from move to move without clenching a fist or having my body at attention seemed impossible.  It didn’t seem to matter how many times I would say ‘relax, relax, relax…’, my body would not listen.  Add to that the concept of slowing down.  Life is hectic and I do have a hard time slowing down at the best of times, always thinking about how much ‘stuff’ there is to get done. Even when I feel that I am going extremely slowly, I have found myself way a head of the rest of the class. My favorite form is 18 temple motions; I love the slow movement that allows me to use my breath and to feel the 6 harmonies.  So I have had a hard time understanding just why I am struggling with the slow, relax movement of Tai Chi. 

The past couple of months I have had a few revelations.  I have caught myself feeling what I believe I am supposed to.  I have had moments of actually feeling myself slowing down and complete relaxation. So what has changed?  It has been a slow process for me but I have figured out that it lies in the proper time and place.  I have discovered that a chaotic environment does not work for me at this point.  This goes beyond just the place I choose to practice and includes the state I come into that place.  Running into the kwoon 5-10min before a class starts or trying to squeeze a repetition in between projects, is not ideal for me.  What works better is to come in a little earlier, strolling in with an attitude and feeling of calmness.  Second I find slow, soothing music to help me get ‘in the mood’.  I have found if I focus on the music my body movements slow down and my shoulders drop.  The moment I tune out the music my mind may wander, my shoulders go back up to my ears and speed increases.  Thirdly I have found lighting to change how tense my body feels.   Florescent or artificial lighting is not really my friend.  If light is in the cards, the feel of natural sunshine on my face is of more benefit to me.   I have also played with near to or complete darkness.  Maybe it’s the lack of light that stimulates my body that it’s almost bed time and time to wind down, but it does seem to help me relax and slow my movements.

So although it has taken me much more time than some, I am slowly feeling progress in my Tai Chi, which I am finding exciting and in turn is making me want to practice more.  I would like to send a huge thanks to Sifu Dennis and Sifu Vantuil who have been incredibly patient with me and my questions and who I am sure have had to stifle wincing when watching me on a regular basis.  I am definitely a work in progress.

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

Patience and Wisdom

 

Just over a year ago our family dog tore a tendon in her back leg running into our retaining wall while chasing crows. In a matter of seconds this dog who was use to running 10km a day with the energy of a puppy was unable to walk or even to stand up on her own.  Her vet told us that our best hope was that she would eventually walk short distances with a limp and be extremely restricted to what she was able to do.  This was my km maker, my peaceful buddy for my walks and the furry family member that went anywhere possible with us, so this was devastating news for all of us.  The routine we had was out the door and I found myself having to sneak out of the house with my running shoes, ducking as I went by the windows, only to return to her look of  ‘I know where you went and you forgot me!’  Unwilling to accept her prognosis and determined not to give up, we set up a slow rehab routine for her.  It started with lifting her 90lbs down the 3 stairs so she could use the bathroom to slowly walking only to the bottom of the driveway and back to eventually after a couple of months being back up to 5km a day with no limp! The process was slow and frustrating for her but in the end gave her back a life she loved.

All this to say that there is so much to having patience and progressing wisely when dealing with injuries.  I seem to be learning about this continually in my training, usually the hard way.  There seems to be a fine line as to how far to push yourself. Go too far and you go back 3 steps from the 1 step forward you just made, or never push yourself past what is comfortable and safe and you will never get better or progress to your potential. This whole process can be frustrating, discouraging and full of learning curves, but it’s in these moments where you can learn an incredible amount beyond just the physical injury, if you are willing and open. So as I try to figure out a couple of issues at this moment I am trying to have patience, I am fighting the frustration, I am trying to do all I can to take care of the issues and at the same time not stop or give up but make wise decisions as to what to do and how far to do it.  Oh so much to learn!

Alana Regier                                                                                                 

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

Deadlines

Ten o’clock on a Saturday night and I fall into bed exhausted.  Surely I will fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.  Wrong!  I fall into bed alright but instantly my mind starts racing.  The end of March on my mind, the date to have version 1 of our weapons forms ready.  Yikes!  So instead of sleep I found myself trying to visualize just what I could do with this weapon.  Trying not to wake Darcy by flopping around with a pretend bokken and scared that by morning I wasn’t going to remember these cool midnight thoughts, I got up and stumbled in the dark for a piece of paper and an pen and scribbled what I was sure was true brilliance! 

Well morning came and as I tried to decipher my own writing and grabbed my bokken, things didn’t flow and work together quite as well as they did in the middle of the night.  Okay, back to square one, that’s alright, it’s a process.

Not that I can afford to or like losing sleep, but deadlines work for me.  Having a date set puts intentions and plans into motion and gets things done.  Knowing that I have a team that is holding me accountable helps light the fire a little hotter.  I believe in order for goals to be successful a date or deadline is needed.  Any open ended plan gives room for excuses and kills motivation; making plans, goals and intentions easy to put to the side for later or permanently.

Most of this year’s team are returning from past years and know that this is just the beginning.  The expectation isn’t to have this perfected and final product but rather the opportunity to show that we are following through with our commitments and are engaged with what we have set out to do this year. With a team this size each having their own unique, imaginative and possible ideas, I look forward to seeing each one of the roosters version 1, especially those frying pans!

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

Drink Before You Are Thirsty

Oh how many times I have let the business of life make me forget to drink water.  I have found myself at work, driving, running or even in kung fu classes where I feel this immense thirst come upon me suddenly and upon thinking about it (if I’m coherent enough to think), realize that I have not been drinking enough water throughout my day or activity.  Now I know the importance of water for my mind and body and I also realize that if I wait till I’m thirsty, I am probably too late and already dehydrated.  The lesson is simple, don’t wait until you are parched and dehydrated to drink!

As with water for the body, so is rest and filling for the spirit. One of my readings this week spoke of the importance of filling your spirit long before you grow emotionally, spiritually or relationally dehydrated.  Here are the points made:

1.       Time away – Rather than waiting for burnout plan a vacation or simple time away.  This doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive or even far away.

2.      Daily retreats – Nourish yourself daily.  Seek quiet moments to reflect and express gratitude.  I like this one and find my walks and runs to be an awesome time for refill.

3.       Life-giving Friendships – “Life can be lonely, but we make it lonelier than it needs to be by expending our life energy among a hundred shallow acquaintances while neglecting to connect deeply with any one individual.”  Invest the most in the relationships that are important.

4.      Healthy Family – “All you have to do for family relationships to erode is nothing.”  Give your family the time they deserve, invest in each other early and continually.

5.      Energizing Activities – This can be anything that recharges your batteries, the sky is the limit!  Running, painting, reading, fishing… 

As we all walk away from the banquet inspired and energized for this New Year, it may be hard to see that the high will end.  At this point the push ups, sit ups and form reps seem a lot easier than they may be in the days to come when our weapons lose their shininess and we don’t feel so on fire. With all life throws at us and in our pursuit of mastery we will all have moments of feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, so for this reason remember to ‘hydrate’ yourself daily. Make a point of including the things that refill you in your daily life, make them realistic, sustainable and thoughtful with a purpose. Take care of all parts of you so you can accomplish the goals you have set for yourself for this upcoming year. Drink before you are thirsty!

Alana Regier

 

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca