words of wisdom from the masters

Good day to all my wonderful friends and students:      As you know Taiji is called meditation in motion...Being in the moment with our movement is not only relaxing but also very SAFE!  Most accidents and FALLS happen because our mind is not connected to our actions. That is sad for so many are injured or worse because of a moment of distraction.ie: (texting and driving)  Learning to BE present and right here right now is not easy-it is the deeper meaning of being MINDFUL !!  There is a quote by Lao Tzu that also helps us understand that life is better and happier when we are HERE and in the moment......"if you are depressed-you are living in the past -if you are anxious -you are living in the future-if you are at PEACE-you are living in the present!!      Please practice your Taiji and meditations daily and you will find that being in the moment becomes easier.....Ciao and enjoy the day

the new year

Hello to all my friends-    How lucky are we to be here at this time to enjoy the ending of one year and the new beginning of the next---Lets pause for a moment and remember our friends who moved on to another place.....Thank you for taking a moment to reflect on all that happened in 2015.                  Now its time to get ready for 2016- I do that by making a few resolutions(actually 8) there is always 4 from the year before---My new four is LOVE-LIVE-LAUGH-APPRECIATE     I know this sounds like a wall hanging -and it sounds easy-but believe me it takes some work-some practice-and a commitment to succeed........When we think LOVE(do we include loving ourselves??)   When we think LIVE(are we in the moment most of the day??)  When we think laugh(can we really let loose with a belly laugh??)   When we think APPRECIATE(who and what are on that list??)     So my young friends-Please really ponder the meaning of the words and how they will enhance your special life.   With Love and appreciation      Sifu Mike Gentile

Practice for fun and health

Hello to all my Taiji /Qi-gong students...The beauty of Tai-Chi is in the practice-yet most of us do very little practice....Maybe its because we think we don't have time or we think we don't know enough or maybe we think we will practice incorrectly and develop bad habits??     So the challenge is : How can we make practice fun and productive?     How about we start with 5mins in the morning!    "Embrace the moon" form would be a perfect way to loosen and wake up the body as soon as you get out of bed----But after you loosen up the ankles and take your 3centering breaths as you enjoy the fact that you actually "Woke up".   When you sit how about taking 5mins to breathe and smile with the eyes closed ....When you stand how about shifting your weight from side to side slowly and deeply ....When you go up the stairs how about moving slower to work the legs...when you walk how about doing some mindful breathing...If you have a DVD how about spending 5mins a day watching and doing a movement....If you need better balance? Then stand on each leg every afternoon for 1min....So lets decide to do something each day that will benefit our health and our Taiji form.........Try it-you will like it!!         Ciao and be careful out there    Sifu Mike Gentile