Cycles - "From Chaos, Comes Order"

We set goals, we make plans and we allow for adjustments along the way. Then life happens! And suddenly we are in a state of chaos. Even with adjustments and the ability to compensate we can be easily thrown off track and derailed. Being proactive and having a solid yet flexible plan is a great start. However, even if you know that something is coming and are able to prepare, the reality while in the moment can be much different.

Chaos is a natural cycle of life. And if you were to think of chaos as being contained within a circle then there would also be creativity, rest and action. Order and even greatness can come from chaos if we follow the intended natural progression below:

1. Chaos - When we are in a state of chaos we need to declutter, clean, simplify and say no to anything that is not necessary. Doing this will help create space and allow you to move out of chaos into the next step.

2. Creative - Space has now been created for ideas. Capture those ideas by writing them down, contemplate, filter and prioritize. Pick 1 or 2 to action later and then transition to the next step.

3. Rest - Take time for yourself, let the ideas percolate and allow synchronicities to happen. Allow gratitude rather than guilt to be present. This is a very important step and is needed to help rejuvenate the mind and body.

4. Action - You are now ready to action your ideas. This is where the magic happens!

If I look at patterns of my own life I can see where I sometimes get derailed and lose some of my motivation. I often go from chaos straight to rest, skipping the creative aspect which then keeps me stuck in rest because I now have nothing new to action and I lack motivation. Many people go from chaos to creative and then straight to action without stopping to rest causing them to burnout and often ending back at chaos.

I'm excited to apply these these principles and recognize where I am at and what needs to happen next. And when chaos reigns and plans get derailed I have a new tool to add to my tool box and help guide me and get me back on track.


Namaste,

Michele Ward

Chinese New Year

We had another well attended and successful Chinese New Year banquet on Saturday.  Congratulations to Mr Kohut, Mr Mier and Miss Mier on earning their black belts at the banquet on Saturday. And congratulations to all the students that received awards and recognition for their hard work and effort over the past year.

Thank you to everyone that contributed to our Silent Auction this year by donating and/or purchasing items. Approximately $3000 was raised with the proceeds going to the Benevolent Foundation and benefiting the charities that we support at Silent River Kung Fu. Well Done!!!

I wish everyone on the Year of the Pig team success, with a dash of failure mixed in for optimum results!

Namaste,

Michele Ward

Year in Review

Ok, I've had some time to read over my blog posts and reflect on the past year. First of all thank goodness for blogs! There is no way I would have remembered half of what I have experienced over the year on my own. There were some big undertakings and successes as well as quite a bit of walking along side the wagon rather than staying on. There were even times when the wagon was no longer in sight. Thankfully going to classes whenever possible and blogging definitely helped keep the connection with the team.

The year also brought with it some very difficult moments. So much so that at one point I was very conflicted and not in a good place. I had come to a roadblock in my training that created an emotional upheaval. My brain had taken control and was over thinking everything and causing me to doubt myself in a big way. Having fun, embracing the moment and working at staying engaged has helped with keeping my brain and anxiety in check and getting more out of each moment.

Overall my biggest success I think has been working on 1000 reps of 18 Temple Motions. I had chosen this particular form because it was a form I hadn't yet learned and it also contained very different movements from any of the others I knew. I wanted to be able to learn and use some of the techniques from 18 Temple motions in my own form in the future. I am amazed at how much one form can teach you when you take the time to learn it, practise and break it down. And the fact that it tied in so perfectly to some of the trouble I was having in my overall training was an added bonus. The year may be almost over, but I am not finished pushing myself to perform 18 Temple Motions to the best of my ability. 18 Temple Motions has been a very supportive Kung Fu friend this past year.

This was certainly not my best year and I know that I can do better. That being said, I know that where I am at is exactly where I am meant to be, even if it is not exactly where I would like to be.

Namaste,

Michele Ward

I'm Shrinking!

Imagine finding out suddenly that you are 1 inch shorter! During a recent bone density scan I was told I am 5 feet, 4 and a half inches tall instead of my normal 5 and 3/4. I have to say I was taken by surprise and not at all happy. According to the tech. shrinking is a normal part of aging, which I was aware of. I just wanted expecting it to happen so soon. It can come as a bit of a shock when the process of aging creeps up quicker than expected. A combination of health issues and increasing physical limitations have continued to compound over the past year.  Age is becoming more than just a number and I do have some fear as to what the future holds.

Now, I could dwell on the aging process that my body is experiencing or I can look on the past year with gratitude. Gratitude for placing these issues in front of me while I have the ability to recognize what is happening and make adjustments to how I live my life and how well I take care of my body.  I need to take some control and learn what my current body is capable of, strengthen muscles, improve flexibility and learn when and how to push the limits. Quality of life as I age is important to me and I don't intend to sit around and hope for the best.

Namaste

Michele Ward