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