Shira's blogs

 I am listening.  To my body, to things around me, to people, to myself, to everything.  I feel like most people will jump in and say their opinion and me including, although I can also see the huge value of  just stepping back and just absorbing what is being said. When doing this I feel like you can find a greater value in what is being said and what they truly are feeling and mean by their words.  As well as just making sure you are listening to what you as a human being needs, like listening to how to your body is feeling all the time making sure you are not doing anything to harm your body. As well as listening to what you want to do find something you enjoy, for me this is kung fu. As there may be times when you think you don't like it you should look for things you would have never been able to achieve without kung fu.

Even though the year is not over I have been reflecting on I guess the school year and just Kung fu. My school year was pretty rough and harder transition, as losing friends, and the new school and figuring out my school classes and stuff. As well as I was in a pretty bad mental state throughout school. As I’m reflecting I am seeing the bad and good but more bad just because I tend to look at the bad more which is not good but instead of just feeling down on myself I am more looking at how to make sure I have a better school year and just mentally good year coming up, and I know nothing I can do or say will promises me having a good year but I’m blogging I will be able to find what I did and how to maintain the good times and how to get out of the rough patches. I believe my Kung fu is in a good place at the time and my mental health is still really rough and I have lots of downs but I’m finding ways that work for me to help manage the downs. With breathing methods, and just other smal...

As it’s been 5 days that I have been in BC I have gone to the black belt class and tai chi and when joining this classes I have felt a big disconnect. In the black belt class we did lion dancing and I so wanted to jump right in and be noas tail, knowing I probably wouldn’t be able to lift noa or I would be a head but I still really wanted to jump in and participate. But instead I had to sit and watch them try to do stacks, as I had offered to my friend if she wanted to join to help me practice she decided so that was that. But I really miss being in Kung fu right now. As when in Kung fu it had really brought up my mood and really made me feel a lot better. I can feel that not being able to attend in person is really affecting my mood. As I love Kung fu so much and that really hasn’t changed I just feel really distant. But I hope it will get better soon and I will be back in no time.   

Last night I got the opportunity to participate in a lion dance with a bunch of other people from all over canada. And as was really nervous because noa and I literally had no idea what we were doing going in to it I am so happy I got an opportunity like this. I believe that in participating in the lion it is only strengthening my love for Kung fu. All the cool demos and lion dances that I saw tonight have just made me more excited to practice and keep learning Kung fu. To get more engaged and learn new and old things. I want to start learning how to drum, it has been something I wanted to learn for the past while and I feel like I should just do it. As that being said I am going on a month trip with one of my friends for all of July so I am going to feel a bit disconnected but I won't let that stop me from keeping up with my learning. I am just so happy that am in Kung fu. I just love it with my entire heart and am just loving it more and more each day. I hope to start actually st...

Last thursday I got to do both the warmups in the young dragon classes and as it may not seem big but it has made me feel more comfortable with the students in those classes which helps me build a bond with them making it easier for teaching. Also I was nervous to do both warm-ups I was really happy I had did both of them. You can learn a lot about the students just by doing a warm-up. as well as you can get a better connection by adding in some fun things like ''star jumps' aka jumping jacks. Lol I just forgot the name but it did get a laugh out of a few of them. So over-all I am really happy how im progressing in kung fu and how im able to helps others progress as well. 

Over the past few weeks I have been struggling more with my mental health, just with exams and other stuff but what I have realized is that I have involved myself in kung fu more. I have found that all the relationships I have made me realize how much I value kungfu not just for the art but for the family I have created. In all the classes I teach or my classes I love the connections I have made with everyone. I love being able to help teach everyone and sort of hold the responsibility of being there for others when they need. I love kung fu so much more than I can actually put into words. Like I knew I loved kung fu but I feel like my love for it just keeps growing and growing. And with my love for kung fu grows my want to get better and better. I love to teach just for the joy on peoples faces. 

What is Chi?  I found myself thinking about this during one of the Tai Chi classes. I believe chi is different for everyone, for me it’s like a ball of blue and green. I can see the energy moving around and I can move it in different directions and sort of make it act in different ways. But I was try to think about what it is? Is it your mind creating an orbe thing? For me my hands also get all tingling and warm.  I know it’s different for lots but what actually is it? I believe chi is a bubble we created for ourselves to help balance our power and energy. To get more control and even flow. When I don’t feel like I have chi I have less control over what I’m feeling and how I’m moving my body.  Chi also has an effect over my mood, or my mood has an effect on my chi. I find when I’m stressed and overwhelmed I tend to not be able to find my chi. Though when I’m in the moment I can find my chi really fast and be able to manipulate it a lot easier.