Every style seems to have an exercise that appears meaningless but is teaching a fundamental skill. It appears to be simple drugery or a test of character, but it simply the most efficient way to re-train the body according to the meeds of the style. 

In Bagua it is circle walking, in Xingyi it is Santishi standing, in Taiji it is silk reeling. 

(photo by Dimitri dF. Click on photo to see more.)

New Location!

The finishing touches are almost complete to Stone Lantern’s new home - 42 Quebec Street, 2nd floor. Across from The Bookshelf, the new studio is right downtown, and shared with Jack Yan’s Tai Chi club.

Check the class schedule for evening classes. And watch for upcoming events once we have settled in.

Learning an internal art means never experiencing boredom ever again. There is always a drill to practice, a routine to review, a theory to think over.

(photo by Allison - AliceNWondrlnd. Click photo to see her Flickr page.)

Practice in the Park

Drop-in classes in Qigong, Bagua and Xingyi on Wednesday evenings throughout July and August.

Someone recently described running as a selfish form of exercise. I understood what he meant and understood the implications for Taiji practice.
I think people reach only a certain level in Taiji because they approach practice selfishly. Group practice can counter this and can even provide practical skills. You train an awareness of your surroundings and a matching of movement and timing with the people around you.
Whether with a group or solo, Taiji is a not navel gazing practice.
(photo by Kjell Tjensvoll. Click image to see his Flickr page)

In all of the internal arts there is a distinction made between the most valuable and the most important. The most valuable are the most refined of internal energies, the most subtle of techniques, the most challenging of routines, the hardest of skills to acquire. But these are not the most important.
The highest in importance are always the most fundamental.
(photo by Oleg Casini. Click image to view Flickr page)

To understand Qi, study nature