Yesterday's class was extremely hard. Not because Sifu gave us extra-hard training (though there was some of that too) but I had a really hard time getting there mentally. I try to leave my troubles at the door when I come to train. But I was having a tough time forgetting about my super-awful day. Then, when I started to warm-up, my hips were suddenly in a load of pain. Not soreness. Pain. And I didn't even know why. For the first time ever I seriously entertained the thought of telling Sifu I felt sick and needed to go home. I couldn't see any way I was going to get through class. But I thought, no, I'm here, let's do it. And I turned off my brain.
It was still tough. My brain was off, so I wasn't thinking about any outside stuff, but I also couldn't focus on what I was doing. My chi was at an all time low. Only at the end of basics did my legs start feeling normal. But then after a good stretch at the break I felt rejuvenated and I went into forms with new resolve to focus and push myself. Halfway through forms a thunderstorm broke out of nowhere and it started lightning and pouring down rain. It was a pretty cool way to train and gave everyone an extra burst of adrenaline. (Except Jaka who apparently didn’t notice:))
The last 20 minutes or so Sifu had Richu teach me more of Erluquan and I got all the way to the side kick and then some! I believe this means I'm right before the sweep, and can I say, that is pretty exciting. After class a few of us went out for soup. I hadn't planned on going but I felt like after such an afternoon/evening I wanted to wind down with some friends. I felt so much better by the time I got home last night from when I left work at 5:30. It was hard, but it's good to have those hard days so that you can see how much training helps you mentally as well as physically. I sometimes get so wrapped up in wanting to learn more of my forms that I lose sight of all the things I get out of a class even when I'm not learning a new move. Chi-tastic!
It was still tough. My brain was off, so I wasn't thinking about any outside stuff, but I also couldn't focus on what I was doing. My chi was at an all time low. Only at the end of basics did my legs start feeling normal. But then after a good stretch at the break I felt rejuvenated and I went into forms with new resolve to focus and push myself. Halfway through forms a thunderstorm broke out of nowhere and it started lightning and pouring down rain. It was a pretty cool way to train and gave everyone an extra burst of adrenaline. (Except Jaka who apparently didn’t notice:))
The last 20 minutes or so Sifu had Richu teach me more of Erluquan and I got all the way to the side kick and then some! I believe this means I'm right before the sweep, and can I say, that is pretty exciting. After class a few of us went out for soup. I hadn't planned on going but I felt like after such an afternoon/evening I wanted to wind down with some friends. I felt so much better by the time I got home last night from when I left work at 5:30. It was hard, but it's good to have those hard days so that you can see how much training helps you mentally as well as physically. I sometimes get so wrapped up in wanting to learn more of my forms that I lose sight of all the things I get out of a class even when I'm not learning a new move. Chi-tastic!
i too felt it was a tough class, especially with the humidity in there. it is amazing how you can go on despite how you are feeling & yes the thundershower gave us an extra boost, not to mention a breeze! more chi!
ReplyDeleteI think your night got better after you waibaitui-ed some strangers luggage on the train ... BOOM!
ReplyDeleteHa, I'd forgotten about that! And I was just faking. Imagine the damage I could have done if I had really been kicking. Yeah, after you left I moved to the other end of the platform.......
ReplyDelete"The soul isn't in the body, the body is in the soul."
ReplyDeleteToo often I feel we let our mind dictate how we feel. And consequently our bodies respond to it by providing physical pain to acknowledge our troubled mind. In the short time I have been training at the temple, I found that by understanding ourselves and train hard, we can exist completely in the moment. No thought. No mind. The basis of meditation. In doing so, we are free. We are no longer a slave to our mind, to society, to the world.