Training Day

[Ingrid Wallace]

Anna was away in Philedelphia. on Thursday Ken Hamlet and I taught the team training and the regular class.  We had a great time and had a very enthusiastic group who were able to help perfect the basics and had a slightly different perspective about movements like flattening the back and stepping out.

I particularly liked Ken's explanation of stepping out to get into horse stance.  He said that if all the weight is not on one leg before you step out, it is really a "fall".  In order to maintain control, step out when the weight is on one leg and before placing the other foot on the ground you feel for solid footing.  You can tell in advance, for instance is there is a stone or other obstruction to keep you from being firmly planted in the earth.

I learned that demonstrating how to flatten the back over and over has actually helped me to get my back even flatter that before and it allows the Chi to move in a way that I can definitely feel!  So, now I am practicing the basic preparation for horse stance many times during the day and holding it longer.

[Shirley Ann Zacek]

Sue and I practiced posture including standing with knees slightly bent  and  slightly  apart.   This helps                strengthen the hips and legs.  The horse stance  helped tremendously.