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This programs is now some 3 months after its launch – I’d like to hear from people what their progress and experience is like?
For myself, after the initial burst of enthusiasm and practicing daily, I was stopped by a nasty cold in January and couldn’t do anything for two weeks. Since then I have recovered my routine somewhat and manage to practice 4-5 times a week. I have recently started 4-part straight line walking and I’m also doing 3-part circle walking for about 20-30 minutes. What worries me a bit is my pace, I still need 5-6 minutes to walk the circle 3 times (and change direction), which means I’m usually only getting 12 or 18 circles walked in each session – a far cry from the recommended 300. But when I try to go faster I tend to lose focus and/or start to wobble.
Apparently the second installment is being shipped now, so I’m looking forward to the new material.
It’s easy to see how this first module could easily take a year to really master. I’ve been working on building a really solid foundation on 3- and 4-part walking and do about 20 minutes 6-7 days a week. Half straight line, half circle. I’m moving a little faster than you are. I start very slow and speed up to where it feels comfortable. I experiment with going a little faster to see where my limit is, then back off. Just yesterday, I did 2-part for the first time and was amazed how fast you can move. Also, it felt pretty solid after all the 3- and 4-part work. I watched a YouTube of Paul Cavel doing some of the palm changes and that was inspiring: he’s walking a nice medium tempo and the palm changes are fluid and connected.
I think the thing that will be important from the next module is engaging the arms. I plan to continue the straight and circle walking, adding 2-part to my practice, and add the arms to them as Bruce directs. I imagine I will spend a long time working on these things, but it will be nice to have the upper body going. I will read the materials to see what the recommendations are for including the body unification exercises. I fooled around with those a little, but decided to follow the advice in the text about waiting on those.
I’ve done other programs with Bruce and I have to say that following his advice on how quickly/slowly to move through the materials has never created a problem. As much as I want to move on sometimes, just relaxing has proved time and again to be a much more useful way to spend my time. I can see how there might be way more stuff in this program than I can keep up with. It might be years before I really get to the last few modules. We’ll see. Like you, I’m looking forward to seeing the next installment. This is pretty cool stuff.
Best wishes,
Matthew
I agree completely, this first module is enough for at least a year for me. I’m still working on 3-part and a little of 4-part, which strangely 4-part seem to come a little easier for me than 3. I attempt to walk the circle at the end of each session and have yet to make even one complete go around. I can’t seem to stay in each step fully enough, i keep wanting to continue forward without making each step count.
Patrick
More or less same as you guys.
I try to really drill the basics of straight line walking into my system almost every day, and circle walking mostly every other day, sometimes each consecutive day, to get used to movement.
I’m really looking forward to the next modules though!
Hey guys, i’m hoping an instuctor will give an opinion on this, but i invite anyone, with or without any experience, to respond. During cross-over warm-up today just as i was really getting into softening and relaxing deeply i could feel heat “leaking” out of my foot as if it were pouring down from the bones on the sides of my ankle. It felt like someone was pouring warm water down the sides of my foot. This isn’t the first time i’ve felt this, i also felt it last night in the same spot while sitting in my recliner. Also, in the last couple of months it has happened in a lesser way to my right leg just above the lateral surface of my knee. I only gave it very little thought at the time, but since it’s happening on the other leg now and to a more significant degree it’s peeked my interest. Anyone have any clues?
Patrick
Hi Folks,
I’ve basically spent these 3 months on developing the walking- straight line, circle, 3 and 4pt- so much the same as other folk.
I was glad to get a number of corrections from Paul Cavel at a recent seminar- I’m continually suprised at how my mind can add in stuff that simply isn’t there in the basic exercises! Interestingly the decision to really hardwire the walking led me to hardwiring little embellishments that simply aren’t in the exercise!
After the intial over enthusiasm and an interesting journey around illness, mild injury and fluctuating energy levels it seems I’m still in search of the ever elusive 70% principle when it comes to my practice. So walking times have varied a lot.
Anyway I’m looking forward to the next installment- post bag still empty at the moment………..
……..highly recommend getting to a live training if you can, has really changed my walking- invaluable!
Happy circling,
Saul
The material covered in the DVDs is great and has helped me refine what I have learned over the last nine years. I find that going slower, even taking the ‘breathe twice with every step/ has helped me cement a great deal of awareness into my body. I tend to walk slower regardless, though I can walk faster once I warm up. I wish I had the time to do 300 circles each day!!! lol
I am still working on 3 part walking. Slow and steady wins the race. But of course there is no race so all the more reason to take it easy and get it right the first time. Also working on the basic twisting practices and bringing that feeling into my continued daily practice of the energy gates and wu style tai chi short form.
When the record amounts of snow (along with extended periods of very cold temps ) we have got here in Alberta begins to melt ( next week hopefully it will begin ) then maybe I will be ready to move to 4 part stepping, and getting ready for circle walking outside. Then it will be literally mud walking no doubt.
I won’t be able to attend the wind palm workshop so I don’t feel a need to rush to get to a certain point in my practice by a certain time.
Hope everyone else is doing well in their practice.
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