Member Introductions and Backgrounds

[Anonymous]

Hi to Everyone, I’m Ben Black,l live in Westbrook Maine just outside Portland. I started learning Yang style Tai Chi in the 90’s also some push hands,chi gung,some standing meditation,and Yang sword form.Mostly in line with William Chen’s teaching.
Several years ago I got an earlier edition of Opening the Energy Gates and went through the standing and dissolving, never did the cloud hands, swings or spine stretch. Recently I got a newer edition of the Energy Gates and started over again,the only other Bruce Frantzis training I ‘ve done is learn Dragon & Tiger, which I still do. This meditation circle is a rare opportunity to learn something that is rarely taught I’m really looking forward to doing it.

[Anonymous]

Hi, Ben! I live in Stratton, Maine. Nice to have some other practitioners in the state! I’ve been studying with Bruce since about ’97 or ’98.

[Anonymous]

Hi Cathy, Good to hear from you, when I very first started to learn Tai Chi it was in Washington County, very difficult to find a good teacher,although I was lucky and found one. Since moving to southern Maine I been to Brookline once several years ago when Bill Ryan was head instructor , that was when I got the earlier version of the Opening the Energy Gates book, learned most of Dragon and Tiger from one of his (Ryan’s) students. Being a bit off the beaten path it does make you appreciate any opportunity to learn that turns up. Ben

[Anonymous]

Wow, I’m really out of the loop (or should I say circle). This is my third month of practice and the first time looking at this forum. It seem rude of me not to introduce myself when so many others have kindly done so. I am a Yang style instructor who learned principally in Taiwan and am currently teaching in Canada. Like many of you I’m hoping to deepen my internal practices through this meditation circle. Nice to meet you all.

[Anonymous]

Welcome Travis, you are the only other canadian Ive noticed in the circle so far. Where do you live/teach?

[Anonymous]

Hi, I’m Holly and realize I could have introduced myself at the beginning. I was transplanted to Ohio six years ago from Massachusetts where, on and off over 18 years, I studied tai chi and chi gung with two teachers trained by Bruce. Also took three workshops with Bruce in Boston.

When I moved to Ohio, the nearest Bruce-trained teacher was states away and I let my practice go, but stumbled upon the Energy Arts site and this meditation group. I’m grateful to all of you for your posts and for sharing information. It helps keep me motivated. A mindful, kind community is a rare and valuable experience.

I’m lagging behind most of the group – just started Month 2 last week.

I’m somewhat awed by the changes meditation seems to make in daily life. I constantly notice shifts in perception, less attachment to emotional “drama,” more patience. I think taking the time to focus so long on one small thing while sitting makes me more mindful of the smaller details of my life. I could go on a bit here, but the point is these benefits keep me committed to daily practice.

[Anonymous]

Hi Kevin,

I’m not far from you. I teach in the Fraser Valley, primarily in Langley and Abbotsford. I run the Fraser Valley Taijiquan Association – it sounds bigger than it actually is. Mostly I run classes in parks and community centers while also running a full time landscaping business. Que Sera!

[Anonymous]

Hi. I’m a person with life-long chronic mental health issues who has an interest in alternative medicine, and anything else ‘do-it-yourself’ and non-conventional. I’ve not every practiced meditation regularly ever in my life, but I’ve just completed my third week of Taoist meditation so far. I’d have to say I’m still skeptical (also generally not very patient!), but I’m willing to give this a try. If this actually works, it would be like the most amazing thing ever. I’ve come across meditation schools such as Transcendental Meditation that ‘imply’ that they can resolve psychological problems, but none of them come out directly and claim they reliably cure mental illness. I’ve almost never met anybody who believes this either, except this one person who wrote a book partly about her meditation experiences.

[Anonymous]

Hello! I’m from upstate New York and I currently go to school in Philadelphia. I’ve done meditation on and off over the years and I’m excited to join a program with given weekly instruction on it. I have no idea what the future holds for me but I know I enjoy the process of meditation. I have interests in Religion, Philosophy, Martial Arts (internal more than external – but both), and pretty much anything Eastern. I hope to both seek and give advice, meet new people that I can help/be helped by in the real world, and simply exchange ideas in this forum.

[Anonymous]

Hi All

I just joined the circle today and I am excited about making a start. I am from Adelaide, Australia. I have dabbled in tai chi, qigong, meditation and massage over the years but have been regularly meditating for about a year now and look forward to learning this method of meditation from its foundations. I have also been regularly practicing tai chi since the start of this year and look forward to the lifetime of practice ahead of me and continuining to learn as I go and also to give back to others.

[Anonymous]

Hi, Steven and welcome. Yes, it’s a valuable introduction to the practice of meditation that will ultimately save you lots of time and energy. By coincidence, I have a very good friend in Adelaide (I live in the US) and I will be spending a week in Sidney in mid-july. Australia’s a big place so I won’t see my Adelaide pal, but I thought I’d mention that. I hope you can find a good tai chi teacher there. I’ve found a good teacher is really important. best of luck

[Anonymous]

Hi Matthew. Thanks for the warm welcome. Yes Australia is a big place and unfortunately it is also far away from any Energy Arts workshops or seminars. The meditation circle is great though. I am doing Taoist Tai Chi and there is a 5 day international workshop being held in Perth, Western Australia in November this year so I look forward to the exposure to some international instructors. From what I have seen you are very active in the forum, which is also great as it is always good to hear others experiences and share in their knowledge, especially when relatively new. Enjoy your time in Sydney.

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I live in Santa Barbara county, CA and just joined the Taoist Meditation Circle a couple of weeks ago. I also have just started with the Dragon and Tiger Chi Gung book and video.

I have practiced Buddhist meditation (Soto Zen and more recently meditation taught by Alan Wallace coming out of a Tibetan and Theravadin perspective) for 33 years. I did neo-Reichian therapy in the early 70’s and have used many different forms of western exercise modalities as well as some chi gung learned from books and videos.

After a long time with mind only meditation I am looking forward to learning the more body based Taoist meditation and chi gung taught by Bruce Frantzis. I hope to eventually attend a seminar and/or get some one to one time with an Energy Arts instructor.

Mark

[Anonymous]

Hi Mark,

Welcome to the group! It’s good to have you here. Looking forward to your input.

Paul

[Anonymous]

Hi Steven,

I was just responding to a new comment below, and saw your old post. Just wanted to let you know that Energy Arts has been considering the possibility of doing an Australian event next year. The first Australian instructor was just certified this summer at the Wu Style Short Form training. You can find his info here: http://www.energyarts.com/instructors/taichi-qigong/au/sawtell- Be sure to check the schedule this coming year!

[Author]

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