Hammer's Alchemical Anvil (2016 practice log)

[Craig]

 

TRAINING LOG 2016 - Aware Relaxed Connected

 

You can see my previous log here: http://kitlaughlin.com/forums/index.php?/topic/436-in-the-hall-of-the-mountain-king/page-11

 

This year marks for me a new octave.  9 years of Chinese Martial Arts, 3 years of self exploration, movement, gymnastics, parkour, ido portal method, gymnastic bodies, movnat, ancestral movement, stretch therapy and much more!  Now I properly embark on my journey of Daoism with my new teacher Serge Augier in the tradition of Ba Men Da Xuan (translation: 8 doors to the great mystery).

 

In line with this, I am now also for the first time in 9 years out of my office job permanently.  I will be working to make a living off teaching and online tutorials.  You will see a big increase in all of these things

 

As far as training goes, I have a minimum target to reach this year every day.  I will strive to do 30 mins Nei Gong, 30 mins Nei Dan and 30 mins Shen Gong every day.

 

I will also be looking to use my new time freedom to work hard on the flexibility elements that I've played with in the past.  I'm reasonably happy with my strength so that will be on the back burner for now, with the exception of random play. First up is a 30 day ballistic splits challenge.

 

Finally, I will be on the road from the 14th of January, will be temporarily bunkering down in many places, which I will be announcing on my facebook group.  If you want to catch up and train, join the group! http://www.facebook.com/groups/AwareRelaxedConnected

 

So with all of that said:

 

key:

b = bounces (for ballistic stretching)

m = minutes

s = seconds

r = reps

 

 

Friday (New Years Day):

- Lots of random play, handstands, cartwheels, swimming, wai gong etc

- 3 x 21b in left front split, left dancers split, side splits, right dancers splits, right front split (no coming up in between) THIS IS CALLED SPLIT CHALLENGE FROM NOW ON

- shen gong ~30m

- nei gong ~45m

- nei dan ~30m

 

The ren mai was really clear, cool and electric feeling for my nei dan.  du mai lit up a few times also.  this was an especially potent practice!

 

Saturday (Today):

8:30 - 11am (not sure of individual practice times):

- wai gong

- grounding drills with bendy dave

- yielding drills with bendy dave

- timing drills with bendy dave

- 3 laps of L handstands

- 2 laps of tuck HS

- misc HS attempts

- play in the tree

- 3 x 5r tree branch pull ups

- 2 x 5r, 1 x 3r HS pushups

- balance drills

 

Still to come:

- 3 x 21b split challenge

- shen gong ~30m

- nei gong ~40m

- nei dan ~30m

[[DW]]

I very much like the title of this log.  2016!  It'll be cool to utilize the logs to bump ideas back and forth between us when you are in Europe this year.  Our alchemical laboratories will be geographically isolated but virtually connected. I think this will work very well on the creativity front. 

[Craig]

Saturday PM:

- shen gong ~30m

- archer lock offs 3 x 15s (both sides)

- 90deg bent arm hand stand 3 x 5s

- nei gong ~45m

 

Still haven't done but will do later:

- 3 x 21b splits challenge

- nei dan ~30m

[[DW]]

[Craig]

ooohh that image is cool! I did a google image reverse search and found an even more auspicious one, which has been added to the original post.  Ossuuu!

 

Sunday:

- lots of random cartwheels, handstands, etc

- splits challenge 3 x 21b

- shen gong 35m

- walking practice 30m

- nei gong 45m

- nei dan 30m

 

Shen gong staring at the red ball practice is resulting in some interesting release of deep tension in the sinus structures (including above and below eyes, temple region, yin tang point, and back of throat pharynx area, as well as the anterior and underside of the brain in the deep throat/base of the head!

 

There seems to be a strong correlation with the in coming breath and the contraction of the posterior tissues (in particular the deep external rotators on both the shoulders and hips), and the relaxation and elongation of the anterior tissues, and then the reverse on the outgoing breath.  This is a common quality emphasised in serges nei gong, and a quick play with it in my own way seemed to amplify the sensations of Qi in a similar way to what the nei gong forms and various other practices are doing. 

[SimonT]

 

 

interesting release of deep tension in the sinus structures (including above and below eyes, temple region, yin tang point, and back of throat pharynx area, as well as the anterior and underside of the brain in the deep throat/base of the head!

 

That's the business right there.

[SimonT]

Also - what's your "walking practice" involve these days?

[Craig]

Serge's basics which happen to be exactly the same as the push pull walking we did in class, only you do it with your eyes closed for extra gains!

[LukeMM]

I re-watched the long intro yesterday. It seems to be a very usefull training, I don't know why I missed it the first time watching the Video.

[jordan]

I ordered his book Shen Gong and Nei Dan in Da Xuan and it's pretty much that long intro video in book form (some sections are expanded).  It really helped my understanding of all the aspects of the practice.  I would recommend it to all the distance learners out there!

 

I'm fluent in French so eventually I would like to read his other books.  I'm putting it off for now because I don't want to read more than I currently need and end up creating expectations of what 'results' I should be having, or putting my energy where it doesn't yet need to be.

[Craig]

Yep I've got both the book and that long intro video on my "to read/watch again" list, there is so much gold in there that I missed first time around!

[Craig]

Monday:

-cleaning out all of the junk from the house!

-lots of misc play, hs, cartwheels, etc

-shen gong 30m

-an hour and a half with bendy Dave and Matt in which we did: grounding, all of the first series of basic hands besides the first 6, standing back to wall relaxation drill

-splits challenge 3x21b

-nei gong 45m

-nei dan 30m

An interesting whole body vibration became much more obvious during practice today, now it seems I can tune into it when I like, even now while I'm writing the morning after. It's crazy energizing! Had an interesting experience in the neck compartment doing a roll up and down (qi gong from my old teacher) at the end of nei gong where the neck was hanging in a way it hasn't before, kind of like my head was floating rather than being held in place by the muscles.

Also during my misc play, nailed a slow motion cartwheel to straddle handstand which I held for 45s or so. Hitting these pretty regularly with shorter holds now too, control feels nice!

[Emmet Louis]

Also during my misc play, nailed a slow motion cartwheel to straddle handstand which I held for 45s or so. Hitting these pretty regularly with shorter holds now too, control feels nice!

 

To be blessed with the acrobatic obliques of the gods, its auspicious to do these in the following manner. Slow cartwheel to HS, no hold, then as you pass the mid point pull down to accelerate with all ones might. 30 - 50 reps 50/50 each way is a good start. 

[Craig]

I will give this a shot! Rabs for days!

[Craig]

woah that cartwheel is way harder than it sounds!!

 

Tuesday & Wednesday were roughly the same:

- shen gong 30m

- nei gong 45m

- nei dan 30m

- splits challenge 3 x 21b

- so much miscellaneous play, basic hands throughout the day, pendulums, teacups, all the different provoking, pull slice etc hands from serge's stuff, taiji, xing yi etc

- loads of handstands and cartwheels playing with slow motion entries and working on the accelerated exit that emmet was talking about

- packing up the house! All I own now is 3 boxes of stuff, my backpack and some miscellaneous items (swords and bows)

 

the vibrating power is getting far more intense during nei gong and nei dan.  Every session is like the last session hopped up on speed. It is a highly highly highly energizing feeling!  I've also managed to find my deeper rotators that seem to be the key to the unified body and the qi elements. bzzzztttt

 

side splits challenge is coming along nicely.  I'm going for a grease the groove method, keeping it higher than my best to do the ballistics each day, and only moving down to comfortable levels.  Saves me from being totally trashed with DOMS every day, and is still progressing nicely as im building lots of strength in the muscles that I regularly avoid strengthening by doing this!

[Nathan]

Just came across this and thought of you

 

[jon.valentine]

Apparently I've reached my quota of likes for the day, but I just had to comment. Sweet pic Nathan!

 

(Also Hammer, I love the fact that all you own is 3 boxes...and miscellaneous bows and swords. Sweet.)

[Craig]

Thursday - Sunday:

Commenced the enormous task of emptying the house, cleaning everything. Lots of practice 'in situ' of self remembering, concentration, and alchemical things while I was cleaning and packing.

Formally I still managed daily practice of:

-shen gong 35m

-nei gong 45m

-nei dan 30m

Most of this occurred during the hours of 11pm - 2am as mentioned in Dave's log. The combination of in life practice during stressful situations and exhausted formal practice is quite potent! Dave wrote an epic post about this in his log, you all should read it if you haven't already.

The shen gong staring at the ball is particularly potent for me right now. Lots of deep tissue remodeling, especially in the deep face and sinus structures as mentioned. The adaptation period is getting smaller and I am getting lots of interesting visual effects.

Also, in 222 days I have only missed 1 day of nei dan which was my 30th birthday and engagement. Bzzzzztttt!

[Craig]

Monday:

a crazy hectic day again finishing off the cleaning and going to the dentist.  Good news is my teeth are in fantastic shape, and I've yet to have a filling. In life practice while cleaning is fun! 

In the late evening I did:

- nei gong 45m

- nei dan 30m

 

missed the shen gong on Sunday and Monday.  Back at it today!

 

Tuesday:

handed over house to real estate! I'm officially homeless and have my whole life in my car. It's time for a road trip baby! First stop, Jervis Bay to hang out with old Salty Sea Dog, Miss O, Dr Beck, Ancestral Simon and Janet. Then up to Sydney for a week to hang out with team alchemy! Ossuuuuu

- shen gong 35m

- misc handstands, wai gong, tai ji etc

 

later:

- nei gong 45m

- nei dan 30m

[Emmet Louis]

Welcome to the Nomad lifestyle! Snail mode achieved

[[DW]]

[Craig]

Wednesday:

- nei dan at dentist while waiting for Cherie 30m

- shen gong 30m

- nei gong 45m

- alchemical rest (aka much needed Nanna nap)

- misc handstands

Later:

- nei dan 30m

[Craig]

Been on the road for almost 2 weeks. Daily practice has continued, typically of:

- Shen gong 30m

- nei gong 45m

- nei dan 30m

I did miss I think 2 days of shen gong but that was auspiciously made up for by the attendance of Dave's workshop.

Other things that have happened during my travels:

- visited the salty sea dog himself and miss O. Had a glorious couple of days stretching and relaxing at GP.

- attended Dave's workshop as mentioned. Many upgrades were had, got the shit stretched out of me (literally at one point).

- handstand and cartwheel party at Michael's place on several occasions.

- filmed 3 full programs with the help of DW.

- beach fun

- got a massage slash blasting with qi from qi gong master and alchemist Mr Zhao. He opened several blockages and I have been feeling like I could power a small town since.

- 5 planets aligned to hail my departure from Sydney. How auspicious!

- played with Robbie C at Brooklyn and found the finest tuck shop on the planet. Climbed vines, and then my final interaction with Robbie was doing nei gong together. How auspicious!

- hung out in Newcastle with Rod Cooper, owner of the movement collection. He's built a phenomenal community there, highly recommend checking him out. We did flips on the beach on Australia day and got asked if we were from cirque du soleil. How funny and auspicious.

- on the road up to Brisbane via some of the most stunning coastline in the world. Road trips are fun! Getting plenty of nei dan and shen gong done while driving too!

[Craig]

In Brisbane now, what a crazy start to year of the fire monkey! Been a quite turbulent week or two, swinging between crazy good luck and crazy bad luck in many aspects of my life.

 

As far as practice, have not had much in the way of formal physical cultivation.  Been going for a walk with Cherie every day which always devolves into play time with handstands, climbing, and pole dancing, as well as playing on the play grounds (got the swing up past horizontal, it had nice long chains too!). Handstands are coming along nicely, more consistent 30 - 45s handstands now, with many different leg positions. Front cartwheel and macaco are also developing.

 

Haven't been doing any formal flexibility training, but lots of sitting and nei gong is having a significant impact on my suppleness, as well as bringing deep tissues into awareness.  Several big blockages have released, along with all of the tension associated with them. Weak tissue in the sacrum continues to be uncovered, as the protective tension around it melts away - I have to be careful not to spasm this new tissue until it catches up to the rest of the system.

 

Continuing daily nei gong, nei dan and shen gong as well as miscellaneous wai gong practices, not missing a single day.  This stuff really is where my heart lies! Currently feeling like I could power a small town with the sensation of energy charging through my body. 

 

Filmed several tutorials yesterday, including shi da pan, roll up and down and glute activations.  much editing ahead!

[zenwoof]

I have to be careful not to spasm this new tissue until it catches up to the rest of the system.

 

Craig, do you mind elaborating more on this? By spasm, do you mean cramp?