Another one down

I really enjoyed the Pandamonium this past weekend, although it seemed quieter than past years. However it was full of friends, lion and dragon dances, food, good conversation, a celebration of 30 years in Stony Plain, and of course, lots of Kung Fu!

We had representatives from 3 of our charities: Northern Lights Wolf Centre, Children's Ability Fund, and SCARS. It was great to have them there again this year and it helps to keep us present with our training. Everyday we learn empathy and compassion through our Kung Fu training. We learn to walk in peace and harmony in the world around us. We change the world.

 

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Aigoo

This past weekend was nice to unwind and get some things done at home. I came to a realization though that I am not cut out to be an avid gardener, at least not yet anyway. I am good with just sticking to potted plants and not traditional gardens. Why you ask?

Well, it's embarrassing but it is what it is. I cannot handle what lives in the soil. I I understand their role and respect them, but I get seriously icked out as soon as the worms, beetles, spiders, and other like things are suddenly in front of me. I have a lot of respect for those people that have no issues with the garden inhabitants. I applaud you!

What does this have to do with Kung Fu? It's that Kung Fu has given me the ability to recognize my weaknesses and gives me strength to improve on them. I will always have something to work on, and it isn't always just physical. My mental game completely affects my physical game. And sometimes it's the opposite.

And on that note, I planted the garden. I pushed through and saw it to the end. And man did that feel good.

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Well, so far

Well, right now, I feel like I am so far behind that I might be moving forwards. I didn't blog last week, and was close to missing this week. I also am way behind on reading blogs, which I am currently catching up on. Slowly.

The month of May has come so fast, I don't feel like I am ready. But what do we do when that happens? We dive right in! Here's to being kind. This month, and always.

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I am a slice of bread...

 

 

Or maybe just a slab of meat. (Points for the reference in the title). I will forever and always be a student. A slab of meat, or a ball of dough just waiting to be moulded into something recognizable. At any rate, it's important to keep an open mind (so that we are malleable) so we can learn, and relearn things and then make them awesome someday.

I am a work in progress, and I try to keep my mind open as there are wonderful things to learn everyday. It's hard sometimes though, because I don't always remember where I am or what I am doing. Sometimes I just go through the motions, and then eventually I remember and I can learn.

Sometimes though, the reminder is in the small acts of kindness, like this picture from a student. Things like this can bring a person out for a glimpse of what is still there but maybe we couldn't see at the time. In our own unique ways, we touch lives. We may not know that we make a difference, but I hope that we can all strive to make a positive one everyday.

Our Kind-Act-a-Thon starts tomorrow and culminates with the Pandamonium on the 27th. Let's make a difference.

 

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Adjustments

It's time to make some adjustments to my training again. And I guess to teaching as well. Sometimes we have to deal with injuries, visible or not, and they force us to reevaluate and readjust our approach. I see these as positives, although I admit not always. Kung Fu is more than just our physical ability to throw punches or kicks. It's more than the physical attributes we develop. Kung Fu teaches us self defence beyond this; environmental self defence, dietary self defence are a couple.

Having an injury puts us in a place where we can reconnect with the world around us, delve more deeply into our mental health in order to heal. And it allows us the opportunity to explore the non physical side of Kung Fu.

"Lu Ping An". Walking in Peace and Harmony. I now have the perfect opportunity to explore this and what it means to me.

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What's happening?

I read an article today that both breaks my heart and angers me. And makes me feel helpless, and want to do something at the same time. I want to believe that I am dreaming, that mankind can't possibly be this cruel and let this happen. But yet I'm not dreaming. I feel like I am living in a world that is falling apart. And what is left behind for my kids? For their kids?

The U.S. president just passed in a law in Alaska, allowing people to kill hibernating bears. Hibernating bears! They're sleeping for goodness sakes! You can lure them out with food and shoot them at point blank range. You can trap wolves while they are in their dens with their cubs. And this is all legal. How is this right? People can have zero compassion and kill them simply because they are considered predators? Guess what? We need predators. They are the ones that keep our ecosystem in check, and the whole circle of life going.

The mentality seems to be that they are causing problems, wandering into our towns and putting us at risk. Well, we are the ones taking away their natural habitats. We are destroying their homes. Where else can they go?

Who gives us the right to be so irresponsible? Who stands for these helpless bears and wolves? I'm sorry. Well, maybe not. It really upsets me to see this happen. It upsets me and angers me that this man is allowed to make decisions that will impact our future.

We need bears. We need wolves. We need trees, and clean water. We need to stop worrying about how many "things" we have and start worrying about the destruction we leave in our wake. We need to stop, and reflect, and understand and respect our vast ecosystems. This earth is what allows us to live. It's time we take responsibility.

And that's my rant.

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Hug rhymes with Grug

I had a conversation yesterday about hugs and how some people can give them with ease and others hesitate. I am one of those people who hesitate. I hug my family without abandon, and probably because they don't have a choice. I love them and this is one way that I show them. I will hug my friends but I am never the one to initiate that first one. I worry about how it will be received as I know that some don't like much touch and have larger personal bubbles. I guess it's the rejection that I fear. That my touch is unwelcome and therefore so am I. Silly right?

Hugging makes me think of my mom. She would hug anyone and without any hesitation. She didn't concern herself with what others may think or what that possible rejection might feel like. She hugged with her whole being, and her heart shone through. I know I am not my mom, but she is a part of me. And I hope that this year I can put myself out there more. To just give a hug without the worry behind it.

That actually makes me think of the kids that I am privileged to teach. They give hugs for free, hugs just because, and hugs because they are happy. They have this light in them and to see it spill out is amazing.

Hugs give comfort, they express caring and love, they support and they have the power to heal. I think the world needs more hugs. I know it wouldn't necessarily solve anything, but it would put more peace in our hearts. And we all need some of that.

On a side, I was walking with my daughter in the river valley last week, and some taped this note on a broken water fountain. I thought it was a great act of kindness...

 

 

 

 

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