Tai chi and me -- sixteen years on

I've never been a jogger. I'm not much of an athlete, period. And since Shadow-dog died almost a year ago, I don't walk as much as I used to. 

But I'm still doing tai chi sixteen years after I started, and am very grateful for the practice. It's been helpful with balance through years of vertigo, kept up my core strength for gardening tasks, challenged my brain to remember the sequences in order, and helped me through frozen shoulder and recovery from a broken foot. It's gentle and graceful, but still enough that I work up a sweat every morning. There's almost enough room in my living room to do a complete set of 108 moves, but what I really love is doing it outdoors.

Over the last few years, I've discovered that I can almost do it without thinking because it's part of muscle memory. So I've combined it with a morning prayer mantra... which sometimes distracts me enough that I lose my place and have to back up because I forgot to turn and chop with fist, or missed stepping up and raising hands at the right time. But that's okay -- extra exercise is never a bad thing!

I've tried yoga and other kinds of exercise, but this is still my favourite because it's something I can do alone or with a group, anywhere and any time. And after 16 years, I'm still doing it right, or so I discovered when I came across the video below. That's a pretty wonderful thing to know!

Here's a fellow named Kevin moving fairly slowly through the 108 moves. I love to watch him go through the motions now and then because his video reminds me of nuances that I sometimes forget. If you're a tai chi practitioner, you'll know what I mean. Enjoy!

Skating solo

I can't remember the last time I went skating all by myself. Over the almost 30 years of my marriage, I've always had my partner, my kids, or a friend to go along with me.

And for the last three winters, I don't think I managed to go skating even once. With a dog to walk, and all the trekking of the valleys and ravines of Edmonton we've been doing, we just never seemed to go skating. But this winter I vowed to put my skates to use at least once. 

I suggested heading to Victoria Oval or Hawrylak Lake several times over this wintry season, but no one seemed very keen. Then it got so cold, it felt like there was no point going as there are no warm skate shacks where people can lace up thanks to covid, and I didn't much relish going through the effort for a short skate with frozen toes... I wanted it to be a good long one! Maybe I'm a wimp, but I'm a warm one!

Last night's weather forecast said today would be balmy in comparison to the last two weeks -- above zero! So I made plans to go skating by myself. Since my partner is working from home, I have the car and decided to drive myself to Hawrylak Park to loop the islands on the lake. As I left, I told my daughter I'd be back shortly, after a good skate.

What I had forgotten was that the Silver Skate Festival is happening at the park, and of course, I had to see it all... snow sculptures, snow flowers, the "undersea garden" area, and the new Community League Plaza (which quietly opened during this pandemic), before I skated. 

My early morning timing was perfect -- there weren't too many people around so I didn't need to wear my mask, and the ice was smooth from the flooding and lower numbers of skaters during the cold snap. So I had a lovely two hours looking at art, listening to stories told by Indigenous Elders, and gliding around the two islands in the lake on my skates. I imagine the whole area would be magical at night as it's illuminated with different coloured lights.

It was lovely to be there on my own... usually, I want to really look at things, and it was wonderful to go at my own pace instead of being rushed along by impatient folks! By the time I left, people were arriving by the droves, and I was glad to be heading home before mask wearing became necessary. Those darn masks fog up my glasses!

The Silver Skate Festival runs just two more days, until February 21st. If you're planning to attend, I'd recommend going early in the day, as I expect the crowds who stayed away while we were in the deep freeze will come out by the thousands this weekend. And If you don't plan on going, you can always check out the festival's website... and my photos below.

If the ice doesn't melt too quickly, maybe I'll see you on Victoria oval in the next few weeks. Have a good weekend!

My fave in the snow sculpture competition --
owl and fox in masks!

Snow flowers...

This fellow accompanies an interesting folktale
about envy trolls...

A school of fish. 
Wish I'd gotten pictures of the jelly fish in the pines...

The Community League Plaza
has an interesting display about the
100 years of Edmonton's Community Leagues.

Stories in Indigenous languages can be heard
in the four seasons section of the Silver Skate displays...

This would make for a fun family photo!

A hike to the dentist's office (in pictures)

I wasn't too keen on seeing my dentist today, or on taking public transit to get there. But my teeth needed some attention, and it's a pretty nice hike, just under an hour. On my way, I marveled at many things, and tonight, I'll take my husband part of the way I went so we can take our time along the 2020 Covid edition of The Strathearn Art Walk. It was a beautiful day for a walk, but unfortunately, I still haven't had my first Funicular ride, as, wouldn't you know it, it was closed for scheduled maintenance. Another ride on another day. Here's my hour's walk, in pictures...

 

Simple Suggestion #269... Take an evening stroll

One of the side benefits of having a dog has been our daily after-supper stroll. My hubby and I have gotten into the habit of setting out shortly after supper for at least a 20-minute walk with Shadow-dog. He seems to need it, or he paces the house and drives us a little crazy. Sometimes we opt for longer walks, and when it's really cold, they're shorter, but it's not the length of time that's important. It's that it happens at all.

On Wednesday night, Lee got home from a business trip to Ottawa/Toronto at about 9:30 p.m., just minutes before I returned from a L'Arche Board Meeting. Shadow hadn't had his walk yet, and we looked at each other and said, "Well, he needs a walk." And we put on our coats and boots and headed out, two hours later than usual. To be honest, we were the ones who needed the stroll more.

An evening walk is a wonderful way to unwind, a good place to review the day and let go of its stresses. Our routine stroll around our neighbourhood gives us a chance to catch up with ourselves and each other after a busy day. Even when Lee isn't here, Shadow and I walk without him. It settles the food in our stomachs, gets the blood flowing, and slows us down for the evening. Sometimes we opt to go a little further afield than our own neighbourhood just for a change, like last week's walk around the Legislature Grounds. Shadow loves a change in routine.

Even when it's cold and icy, we dress warm and head out for a stroll. And we recommend it to anyone who can manage it, all year round. Even if you don't have a dog who needs a walk.

Simple Suggestion #236... Climb a little

Okay, so this isn't just a little climb -- it's 132 steps from the river valley up to the plateau near our house. It's quite a workout if it's done a couple of times. Once is enough to feel my thigh muscles complain a little. Or maybe a lot, depending on how much climbing I've been doing lately.

Thing is, if we don't use muscles on a regular basis, they have a tendency to atrophy a little, making for stiffness when they are used in non-regular ways. This was hit home for me when one of my aunties, who has no stairs in her home, came to visit my mom and dad, who live in a split level. Auntie had an interesting time getting up the eight stairs to the guest room -- those climbing muscles were out of practice. I think she was a little shocked by how her fitness had changed just because she's been living in a ground level duplex.

So I'm making it my practice to try to do these 132 stairs at least once a week. Maybe twice. Just to keep in shape. Failing that, there's a set of stairs to the basement I can always use.

What do you do to maintain your muscles?

P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Click here.

Simple Christmas idea #18 Take a Christmas stroll

A little exercise goes a long way...

This is one of my favourite times of year for an evening walk. Lee and I like cruising the neighbourhood on foot after supper while our kids are cleaning up the kitchen after my supper cooking spree (that's the deal -- I cook, they clean). The darkness, Christmas lights, and crisp evening air make for enjoyable strolls, and it's always nice to have a mug of something warm when we come back in (a little coffee with Irish Creme, maybe?) I suspect the fresh air also makes for better sleep when we do settle down for our long winter's naps... or maybe it's the Irish Creme?

Walking is a great way to destress from the busyness of December days -- and those exercise endorphins can't be beat. Consider inserting a stroll into Christmas Day between dinner and dessert. Making an after-supper walk into a regular routine that carries on into the New Year is a simple gift to ourselves that we can really feel good about!

Tai Chi and me

Four Januaries ago, I had to make a stop at Value Village on Whyte Avenue, and noticed the Taoist Tai Chi Society across the street. I'd always thought those far eastern movement practices so beautiful, so I went over to see if I could watch what was happening.

And wouldn't you know... it was "Demonstration Day." A fellow named Tom made me most welcome, offering me a cup of green tea and a place to sit. A few minutes later, he and four or five others did a Tai Chi demonstration for a dozen of us who had gathered... and I was hooked on the simple but beautiful movement.

I signed up and joined a Tuesday/Thursday beginners' class for four months, and learned the 108 movements in the Taoist Tai Chi set. They had wonderful names, like white stork spreads wings, carry tiger to mountain, parting wild horse's mane, and golden cock stands on one leg. What I really liked was moving in sync with my classmates. It felt like magic, and it didn't require extra equipment, or getting wet, or endangering the future of my joints (like my aerobics class-inclined friends with knee troubles).

Penny, my teacher/volunteer, was wonderful and encouraging. We had a lot of laughs as we learned, and when we "graduated," I was very sorry to see the end of Beginners, so I bought a year's membership. I was the youngest person in my Continuing class (led by an amazing eighty-nine-year-young lady who had at one time been sidelined by arthritis), and the Monday/Wednesday slots didn't work very well for me. I tried evenings, too, but that was no better because of family involvements. A part-time job ended my participation with the larger Taoist Tai Chi community, though I continued to do the set alone in my living room, just often enough that I wouldn't forget it.

A few weeks ago, after two and a half months of this dizziness, I realized that I've been turning to mush, physically. Feeling spinny just walking around means exercise is pretty difficult, though I have managed to go for evening walks on the arm of my husband, or to the coffee shop with my neighbour. But that's not nearly enough to keep anyone in shape... so I decided to at least try my old Tai Chi moves, and guess what? The slow, meditative movements were okay. When I was stiff in the ribcage and the thighs on the second day, I realized just how out of shape I was, so I've been doing the set every day for the past couple of weeks, and I suspect the endorphins from Tai Chi have lifted my spirits.

When I watched the Demonstration Day people doing Tai Chi, I never guessed how physically demanding it can be. My husband didn't believe that such slow movements would make much difference in my fitness levels when I started... but I showed him! When it came time for digging the garden in April of 2008, it wasn't me who was suffering after a day of shovelling dirt. Lee learned his lesson -- he doesn't call it "old people exercise" any more!

It's actually quite a workout when it's done slowly... like a series of "static holds" or isometric exercises, but with a bit more movement. It flows gracefully and it makes me happy. I love parting the wild horse's mane, being the fair lady working shuttles, and moving my hands like clouds. I just learned that the Taoist Society has meetings at my nearest United Church on Mondays and Wednesdays, so maybe once my dizziness is gone, I'll see if I can't join them just so I don't completely forget what it's like to move with a group.

There are lots of other forms of Tai chi besides the Taoist (which seems to appeal more to geriatric patients than some of the ones that are more closely related to the martial arts). If you ever get a chance to learn Tai Chi of any kind, I'd recommend it!

And now, off to do my 108 moves...

#5 of 100 Simple Suggestions... Walk instead of driving

I think I've more than covered this idea in a few past moodlings... but I'll repeat myself a little for the sake of #5:

When I walk, my cheeks go pink, my hair gets wind-mussed, and I feel damp until light perspiration evaporates. I also take unbusy streets, avoiding the local five-legged spider of a traffic circle where cars crawl and blood pressure rises. At the moment, that circle is even slower than usual because of our fifth, most-detested and longest season... that of Construction.

When I walk, I enjoy the gifts of the seasons: light in the sky, birdsong, the smell of tree blossoms, the sight of flowering yards, the sound of fall leaves, or the feel of snowflakes against my cheeks. I appreciate the colours of growing things, or imagine the secret sleeping mounds of plants hidden under the snow.

When I walk, my lungs fill with fresh air and my heart thumps rhythmically and my doctor has no reason to insist upon cholesterol medication before my time. I feel strong, vital and less stressed than when I'm cooped in a car, breathing fumes. When I walk, I think deeply, or I sing to myself, or I pray, which are all much better uses of time than keeping my eyes on the road or waiting at red lights.

When I walk, the world stays cleaner, the climate cooler, and my heart happier because I know I am doing as little harm as possible to Earth, our beautiful home.

In the above paragraphs, I count almost 30 good reasons to leave my car at home. How about you?

P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? See here.