Combining your Lishi practice with being a parent

Combining your Lishi practice with being a parent

toddler wakes up parents - Lishi Leeds Tai Chi Parenting Kids

Combining your Lishi practice with being a parent

You used to wake up at 6am each morning to practice your forms and improve your own training.

But now you barely get any sleep and you’ve got toddler tantrums, nappies and breakfast to sort out. You can say goodbye to your early morning meditation, me-time and those solid abs….

Actually being a parent is another type of training. But just because there are not enough hours in the day now it doesn’t mean that you have to stop with your training altogether.

Here are 5 suggestions for exercises you can combine with your babysitting 😉 duties:

1. Warm up – Starting the morning with a good warm up sets me up for the day.   I do the warm up and my little one loves to copy along. He doesn’t get everything right but that’s fine, he’s starting to build a physical awareness and is learning the names of the major body parts.

2. Kitchen Stances –  I find a great place to practice stance-work is in the kitchen as I am cooking.  I get the kids to copy along and learn the stances with me, while practicing the qigong in my legs. Frog stance is also great to practice especially if you’re trying to potty train a toddler.

Learning the names of the stances will also give them a head-start when you decide to send them along to the Lishi Leeds Tai Chi Kids Classes

 

3. Swing Evasions – This one is courtesy of my brother Dr Tai Chi. The kids always need a good run around each day – so next time you’re at the park practise Round the Clock or Teacup evasions while pushing the swing. It’s a great way to keep you on your toes and make the evasions work.  Plus the kids find it hilarious!

4. Floor-Work-and Flying Angel – You’re probably finding that you spend more time these days crawling around on the floor putting toys away and crawl chasing your little one.  Remember to use your core muscles and feel the abs work to pull your knees in and reach with the arms. Lifting your toddler over your head as you lie on your back – you can practice the supporting part of the flying angel. I only recommend you do this if you’ve had instruction at a Lishi Qishu class.

5. Virtues – Being a parent is where you really have to test whether you can make the training work outside the hall.  It is a great chance to practice your virtues such as patience and the softest will be the strongest.  It is also a great chance to learn from our little ones – for they demonstrate relentless better than any adult could. Finally remember, “You don’t stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing.” Use this opportunity to enjoy being a kid again and cultivate that playfulness in your parenting and your personal practice.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these tips and if you have any to add then please post them in the comments below.

Lishi Leeds Tai Chi - Meditating child
Read More
5 Tips for Surviving the Winter

5 Tips for Surviving the Winter

Daoist Tips for surviving the winter - Lishi Leeds Tai Chi
5 Tips for Surviving the Winter

This year as soon as 1st November arrived – there was a change in the season brrrrr!

It was like someone had turned on a switch.  Winter had arrived.

We still got the odd day of warmish weather as the season moved from end of autumn to proper winter.  But there is no mistaking the cold damp that seeps into the bones, the nights drawing in and the desire to stay in bed for longer.

The Daoists have long recognised the need to pay attention to the changing of the seasons and so here are 5 Daoist ways to work with the natural changes and help maintain the balance of Yin and Yang this Winter.

    1. Invest in a cosy scarf
      According to Chinese Medicine it is important to protect yourself from pernicious influences such as cold and wind.The back of the neck is particularly vulnerable to wind as it can enter through the acupuncture points here.  This is especially important if you’ve done any exercise and you are sweaty.When your pores open up it increases the risk of Wind invasion if you do not wrap up warm. So make sure you have a good scarf and wear it even if you are hot from exercising.
    2. Make sure you have good quality boots (and slippers)
      TCM also warns against the cold damp entering through the feet. It is important to keep the feet warm with socks and shoes when outside.Even inside, beware of cold floors. A pair of cosy slippers will help prevent the body’s heat being leached out and the cold invading through the soles of your feet.If you suffer from poor circulation and cold feet during the winter months try soaking your feet in hot water before bed. In fact it is worth doing this even if your circulation is fine. Soaking the heat in through your feet helps keep your energy high.Winter is related to the water element and organs associated with this in particular are your Kidney and Bladder.  Warming your feet will help nourish your Kidney energy which is sensitive to the cold during this time.

 

    1. Cook up some warming foods
      As winter is a yin time of the year, it’s important to balance the external cold by eating “warming” yang foods to help activate the blood circulation and keep you well.So forget the cold salads and get some hot and warming stews and soups into you.  Add more root vegetables such as parsnips and sweet potatoes, garlic and ginger, and warming herbs such as rosemary as well as spices such as cinnamon in your cooking to boost your body’s yang.For some good Chang Ming Recipes check out our other blog posts or the Chang Ming Cookbook 
    2. Hibernate!
      As the nights draw in you may feel the urge to cosy up in bed and sleep for longer thank usual.  This is perfectly natural!Our ancestors would have lived their lives much more in accordance to the seasons than we do, due to the lack of artificial light.  Go to sleep earlier and rise with the sun.Sleeping earlier and longer in Winter is important to help nourish your yin, as winter is the season to conserve energy and build strength in the prelude to an active Spring.
    3. Stay active
      The best time to do Yang exercise such as the Lishi Hand of the Wind Kung Fu we teach is when the weather is colder.  These arts are wonderful to help condition and strengthen the body, improve and maintain your cardio-vascular system and boost your overall body temperature and resilience to the cold.Doing the Yang Arts will help boost your circulation and increase your body’s core temperature further supporting your lymphatic and immune system in the cold winter months.
Read More
Plantified Vegan Recipe Site

Plantified Vegan Recipe Site

Lishi waiyii miso_tahini
Free Vegan Recipes Hub

I recently discovered a fab site where people are sharing lots of incredibly tasty vegan recipes.

The site is called plantified and is the brainchild of Katrina Stuart who is a bit of a vegan whiz in the kitchen.

The recipes are not all Chang Ming but they definitely offer some healthy dairy-free options and might inspire you to come up with your own versions that fit with the Lishi Lifestyle of Cooking and eating.

I have uploaded a couple of easy recipes which you can see here:

Steamed Greens and Carrots with a Tahini and Miso Sauce

Black Rice Porridge with Coconut

I recommend you join the site and would love to read any recipes that you add.

Feel free to comment and link to your recipes below…

Lishi Lifestyle Black Rice Porridge
Read More
Lishi Wai-Yii on MadeinLeedsTV

Lishi Wai-Yii on MadeinLeedsTV

A Fun Day Filming Lishi Leeds Tai Chi Sword

Each winter I escape the cold of Britain and head to sunny Tenerife to run my Tai Chi, Yoga and Meditation retreats in the sun. This year we were lucky enough to have a film crew in attendance and they very kindly created some beautiful videos of us practising some of the different Arts of Lishi Leeds Tai Chi.

In this video, Lishi Ben and I practise the Tai Chi Sword together.

Watch the video and read the description below and if you feel this is something you’d like to learn, get in touch to register for the next beginners Tai Chi course in Leeds.

Two practitioners of Lishi Tai Chi and Kung Fu meet on the side of a mountain to practise the Art of the Jian Sword.

Balance, dexterity, lightness and co-ordination combine to show how practising the natural movements of Tai Chi, Qigong and Kung Fu can be transformed into a graceful dance of the martial arts.

Working with the Daoist principles of Yin and Yang and flowing like water, this video showcases the grace and exhilaration of Lishi.

To watch more great Lishi videos subscribe to our channel here

or just book on the next beginners course below

TAI CHI, YOGA, MEDITATION AND SELF DEFENCE - BEGINNERS COURSE

lishi leeds tai chi sword
Read More
Lishi Wai-Yii on MadeinLeedsTV

Lishi Wai-Yii on MadeinLeedsTV

waiyii lishi leeds tai chi madeinleedstv still
Lishi Leeds Tai Chi Teacher featured on Made in Leeds TV Show

Did you miss the recent Made in Leeds Tv show known as “The Book It List”? It’s on freeview Channel 7 and it featured our Lishi Leeds University Tai Chi class.

They were keen to learn more about why Lishi Leeds Tai Chi is a great form of exercise for young people wanting to get fit, keep calm and get confident.

Watch the clip below…

To watch more great Lishi videos subscribe to our channel here

or just book on the next beginners course below

waiyii lishi leeds tai chi madeinleedstv still2
Read More
Headingley News March 2016

Headingley News March 2016

Growing achievement for Lishi classes in Headingley.

Photo courtesy of Wai-Yii Yeung

Photo courtesy of Wai-Yii Yeung

AN EXERCISE programme from China based on the philosophy of Yin and Yang has been introduced in Headingley.

The classes at St. Augustine’s Wrangthorn Church Hall in Headingley as well as Leeds University has gained a lot of success.

Lishi combines the very best from Tai Chi, Cardio Kung Fu, Self Defence and Daoist Yoga.

It has been practised for thousands of years and is still around today because of its relevance to the challenges of modern life:

Wai-Yii Yeung, the leader of the Lishi classes said: “I started Lishi when I was a student at the University of Leeds and I got so much from the classes that I wanted to make sure that other students could learn these arts and benefit from the exercises and philosophy.

I teach classes at Wrangthorn Church Hall as well as at the University and all my students agree that it helps them concentrate, de-stress and boost their energy.

“Part of the programme of self-development includes not only learning the exercises but eventually learning how to teach and lead.

“As I developed these skills I found that I really enjoyed sharing this ancient knowledge and starting classes in the area was a natural next step. I love it.”

Lishi classes have been going on throughout the UK and abroad, but it has been kept secret for a long time compared with other Tai Chi or Self Defence arts.

Wai-Yii added: “I hope that as more people experience the benefits they will tell others and Lishi will start to grow in popularity through word of mouth.

“I love teaching these arts but more than that I love it when people tell me how much the classes have had a positive impact on their life and time at university.”

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Find out more about Wai-Yii and her classes:

www.lishi.org/waiyii

www.lishi.org/classes/headingley

Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Source: https://newsinheadingley.wordpress.com/2016/03/02/growing-achievement-for-lishi-classes-in-headingley/

Read More
Spring Vegetables with Tofu and noodles

Spring Vegetables with Tofu and noodles

Spring Vegetables with Tofu and Noodles

Serves 1

Ingredients

3 bunched carrots

2 spring onions

1 clove of garlic

1cm root ginger

3 large Chard leaves ( or equivalent)

2 sticks dried Tofu

50g (20zs) Noodles

300mls (1/2pint) vegetable stock.

 

Instructions

Break up the tofu sticks and soak for 5 minutes

Peel and chop carrots

Remove stalks from chard and chop

Chop or grate garlic and ginger.

Drain the tofu.

Place in a pan with the carrots, chard stalks, garlic, ginger and stock

Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Chop the chard leaves and spring onions.

Add  to the pan with the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes.

Recipes

Search my blog for more Chang Ming Recipes that I post regularly or buy The Basic Chang Ming Cookbook from Amazon

Read More
Chang Ming Guide

Chang Ming Guide

How to follow a Chang Ming Diet….

The Chang Ming diet goes hand in hand with the Lishi practice.  So here are 5 basic steps to help you follow the

  1. Eat lots of veggies and wholegrains – yum!
  2. Replace refined sugars with natural sugars
  3. Cut out stimulants – byebye -coffees and chocolates – and then bye bye to mood swings, bad nerves and hello better quality of sleep
  4. Don’t drink when you eat – wait until after your meal to drink.  This ensures better digestion and that you are not diluting your stomach acids.
  5. Eat until you are 80% full – then stop….learn to listen to your body and stop before you are bloated.  It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register the signals from your stomach that you are full.  SO if you eat until you are full, then you are likely to feel too full

Recipes

Search my blog for Chang Ming Recipes that I post regularly or buy The Basic Chang Ming Cookbook from Amazon

Read More
Qigong

Qigong

Lishi Tai Chi

What is Qigong?

Qi (pronounced Chee) means energy or focused intent.

Gong means to do work.

Qigong is an ancient Chinese system of exercise that incorporates physical postures that focus your mind and increase your energy levels.

Many people thinking of Chinese exercise visualise an old person waving their arms around in a park. Any fool would believe these movements are easy….until you try them.

When performed correctly these “gentle” movements have a profound effect on the body both mentally and physically.

The “Gong” in “Qigong” is not there for no reason!

What Types of Qigong Are There?

There are four main types of Qigong.

Sitting, Standing, Moving and even Lying down Qigong exercises.

Basically you can practice at any point in the day…. anywhere…. any time.

So there is no excuse for not making this a regular part of your day.

Benefits of Qigong

These gentle exercises help to reduce stress and improve your health.  The postures build physical and mental stamina as well as increasing your energy levels whilst activating the natural self-regulatory capacity of the body to heal itself (A Comprehensive Review of Health Benefits of Qigong and Tai Chi Jahnke, Larkey, Rogers, Etnier, and Lin; 2010)

It is a great form of exercise that helps balance your mind and body. Far from it being “only for old people”, qigong is an excellent tonic for young people in their twenties and thirties who want to harness and store their energy, building up reserves that will fuel an energised way of life even as they get older.

How Do I Get Started?

The right time to start practising qigong is now.

Watch the video below and follow along with a simple beginners level qigong exercise:

If you would like to learn more then come along to my next beginners course. You can find full details at lishi.org/classes/leeds

Lishi incorporates all four types of qigong as well as deep-breathing exercises, Tai Chi and Self-Defence. The course will teach you how to quiet the mind and you will practice focusing on one thing with full awareness.

It will calm your chattering brain and emotions so things in life don’t feel so overwhelming and you will learn to focus on the job at hand rather than procrastinate and choose to eat cereal or clean the fridge instead 🙂

Lishi Tai Chi
Read More