Category Archives: My Tai Chi

50th summer

50th summer

2022. The year of war and my 50th birthday.

I was born in the forest. 

Actually in the hospital built in the beautiful forest, not far from my hometown.

I think this forest has been with me whole my life. After my mum delivered me to this world there, I visited this place only once, in my 20s, and I recognise all of it. It seems at once strange and natural. 

The bond with the nature is so essential for our life. Even when we are lost and hallucinating on the fumes of the philosophers’ ideas. It gives as strength to survive, to strive, to try –

To breathe and swim under the open sky with the stars above you. To breathe in the wonderful smell of pine trees which surround you is like a blessing from heaven. 

That was my birthday gift. 

In July, I was lucky enough to join our Tai Chi Tuczno Camp in this incredible place. Being there makes me melt, thaw, loosen. Being surrounded with tai chi, true friends and nature does this unlike any other thing. And the LAKE. The lake, I tell you, the lake is a thing of splendour. Pure and gorgeous.

Then I went homeJust few kilometres from the forest I was born into. My family and friends prepared such a perfect celebration for me that I still can’t believe it happened. Bone fires, candle lights, music, a film about my being here 50 years, my mum’s garden in the background I felt like Greg Zorba dancing whole night, being drunk on our friendship and love. (And a little bit of alcohol.)

Then, I returned to work. 

You know, this place where we spent most of our lives? 

But not for very long.

After 2 weeks I went to Zlatý Kopec in Prague. 

That was an adventure. At the time, all the travel issues, due to Corona, Brexit and all the Other Shit went mad. It was a long circle to get myself there. It was long enough to meet past, present.

How long do we have?

The very non virgin male vestals lit the bone fires for me. We had celebrated just in front of the Milky Way. We have great view at it, straight from “Zapraži”. The songs were sang in five languages, and there was more than enough of laughing. All the secrets kept quiet for a moment. Will they be still silenced when the winter arrives?

Tai Chi Life 2021/2022

Tai Chi Life 2021/2022

The last practice of 2021 in my secret place. It has been another strange covid year with plenty of Tai Chi to keep me sane, but no Tuczno, nor Zlatý Kopec, nor International push hands meetings in Prague.

Let’s hope 2022 will be kinder to all of us.

Zofia Polak Tai Chi
Shapes of Balance
Thomas Nowakowski
Tai Chi System

There is hope though, although January, one can smell springtime in the air 🌞🍀

#ThomasNowakowski #ShapesofBalance #TaiChi #London

Preparing for new “no fuel” order

Preparing for new “no fuel” order

Preparing for new “no fuel” order

Human world has been crazy place as long as we know. But we had those hopes, that we are going in the right direction after disastrous first part of 20th century. 2nd part wasn’t that great for eastern Europe neither, but it didn’t stop us, and at the end, we changed plenty. Changed for better. Why we forget this so easily? 

Last week I attended Fedessa Conference, Yearly Self-Storage meeting, which was absolutely great after whole lockdown life. 
Fedessa Conference

One of the topics was “listening”. I think we should try to learn much more about that.

Stop lecturing world. Start to listen.

Funny enough one of the exercises within this lecture, was to try communicating in such a way that one person is talking about your favourite hobby, when another is only nodding, and not allowed to say anything.

Try for yourself to see how Difficult it is.

I happened to be one who talks, and realised once more, that actually swimming and not taking is one of my favourites.

You know, I do Tai Chi a lot. I started in 1995, the year I also finished my architectural studies. 

Daily practice keeps me sane when the pressure is getting mad..meaning every second day 😉 

But my weekly swim gives me special kick. 

Just water, me, and deep cleansing breath.

Plus, smart watch to see how far I can go 😉

It is nice to see improvements every week.

Hopefully I will get so good I could cross English Chanel if needed 😉

25 years

25 years

It was September 1995 when I joined 1st time our Tai Chi class back in my hometown in Poland. I didn’t know how much it will change my life. Year after year deeper and more natural, I have been becoming submerged in Tao.

This long journey has been reach in getting plenty of experience. I am greatful for all of them.

2020 is strange year. Covid changed our lifestyle. Thanx to Tai Chi It was much easier go through it. Daily practice keep you going in the right direction.

We had to cancel our International Push Hands in Prague. This year it should be 9th. Ivo Marvan had this cool mask ? idea, and sent the masks to the participants. Here me and Thomas:
Push hands Prague
Cheers

Hopefully next year will be easier

Tai Chi Memories from 2007

Tai Chi Memories from 2007

The Wu Chi position, a quintessence of nature,
is the beginning and the end of everything.
It is a quiet which is born and which dies.
Emptiness where a movement and Tai Chi is being created.
Tai Chi is the first motion in the war of the light against the shadow, yang and yin

read more:

http://www.taichi-goldenhill.info/en_articles_wu_chi.html

 

 

 

Wspomnienie z czasów kiedy mogłam uczestniczyć w każdych warsztatach.
Seminarium w czeskiej Pradze 2007:

Wu Chi – początek i koniec
Wu Chi, będące kwintesencją pozycji naturalnej, jest początkiem i końcem wszystkiego. Ciszą, która się rodzi i umiera. Pustką gdzie powstaje ruch i Tai Chi, które jest pierwszym poruszeniem w walce światła z ciemnością, Yang z Yin.
Ruch jest wszystkim co się wydarza. Nie tylko przemieszczaniem się w przestrzeni, ale również każdą emocją, myślą, drgnieniem energii. Poszukiwanie stanu Wu Chi pomaga nam zyskać wypełniającą go siłę ciszy, uwalniającą nas od strachu, który blokuje nasze działania. Każdy krok w poszukiwaniu Wu Chi ma głęboki sens. Nawet, kiedy nam się wydaje, że nigdy nie uda nam się go osiągnąć, że zamęt, który nosimy w sobie nie pozwoli nam się tam zbliżyć.
czytaj dalej:

Father Form

Father Form

Regular practice is one of the fundamental rules of any progress.

If you don’t push yourself to follow daily routine, you will get big chance to have your life full of stagnation and bad habits controlling you.

My first Tai Chi class happened somewhere in September of 1995. At this time, I exercised typical physical basics with around 500 sit-ups daily as the main part.

Still having this background, it took me a few good years to start practising Tai Chi on daily basis.

Why?

I’m actually not sure why.

At the beginning I was more fascinated with Taoist philosophy and maybe that was the reason.

Though when I think about that more carefully it looks like it was good excuse to run away from the true change.

Because Tai Chi practice as all of the great systems changes you deeply inside. You become new person. And this is very scary thing. Most of us is unconsciously petrified of this change.

We stick to what we know even if that’s destroying our life.

 

Thanks God I hit the bottom. My personal life became one big mess and I didn’t want any more to make the same mistakes again and again and again.

So the first was the decision.

Then reality.  Looking for excuses, laziness, escapes.

In the background doing those 500 sit ups without any problem.

I didn’t give up though.

On each occasion when I missed the practice I just came back to it as soon as I was able.

And so on and so on…until I got myself to this place where it is as normal to me as daily teeth cleaning for most of you.

I’m today different person. The internal frantic spasm went away. I lived in 3 different countries, learned 3 new languages and got the control of myself.

The monkey in my head, horse in the heart and pig in my stomach don’t get crazy that easy 😉

 

All of it thanks to Father Form which is the core and base of my daily routine.

This Form is also regular beginning of out classes and workshops.

Tuczno-Nowakowski

 

 

 

 

 

 

First part of the class helps to relax the tension in your body, clam your down and improve joints flexibility.

To achieve that we use so called “Father Form” which comes from San Feng Style – unique family style from Canton brought to Europe by Dr Ming Wong and taught by a few of his students. As per our knowledge Thomas Nowakowski is the only one teaching this style in UK.

“Father Form” takes around 45 minutes and goes through all of the joints starting from feet then moving step by step to upper parts.

We practice whole form in silence, concentrating on movement and breathing.

The movements are not difficult but can be challenging if it’s going about the balance or flexibility. Those challenges are quickly dissolving with regular practice. With every repeat you will feel the improvement of your external and internal stability.

Similar to a lot of Tai Chi exercises this form works also with concentration’s ability and capability of brain hemispheres’ communication.

Students stay facing the teacher and repeat his movement not like in the mirror’s reflection but in the same direction/side like teacher’s. For example: when the teacher moves right hand in the right direction, the students should do the same. This type of exercises develops neural connections and speedup the timing of reactions not only in a study room but in your daily life. You can be faster and more accurate with the decisions you need to take, your reaction to the stress situations will be controlled better.

Very interesting aspect of practicing “Father Form” is observing how much the body work influences our mental stability and vice versa. Improving your flexibility of joints will have positive impact on the way you process information. Your overall vision will be broader and more detailed which is useful in every possible life situation. From little things of no big consequences up to life’s changing decisions, clear vision and flexibility of thinking is most wanted asset.

If you want to improve your life balance or you suffer from some kind of health restrictions this exercise will help greatly.

Many students of Thomas Nowakowski practise “Father Form” on daily basis. They incorporated it in between their busy lives, work, families and all other activities because it is so rewarding.

The tension and blocks are staying with us when not dissolved and relaxed. They go deep inside into the muscles, joints and singular cells building the layers of stiffness, collecting psychosomatic “dirt”.

You can compare practicing “Father Form” to your daily shower or teeth brushing. It has the same cleansing effect except it goes much further. It purifies your whole body and mind. Makes you healthier, happier and calmer in this crazy world.

 

…and then you can easily go for push hands in Prague 🙂

Zofia Polak