On August 24th and 25th, 2019, I participated in Master Chen Zhonghua’s workshop in Dongying, China.
On September 3rd, I went to Daqingshan to train for a week and began my Practical Method journey.
In February 2020, invited Master Chen to come to Queenstown, New Zealand for the first time for workshop.
In mid-March, I learnt Yilu from Master Chen’s detailed instructional videos. Started to practice the routine 3-5 times a day. Since mid-April, I practice 10 times a day until now.
Physically, the most obvious change is my posture. My back is straighter and flatter, my shoulders are not so rounded, and the head can suspend a bit more (although it is still far from enough). There is actually space created between my shoulder blades and back, and they can separate. The flexibility and strength of my kua have increased, and the position and structure of my spine, especially the thoracic spine, has also changed. My knees are more stable than before. I can also find strength in my feet.
I developed a bad posture since I was teenager. Although I have been a group fitness instructor and a yoga teacher, my body structure did not change fundamentally. After practicing Practical Method, especially after starting practicing Yilu, my body structure began to break, heal and reform, and there is space and strength growing in my joints. This year, I did not specifically find time to practice yoga, I only practice Practical Method, but the poses become easier when I teach yoga, whether it is regarding the strength, balance, coordination, mobility or flexibility. These changes are crazy! It’s actually hard to believe if it didn’t happen to me.
I have been watching Master Chen’s online classes in the past month, and felt that I must relearn and recalibrate from the very basics. While I also know that without previous learning and practice, I will not realize this either. So every day counts, every time I practice, I am getting myself ready for the next step! The thinking and behavior habits must be converted into Practical Method mode.
At this stage, the main focus of my practice is: 1. Wrists straight and fixed. Do not move the hands. 2. Knees lock, no wobbling. 3. Suspend the head and maintain the central axis, no tossing. 4. Rotate more, rotate the kua more. 5. Make the rotation bigger.
It’s difficult, but I’m not giving up.
