Kelley Graham's UnCarved Block Program
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I'm just about a week into this new version of standing...
Previously, while applying the Locks, I felt electrified, but only one time,
After that, there was the body trying to figure out the balance of pressure in all the different locations, and competing forces.
Within 2 days of that, the lock softened, and a profound stillness settled.
Pranam Everyone,
I submit the following article for your consideration:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5871034/
I asked an associate - who is a martial artist and Orthopedic surgeon - for his 'take' on this and I will publish some thoughts (speculations) in my next blog post.
Namaste
JD
Pranam (Greetings) everyone. Since joining the program last Friday by the grace of Sifu, I looked around a bit through the cirriculum to kind of get the lay-of-the-land so to speak. It's incredible to hear (and read) Sifu explaining with precise terminology concepts that my previous Teacher(s) described rather vaguely if they even hinted at them at all. I went to the very first standing lesson today. In particular, understanding/using the chain beginning with the heels to knees to pelvis etc to lift the crown-point was incredible.
A quick note on a harvest from my holiday practice that I want to follow up on when home. I have been exploring lighter and lighter yi. What is Yi , how much Yi to effect some change. This morning I felt that using the lightest intent I could register seemed to have a more subtle effect on the cavities but that this more subtle 'stretch' encompassed a greater area than my more 'doing involved" stretch, but subjectively doesn't 'feel" like it can condition 'martially'.
I am noticing that my esophagus relaxation and smile are happening consistently from following the programme without me trying to make them happen. At the airport yesterday I noticed what I would describe as an edge to worrying. Worrying wasn't "just happening " but instead I noticed it and could stop those thoughts. Worrying has been a life long habit that I have never felt in control of until now.
Excerpt re: Breathing
Practice Notes: Where I am at 8 and a bit months in.
A short history of Internal Martial Arts in real life security during chaotic times.
Full interview transcript here:
http://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/bagua/machuanxu.html
Initial impressions of Pearls
Stillness Takeaways
These are some of my last personal notes while primarily training with the Stillness module. I had already finished the videos at this point for a while and had begun revisiting the Standing materials to help my mind further differentiate the couples by going back and forth between the two with other movements I was familiar. I think it gives a good picture of what was going on with me as I was about to enter Pearls.
I have been practicing every day a minimum of 10 mins and sometimes up to half an hour depending on life circumstances. I am working my way through the videos slowly, having completed the first 8. I am really familiar with the back stop, foot couple, master cavity and upper cavities. I have had a hint of raised diaphragm but need to practise more to open up awareness of this area. Perineum dropping has changed, I used to have to make it happen and it now happens when I relax. When I acknowledge the leg cavities I start to feel lots of tension in my lower back area and I get stuck there.
I have this question in relationship to a new experience of my legs that's been presenting in the last couple of weeks.
I am feeling a sensation as if the leg bones are pushing. The lower bones feel like one bone pressing down and pushing up, creating space in ankle and supplying uplift to knee.
And I feel as if the upper bones pushing up. On a few instances it's felt two-way, but mostly it feels up.
Previous Standing was sitting on the barstoll, releasing roots, middles, tips, Release the tail bone and extend the lower back. Suspend Head from crown, distribute weight evenly on feet. It took many years to feel anyting close to progress.