Tai Chi Matters
THEY SAY a change is as good as a rest, so it was with this in mind I headed West to the Holy Island on a seven day Tai Chi and Meditation retreat recently.
Located off the coast of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, the island has a long spiritual history. It is endowed with an ancient healing spring, the hermit-cave of a 6th Century monk, St Molaise, and evidence of a 13th Century Christian Monastery. Now under the stewardship of the Rokpa Trust, the island has become a focus for work on three great concerns of our time: |
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The Environment: The centre was built with ecologically sound materials and methods; water is heated with solar panels ; all the paint used is non-toxic and bio-degradable; insulation materials are environmentally friendly; sewerage is processed using state-of-the-art reed beds resulting in almost clear water discharged into the sea
Peace: Holy Island is dedicated to peace, co-operation between all faiths and what His Holiness the Dalai Lama talks of as “lasting peace” based on “internal disarmament”.
Spirituality: Celtic Christians sought the solitude of Holy Island to support their prayer and meditation, just as the Tibetan yogis did in the Himalayas. It is a place to experience inner peace, to discover creativity and to find meaning in this life.
Careful management of the environment is also helping to conserve the island’s unique species of plants, while the wild Eriskay Ponies and the Soay Sheep and Goats are all benefitting from improved grazing. The Project is now part of the Alliance for Religion and Conservation, a world wide movement helping to channel the power of spiritual commitment to meet the challenges of ecological crisis.
Weekend Programme
The Tai-Chi & Meditation residential week offered skills and practices for opening and deepening a life-long spiritual journey. Tai-Chi Chuan is a physical philosophy that embodies healing, meditation and self-defence. The week allowed time for an understanding of this powerful yet soft martial art and participants experienced a variety of its many aspects. We practiced together in the beautiful Peace Hall and outside on the beach front when conditions permited. We were particularly blessed with good weather.
We learned simple and effective meditation techniques that can affect and enhance every day living. There was ample time during the course for discussion, relaxation and rereation. Each afternoon was free for participants to explore and enjoy the beauty, friendship and purity of Holy Island. I volunteered to help in the organic garden most afternoons, but for some reason I spent most of my time collecting the outpourings of the Eriskay ponies in a wheel barrow.
Food was vegetarian only, which suited me fine, but on the way home I did notice the serious carnivors diving in to a bacon roll as soon as they got on to Arran. The course was run by Sue Weston the initiator of Relaxing The Mind activities and principal of The Isleworth School of Tai-Chi Chuan where she holds regular Tai-Chi classes. Sue recently spent a year in retreat on Holy Island and the heart of her work and life is her continuing study and practice of Tai-Chi Chuan and meditation. Sue’s website is worth a visit: www.relaxingthemind.com.
By John Connelly, who is a member of the Martial Arts and Fitness Coach Association UK and runs Tai Chi classes at the Locus Centre Aberfeldy.
He can be contacted on 01887 829187
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