Yin Yoga, Gentle Yoga, Yoga for Seniors

 Yin Yoga, Gentle Yoga

The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga: The Philosophy and Practice of Yin Yoga. By Bernie Clark. Wild Strawberry, 2019, 350 pages. VSCL, Paperback. DVD. My First Choice. Excellent descriptions of Yin Postures.

Yin Yoga and Meditation: A Mandala Map for Practice, Teaching and Beyond. By Sagel Urlacher. 2022, 331 pages. VSCL, Paperback. My Second Choice. Excellent meditation information and ideas.

YinSights: A Journey Into the Philosophy and Practice of Yin Yoga. By Bernie Clark. Foreword by Sarah Powers. Index, 417 pages. ISBN: 096876651X. VSCL, Paperback.

Yin Yoga: Outline of a Quiet Practice. By Paul Grilley. Ashland, Oregon, White Cloud Press, 2002. 118 pages. ISBN: 1883991439. VSCL, Paperback. 

Yin Yoga: The Foundations of a Quiet Practice. Instructional DVD featuring Paul Grilley. Pranamaya, Inc., 2005. 2 DVDs, 338 minutes. ASIN: B000B5871I.  VSCL, DVD.

Gentle Yoga: 7 Beginning Yoga Practices for Mid-Life (40's - 70's). Includes AM Energy, PM Relation, Improving Balance, Relief from Desk Work, Corce Strength, and more. By Jane Adams. DVD, 3 Hours and 12 minutes. VSCL, DVD.

Yoga for Beginners. 8 Yoga Video Routines for Beginners. Include Gentle Yoga Workouts to Increas Strength and Flexibility. By Barbara Benagh. DVDs, 13 Hours. 2019. VSCL, DVD.

Built From Broken. A Science-Based Guide to Healing Painful Joints, Preventing Injuries, and Rebuilding Your Body. By Scott H. Hogan. 2021, 348 pages. VSCL, Paperback.  

Columbia Valley Spirit Yoga Website.  By Michael P. Garofalo.

 

Five Animal Frolics Qigong (Wu Qin Xi)

Repost from 2006:

Lately, I been working outdoors on gardening and home improvement projects in the cooler early morning; as well as practicing Taijiquan, Daoyin, the Tai Chi Kung Fu Fan, and cane forms. In the hot afternoon, I retreat indoors and read, write, and work on webpage development.

I have been steadily working on reorganizing, updating, and expanding my webpages on the Five Animal Frolics Qigong (Wu Qin Xi). I moved all the Wu Qin Xi webpages from the Cloud Hands website over to the Valley Spirit Qigong website.

The exercise set is considered to be Daoyin, or what is now called Qigong (Chi Kung). In this context, the word "Dao" means to guide, lead, show the way, slowly, inch by inch. The word "Yin" means to pull out, draw out, or stretch. So Daoyin are mind-body exercises that show us how to draw out the potential for diseases and restore an integrated or balanced state of well-being in body and mind.

Many people credit the famous Chinese physician, Hua Tuo (110-207 CE), with developing a popular Daoyin animal frolics set which consists of exercises based on the deer, crane, monkey, tiger, and bear. Hua Tuo's best student, Wu Pu, lived to be over 100, and wrote that Hua Tuo told him:

"Man's body must have exercise, but it should never be done to the point of exhaustion. By moving about briskly, digestion is improved, the blood vessels are opened, and illnesses are prevented. It is like a used doorstep which never rots. As far as Tao Yin (bending and stretching exercises) is concerned, we have the bear's neck, the crane's twist, and swaying the waist and moving the joints to promote long life. Now I have created the art called the Frolics of the Five Animals: the Tiger, the Deer, the Bear, the Monkey, and the Crane. It eliminates sickness, benefits the legs, and is also a form of Tao Yin. If you feel out of sorts, just practice one of my Frolics. A gentle sweat will exude, the complexion will become rosy; the body will feel light and you will want to eat."

The Animal Frolics Qigong (Daoyin, Chi Kung, Yangsheng) webpage development plan in 2009-2010 at the Cloud Hands website is: I intend to develop the webpages on the Animal Frolics Qigong in 2009-2010 in the following order: 1) June - August 2009: Animal Frolics Qigong and the Crane Frolic; 2) September - October: the Monkey Frolic; 3) November - December: the Tiger Frolic; 4) January - February 2010: the Bear Frolic; 5) March - April: the Deer Frolic; and 6) May - June: Dragon Qigong.

How the Five Animals are assigned to the Five Elements varies according to the "authority" consulted. I have used the following table of correspondences:

Dao De Jing, Chapter 68

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 68

"The best soldier is not warlike the best fighter shows no anger
The one best at defeating the enemy does not engage him.
The one best at managing people puts himself below them.
This is the Te of not contending, this is the power to manage people.
This is being the Counterpart of Heaven equaling the very best of the ancients."
-  Translated by Michael Lafargue, 1992, Chapter 68  

"In the ancient times:
The perfect warriors were not warlike.
The perfect fighters were not angry.
The perfect winners were not aggressive and the perfect diplomats were humble before the world.
This is called the practice of the virtue of non-struggle.
This is called the use of the wisdom of benevolence.
This is called to comply with the ultimate Nature."
-  Translated by Tang Zi-Chang, Chapter 68
 
 "The best soldier is not violent.
The best fighter is not angry.
The best winner is not contentious.
The best employer is humble.
This is known as the power of not striving,
as ability in human relations,
and as being in accord with heaven."
-  Translated by Sanderson Beck, 1996, Chapter 68 


"The best warrior leads without haste fights without anger overcomes without confrontation
He puts himself below and brings out the highest in his men
This is the virtue of not confronting of working with the abilities you have of complying with the laws of Heaven
This is the ancient path that leads to perfection"
-  Translated by Johathan Star, 2001, Chapter 68  


善為士者不武.
善戰者不怒.
善勝敵者不與.
善用人者為之下.
是謂不爭之德.
是謂用人之力.
是謂配天古之極.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 68 

  
shan wei shih chê pu wu.
shan chan chê pu nu.
shan shêng ti chê pu yü.
shan yung jên chê wei chih hsia.
shih wei pu chêng chih tê. 
shih wei yung jên chih li.
shih wei p'ei t'ien ku chih chi.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 68 


"The best captain does not plunge headlong
Nor is the best soldier a fellow hot to fight.
The greatest victor wins without a battle:
He who overcomes men understands them.
There is a quality of quietness
Which quickens people by no stress:
'fellowship with heaven,' as of old,
Is fellowship with man and keeps its hold."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 68


"A good warrior is not bellicose,
A good fighter does not anger,
A good conqueror does not contest his enemy,
One who is good at using others puts himself below them.
This is called "integrity without competition,"
This is called "using others,"
This is called "parity with heaven," - the pinnacle of the ancients."
-  Translated by Victor H. Mair, 1990, Chapter 68

"Un caudillo sabio nunca es belicoso.
Un guerrero sabio nunca se enfurece.
Quien sabe vencer no ataca primero.
Quien sabe guiar a las personas no las humilla,
sino que, por el contrario, se coloca a sí mismo
en una posición más baja.
Así son las leyes de Te que renuncian a la ira,
al propio enaltecimiento y a la violencia.
Así actúan Aquellos Que representan a Te guiando
a las personas al Tao Primordial y Eterno.
-  Translated by Anton Teplyy, 2008, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo 68


"Those eminent for scholarly virtues are not fighting men.
Those eminent in war do not lose their temper.
Those eminent for victory do not struggle.
Those eminent for making use of others descend to their level.
This may be called the virtue which does not contend;
the power of utilizing men;
the utmost limit that can be reached in equaling Heaven and the men of old."
-  Translated by Frederic Henry Balfour, 1884, Chapter 68  

"Fight without violence.
Fight without rage.
Forget the supposed hurts done to you and do not seek vengeance.
Take pride in your humility.
Real decency is quiet, it brings people together and empties the self.
It is the same thing that holds the universe together."
-  Translated by Crispin Starwell, Chapter 68  

A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters (Verses, Sections) of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes over 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter.  Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization.  Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Chapter.   


Chapter 68, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey  

Fourth of July

On this Fourth of July we celebrate our liberties, the natural beauty and many resources found in America, the millions of women and men who have worked diligently to create peace and prosperity, and the chance to improve ourselves, our homes, our communities, and our government.  

"In the morning, everything is new.
 The day's blank slate lies before me,
 ready for my writing.
 May it be words of beauty I write.
 May it be deeds of grace I do.
 May it be thoughts of joy I think.
 All the Holy Ones, Listen;
 this is what I pray.
 Great Spirits of the Four Realms,
 Holy Ones of the Realms of Minds,
 Kindreds of Yore,
 as I go through the day,
 keep my eyes open wide.
 May I not miss beauty.
 May I not miss joy.
 May I not miss wonder.
 Keep me awake and aware of the world.
 It is my privilege to perform my morning prayers.
 It is my honor to do what should be done.
 As I rise with the morning, fog lifting slowly for my mind,
 I pray not to forget these truths.
 Awen."
 -  Ceisiwr Serith, Book of Pagan Prayer, p. 126
 

Harmonica Chords

I keep some of my notes about my Harmonica Studies on my webpage:

Harmonica Studies by Michael P. Garofalo.

Chords for Harmonicas

By Michael P. Garofalo
June 25, 2024

Common Harmonica Keys: C A D G

I gathered the information provided below from a series of books by James Major titled "the Complete 10 Hole Diatonic Harmonica Series." Each book in the series is about one Harmonica Key. Detailed information, informative charts, well organized, excellent layout, and a valuable booklet of around 50 ages. For example, C Harmonica Book. By James Major. Mel Bay Publishing, 2005, 48 pages. VSCL.

Chords on C Key Harmonica

I C Major CEG (Blow Holes 456 or 789 or 123 or any 3 adjacent holes)

IV F Dyad FA (Draw 56 and Draw 9 10)

V G Major GBD (Draw Holes 234 or Draw Holes 1234

G7 GBDF (Draw Holes 2-5)

Gm DG (Draw 12) 

Dm DFA (Draw 456 and Draw 89 10)

Bb BDF (Draw 3456 and 789) 

Blues Second (Play on G Key Harmonica)

Chords on G Key Harmonica

I G Major GBD (Blow Holes 456 or 789 or 123 or any 3 adjacent holes)

IV C Dyad CE (Draw 56 and Draw 9 10)

V D Major DF#A (Draw Holes 234 or Draw Holes 1234

Gm Minor DG (Blow 34 and 67 and 9 10)

D7 DFmAC (Draw Holes 2-5)

Dm AD (Draw 12)

Am ACE (Draw 456 and 89 10)

F# FAC (Draw 345 and 789)

Blues Second (Play on ? Key Harmonica)

Chords on D Key Harmonica

I D Major DFA (Blow Holes 456 or 789 or 123 or any 3 adjacent holes)

IV G Dyad GB (Draw 56 and Draw 9 10)

V A Major ACE (Draw Holes 234 or Draw Holes 1234)

A7 AC#EG (Draw 2345)

Am EA (Draw 12)

Em EGB (Draw 456 and 89 10)

D Blow AD (Blow 34 and 67 and 9 10)

C Triad C#EG (Draw 345 an 789)

Blues Second (Play on ? Key Harmonica)

Use D Key Harp to Play Blues in Key of A

The Ground is a Heart Platform

 

Technique is a Whisper

Some Thoughts from John Kells:

"Put everything into the initial connexion.
The posture thereafter must spring from that connexion.
The initial connexion has to be whole-hearted.
What happens thereafter must not be a distraction.
In other words, the heart keeps pumping out that connexion.
The technique is a whisper.
What is completed between you has the feeling of an entirety – of a being.
The responsibility is to be open.

The working of the mind is too slow to deal with real life.
To be sincere in this matter is not a question of thinking about it.
Sufficient practice must be undertaken so that basic body usage is not a grinding problem.
It is impossible to describe how thorough going your dedication needs to be.
What bit of you has the wisdom to know what is unknowable?
There is no mind to deliberate or be backwards.
If there isn't a feeling of coming home and finding a lively peace within then you are missing the point.

If there is a way of life or living it has to be joining from the heart.
The eyes are so quick to translate your heart feelings.
The ground is a heart platform.
Although important the eyes have to take second place to the heart.
Be open to the connecting of your heart with the other person's heart.
If the other person wants information about you let them open their heart.
Connecting is not a personal matter.
In any real interchange it is the Third Heart that counts.
Light and embracing, but embracing as a giving from the heart rather than capturing.
And the inspiration of the Third Heart is nutrition for your becoming.
The spirit must be allowed freedom to dart about and tempt the heart at the right moment.
To be a believer is to be a positive being – a believer is someone who is becoming.
Becoming leaves no imprint.
Becoming swallows what is commonly known as destiny.
Spirit is the effervescence of real interest in something other than yourself.

The essence of true destiny is yielding.
The essence of yielding is softness.
The essence of softness is entering.
The essence of entering is welcoming openness.
The essence of openness is heart."

Grandmaster John Kells

Steven Moore and John Kells

British Tai Chi Chuan Association and John Kells

Words of John Kells

A repost from Cloud Hands Blog from 2006