Tuesday, June 19, 2007

"Walking is man's best medicine." -- Hippocrates

Early yesterday morning in heavy rain, while walking 4 miles at Green Lake, I wondered if Hipppocrates knew what he was talking about. There are aches and pains enough to go around without adding the rain factor. But the most amazing things happened, probably since there were so few of us out at that hour. Everyone smiled and said "good morning." Five shells moved silently and elegantly across the lake. An older gentleman stopped to point out a bald eagle sitting on the top of the diving platform. While I was stretching at the end of my walk, I ran through my Chi Gong while six or so folks at lake's edge performed perfect Tai Chi at 7am in the driving rain.

Chairman Mao introduced both Tai Chi and Chi Gong in every factory, school and university in China. Chi Gong is eight exercises each performed eight times, thus "eight pieces of brocade" or "eight secrets of life." Daily practice brings flexibility, grace and energy. I learned it three years ago at Canyon Ranch, along with a host of other stretching and kinesthesiological exercises.

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