Finding form and virtues.. with a little help from a Dragon.

Outside the wind blew and snow lay on the ground but there was plenty of warmth found, for 87 participants, in the Danyus and Toryus led by President of Fung Loy Kok, Marsha Eberhardt.

 

For break times, Pu-errh with cool melon, strawberries, grapes, apple and orange, were carefully prepared by each task group. With three delicious hot meals each day, cooked and prepared in our own kitchen, the dragon inside never went hungry!

 

 

 

Patience

 

We spoke about the internal structure.

Wrapping and Unwrapping the form.

Keep chest open, push from the feet.

We spoke together about the 8 Virtues and how we can apply them in our daily lives.

Sacrifice – Doing the tasks without expectation of gratitude.

 

A new Dragon was assembled ready for Awareness Day 2015 at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto.
Booked your flights yet?

Buffalo Branch USA National Lok Hup Program a Huge Success!

Chris Lewis  took 95 participants through the first 31 moves of the Lok Hup set that left us exhausted but happy.

About half of the participants came to Buffalo from Canada (Ottawa, Toronto, Woodstock, St. Catharines, and Guelph Ontario), and the US (Denver, Columbus Ohio, Chicago, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, St. Petersburg and Hallendale Florida, Ithaca, New York City, and Syracuse, New York).

A Pot Luck Dinner was held at the Kenmore Center on Friday, April 18th. We used the Tapestry Charter School for the program on Saturday and Sunday. Here are more photos from the weekend.

Thanks to all the volunteers and participants for making the National Lok Hup program a success.

We raised $29,000 from workshop donations, which Chris designated to go to the Taoist Tai Chi Society ® International Center – Fenway project.

Celebrating Chinese New Year on the West Coast!

The Vancouver Branch, like the other branches in the Pacific Region, welcomed in Chinese New Year on Saturday, February 21^st with a fundraising event for the Fenway. Almost 50 attendees enjoyed a Florida-themed potluck dinner, complete with crab cakes and key lime pie for dessert. The evening’s entertainment included trivia, mini-golf and a skit centered on our “Fenway collage,” created by many class participants in the weeks leading up to the event.

The next day, 30 participants from the Vancouver, Surrey and Chilliwack branches converged on Chinatown in downtown Vancouver to walk in the Chinese New Year Parade on a crisp but sunny day. An estimated 100,000 people lined the streets while we walked, brush knee’d, and waved hands through the 1.3 km length of the parade. Many of those watching waved right back at us as we greeted them with the first jong. Such a unique opportunity for a demonstration of Taoist Tai Chi® arts was surely an auspicious start to the New Year on the West Coast!

Chinese New Year at the Western Region Centre – 28 Feb 2015

Over 70 members and guests were booked in for the Western Region Centre’s Chinese New Year Celebration on Saturday 28th February. Volunteers started arriving at around 11am to help with the cooking, laying of tables and decorating the practice hall. The dinner clashed with the Wales versus France Six Nations match but despite this, the ardent rugby fans among us still came along to celebrate with their tai chi family on the understanding that no-one was to check their phones for the score so they could watch it when they returned home.

Members and guests were treated to sesame, or prawn and sesame, toast, beef and green bean stir fry, chicken and cashew nuts, red Thai curry, and tofu in satay sauce, followed by frozen yoghurt cupcakes and fresh fruit. At the end of the meal there was a quiz, a raffle and a demonstration of the Sword set. Greetings from the branch were given by Jo Domin, from the Region by Dominique Coué, and from the National Board by President of TTCS GB Crispin Barker. The meal raised over £300 for the Fenway project and the raffle added a further £87.

After a fantastic evening, in which everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves, many of the members stayed to wash up and clear the practice hall ready for classes on Monday.

Everyone at the Western Region Centre would like to wish Gong Hei Fat Choy to all our tai chi family around the world. We hope you all have a happy and healthy year of the Goat.

Lantern Festival 2015

First set of pictures from a fantastic day at the International Centre in Mono, celebrating the 2015 Lantern Festival!

 

Chinese New Year at the Wong Dai Sin Temple, Steeles Avenue

The new year was enjoyed by the multinational team from FLKTTCS

The University of Essex and the Universe of Tao

The University of Essex Student’s Union invited the Taoist Tai Chi Society to join them on campus to celebrate Chinese New Year.

As we celebrate our 45^th Anniversary this year the University of Essex celebrate their 50^th, which added to the sense of occasion and celebration.

The main squares of the campus were adorned with red lanterns and dotted with market stalls which gave the feel of being in a Chinese market place. There were students of many nationalities and cultures and an atmosphere of festivity, fun, enjoyment and togetherness all adding to a sense of all cultures moving together in harmony. We added our own banners and flags to the colourful surroundings and the pleasant bustle and energy in the square. We felt honoured to help open the celebrations at 9:30am.

In the bright morning sun and sharp cool air we were joined by many people for an open class. Everyone entered into the spirit of the event wholeheartedly, with good humour and we all shared a very enjoyable experience. We were able to reach appear to close entrance together and share information about Master Moy and Taoist Tai Chi® arts. 

The Vice-Chancellor of the University joined us for the first session and intimated that he would like to learn more. We very much hope he will take up our invitation to come and join us at our centre in Colchester.

After mid-day there was a small group doing a dragon dance but they were very inexperienced and welcomed and benefited from the input offered by one of our instructors who has trained with the dragon at our International Centre. If only…

Another one of our instructors was enticed to join a dance session and what a dancer! They did us proud.

Just before we were due for another session there was a gap in the proceedings. The students began to disperse so we quickly organised ourselves for a set to hold their attention. We were soon joined by some brave people who just couldn’t wait to try it out. Then, unfortunately, the rain began to drop and many left for the warmth and dryness of inside. 

However, we were able to encourage a small and hardy group to join us to learn a few moves and something about who we are and what we offer. Again the group was a lot of fun and really gave it there all. We were so impressed by their willingness to learn. As we felt the floor becoming a little slippery underfoot we decided it was time to close but gave out many leaflets and cards.

We had a great time and everyone we met was extremely friendly and helpful and made us feel welcome. What a great advert for the University of Essex and start to this year of the Ram.

Enlivening ceremony Wong Dai Sin Temple on Steeles: Little video clip

A little clip of the Enlivening Ceremony at our Wong Dai Sin Temple on Steeles Avenue.
(In Chinese, follows a short commercial)

Watch Clip >

 

Fung Loy Kok has opened the doors to a new temple on Steeles Avenue!

The doors are officially open at the Wong Dai Sin Temple, and the shrine enlivening will take place on Monday February 2nd at 3.30PM.

Click here to view the invitation and location details

 

 

 

25 Things to do When You Visit Dunedin, Florida

The first five day Central Region Workshop in Dunedin, Florida just wrapped up on Sunday. Rumor has it we can anticipate an encore in January 2016, with likely several other special events including banquets and programs in Dunedin before then.

The consensus is in and it seems there is overwhelming enthusiasm hailing from Alaska to Florida and many points in between regarding plans for us to put down deeper roots in Dunedin. Hopefully at least as many Fung Loy Kok participants as have visited the International Centre in Mono, Ontario (Orangeville) will one day pay a visit to our second international center at the historic Fenway hotel in Dunedin. If you are considering making the journey, here are some suggestions to help you get the most out of your visit:

1)  In downtown Dunedin, just five blocks from the Fenway Taoist Tai Chi International Center, visit the many unique shops and then have an ice cream, beverage or meal of your choice. There’s something to suit every palate.

2)  Visit Dunedin’s popular “Green Market” in the downtown every Friday and Saturday till 2pm. Much more than just produce, this farm market features artisans, green products, unique teas and many other delicacies and delights.

3)  Attend a class at the Dunedin Taoist Tai Chi Centre; for the moment still located on Main Street two miles from downtown, but soon at the centrally located Fenway Center. Check the local branch website for further news about upcoming programs and special events.

4)  Take a stroll and bird watch along quiet Victoria Drive from the marina at the end of Main Street (at the Best Western) to Weaver Park. How many species did you spot on the docks, waves, palm trees and shoreline within a mere six blocks? How lucky our we all to have an oceanfront lawn like this now too at the Fenway?

5)  Catch the Toronto Blue Jays in training at the Florida Auto Exchange Stadium just two blocks from the Fenway. Or when it’s not spring training season, check the schedule for the Dunedin Blue Jays.

6)  Though off the usual beat and path, locals recommend Homeplate for some freshly made homestyle cooking; its just one of several dining options in the ballpark neighborhood a couple of blocks behind the Fenway. 

7)  Watch the radiant sunset from the front porch of the Fenway. Practice your Taoist Tai Chi® arts in the fresh ocean air here and you’ll be radiant too. Anyone up for a sunrise set?

8)  Don’t forget to take your own “karate kid” photo posing on a post that once supported the Fenway’s private pier and perhaps will again in the future.

9)  See pods of wild dolphins up close and get a guided boat tour of the offshore islands and celebrity homes. If you go on a sunset cruise, bring an extra layer; the ocean breezes can be a little chilly after the sun goes down. Check the Internet or visit the marinas in Dunedin and Clearwater to investigate options. 

10)  Enjoy live music with your lunch or dinner at many pubs, breweries and restaurants around town including gourmet options Bon Appetit (at the marina) and the Living Room (downtown).

11)  Whether from a pier, private vessel or fishing charter, try some deep sea angling. I hear there’s some good fishing down here in January… ice free!! Stop by the Olde Bay Café & Dunedin Fish Market for the catch of the day and a chat with Walt about the marine life “under the dock” at the marina.

12)  Rent a bicycle from Dunedin Cyclery, Energy Conservatory or Wheel Fun Rentals and enjoy Dunedin’s plentiful bike lanes and paths including the renowned, paved, level, motorized-traffic free walking and cycling path, the Pinellas Trail, and take in the ocean views. It passes right through downtown and just half a block inland from the Fenway! 

13)  Stop and enjoy some of the many parks along the way. Did you pack your picnic lunch?

14)  Try some Dunedin style “bar hopping” on board the vintage trolley cars or stop along the Pinellas trail to try the trail front cafés.

15)  Explore Dunedin’s roots at the Celtic Shop of Dunedin along the Pinellas Trail near downtown and the Dunedin Historical Museum located in the former train station. What more can you discover about the Fenway’s interesting history?

16)  Tour the Dunedin Brewery. No newcomer to the microbrewery trend, it’s the oldest craft brewery in Florida, but by no means the only place to try a unique brew in town.

17)  Antiquing anyone? Dunedin offers many options for treasure hunters of the vintage variety. Start downtown and inquire from there.

18)  Shopped out the downtown? Check out the Westfield Countryside Mall just 10 minutes drive from the Fenway. Find all your favorite cross-border shopping destinations within an easy drive in the Bay Area.

19)  The cinema at Westfield Countryside has 12 screens and is just one of 4 movie theaters within 15 minutes of the Fenway. There are a dozen more within 30 minutes, several of which have 20 screens or more. When did you last watch a movie you really wanted to see on a truly big screen?

20)  Take a thirty minute side trip to St. Petersburg and visit the Dali Museum. Call or email the local Taoist Tai Chi club to see if there is a class happening on the museum’s architecturally acclaimed plaza with its stunning views of the marina and airport. 

21)  Feeling artistically inspired? Get connected with the local arts scene by visiting the Dunedin Fine Arts Center as well as the many downtown galleries and studios.

22)  Take the bridge over to Honeymoon Island and explore the beaches and hiking trails in the state park.

23)  Catch the Ferry from Honeymoon Island to Caladesi Island and work on your tan on one of the most beautiful natural beaches in the entire USA; afterwards, limber up with some tai chi and a gentle hike on the adjacent nature trails.

24)  Rent a kayak (or stand-up paddle board) and explore Caladesi Island’s kayak trail.

25) Pinellas county has many other renowned beaches. Which one will you be doing tai chi on next?

Whether you’re a local, snowbird or recent first-time visitor, do you have more suggestions to add to this list? Know where to sample the local citrus? Explored some other worthwhile side trips in the area? Found the perfect park bench for resting or reading? Have a favorite activity or eatery to recommend? Which of Dunedin’s many Festivals throughout the year should we visitors try to catch? Submit your recommendations to blog@taoist.org