Lost in the mist
Published: Sat, 02/23/19
The Chinese like to say that the chi is strongest just before sunrise and when the morning mist has not yet cleared. It is believed that this is the time of day when chi gung exercises and practising tai chi forms will be most beneficial. Here in the UK we are having some unusually warm weather for February. I am staying at my mother’s flat again for a few days and so I have been training on the playing field each morning. This morning the mist was so thick that I could not see from one side of the field to the other. The sun started to appear as a dim disc of white just visible through the vapour. On Saturdays it is my custom to do the Karl stances and this morning I felt particularly energised. Maybe the Chinese are right. Or maybe it was just that the sun and mist turned an ordinary suburban playing field into a magical place for a short while. Either way, it is good the do the stances somewhere special, sometimes you need
to find that special place. This morning the special seemed to find me.
We have a special place waiting for us at mid-summer too. Yes, you can learn about the runes by reading about them on your computer. You can sort of learn the stances from an online video which you are following in your bedroom. Would it not be better to learn how to do the the Karl stances in the open air surrounded by trees and rolling countryside? At midsummer you will have to get up very early to catch the morning mist before the sun burns it away. But there will be plenty of other benefits including learning how the runes and trees relate to each other. Also how to make and use simple artifacts such as a rune set, cudgel and tein.
I hope you have seen the web site by now but here it is again anyway http://rr.stavcamp.org/
Don’t forget that the early booking discount ends on the 28th of February so so don’t think about it for too long.
regards
Graham
PS Next weekend workshop in Beverley will focus on Close Quarter weapons, particularly the cudgel or walking stick. Saturday 23rd March at our place, 10am until 1pm details here http://iceandfire.org.uk/train.html