Ready to get yourself back on track?  Or take yourself to the next level?

We’re planning another fabulous Kai Chi Do Weekend Retreat.  The dates are October 1st-3rd, 2010 at La Veranda Bed and Breakfast in St. Petersburg, Florida (NEW LOCATION).

The Retreat follows the path of The Five Elements:  Root, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.  The Retreat begins on Friday evening at 7pm with an Overview of the Weekend, and Root meditation.  Saturday’s sessions focus on The Air and Fire Elements, with Kai Chi Do, breathwork, Air meditation, and sunset Fire meditation.  Saturday also includes a discussion of The Four Agreements for committed relationships.  Many of you know that these have been the guiding principles for our own marriage, and The Four Agreements is also effective for aligning the connection that you have with your Self.  Sunday is dedicated to The Water and Earth Elements.  The schedule for the day includes Kai Chi Do, Water Meditation, wet supported breathwork in the hot tub, and discussion of The Principles for Mindful Living. Throughout it all, we have the magical feeling of community.

This Weekend Retreat is a great place to celebrate your successes and to resolve the obstacles that are holding you back.  It’s like getting a tune up for your mind and body. Get your energy flowing freely and regain your balance.  Invite friends and family, so that they can gain a better understanding of your perspective and experience the transformation for themselves.

And for those of you who are interested in becoming a Kai Chi Do instructor, the Kai Chi Do Weekend is the first step.

Contact us for more info or to register!

We get lots of requests for Kai Chi Do music playlists, and we’ve been experimenting with a variety of different ways to share them. If you haven’t tried it yet, check out the interactive music widget from Amazon in our sidebar. And, since you’ve asked, we’ll also keep providing playlists in our posts.

Music is an essential part of Kai Chi Do. It inspires us and tells a story. It gives your mind a point of focus, and then gets beyond your mind, so that you just join the rhythm. The music helps to synchronize the group and it carries us, together, through The Five Elements.

Today’s music playlist is called “Blessed is this Life” – from Brett Dennen’s lyrics “Blessed is this Life, and I want to celebrate being alive.”  I woke up singing that song.

Of course, we always begin with The End of Suffering by Gary Malkin and Thich Nhat Hanh.

Light Over Shadow by Mickey Hart and Zakir Hussein from the album Planet Drum

Home by Bole 2 Harlem

Aya Bellew by Bole 2 Harlem

No More Trouble by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Under Pressure by Queen

What’s It Gonna Be by H “two” O & Platinum from the Ministry of Sound album

Lift Me Up by Moby

Let Me Clear My Throat by Public Domain from the Radikal Techno 6 album

Eurodancer by DJ Mangoo

Blessed by Brett Dennen

Rainbow by Frank Steiner Jr. From the Touching Silk album

World, Hold On [Children of the Sky] by Bob Sinclar

Forever by Moby

and, of course, we always end with The Javanese Lullaby by Cory Alan Carlick

Blessings to you.

Last month we saw Charles’ father and stepmother, who came down from New Jersey for a huge family reunion in St. Petersburg, Florida.  And all his dad could say to Charles was, “WOW!  You look great!  What have you been doing?”

It’s often several years between visits with his dad, and each time he sees us, Charles seems to be getting younger.  He’s not Benjamin Button, but take a look for yourself.  This photo was taken of  Charles 22 years ago:

Susan and Charles 1988

Charles was a chubba-bubba back then.

Three things account for his weight loss and “youthing”:

*     Creating a happy home,
*     Eating healthy, and
*     Doing Kai Chi Do nearly every day.

(Well,  a good haircut helps too, but they didn’t have good haircuts in the 80’s.)

Creating a happy home has a lot to do with being in love and putting connection first.  That’s a subject worthy of a separate blog.  (Stay tuned).

We always thought we ate healthy.  But there were a few major improvements we needed to make, and it took us several years to figure it out.  Here’s how we eat now:

No refined sugar. Period.  That also means all the stuff that’s made with refined sugar.  Skip it.  You don’t need it.

After that, there are just 6 things we avoid (Susan eats these in limited quantity.  Charles doesn’t eat them at all):  Bread, Rice, Pasta, Potatoes, Cereal, and Corn.

It’s very important to replace those starches with fresh fruits and vegetables, and not just load up on protein.  We find it’s important to eat some protein every day, but too much of it and we feel heavy and sluggish.

Fresh fruits and veggies are about 80% of our diet.  We eat raw veggies and also cooked, and we occasionally eat frozen vegetables (very occasionally), but we don’t eat canned.

That’s it really:  just 7 foods to avoid.

And the other thing that keeps Charles looking younger every year is Kai Chi Do.  Take a look at him now:

Charles - Happy and Healthy

vortex by cycreation @ fotolia.com

This week, during a powerful Kai Chi Do session, Charles helped the group to open a space to connect with Source Energy.

Everyone felt so much healing from it.  They wanted to keep the connection open – for themselves and also to make it available to other people.  So they were a little reluctant for the session to end.

When you do Kai Chi Do, you are raising and uplifting your spirit in the moment.  You’re making a contribution to the fabric of life.  You’re also uplifting the place where you do the session.  You’re leaving an energy signature there.  It becomes the spirit of a place.  When people wander into that space, they come in contact with the opening, the vortex, that you’ve created there.

And at the end of a Kai Chi Do session, you don’t close the vortex – You integrate it.

And then you carry the connection with you.

One of my favorite parts of Kai Chi Do is the moment when the SA breaths and the movements calm  my mind.  It happens within the first few minutes, and POW! – I’m in The Zone.

Now you have to understand – this is Susan talking.  I’m a person who doesn’t normally enjoy anything that resembles exercise.  It took me years of procrastination and Charles’ unwavering acceptance of me, just the exercise-avoidant way that I am, before I gave Kai Chi Do a try. Years of meditation took me to The Zone on a few memorable occasions.  Breathwork got me there – most of the time – in about a half hour.  And meditation and breathwork didn’t give my body a tune up.  This is different.

Here’s a quick video of Charles.  He says it’s “a good wake up”.  You can do a minute of SA breaths and a few basic movements along with the video.  (And take it from me – Kai Chi Do is not a spectator sport.  To get the high you’ve got to give it a try, so stand up before you click the Play button).

When you’re done, leave us a comment and tell us:  How many SA breaths does it take for you to hit The Zone?

Please be patient if it takes a moment for the video to load.

The music is Stand by Sly and the Family Stone.  Watch them singing it Live at the Tokyo Jazz Festival in 2008.

photo © Gina Smith - Fotolia.com

During Kai Chi Do at the beach yesterday, when Charles took the group into the Water element, he decided to literally take them into the waves.

I was inspired to take the whole group out into the ocean. Holding hands, everyone leaned back into the ocean and relaxed, doing connected breathing.  And  floated, supported by the water and totally surrendering.  People experienced feelings of profound letting go – letting go of resistance.  It brought such a deep serenity. One person actually went to sleep while floating on the gentle waves of the ocean, buoyed by the water and our holding hands.

A lot of people had insights – They saw the meaning of their current experiences.  Instead of seeing their past as a burden, they felt grateful for everything they’ve gone through in life, that brought them to this moment of realization.  They had the insight that it was all necessary to bring them to this point.

And people had the realization that they are not alone. They felt nurtured by the water and by the group.  People said they felt safe letting go at that level, where they could relax so deeply.  When you are floating, you just totally let go.

Surrendering to Nature was so powerful.  It was really inspiring for me.  It opened my mind to being able to facilitate the process in Water in a whole new way.

That was my bright spot.  Just seeing the possibility of helping people to surrender in a new way.

“The brain is much more like the heart than we thought … They find that exercise increases the ability of the brain to produce new baby brain cells, which nobody thought was possible, anyhow, as an adult, until a few years ago.”

- Barbara Strauch, author of The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain

Kai Chi Do rejuvenates your brain.  Yup – exercise produces brain cells.   Healthy, sweet, new brain cells.  Neurogenesis.  It wasn’t too long ago that the medical community thought that wasn’t even possible.

So what could you do with a few more healthy brain cells?

How about:

• Improve your memory.
• Improve your attention and concentration.
• Manage stress easier.
• Learn quicker.
• See the humor in things.
• Fall in love.
• Problem solve.
• Be original.  Be wildly, blessedly creative.  Think a thought that’s never been thought before.
• Sleep better.
• Focus.
• See patterns and trends hiding in plain sight.
• Anticipate.
• Make insightful decisions.
• Speed your reaction time.
• Find the right words.
• Be alert.
• Think clearly.
• Feel more positive (yup, your brain affects your mood).
• See the big picture.
• Find your keys.
• Coordinate your thoughts and actions.

So that’s a good thing!

We can regenerate ourselves.  What would you do with some healthy new brain cells?

If you want to boost your energy, try this two minute workout.

(If you are reading this in email, click here to see the video)

Go ahead (no one is looking) – Get up outta your chair and do a little Kai Chi Do with Charles!  Then click the comments below, and tell us what you think.  Or click on one of the social bookmarks to Share the Love!

The music is Funk Da Drums by Bongo Man.

Did you read our post yesterday about Kai Chi Do at Vastu Health in Warwick, New York?

Here’s another view of Eric Lehrer, Kai Chi Do Instructor, New York:

Happy Eric. You wanna go where he's at.

Looking for an uplifting, joyous workout in the New York / New Jersey area?  You’ll find it at Vastu Health with Marty and Eric Lehrer.

Marty Lehrer, Kai Chi Do Instructor, New York

Marty is Eric’s mom.  She started studying with Charles Robinson in the summer of 2007.   Marty introduced Eric to Charles and Kai Chi Do.  In fact, Marty could hardly wait for Eric to try it.  Here’s why:

From my very first experience with Kai Chi Do, I felt a powerful connection to my mind & body. After raising four children on my own,  Kai Chi Do helped to renew the passion to embrace my own life again. There are wonderful benefits to my daily Kai Chi Do practice -  clarity, a feeling of spacious opening, lightness, free-flowing energy, flexibility of my mind & spirit, and strength in my self. My favorite part of class is knowing when I leave, I feel a little bit stronger, a little bit lighter and a whole lot happier!!

Marty said, “For me, practicing Kai Chi Do has been my “saving grace”.  Mentally and physically, it has helped slow down my racing mind (and body!) and has given my life peace & balance.”

What about Eric?

Eric Lehrer, Kai Chi Do Instructor, New York....and one of the sweetest guys you'll ever know

“For me Kai Chi Do is more than an exercise, it is my way of life. I love what I do and I wake up every morning ready to do it again!”

“I found Kai Chi Do in June 2009, at a time in my life when I was struggling with the loss of my older brother.  I found that Kai Chi Do gave me a way to release, let go, breathe and embrace the good in life.”

Now, Eric is passionate about teaching and sharing Kai Chi Do, knowing first hand the healing transformative power it has had in his own life.

Eric is a powerhouse.  He’s dynamic and fun, and also gentle and grounding.  He encourages students to listen to their own inner wisdom, building strength in their bodies and self belief within their minds. Eric’s classes help students to connect with the rhythm of their breath and find the place of all knowing and stillness within.

Kai Chi Do translates to “Free Spirit Way” and Eric said, “that is exactly what Kai Chi Do has done for me.  It’s freed my Spirit.”

And here’s the newest addition to Eric’s Kai Chi Do family:

The youngest Kai Chi Do-er

Hey, New Yorkers!  How far would you drive to calm your mind and refresh your Spirit?  From Manhattan, Kai Chi Do at Vastu Health is just a little over an hour away.  And if you’re in Jersey, it’s  just hop over the state line.  Check it out.