I learned some about chi gong when I took tai chi classes a few years back. What I learned was that I wasn’t any good at it. In fact, I did so poorly that I felt humiliated and quit the class. I never again heard from the instructors, Jen and Jay Bartholomew, of then Seven Sages Martial Arts. They fled town rather hurriedly, apparently others locally had a similar experience.

I also have not been doing any of my body awareness work; my flimsy excuse being that I haven’t had time to do this. I think that the real problem is that I have not been able to put what I know into any logical order. At the same time, the living room, my dojo, is a mess.

Eating at long rifle lodge

Today I looked at the space and I foresaw how I could clean it up. I also did chi gong twice with Pat. He’s not a teacher in the official sense, but he is a good teacher. Both sessions, one on the front lawn, and one on the lawn of the Sheep Mountain Resort, were both very positive. I became aware that, quite literally, the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing, and vice- versa. I told Pat this and he said that good teachers teach to the lowest common denominator.

It turned out to not be an ideas day, but a day in which I made some important connections. First of all, I realized that I need to spend more time with, and include Ryder in on what I’m doing. The poor dog has become second fiddle to our younger canine. So for starters today, I took her with us to agility. I think she wanted to participate, but alas, we don’t have the money to enroll two dogs. So I’m going to continue to go to class with Shadow, and then work with Ryder at home.

The other connections were body awareness related. I watched Pete and Shadow do agility. I let Pete do this because of my concerns (again) of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Shadow is now in the sequencing class. She went fast up the learning curve, having previously done well in the beginning and the skills classes. She has two classmates, one of whom, Cody, was in the skills class with her.

Shadow and Pete did amazingly well together, navigating differing courses in which Pete guided Shadow through hoops and a tunnel. In the process, Pete directed Shadow, relying on front and rear crosses. I cannot now even explain what these crosses entail. I clearly didn’t get it.

This afternoon, as Pete, Pat, and I went by car to Sheep Mountain, I read an agility book that explains these moves. Then tonight I watched a few You Tube videos. Now, I need to get out and practice. I do see a connection between chi gong and agility. The road to good intentions has numerous obstacles.

I’m going to keep at it.

Next: 206. 7/27/21: Lessons Learned