I forgot to mention in last week’s post that I’d watched the Ping Heng Gong video in the previous week: it was actually the next one for me to watch when I stopped going through new videos in the class while trying to work on MCO stuff and then getting my energy levels in order, but I figured that being outside more would probably do me good now. Unfortunately, the Qi Gong sequence that it comes with won’t work for me, so I’ll have to come back to it; I did do some Qi Gong in a grove of redwoods in a park that week, and I was glad I did that. Probably still too much people stuff around to really fit Damo’s recommendations there, though? But being near those redwood trees really did feel nice; not necessarily nice in an energetic way, but also I’m willing to believe that enormous redwood trees are more powerful than a small grouping of normal trees in a park.

Anyways, I went to see the doctor last Wednesday, and things are healing. So I got to switch to a smaller brace; it leaves all of my fingers free, which is a help both for daily life and for internal arts. I’ll go back again after four more weeks; after that they’ll take an X-ray and, if it looks good, the splint will be optional. I still won’t be completely healed after that, but most of the way, things might be back to normal after another month? (Good timing, I should be fine for Rick’s rescheduled course in November.)

I can do significantly more with the brace; not everything, though, there’s a metal piece that goes from my arm to the back of my hand. So I can’t bend my wrist much; things that actively have me bend my wrist are completely out (e.g. no lotus mudra, so I still can’t do the Ping Heng Gong sequence, and no Nei Gong Wu Ji), but even moves that involve more gentle curves to my wrist feel unnaturally forced.

Still, I can do the Water and Earth Hui Chuns, which is great; that certainly felt good. And I tried going through the Tai Chi first form; not a performance that I was proud of, but I could do it well enough for me to be glad that I’d done that. So I went to Tai Chi class on Saturday; Silk Reeling was mostly fine (though probably slightly iffier than the form), and the Dao was fine too.

Having said that, I probably moved around my hand forcefully a little too much, because my hand was aching after that more than it had in a while? So I went home and iced things up; it felt basically fine after that, though I’m feeling slight aches even this week? So I should probably take it easy; I think I’ll still try to do a bit of Tai Chi tomorrow and/or Friday, but if things feel worse after that, then I’ll probably skip class on Saturday, and otherwise I’ll probably go but I’ll try to take it easier.

Also, one day after getting the brace off, when I was doing Tai Ji Wu Ji, I felt something vibrating in my left wrist; I wonder if some stagnation was clearing out there?

Other than the improved hand situation, it hasn’t been 100% the best week: my sleep has been off, for puppy-related reasons. So, honestly, on many days my practice has looked like it did before I got the new brace. I’m working on that, hopefully it will improve soon… (And she’s a very good puppy; but she is still a puppy.)

Pretty similar to last week. I did manage to start working in Tai Chi Wuji and Taiyi Standing at the start of the week, but then I had some tired days and didn’t keep it up later on. Hopefully that will get better; it’s still a good idea, after all. And I got some more signs that I should work on my back more; not doing my full routine for several weeks now is showing its toll.

I’ll see the hand doctor again tomorrow, hopefully I’ll have a smaller brace on my hand and will be cleared to do more with my hands…

Not much to report. Same sitting exercises as last time; standing I’ve been good about doing some spinal waves, and I’ve started adding in the Tai Chi version of Wuji. I should probably start alternating that with Taiyi Standing, that also shouldn’t do anything to my hands. And I should probably think some about the more awareness based non-sitting practices, like the ones about walking.

I’ll see a doctor again a week from tomorrow, hopefully I’ll be on a smaller brace then. We’ll see how much freedom of movement the hypothetical new brace gives me; and I’ll ask the doctor if there’s anything particular I should avoid.

Speaking of doctors, my TCM doctor thinks my kidneys are in good shape. He wants to get back to my liver for a few weeks, but hopefully I’ll have a clean bill of health by the end of September.

I went to see a hand specialist on Friday; things are going fine, nothing to worry about. I’m in a removable splint now that leaves three fingers free, so it’s easier for me to do more things (including typing) and I can take it off to shower. So that’s nice; and my abrasions are healing noticeable, I’ve gotten rid of more than half my bandages. I’ll go back for another look in two and a half weeks, hopefully I’ll get a still smaller thing on my hand then.

In terms of practice, I’m basically avoiding anything with my hands. So I’m alternating between Observing the Breath, Anchoring the Breath, and Calm-Abiding; and I’m trying to work in a Self-Healing as well, though I’m only finding time for that maybe half the days?

I’m actually a little nervous about that one: the lesson talks about how, if you apply too much intention, it can cause problems? Having said that, I haven’t had it cause more pain when I’ve tried it out this week, and sometimes there’s been a relaxed, slightly liquid feel that seems to me like it’s in the right direction. So tomorrow I’ll see if I can do a longer session and poke at that more.

I also don’t want to backslide more than necessary on other parts of my conditioning. I was thinking I should do Silk Reeling, but most of those moves involve my hands too much. There are some I can do, though, and that also reminded me that Spinal Waves should be fine. So I’ll try to spend time doing that for a while each day, hopefully that will help.

This post will be terser than normal because I broke my left pinky today and am typing one handed. So don’t expect much from me this month!

In Lao Jia Dao, when doing the skewer up under your left arm, be clean about turning the Dao and then curving up fairly close to your arm

Good Spleen Hui Chun on Sunday: my insides were active, I was paying attention better than normal.

Push hands on Saturday; felt a little bit of the internal restructuring when pushing that I’ve been noticing while going through the four energy drill from Damo’s course. But I was also getting the basics wrong, though, I need to sink into my Kua to create more space to maneuver.

Wu Song Shen Fa 3 is a good one, maybe my favorite exercise from that course so far; I really do feel the Jin go up, touch my shoulder, and go into my arm.

I’m very frequently relaxing my body during the non-practice parts of my day.

In the push in Six Sealing and then in Dantian Change, let your pelvis slide under / sink into your Kua so your pelvis is like a seat. Much less knee strain in Dantian Change that way.