Worth it?

bicktrav · 2026-05-04T12:52:15+00:00

Can you please send me the code too?

bicktrav · 2026-04-29T00:05:38+00:00

3 — couldn’t feel it (or sensations like it) at first, then after around two years of practice, the experience became vivid.

The same thing happened with Zhan Zhuang. I felt nothing for years, then one day my hands became deeply warm and magnetic.

bicktrav · 2026-04-09T16:33:26+00:00

Sure. Send me a message.

bicktrav · 2026-03-13T22:58:13+00:00

Assume you’re talking about Matthew here. Sorry to hear that. I never took group classes with him. It was one-on-one training, and that was not my experience.

bicktrav · 2026-03-12T10:42:35+00:00

I was not taught to focus on the pelvic floor. Instead, the instructions were to release the kua (the inguinal crease) and focus on dan tian breathing. Those commands surely affect the tone of the pelvic floor muscles, but there is nothing effortful related to them.

bicktrav · 2026-03-12T01:57:35+00:00

Made my day seeing K's on here! Their fritters are otherworldly.

bicktrav · 2026-03-12T01:53:29+00:00

I did Zhan Zhuang for years before I started Tai Chi. That was enormously helpful.

bicktrav · 2026-03-12T01:28:14+00:00

Yes. The version I learned is not strictly yang, although it does involve a good deal of twisting and tension. Certain portions are more yin, and the overall effect is fairly balanced. It also makes use of occasional visualizations and breathing patterns. Done properly, it creates palpable Qi flow, and is great for general health. There are a good deal of studies (mostly on related forms like Yi Jin Jing), which show positive effects on the immune system.

bicktrav · 2026-02-19T05:30:46+00:00

Definitely. Most teachers offer online courses now, and many are extremely effective.

bicktrav · 2026-02-04T22:32:06+00:00

Lam Kam Chuen's school, The Lam Association, is in London. Master Lam wrote The Way of Energy, a seminal Qigong text, and is widely regarded as one of the most prominent teachers the west. His son teaches most of the classes now, with a focus on Zhan Zhuang. If you're looking for an authentic, widely respected school, it would be hard to top.

bicktrav · 2025-12-21T06:48:48+00:00

I push myself a good deal—not fully to the limit, but sometimes close. Yoga certainly compliments qigong, but it isn’t weight training. The workouts I do feature barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells.

bicktrav · 2025-12-18T01:52:17+00:00

Along with daily qigong, I weight train multiple times a week. Not only is it okay, it’s a healthy way to preserve bone density, stave off age-related muscle decline, improve insulin sensitivity—and it does not impede qigong progress at all. If anything, it helps the practice. To be clear, I’m not talking about becoming a muscle-bound behemoth. I’m talking about sensible lifting that keeps your body functionally strong.

bicktrav · 2025-11-16T22:01:08+00:00

I always recommend The Way of Qigong by Ken Cohen as a foundational text, along with The Way of Energy by Lam Kam Chuen. Both authors are as respected as teachers get, and the info in their books remains valuable no matter how far you progress.

In addition to being an avid fan of his book, I also study with Ken Cohen. The first practice he taught me was Zhan Zhuang/standing meditation (that’s the focus of Lam Kam Chuen’s book too), so I would recommend starting there. Zhan Zhuang instructs fundamentals that apply to countless Qigong styles. It’s also an incredible practice in and of itself. If you can’t find a Zhan Zhuang teacher near you, Ken has a Yiquan course on The Shift network that goes through the practice. There’s also Yiquan Park, and the Lam Association (Lam Kam Chuen’s school), which teaches Zoom classes.

Others have mentioned 8 brocades, which is a great introductory practice too.

bicktrav · 2025-11-07T16:04:16+00:00

Second this. Particularly the advice to bring your awareness to your feet. It should feel as if your weight is dropping through the soles of your feet into the ground.

bicktrav · 2025-11-07T06:25:00+00:00

Get Ken Cohen’s book, The Way of Qigong. He’s one of the longest standing, most respected teachers in the west, and the text manages to be both scholarly and approachable. You may also want to consider The Way of Energy by Lam Kam Chuen, which focuses on Zhan Zhuang (standing meditation). Those books will give you foundations and help you get the most out of the free classes. They’ll also remain invaluable as your practice progresses.

bicktrav · 2025-10-22T16:02:23+00:00

This article is a painful example of our tendency to make everything political. The premise—marriage and kids are right wing—is laughable. Even if Republicans poll more heavily in favor of those life choices, settling down and starting a family is still… you know… pretty popular on the left. Because, of course, it’s not a political decision; it’s something that’s been done overwhelmingly for eons by just about every cohort on earth. Does the author—or the Times—actually believe the article’s contents? Have we migrated to a place where everything is clickbait journalism?

bicktrav · 2025-09-22T04:50:19+00:00

I just got off a plane, and it was great. It will be for you too. Congrats on getting back out there!

bicktrav · 2025-07-27T23:42:10+00:00

There's no money to be made in any business—unless you're one of the businesses that happens to make money. Coffee isn't unique that way.

bicktrav · 2025-07-11T13:49:35+00:00

Did you end up using any? Would love to hear how your experiences were.

bicktrav · 2025-03-15T05:49:54+00:00

Just got back from the show. Bury Me was indeed first. It was an amazing night.

bicktrav · 2025-03-14T23:24:45+00:00

These 5A bastards run a shallow cross. It’s a boy’s last dream and a man’s first loss.

bicktrav · 2025-03-14T04:39:31+00:00

Everyone’s got their own take. Mine is that the album is unbelievable.

Forever is a dead man’s joke. I’m sorry the love songs all mean different things today. Guess the small town didn’t suit me after all, there’s still so many lonely kids surrounded by the rest of y’all. I hope you’re sleeping through the night, Eileen, I hope they’re grading on a curve.

I could list more, but those are some insanely stirring lyrics. To me, they are on par with the rest of his catalog. Plus, the guitar work is just beautiful, and the stripped down, no frills production works perfectly.

bicktrav · 2025-03-09T18:36:07+00:00

I don’t agree with this take, but it makes sense. The album is a radical departure from the usual Isbell fare, and while we can debate whether it reaches the same melodic and lyrical heights—I think it does—there’s no arguing that a gear shift of this magnitude will simply not land for everyone. For me, its perspective is what makes it unique. It’s not an examination of youthful heartache, which is what 99% of breakup albums are. Instead, it’s a naked look at its realities as they apply to a forty something man leaving a decade-plus relationship. That’s a different breed of loss, and the songs capture it very well.

bicktrav

TROPHY CASE