WEEK OF MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2024 (and continuing until further notice)
(There are no changes really. But let's revisit what the "normal" schedule is!)
Wednesdays, 9:30-10:30AM, I lead Integral Qigong and Tai Chi (IQTC) the Pomona College Organic Farm in Claremont. The given address is 295 E. 1st St., but the entrance is elsewhere. For directions, email me at MindBodyLosAngeles@gmail.com.
Thursdays, 10:00-11:00AM, I provide IQTC sessions at Bethel United Church of Christ (Congregational), 536 N. Euclid Ave. Park in the lot behind the church. Walk up the ramp to the back door. Wander the hallways until you find us in the sanctuary!
Fridays, after I show up as a follower in the decades-long, 9:00-9:30AM Qigong routine in "The Castle" at Pilgrim Place, I spend half an hour (until 10:00AM) teaching Tai Chi Easy™, a 5-move form I learned in 2011 from Roger Jahnke, founder of the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi in Santa Barbara, CA. (On the first Friday of every month, I do, in fact, lead Qigong for residents. If you'd like to get in on any of this, contact me, and we'll figure out how to make that happen.
The third Saturday of every month, 9:00-10:00AM, I lead IQTC sessions in Los Angeles at what I've come to call the Silver Lake "Wilderness" Chinese Elm Qigong Dojo (or SLWCEQD, for short). "The wilderness has no address!" For directions, please email me at MindBodyLosAngeles@gmail.com. These sessions are freely offered. Donations of $0-$20 are welcome. Venmo: @MindBodyLosAngeles. PayPal: MindBodyLosAngeles@gmail.com. Zelle: MindBodyLosAngeles@gmail.com. Cash App: $MindBodyLosAngeles. Now that I have retired, donations are doubly appreciated. That said, please join us, even if you are not in a position to contribute monetarily. Whatever gifts of time and caring you can and do extend to family, friends, and the community at large will serve!
Last month, I was invited to provide a presentation on Qigong at The Gathering (formerly Vespers), a weekly event here at Pilgrim Place in Claremont. I really, really don't like hearing recordings of my speaking voice. That said, the event was videotaped and is available here, if you're interested in seeing what I came up with.
OUT OF SEQUENCE
More weeks than not, I can be found as an attendee at the weekly gatherings of the Claremont Zen Meditation Group. Wednesdays, 8:00-9:15AM. When the Claremont Colleges are in session, we meet at the McAllister Center for the Religious Activities of the Claremont Colleges, 919 N. Columbia Ave., Claremont, CA 91711. This group was founded in 1993 by Claremont-McKenna College philosophy professor Steve Smith. He has since retired, lives here at Pilgrim Place, still facilitates the group, and has become a good buddy. The format is Zen (sitting-walking-sitting), but way relaxed (for example, all the bowing is optional). If you're interested in checking it out, let me know, and I'll send you introductory materials, so you'll have an idea of what the bells and clackers signal along the way!
LAGNIAPPE
This morning, we were just beginning Qigong at the Pomona College Organic Farm (pictured). We were "aligning between Earth and Sky," sinking to the one, rising to the other, communing with both. I became keenly aware of a putrid odor in the air that I happened to recognize immediately: bokashi. Bokashi is a process of fermenting kitchen scraps in an anaerobic environment. They can then be added to compost to hasten decomposition. "Ah, ha!" I declared. "I've been meaning to incorporate one of my Buddhist practices into our Qigong, but I keep forgetting! The stench of bokashi has reminded me. Let's practice dying—or better—decomposing! Allow solids and liquids to sink; allow gases to rise. Conjoin!" I don't know that decomposing will ever become the most popular meditation in my sessions, but hey, I reckon it can't hurt to come to terms with the fact that Earth and Sky will win in the end and reclaim us! Let's not be surprised, when the time comes!
LOOKING AHEAD
Thursday, December 5, 5:30-7:00PM, I have been invited to lead Integral Qigong and Tai Chi at The Hive, The Claremont Colleges, 130 East 7th Street, Claremont, CA 91711. The Hive "helps students increase their creative capacity and practice collaboration across differences. Partnering with faculty, the Hive provides learning experiences that move students through ambiguous real-world challenges toward creative solutions. The Hive provides a space to experiment and play and fosters collaboration by bringing people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives together. We are helping transform the way liberal arts education is delivered." I am especially excited about this opportunity. More details, as I learn more.
I'm singing! On Sunday, December 21, 4:00PM, I'll be back in the tenor section of the Wagner Ensemble (and chamber orchestra) for a performance of two Baroque pieces (Henrich Schuetz' Christmas Oratorio and J. S. Bach's Cantata #36. St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 13370 Valleyheart Dr, Sherman Oaks, CA.
I'm singing again! But I keep forgetting the date. Here at Pilgrim Place. A joint recital with soprano Coril Prochnow. She was scheduled first (!), invited to perform Modest Mussorgsky's Nursery Songs (in Russian). Coril and I are still in conversation about which pieces (solo songs, duets) might complement that set. Watch for updates!
LOOKING WAY AHEAD (and only indirectly Qi-related)
SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 2025, 4:00PM. For the fourth year in a row, I will be performing the role of King Kaspar in Gian-Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors under the baton of Dr. Sylvia Lee Mann, founder and conductor of the Southland Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. What an honor! ("How is it at all Qi-related?" one might ask. Well, my Kaspar is a mystic, who goes in and out of trance for the duration of this touching, one-hour operatic gem. Does he contribute to conditions that just maybe allow for just maybe a miracle?) Between now and then, please check out the entire season and get to some of their concerts! The venue is Bethel United Church of Christ (Congregational), 536 N. Euclid Ave., Ontario, CA 91762. The next concert will be Handel's Messiah on December 8. Two of the featured soloists are good buddies: tenor Steve Grabe (with whom I shared the stage back in 2005 in a production of Lehar's The Merry Widow!) and alto Debbie Dey (whom I know from Repertory Opera Company productions, c. 2005-2009).
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