Sunlight is medicine. It's been scientifically proven over and over that light, in particular, sunlight, has the potential to heal our earthly bodies. I've been listening to the Huberman Lab podcast, "Using Light (Sunlight, Blue Light & Red Light) to Optimize Health" and am learning a lot. Like how 2-8 minutes of sunlight in your eyes can help us sleep better, but don't stare right at the sun unless it's sunset or sunrise! OK, my sun gazing peeps? The retina can't repair itself and neither can science.
In these last days of Summer, let's get outside as much as we can to enjoy direct sunlight and Mother Nature. What will you do, outdoors? I'm riding my bike all the time, floating in Lake Michigan, and will take a long walk on the lake as soon as I finish this newsletter.
And it's almost time for my favorite season, Autumn! I'm super excited to tell you about the free and paid classes at our taiji (taichi) school this Fall. Taiji in Chicago. There's a week of Free Intro Classes taught by Nathan Paulus and me, September 11-17. We're also bringing senior teacher Guillem Bernadó to Chicago to teach an Intro Workshop, along with other taiji workshops in late September. Sign up and learn more on our website, TaijiInChicago.com.
As the sun sets earlier in Autumn months, join me at the Chicago Botanic Garden in September, October, November, and December for a lovey Candlelight Sunset Yoga Nidra class. Entrance to the Garden and free parking is included in your class fee.
Keep your eyes peeled for a super fun night of performance this Fall from the non-profit APIDA Arts organization that I founded.
And, to be in the present, enjoy this seasonal change and be well.
The Chicago Botanical Garden hosts me again from September - December teaching a lovely Candlelight Sunset Yoga Nidra class. No experience needed to practice "yoga sleep" lying down or sitting up. Expect deep breathing and stretchy yoga poses followed by yoga nidra, surrounded by candles and the garden. Entrance to the garden and free parking are included in your class fee.
I co-run the school, Taiji in Chicago, in the system of Patrick Kelly. This system is an intelligent synthesis of highly developed physical, energetic, and spiritual practices.
Take up to five free classes during our Free Intro Week and ask lots of questions. This is the most refined and complete system of internal development that I've practiced. And if you've been following my newsletters, you know that I've been through many systems before that lacked this level of depth and no bullshit. Learn more here.
Get ready for our Beginner Series that I teach with Nathan Paulus from September to December, 2023.
Learn Taiji From a Senior Teacher
Guillem returns to Chicago after years in China
Our school Taiji in Chicago is thrilled to host Guillem Bernadó from Spain via Shanghai. He offers several classes and workshops from September 18 - 24. There are drop-in classes and workshops, so you have plenty of opportunities to learn from him, even if this is your first time practicing taiji. Join us! It'll be great practicing with you. Learn more here.
Our taiji teacher is Patrick Kelly, who had three teachers. One of Patrick's teachers was a highly developed Sufi instructor, Shaikh Abdullah Isa Neil Dougan. Patrick studied with him for many years in New Zealand, where Abdullah hosted weekly meetings. Some of those meetings were recorded and are available for free listening, but most are in rough shape and are hard to hear.
Recently, Abdullah's lectures have been consolidated into longer tracks and have been mastered for better audio quality. Feel free to listen to or download Abdullah's recordings to learn where some of our internal development methods originated from. Enjoy.
