The road to wisdom

From Turning Silk: A Diary of Chen Taiji Practice, by Kinthissa:

Practise mindfully, with ease in the heart. Practise because it is doing one good, not because it will make one a master. To become a master, or mistress, of TaijiQuan is a very long aim. Practising without expecting the day to arrive soon will be the most sensible way. Remember the road to wisdom: "Err and err and err again -- but less and less and less."

The quote within the quote is from a grook of Piet Hein:

The road to wisdom? Well, it's plain
And simple to express:
Err
and err
and err again,
but less
and less
and less.

Urban training: Part I

I plan to do a little photo article about how I incorporate incidental training into my otherwise sedentary work day.  The photos are ready, but I don't have time to do it right now.  

In the meantime, here's how Christopher Walken and Fatboy Slim do it*:



Enjoy!

*Thanks to my colleague Ben Loft for showing me this.

Mastery and Practice

When Pablo Casals, the cellist, was ninety-one years old, he was approached by a student who asked, "Master, why do you continue to practice?" Casals replied, "Because I am making progress." [1]

As we learn it is natural to hit plateaus from time to time. Through mindful practice we can progress through the plateaus, and onwards up the mountain.

The Master brings patience, consistency and perceptiveness to the journey.


[1] Norman Doidge, The Brain that Changes Itself, page 258, my favorite non-fiction book for 2008.