Happy Thursday to You from Sydney!
Though I’ve had Vidya share a couple updates on my blog from HLC 3 recently, now that I’m back to Sydney with internet connection and no teaching obligations, I thought I’d share some of my highlights with you.
NATURE
It was fantastic to get out of the city environment and into “the bush”. The Billabong Retreat we taught the course at is only an hour drive from Sydney, but it felt like we were far away, cocooned from the hustle and bustle of city life,
What magic!
There were several alpaca in the field right in front of our cabin and I really enjoyed seeing them every day.
The smell of them brought floods of memories from my childhood life on my parent’s sheep farm.
The Kookaburra was visiting us fairly regularly. Here you can see how courageous and trusting of humans they can be as Donal Carr pets one of them in the break area.
Donal and I got out and did some great rock stacking several days instead of using weights to stay in shape.
It was great fun building the stacks you see here, and some others too.
Because Billabong resort is a certified eco resort, Donal and I had to dismantle all our stacks and carry the rocks back and replace them in a natural resting place.
This helps prevent soil erosion and we were happy to do it for another workout too.
It felt fantastic to be able to continue to have a way of expressing myself artistically and physically that reminds me of being home.
FOOD
The food at Billabong resort was second to none. Some of the food we enjoyed came right from the resort owner’s organic garden.
Vidya is even more particular about what she eats than I am, and she loved the food there, which is quite a statement in honor of the great job they did of sourcing and preparing great food.
TEACHING
Among the many things I taught my students was infant development. Like my CHEK Totem Pole, infant development assessments begin with breathing and respiration in my system.
Here you can see Cathy Carr assessing Jo Rushton’s cellular respiration.
We look for emotional and structural holding patterns to see where the cells are lacking local oxygen and nutrition delivery and waste removal.
Then, with a knowledge of the chakra system, the students know where to begin mental-emotional coaching based on their reading of a client’s body.
Once you learn how to read the body correctly, the knowledge gained from physical assessments is very helpful for mental-emotional coaching.
Here you can see me demonstrating to my students the “Naval Radiation” phase of infant development.
I was explaining the importance of this phase of infant development for integrating the upper and lower body.
If this phase doesn’t occur properly, the individual can’t functionally integrate their upper and lower body, resulting in back pain and pathology most often.
Here you can see me demonstrating to my students the infant development exercise called the “inchworm”.
This looks much easier than it is!
My students found out quite quickly that many of them had significant infant development integration work to do to restore optimal body-mind function.
For those interested, I’ll be teaching a live workshop, The Art and Science of Respiration and Movement, Friday, November 2 at Place of Chi, where I’ll give more technical information around the topic as well as provide practical training.
This workshop is open to anyone interested and you need not be in the CHEK system to join us.
Work-In Training
Here you can see me leading my students through their training on, and experience of the Stork Walk.
This is a form of tai-chi that I practice regularly. It is very simple and powerful, and most anyone can do it.
My students and I did about an hour session together. We then chanted “OM” for about 20 minutes together and we all had a deep heart opening experience. That was a profound moment for us all!
After our session, everyone was in a deep peaceful, loving state. We all practiced giving hugs and being fully present with each other.
Here you can see Donal Carr and I hugging. It was kind of funny because I asked Donal to stand in a hole so I could hug him without straining my neck because he’s so tall.
While hugging Donal, I had a vision and described it to him.
Here is what Donal drew that evening after I described my vision to him and his art is a perfect representation of what I saw!
I like to tease Donal by saying that there is a small female Japanese artist hiding within him and she comes out whenever he puts a brush or pen in his hands. This guy’s art is mind blowing!
Cathy Carr had some deep, moving experiences during our work-in practices and in class. Vidya and I would get together with Donal, Cathy, and Jo Rushton at night and finish our day with art.
Cathy drew this amazing image that looks just like the crown chakra as I see it in my third eye. It’s pretty amazing that these two amazing artists found each other in love.
Their kids, Josh and Ryan are also amazing artists! Josh, at the tender age of ten sat down and drew with us one night and blew us all away with what he drew.
If I’d have drawn what he drew, I’d have been impressed with myself!
Their kids attend the Kamaroi Steiner school and it’s really been a blessing for them in every way.
I can’t recommend Steiner schools for parents enough. They are the best school system in the world in my personal opinion.
Vidya drew this piece too after our stork walk afternoon. She had this vision of her heart pulsing love energy through the center of her chest out to the world as an offering of love!
Saying Goodbye
Here you can see me giving a signed copy of my book, How To Eat, Move and Be Healthy! to the chef, “Mignion”.
I also gave one for the amazing and beautiful “Tory”, who owns the resort with her husband Paul. Thank you both for creating the most restful and beautiful spot for all of us to learn how to better care for ourselves, each other, and our planet!
Overall, this was the most rewarding HLC3 I’ve yet taught.
Please give a big Hurrah! for these excellent HLC3 Practitioners!
Well, that brings you all up to date in my life.
I’m off to the gym to get in a nice heavy deadlifting session.
I’m truly enjoying a day off today so I’ll probably get started on my slide show of art for the upcoming CHEK Professional Dinner at Place of Chi next Tuesday evening. If you would like to join me for a remarkable evening, please contact Place of Chi.
I’m excited to see the many CHEK Advanced Trained Professionals that are coming and hear the musical group, “Sacred Earth“, who will be sharing their beautiful music with us.
I look forward to sharing more with you all tomorrow!
Until then, remember to take time now and then to do something just for you.
It really helps relieve stress. That is the way of it!
Love and chi,
Paul Chek
