2009/05/02 - Day 21: My first outing with Intuflow Advanced

Having been working with both the Intuflow basic and intermediate levels for a few months now I decided to explore the third (or advanced) level today. Like all RMAX programs Intuflow is also based on the concept of gradual sophistication of movements. A simple example of this would be doing a push up from the knees, a normal push up, or a push up with the feet elevated. Although reps don't necessarily have to increase the complexity of the movement does, which will obviously tax the body in different ways. I can quite honestly say that I love the advanced level of Intuflow. Whereas level 1 works with basic cardinal directions and level two with circular movements the level 3 series contains a lot of figure eight (infinity) movements. It also includes some double arm work rather than just working one arm at a time. All of the changes gave my mind a lot of new things to focus on but also allowed my body to get into a really pleasant flow. For some reason the increased sophistication feels more flowing rather than less so and I felt thoroughly relaxed after my session.

Directly after the Intuflow work I went outside and worked through most of the first section of the Yang Lu Chan form a few times. I am currently up to the first Fa Jing (explosive) movement in the form. Unlike a lot of Tai Ji seen in the West (except the Chen style) the Yang Lu Chan form contains both slow, flowing movements and sudden explosive expressions of power. The Fa Jing movements feel...interesting. Due to the fact that the internal martial arts don't use brute muscular force but rather a relaxed, whip-like expression of power the mind seems to go almost completely blank during the split second Fa Jing movements. Like Erle Montaigue says, Fa Jing is almost like sneezing in the sense that it feels like a totally involuntary full body movement over which the conscious mind has very little control. Interesting stuff indeed. I felt warm and calm after working through the form a few times and am now looking forward to a relaxing evening watching DVD's with the family...and of course some online XBox action.