I just finished hemming my gi for Tuesday night. I am so happy to have figured out a way to join the dojo! While money is very short right now, I do have time, and I was able to work out a trade with Sensei to paint new acupuncture charts for his studio. In return, I can study for the year. Yay! I am very excited.
I am not a great seamstress, but I think I did an allright job on the arms and legs of my uniform. The outfit feels very bulky to me, but once it was trimmed down it felt much better. I guess there are a lot of very tall people that take these classes - wow! I had to cut off nearly 9" off the legs. I am looking forward to tomorrow night and beginning some training.
It's been 15 years since I took a martial arts class. I wonder if it will come back naturally, or if what I remember will be a hindrance, as I am no longer studying the same style. I am not too worried about it. The memories are distant, and I am happy to learn something new.
Having a large painting project to look forward to is also nice. I am excited to work on figurative paintings, and making more interesting charts than what is already on the walls. We will be overlaying Eight-Principle style acupuncture and Five-Element style acupuncture points. As far as Sensei knows, this has not yet been created on paper. It is rewarding to be working on something so new. Both styles of medicine are thousands of years old. Combining them is rare, though. Few people study both methods.
There is a peace that comes from routines. Even though I haven't yet tried out this new one, I am feeling very pleased that a new structure will be surfacing in my life. I function well within structure, as long as I am allowed to experiment within it. I like having goals and lots to occupy my busy mind. I especially like having new things to learn because I feel that learning is full of fun and good thoughts, whereas without a goal or new subject to study, my thoughts become a jumble of foolishness.
It occurs to me that this is an aspect of water, also. It likes to mold to the form of what surrounds it, and is quick to absorb everything. It can take in flavors and objects and ideas and make them a part of itself, or sift it to the bottom, or float it on the top. It wants to flow easily, and doesn't need anything more than gravity to create canyons and restructure the land. With a decent framework, water can be magnificent - irrigating fields, home to coral reefs, leaping from mountainsides in glorious falls. Without a framework, or in a less pleasant ones, it can become host to sewage and bogs, full of rot and collecting waste. With water as my primary constitution, it would be wise to remember that I am prone to collecting whatever gets thrown at me. I am also capable of quite a lot of good and beauty if I make sure to travel within structures that support and encourage growth and development.
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