Xi Xi Hu in the park.

Call to actioon

For a number of weeks, I have been following a course in Xi Xi Hu. What is that? I hear you say, well it is a Chinese “walking for health” technique, based on Qigong principles. On demonstrating the technique to Cees, when I got back from my first lesson, he said it looked like the Monty Python sketch “ministry of silly walks” and I must say, I tend to agree with him!

Whilst you do look a bit daft when you do it, the technique is proven to have many heath giving benefits and besides that, I am not adverse to making a bit of a tiddlywink of myself every so often. So when the call to action came to do these walks in public in the Parc Abbatial in Cluny, I was prepared to be there.

Here we go - heart health

Last week, just about to set off for the first event and we had a flat tyre. Changing tyres is not one of my strongest points and neither is it one of Cees’, but we set to, book in hand trying to figure out how it is done. It all looks so simple in the pictures, but where the heck is that dimple the jack is supposed to go in, or even before that, where the heck are the jack and the spare tyre? Three quarters of an hour later, tyre changed, and filthy dirty, we headed off to Cluny to get the puncture repaired, non-reparable, great, now it is two new front tyres - ouch. Undeterred we headed for the park only to meet a friend coming the other way. Game over. So we went for the only other healthy option we could think of and we had a kebab instead.

The liver next - all hu-ing in time

This Sunday was the second public display, fortunately on a Sunday morning, less chance of spectators than on the previous Saturday with the market going on just below the park. It was a beautiful day and whilst the five different walks are all very daft, they are fun to do and it gets you out, about and moving. Cees sat on a pole in the park taking photos and laughing his socks off, whilst the rest of us tried to remember which was a Xi and which was a Hu and try to keep in time with our “leader” Sabrina. I did feel a bit self conscious when a busload of tourists stopped and started taking pictures, but for the rest it was good fun and great to be outside on such a lovely sunny morning.

Looks daft, but this one is great for your kidneys

Sabrina has threatened to organise more of these events, so for all of you out there interested, keep an eye on the website of her Qi Gong and Tai Chi school where they will be announced.