Bricks

Specifically standing on them.

My teacher has gradually been converted (over the course of more hours than I want to think about) to standing on bricks.

I'm curious if this is something other people practice. What kind of bricks will work? I've got yoga blocks and I'm wondering if slightly smaller cork bricks will bring the same benefits?

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Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you
High mountains are a feeling
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Don't go dangerous. If the brick is too light you will fall because it will tip over. I tore my ligaments in the left foot this way. So it needs to be a heavy enough normal brick, and it needs to be placed in a way that it offers at least enough stability. You also need to make the circle tight enough, I'd venture it should be 8 (steps/bricks). In the beginning, you have enough other stuff to practice.

Why don't you ask him which he uses ?

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Try some Plum Flower poles instead!

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He uses house bricks. That means a trip to the shops (doesn't fit into the schedule) and not so easy to put in suitcase (x 10 for those poles krissy ) The point about flipping the bricks is a good one.

At this stage it's not so much for stepping as for holding various very specific stances for a long period. My initial concern is the size of the brick - too wide and might as well be on the floor, too narrow and I see problems developing in the feet.

__________________
Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you
High mountains are a feeling
I don't need to sell my soul, he's already in me

I use Yoga Blocks for stationary rooting exercises and stationary push hands and rou shou. Only in 2 of the 3 directions, being flat side down (level-1) or long side down (level-2). Putting the short side down is good for level-3 with real bricks, but foam blocks do not have enough support.

my wife teaches the yoga classes and has a bunch of them in the studio...

pete.

Interesting.

Are they the foam blocks or the Iyengar wood ones? Are they the "telephone book" size foam blocks or the large brick size?

__________________
Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you
High mountains are a feeling
I don't need to sell my soul, he's already in me

I have used regular masonary red bricks. Flipping them adds less stability, anything that small even 2" off the ground works, 4" is harder and 6" is murder. Instead of plum flower posts I use cans. I started out with large coffee cans and paint cans. I am slowly changing the cans from large soup cans to small tomato paste cans. I am also using cans of all sizes in between. It is a challenge not to hurt myself too bad. Falling doesnt feel to good. But being able to move from one to the other feels like a good accomplishment.

train hard
tigerklaw

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Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.

I didn't mean to actively flip, but that it happens when you're not perfect, and then you can hurt ligaments. For me it was an accident, but I think it could easily happen when using too instable bricks. Start out slowly, and increase difficulty only with good development.

__________________
"Fawning, but proud!" - (at least sometimes, in rare cases)
"Killing them all didn't make it any better..." - "Are you a freak or something ???" - Max Payne
"Theft is a crime, even in Iraq." - Me.

(kids don't try this at home!) There are 'some' cRaZy Ba-Gua Zhong people who go Pond Stone stepping!,...lol' Yep',...stepping across a pond or stream on the wet pond stones! Please don't do this and get injured!,...just throwing out random info.',...lol'.

I have used regular red house bricks to practice ma bu instead of using the plum flower poles. Also I have used coffee cans and paint cans.

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Mark
Liberalism is a mental disorder. -M. Savage

“	Originally Posted By: Li Ma-Keh (kids don't try this at home!) There are 'some' cRaZy Ba-Gua Zhong people who go Pond Stone stepping!,...lol' Yep',...stepping across a pond or stream on the wet pond stones! Please don't do this and get injured!,...just throwing out random info.',...lol'.	”

I think I've seen that in some of those martial arts films like Crouching tiger, hidden dragon...but I think they used those string wires.

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'Someday I'll be a ninja, once I stop tripping on roof's.'

uhm',.... I didn't say; "Fly or Glide" across the stones,...LOL! They actually push-step,(as in Ba-Gua stepping) across wet pond/creek stones! Uh',...and usually slip off, bang an elbow or knee on the rock-bed below,...lol'! Lots of practice,...lots of guts,...hahaha!

“	Originally Posted By: Li Ma-Keh uhm',.... I didn't say; "Fly or Glide" across the stones,...LOL! They actually push-step,(as in Ba-Gua stepping) across wet pond/creek stones! Uh',...and usually slip off, bang an elbow or knee on the rock-bed below,...lol'! Lots of practice,...lots of guts,...hahaha!	”

and a lot of nonsense.
It's almost immposible to balance it on wet river stones.

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'Someday I'll be a ninja, once I stop tripping on roof's.'

It's not so bad barefoot if you know how to step. We used to run up rivers full speed going from rock to rock and never went over.

__________________
Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you
High mountains are a feeling
I don't need to sell my soul, he's already in me

yeah',...what He said! so there!,...LOL'! Inufreak should be careful who he calls a 'liar',....but with his 'whole' 5 years of experiance,..it's understandable he knows everything!,..hahahaha! geeezsh'? (thanks john100)