1. The Five Tibetan Rejuvenation Rites
The origins of these rhythmic, yoga-style postures (each of which must be repeated 21 times) are shrouded in secrecy. Legend has it a British explorer "discovered" them while living in a monastery in the Himalayas. "The exercises work by balancing the body's chakras," says teacher Granville Cousins, whose youthful appearance belies his age (he's 55). The chakras -- invisible energy centers -- are believed to stimulate the glands of the endocrine system, which look after the body's functioning and ageing processes. Dedicated students rave about the flexibility, vitality and anxiety-quelling feelings that a daily 10-minute practice gives them. For more information, visit yogawithgranville.com, or read Christopher Kilham's The Five Tibetans (Healing Arts Press).
2. Ba Kua
Part of a complete health and martial arts system that includes taichi, this discipline, though little known in the West, can be learned by anyone and requires no prior skills beyond an ability to, er, walk in a circle. Not just any circle, though: "Ba Kua emphasizes sinuous, continual spiral movement -- it's a particular form of moving meditation that will calm the mind, increase core stability and gently extend your range of motion," says instructor Maurice Pressman. Go to pineapple.uk.com or roseli.org for more information.
3. AcroYoga
So you think you're a team player? Feeling brave? If so, this dynamic blend of acrobatics, yoga and Thai massage may suit you. "By using your partner's support and the freeing power of gravity, the body can be opened with grace and ease," says instructor Jason Neimer. As you'd imagine, dangling midair on the feet or hands of a stranger requires trust, and will develop your cooperative spirit. It is popular with sociable types and with those who "love to be upside down," says Neimer. Go to acroyoga.org for more information.
4. Yamuna Body Rolling
New Yorker Yamuna Zake invented this self-massage, workout, meditation and osteopathic/chiropractic session rolled into one. The rolling metaphor is apt: you use balls of varying density and size to isolate, stretch and release your body's muscles and tendons. There are routines to prevent headaches, back, neck and shoulder tension, and even jet lag. "Practise this two or three times a week and you'll improve your circulation, stand taller, move easier, age gracefully and feel great," says London therapist Kitsa Pateras, who offers one-to-one tuition, as well as group workshops. Log on to yamunabodyrolling.com for more information.
5. Beautcamp Pilates
Called Bootcamp in the US, and not without reason: this is Pilates plus circuit training on a scary-looking apparatus called the Reformer (imagine a psychiatrist's couch with added ropes, springs and pulleys). And why would you put yourself through this? "Mat-based Pilates can be boring on its own," says Sebastien Lagree, the LA- based Frenchman who pioneered the workout. "This way, you'll strengthen and stretch your muscles, and work on your core stability and balance in a rapid sequence that forces your heart rate to increase and enter the cardio target zone." Your psyche will benefit, too, says Lagree, who cites improved concentration and stress reduction as added perks. Ben Stiller and Nicole Kidman are rumored to be fans. Go to beautcamppilates.co.uk for more information.
March 24 to March 30 When Yang Bing-yi (楊秉彝) needed a name for his new cooking oil shop in 1958, he first thought of honoring his previous employer, Heng Tai Fung (恆泰豐). The owner, Wang Yi-fu (王伊夫), had taken care of him over the previous 10 years, shortly after the native of Shanxi Province arrived in Taiwan in 1948 as a penniless 21 year old. His oil supplier was called Din Mei (鼎美), so he simply combined the names. Over the next decade, Yang and his wife Lai Pen-mei (賴盆妹) built up a booming business delivering oil to shops and
Indigenous Truku doctor Yuci (Bokeh Kosang), who resents his father for forcing him to learn their traditional way of life, clashes head to head in this film with his younger brother Siring (Umin Boya), who just wants to live off the land like his ancestors did. Hunter Brothers (獵人兄弟) opens with Yuci as the man of the hour as the village celebrates him getting into medical school, but then his father (Nolay Piho) wakes the brothers up in the middle of the night to go hunting. Siring is eager, but Yuci isn’t. Their mother (Ibix Buyang) begs her husband to let
In late December 1959, Taiwan dispatched a technical mission to the Republic of Vietnam. Comprising agriculturalists and fisheries experts, the team represented Taiwan’s foray into official development assistance (ODA), marking its transition from recipient to donor nation. For more than a decade prior — and indeed, far longer during Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rule on the “mainland” — the Republic of China (ROC) had received ODA from the US, through agencies such as the International Cooperation Administration, a predecessor to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). More than a third of domestic investment came via such sources between 1951
For the past century, Changhua has existed in Taichung’s shadow. These days, Changhua City has a population of 223,000, compared to well over two million for the urban core of Taichung. For most of the 1684-1895 period, when Taiwan belonged to the Qing Empire, the position was reversed. Changhua County covered much of what’s now Taichung and even part of modern-day Miaoli County. This prominence is why the county seat has one of Taiwan’s most impressive Confucius temples (founded in 1726) and appeals strongly to history enthusiasts. This article looks at a trio of shrines in Changhua City that few sightseers visit.
RSS