Gingsen Chicken Soup

Found this recipe on the web:
Ginseng is the most celebrated medicinal herb among the cultures of the world. It has a rich history and is extensively used as a restorative and preventer of disease. No other natural product can match its reputed healing powers.
An aromatic relative of wild sarsaparilla, Ginseng imparts a special taste to any dish, especially one which combines hearty flavors. Whatever its medicinal properties, this is a delicious traditional Chinese soup.
2 pounds of chicken pieces or small game hen
2 cups chicken stock
2 slices fresh ginger
4 scallions, white part only
1 ounce ginseng root, sliced
2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons sesame oil
salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Blanch the chicken pieces in a large pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. In a large pot, combine the chicken stock, chicken pieces, ginger, scallions and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down, cover, simmer for 2 hours, adding water when necessary. Add the ginseng, cover and cook for 1 more hour. Remove the ginger, scallions, and skim off all surface fat. Add rice wine or sherry, salt, pepper, and sesame oil. Stir the soup and serve at once.
Serves 4 to 6 as part of a Chinese meal, or 4 as a single dish.

Inner Fire

Cultivate your chi to build the inner fire. Feel the warm feeling inside. The heat of the little burning sun radiates outward. Cultivation, my friend.

Ten Year Form

I have studied Taichi under Master Anthony Ho Nan Jie for about 3 years now and I still have not completely learned his short form yet. I think it is going to be 10 years before I will. But I don't think Master cares. We spent most our time practice push hand, chi kung, or doing combat taichi techniques. He always said Taichi is about balance and feeling, so that is what we practice the most.

Two Days Before Christmas

Just two days before Christmas 2010 and I decided to write to my blog after almost a year not touching it. For my Taichi training, this year has been especially special and interesting. My teacher Tony Ho said most of us completed the chi kung traing. Most of us were able to bring our hands up and showed that we could compress the chi ball. This give us the sensation of feeling the chi and how strong it reacts to your hand compression. I used to move a lot when I practiced chi kung but now I was able to bring it inside. Not chi-jumping like crazy anymore. I guess I passed that phase of training now. I feel full inside when I practice regularly. Sometime the warm sensation going up my ming menh point, up to my left or my right kidney. Sometime it going up my spine. Feel warm in my dan dien from time to time. I like it the most when the warm feeling comes unexpectedly, like when I was just taking a walk half an hour ago. Well, that's it for now. Merry Christmas everyone.