Teaching; as learning

Over the years I have learnt that one way to improve you way is to teach it because you have to know the subject well to be able to stand in front of a class and be questioned and be tested also in your technique.

In the 90's I created and taught the Wild Lotus Asian Massage and healing course in Adelaide.

I taught a Basic and Advanced certificate and combined study with Yoga, Tai Chi and Aikido as choice units. Here is a snapshot of the basic course.

Lotus Healing Certificate

            This is for students and healers wishing to study casual subjects or the full course to use Chi for self and community healing.  It is a course in self healing as much as a professional development.  The core units introduce four oriental modes of hands on massage and Lotus 2 explores Chinese and Japanese massage in depth.

The Lotus 1 basic certificate is focused on practical aspects of healing massage and Nei Kung inner development as we learn to use 'Chi' energy for healing.The majority of class will be 'hands on'  practice dispersed with philosophy and medical theory. Students are expected to read extensively from the book list provided as advised.

Basic Certificate 1.  Friday nite 7.00 This is a part time practical course consisting of 4 one day workshops and 4 core units, of  approx. 5 or 7 week terms in....... 

 Japanese Shiatsu,                                                        Chinese Acupressure,

 Traditional Thai massage,                                           Balinese massage. 

            Elective workshops include;......  reflexology, the 5 elements, oriental massage, barefoot Thai massage,  corrective Yogic postures,  Taoist Yoga,  Chi Kung,  'Hara' centring,  meditation,  Sumi-E meditations in ink,  dreams as therapy 

Either Tai Chi Chuan, Yoga, Aikido study is recognised as 'Chi development.'

A Basic Certificate 1 requirements ;   4 core units plus any  4 elective day workshops.

...and continuous 12 month study in tai chi, aikido, sumie, yoga   *A 3000 word paper will be required at the end of the whole study plus * classwork * a practical sitting after each unit with Gerard to show your proficiency and skill, cost $10 each for students who have paid for the full course.

Healing and the search for peace

Firt Aid

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Certificate IV Training & assessment

AXA health benefits register SA 2000 

                                                       

PMRTS Membership

SAIYT Yoga diploma

Apart from the above I have learnt about the mind, energy and healing by my study in meditation at Gobind Sadan in India with Baba Virsah Singh.   Tai Chi and Aikido since the 1980's has also provided valuable skills in mind and body awareness and the use of Chi for healing oneself and others.

I am a bit of a wanderer and I tend to venture out of my box all the time looking for more angles on things and this has taken me to many Buddhist places in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan in fact most countries in Asia with a Hindu or Buddhist heritage.

My Tai Chi study has taken me to China, Singapore, Taiwan, and I learned a variety of forms and tried to pick up the spirit of the art from its home. My local teacher was Yao Yu Kay from Ringwood. (see wildlotus arts blog)

I started Aikido in University days in 1979 with Aikikai. Mike Bennett at Melbourne uni. was my main teacher. Later I trained in London, Ikeda Sensei, Switzerland, Masaoka Sensei Japan. Aikido philosophy is about Ki and energy and ways to find harmony in life.

In Adelaide I taught Tai Chi, Aikido then Yoga during the 1990's at my school Wild Lotus. Teaching is a training in itself as you have to be patient, know well your subject and lose your ego.    

   

             

Travel and study

Travel and study is a great excitement as you meet interesting people in foreign places. I started my interest in healing after I began travelling. I was overseas in 1987 working on a kibbutz in Israel after travelling overland through Asia which had a profound affect on me.

I was working in the banana plantation and got a sore neck and upper back.

I began to massage it myself nightly and to my astonishment I realized if I pressed

certain places then the pain was relieved.In a few days It was gone.  This started me

off.

In 1980 I decided to study at the Wat Po monastery in 
Thailand.  There were very few westerners there then 
and I was the only person in the massage room with my 
teacher who was from overseas. 

Her name was Ladiew Lackiew.  She was a petite, polite, 
beautiful woman with strong hands and a light touch.  
When I asked her to teach she said to come back each 
morning at 8 am and we would work together 'til lunch time. 

She showed me the meridians and the correct touch and 
the feeling of massage and the various wonderful Thai 
stretches which are similar to yoga.  She was only a small 
lady but her power to heal was evident as many rich 
business people would come to have healing with her.
  
She managed one side of the Po monastery area 
massage rooms. One of the most important things 
she and the monastery taught me was "Right Attitude".  
In fact the was of the Buddha is right attitude for the 
healers.  Before each massage we should make a 
spiritual offering to the Medicine Buddha.  I am grateful 
for what Ladiew taught me.

I have returned to Wat Po over the years many times and seen
the changes and how its got more popular. It started in the 1990's when Thai massage began to be sold as a tourist plus.  

I am not sure if all the changes have been good because in the past the village masseurs were not doing the job only for the money. After it commercialized the quality of practitioners varied a lot, schools sprouted up in Bangkok and Chang Mai to teach foreigners.

Below Wat Po Bangkok where I studied in 1984.

Medicine Buddha Later I studied and was given the Medicine Buddha Mantra many years  later at the Adelaide Tibetan Buddhist centre on the Medicine Buddha.  Until then I did not know there was also  a special tradition in their culture for  healing with the medicine Buddha.   Indonesia  In the 1980's I travelled a lot in Indonesia, as I have a grasp of the language and I researched and hung out with martial arts, healing people in Bali and Java. There I spent time meditating in Surakarta the "Samurah" or Paman led meditation and picked up the different massage styles combining them into a style I then taught in Adelaide. The time in Java in Solo was a rich and fascinating oneas I met mystical Javanese spirit men or Paman who were deeply in touch with the Jiwa or spirits of the land and netherworld. Chinese Medicine and Tai Chi After studying Tai Chi in Melbourne firstly with Tibor and later Mr Yau Yee Kay   I began to read and study the reflex points and combine them into my massages which I was doing in Preston and later Switzerland and Adelaide.   I found the meridians and chi points really worked to heal people and it went naturally with martial arts. It seemed like a natural extension to practice and play Tai Chi and then to use the Chi to heal. In 86 I did a year of theory at RMIT massage social sciences including all the health sciences like anatomy, physiology. I also did a acupressure course with Rod Hinks which got me really interested in the Chinese healing elements. In 1992 I was lucky to visit Huang Shuo near Guilin Mr Zhao and to study with a  acupuncturist,chi gong person one on  one and to learn the Chen form with  Thomas Hu. Adelaide School In Adelaide from the late 80's until 2000  I started my massage and healing work  in unison with teaching Tai Chi. My school was called Wild Lotus and I  created an Asian healing course which  included Shiatsu Acupressure Thai Massage. Also at this time I joined the SA Assoc  Massage therapy, and studied Yoga teaching with SAIYT SA institute Yoga.

Location

Other days book one day ahead

The Forge Yoga Studio 341 Barker st Castlemaine  Click for location


Newstead Rural transaction centre library complex. 1500 - 1700

Address
Pyrenees Hwy middle of town opposite Primary school east side of town

Google Maps

Click ; The Forge Yoga Centre

Saturdays Wesley Hill Market
Gerard works on at the Wesley hill Market in the Hall. Chewton 900 - 1400

Address	149 Pyrenees Hwy Castlemaine, Victoria 3450 Google Maps Click for location;

Saturdays 0900 - 1300 by booking mobile service in Castlemaine


http://www.marketsvictoria.com.au/wesley-hill-market.htm

Wesley hill market facebook

Mobile
Gerard can visit you. Mobile 0407734479

Carisbrook Healing room
Bucknall st Carisbrook.
From Castlemaine...turn first right after the bridge, go past the Post Office, old historic lock up for 1.5klm.

Driving parallel to Deep creek as you go westward toward Maryborough and cross the railway line. 200mtr on the left is a BLUE HOME the 3rd home, on the left after Smith st.

Fees

Fees

Cash only  Massage and healing  -  30 minutes $35  -  60 Minutes $60 10% concession on cards   Classes - small groups or individual    Yoga    Tai Chi    Aikido

Contact

Contact

Mobile 0407734479 Email gmenzel@hotmail.... Blog -  http://wildlotus-arts.blogspot.com.au/  This links to arts, martial arts and yoga. https://www.facebook.com/gmenzel Twitter...@catchadragon