Home: Apart and Together

I have been reminded that time at home can be used to our advantage. While we might prefer group classes and shared practice, a period of forced quiet, self reflection and isolated practice can have its perks. We are spared the judging eyes and can really be present in our practice.

However, during this time, it is also nice to be reminded that we are not alone in our practice - even though we might be the only one in the room (or backyard fighting mosquitoes). To that end, I’ll be sharing thought and practices of mine over the next few weeks and encourage you to do the same!

I’ve found focus and centering in a daily shufa (Chinese calligraphy) practice. A very short practice of 15 minutes allows my brain to start the day with simple strokes and then one character, or perhaps characters from the last couple days. These can be words that have a special meaning for the day or just mundane words that are on the next page of the book.

This morning I thought “home” was appropriate since this is the place that many of us will spend so many hours this month. Why not take a second to write it in a beautiful language and learn to love it.

My amusement mounted when I read the description next to it: “combines meanings: “pig” under “roof” = home. I don’t think we should quote this to our housemates on a regular basis!!

Importantly, I’d inadvertently also chosen the character that we use for our school. The character can also translate as family. Take a peek at the banner on the home page and you’ll see it there.

And so, while we are told to stay HOME, we’re also told stay FAMILY. I thought I’d share this with our greater family! We’re are in separate homes and the same family.

For our inkslingers, I’m including the stroke order here. You’ll recognize the strokes and find the character a fun one to do! I don’t have LaoMa’s fancy PDF skills - maybe I’ll develop those over this month! In the meantime, this should get you through the character. Please share your version!

Send me suggestions of other characters to try during our time away from classes. We can share our practice pages this way!

Sifu vs. Sifu

Below is a screen shot of a recent post on Facebook by Dug Corpolongo.  This is a very good post of thoughts and comments on this topic, but Dug leaves an important fact out completely.

After reading it over, can you think back to various information shared in classes and seminars that might have been left out - or perhaps help explain some of the confusion around this term and it's use?

Shufa and Women's secret scripts

Nüshu is a 19th Century Chinese Script that women in a Jiangyong County used to communicate with each other.  The script is very distinct from the style we are used to seeing, very elegant long lines and is phonetic rather than symbolic.  As with lots of ancient arts, the ability to write and read it is dissappearing.

“ “Out of the thousands of scripts that are gender-specific to men, here we have one that we know is gender-specific to women,” says Silber, who has been researching Nüshu since 1985. Yi was one of the last remaining writers of Nüshu, a fading script that only women knew how to write and read.

Stemming from the southwestern Hunan Province county of Jiangyong, a small group of women in the 19th and 20th centuries practiced this special script that no man could read or write. The writing system allowed these women to keep autobiographies, write poetry and stories, and communicate with “sworn sisters,” bonds between women who were not biologically related. The tradition of Nüshu is slowly vanishing, but at one time gave the women of Shanjiangxu freedom to express themselves. ”

— http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/nushu-chinese-script-women

Read the full article here.