Redwood

This is me and my Bo staff.

During lockdown, I began to learn Bo staff flow as a movement practice. It completely takes my breath away and acted as an extremely powerful to combat the loneliness of lockdown and complete isolation.

I even snapped the staff in two! And had to perform some dutiful repairs (twice) in my fathers furniture workshop where I often work anyway-so luckily I had access to the equipment and products to make this repair possible.

Firstly, I started learning numerous simple techniques, dropping the staff many, many times.

And then, I began combining and creating art with my movement, with my staff. I wrote this poem, and my practice, as well as the wood in my hand, acted as inspiration:

Wooden fingers pretend to linger,

Redwood carved into flagrant gold timber,

Cutting our etchings on the heart of Mother Nature,

Creating a dangerous, colourful portraiture.

I wait for her.

I wait for her sweet face to appear,

I wait for my worries to disappear,

Her eyes hold my heart, my love and my soul,

She clenches her fist, and my blood leaks out,

Cold.

Vanity is abhorred,

Falsity is ignored.

Truth is beloved,

An abyssal blue chasm,

Forgetful white gloves.

Lies are the ocean.

She comes forth,

from the myriad deluge,

Casts a thought into my mind,

Which tears my body from my spine.

Tragedy is the name,

she etches on our red hearts.

Comedy is the game,

she sculpts our pink brains.

A conversation with the waves,

A battle with the wind,

An intimacy with the sun,

A surrender to the rain.

Teal raindrops fill,

My translucent heart,

Maroon dirt covers,

My page-white bones.

Only Then, Her Fingers,

Truthfully, linger.

Redwood carved into incorruptible cinders.

Bo staff flow completely changed the way I approach exercise and movement. As an accomplished personal trainer and gym enthusiast I was, and am, overjoyed to enjoy the completely free movement of flow which is very different to traditional strength and endurance exercise programming.

The creative type of exercise is completely free and there are no records, personal bests, times, measurements, or distances-it is simply about making movement fun and connecting with a deeper part of yourself!