Summer tests every school. Groups thin out, people go on holiday, and for many a two-month break turns into the end of their training.
Our classes run all year, and in summer some of them move outside. That is not a fallback but a different quality.
Why training outside is different
- Uneven ground. Grass, gravel, a slight slope. For balance that is considerably harder than a wooden floor and considerably more useful - real life does not happen on the flat.
- Different light and space. Without walls, spatial awareness changes. Strange at first, then liberating.
- Sound. Birds, traffic in the distance, people. Focus that survives outdoors is a different thing from focus in a quiet hall.
- Temperature. Training in heat teaches a different pace. The body chooses a slower rhythm and a deeper breath on its own.
- Footwear. Outdoors we train in shoes. It sounds trivial and it changes the feel of the ground.
Where and when we train outdoors
In good weather some classes move to the meadow in front of the building at Ziherlova or to a nearby park. The 6:00 morning slot suits this best - Ljubljana is still cool and quiet then.
Afternoon classes mostly stay indoors, because 17:30 in summer is often too warm for harder work. Qi Gong runs outdoors on milder days.
In rain or a heatwave we stay in the hall. We announce the decision before the class.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
How not to lose the rhythm over the holidays
Two months off is about the most a regular practice survives before the habit comes undone. Three suggestions that work.
1. Do not miss both months. If you are away in July, come in August, even if only four times. Four times a month keeps the rhythm; nothing keeps it at zero.
2. Take one sequence with you. Ten minutes of Qi Gong on holiday - on a terrace, on a beach, in a hotel room. Not for progress, but so the body does not forget.
3. Come back in the first week of September, not the third. Every week of delay doubles the chance you will not come back at all.
What summer does to the body
Mobility is better. Warm tissue is more pliable. Summer is the best time to work on range of movement.
Endurance is worse. Heat loads the heart and circulation more than the same training does in winter. So in summer we lower the intensity and lengthen the breaks.
Hydration starts to matter. Half a litre before class and half during. It sounds obvious; in summer it is the difference between a good hour and a bad one.
Who summer is the best time to start for
Surprisingly, quite a lot of people.
Groups are smaller, which means more attention per person. Training is less intense, which is an advantage for a beginner. And anyone who starts in July already has two months behind them by September - when the groups fill up, they are no longer the new one.
Practicalities
Classes run all year, July and August included. You can join at any time. For outdoor sessions bring shoes, a hat and more water than usual.
