www.ThePeacefulDragon.com June 2019 704-504-8866

Inside

Upcoming Events Students of the Month

Peaceful Dragon School News Yoga Chit

Did You Know? Disciple’s Forum/Getting to Know

Family Program News Students Ask Master Sbarge

Student Promotions Classifieds

Tai Chi, Martial Arts, Yoga and More

The Peaceful Dragon For the Contemporary Mind, Body and Spirit

The Peaceful Dragon has been selected “Best

Martial Arts School” by: Charlotte Parent

Magazine

The Charlotte Observer

Creative Loafing

Charlotte’s Best Magazine

Did You Know?

With over 20 years in business, we maintain an A+ rating by the Charlotte Better Business Bureau.

Like us on Facebook here!

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Message from Master Eric Sbarge

I’m a fan of short aphorisms or parables, because I’ve often found the aphorism of “less is more” to be true. Less said can have more impact in a conversation; less thinking can lead to greater insight in meditation; less movement can yield greater victory in martial arts; less “stuff” can lead to greater health and happiness in feng shui and most traditional Eastern philosophies in general.

I would go on, but…

“Less is more. You should wear earrings or bracelets, but not both.” ― Adina Porter, actress

Upcoming Events

Meditation Retreat Saturday, June 8

th, 11am-5pm

Master Eric Sbarge, head instructor at The Peaceful Dragon, will lead this extended session of Chan (Zen) meditation, interspersed with relaxing and invigorating yoga and qigong as well as discussions on meditation principles, methods, and Zen philosophy. The retreat is open to and suitable for everyone regardless of experience levels. Public – $94; Peaceful Dragon non-Mastery Program Students and affiliated-school students and family members just $74; Mastery Program Students just $54 Please register at our front service counter or call (704) 504-8866. Bring a yoga mat and your meditation cushion or bench of choice. We have them for sale or a few available to borrow if you don’t have your own.

If you are not a current student of The Peaceful Dragon, there are many ways to

improve your mind, body and spirit through the programs available at The

Peaceful Dragon. Visit www.ThePeacefulDragon.com and click on Adult Classes

or Children’s Classes. You can then register for a Free Semi-Private, No-

Obligation Introductory Class and an Introductory Tour.

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Blood Drive Saturday, June 8

th, 9am-1pm

You can save lives! Consider donating the gift of life by signing up to donate blood. Appointments are still available at the front counter. Please bring a current photo id. All donors will receive a free t-shirt and wellness checkup including blood pressure, temperature, iron count, pulse, and cholesterol screening.

Parents Night Out Friday, June 14

th, 6:30-9pm

June’s Parents Night Out is Star Wars Night. This event is open to children aged 4 and above. This will be your child’s opportunity to wear their favorite Star Wars outfits and have fun with toy lightsabers and various games. Every child will need to bring their sparring helmet with their name on it to participate in the lightsaber fights. We will have a few extras to share. This month’s Life Skills Lesson is Mindfulness and Focus. Friends of Peaceful Dragon students must have a permission slip filled out in full before the start of the event. We suggest that you bring snacks or money for the vending machine for your child. Due to the possibility of food allergies, we cannot provide food. Please register at the front counter by no later than Thursday, June 13th so we can properly staff this event.

10-Week Medical Qigong Course Begins Wednesday, July 10

th, 8-9:15pm

Do you want to:

Reduce stress and tension? Overcome chronic illnesses? Maintain optimum vitality? Prevent disease? Ensure your own well-being?

Integrating medical qigong and tai chi qigong, at this course you will learn both theory and traditional medical qigong exercises to better care for your own mind and body. Medical qigong utilizes simple movements, meditations and breathing methods that can be learned by people of all ages and health conditions. Public $149, Peaceful Dragon students FREE.

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Kuoshu Tournament in Baltimore Fri-Sun, July 26-28

th

Join Master Sbarge and many of our instructors and fellow classmates at this weekend-long international tournament that highlights tai chi, pakua, hsing I, kung fu, shuai chiao and more, with weapons, forms, full-contact lei tai fighting, push hands, and much more. Divisions are for all ages from 5 on up, and beginner to advanced. Whether as a competitor or spectator, you will come away from this weekend with a much greater appreciation for the variety of Chinese martial arts, and a better understanding of your own practice and how you can improve your skills and derive more benefits and satisfaction from your training. For tournament information see the USKSF site.

June is Final Month to Join Asia Tour!

The Peaceful Dragon is sponsoring an Asia tour for our students, family members and friends this October! This will be our fourth tour, and each previous one has been fantastic. This two-week tour promises to be a life-changing trip that will include practice in meditation and tai chi/kung fu with locals, plus sightseeing, cultural excursions and shows, and much more. Our tentative itinerary includes Japan for the first time – Tokyo and Kyoto (with its ancient Zen temples) – and the beautiful Chinese cities of Suzhou (called China’s Venice with the picturesque canals) and Nanjing (the historic southern capital of China), and the cosmopolitan heart of China, Shanghai. The estimated cost for this all-inclusive custom tour with 4 and 5 star accommodations, all travel, excellent meals, admissions to cultural events, and the service of highly-professional English-speaking guides is between $4500 - $5000. Please check here for more information. We hope you can go – you will surely love it and come home with a lifetime of great memories!

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Our complete 2019 Special Events Calendar is now posted at http://thepeacefuldragon.com/specialevents.shtml.

Mark your planning calendar now!

“Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.” ― Alan Watts

Monthly Classes, Seminars

and Discussion Groups

Jr. Mastery Program Seminar – Saturday, June 1, 12-1pm Topic: Zen Stories and Parables Open only to Junior Mastery Program students.

Mastery Roundtable Discussion – Tuesday, June 4, 8pm Topic: Chan (Zen) Meditations from Venerable Sheng Yen Open only to Mastery Program students.

Yoga Seminar – Thursday, June 6, 6:30-8:30pm Topic: Introduction to Chakras w/Hatha Surya Namaskar Meditation Led by Yogini Diane La Croix Corah Open to all teens and adults: FREE for Peaceful Dragon students, $29 for guests. Note: There will be no regular yoga classes on the evenings of the monthly yoga seminars. Lecture and Discussion – Thursday, June 20, 8pm

Topic: Seven Practical Improvements to Your Diet Presented by Master Eric Sbarge. Open to all adult and teen students.

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Equipment Needed for Classes

Weapons

Shaolin Block B: Short Sticks/Nunchuks

Shaolin Block C: Broadsword

Shaolin Block D: Jian

Tai Chi Block D: Jian

All Mastery and Junior Mastery students in our Kung Fu programs should always bring their full sparring equipment to every class.

Peaceful Dragon School News (All Real!)

Book Chapter of the Week

Each week, every kung fu and tai chi class includes a five-minute “mat chat” discussing principles and examples from the book “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield. We are covering one chapter per week, so please read the Introduction and the first chapter for discussion. We are confident this will not only help you achieve success in your martial arts mastery, but also maximize your success in your personal and professional aspects of your life. If you have not picked up your complimentary copy of the book yet, please do so ASAP at our front service counter. June 3rd Ch. 20: Commit to Constant and Never-Ending Improvement June 10th Ch. 21: Keep Score for Success June 17th Ch. 22: Practice Persistence June 24th Ch. 23: Practice the Rule of 5

Movies at Ayrsley Grand

Here’s a list of upcoming family-friendly movies for you to enjoy! June 7th The Secret Life of Pets 2 (PG) June 21st Toy Story 4 (G) July 19th The Lion King (live action)

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Workshop at the Columbia Tai Chi Center Sifu Wes Adams hosted Master Eric Sbarge for a workshop at his school.

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Student Appreciation Picnic and Barbecue Thanks to everyone who came to our picnic. Despite the rain, everyone had a great time!

Dragonboat Races and Asian Festival

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Send Us Your Event Photos or Short Video Clips If you get some nice shots of Peaceful Dragon events please send them to Holly@thepeacefuldragon.com for display in our newsletter and social media pages.

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Did You Know…

Many of the asanas (postures) of modern yoga originated in martial arts and

gymnastics? This is one reason martial arts and yoga complement each other so well.

Autistic children often thrive at a traditional martial arts school, in part because of the respectful environment, the focus on developing focus, and the fact that everyone participates – there are no bench warmers!

Master Sbarge was an early guest on “Charlotte Talks” with Mike Collins on WFAE, speaking on the topic of alternative medicine and tai chi?

Children and Family Program News

A Message from Mr. George

“All kicks starts with a chamber and finish with a chamber” is the motto for our kicking

techniques. Chambering is the preparation of holding the crane stance with stability,

ready to kick. If the balance is off by just a bit during the chamber, the kick after will be

way off. Therefore our preparation for teaching classes, leadership, sparring sessions or

going to grandma’s for vacation will ensure we have a successful outcome. We will

evaluate all the students’ progress during the month of June and promotion will be in

July. Keep up the hard work and don’t forget your Character sheets!

JUNE BIRTHDAYS

1st Chloe Strawn 18th Sophia Mullis

1st Kaashvi Sanjay 21st Ann Staples

3rd David Sanz 23rd Michael Frank

5th Fan Soo 25th Ari Norman

6th Peter Averdick 25th Zuri Norman

9th Victoria Burke 26th Benjamin Mullis

16th Alexandra Hoellein 28th Samir Masih

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Student of the Month Recognition

Adult Student of the Month— Brian Patalocco Runner up— Minh Nguyen

Runner up— Michelle Monteilh

Brian has been very consistent with attending both his Tai Chi and his

meditation classes. In his classes, he is always giving 100% effort with a

smile. Good job, Brian!

Child Student of the Month— Arden Smith

Runner up— Phoebe Averdick

Runner up— Hurditya Katta

Arden works hard in class and shows his respect to everyone. He asks great questions and is always

willing to demonstrate for the new white sashes. Keep up the great work Arden!

Yoga Chit with Yogini Mara Healy

In the practice of yoga there is this understanding:

“Brain is an instrument for mind. Mind is an instrument for consciousness.

Consciousness is an instrument for soul.”

What about Body, you ask? In the practice of yoga, physical attainment and prowess of

the body is NOT the goal, though we do want to keep it healthy. Body is not even the

target of practice because too much attention paid to the body TRAPS the yogi in a cycle

of desire, fear, aversion and attachment. So when we do the physical practice of asana,

the yoga is the struggle we encounter with the mind. All the thoughts of worthlessness,

of being somehow less than or thoughts of pride are the interfering turbulence that we

want to quiet and neutralize.

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Yoga’s third limb (of the eight limb path) - asana - is the physical part of yoga. We move

the body through the circumstances called asanas, which are deliberately provoking the

negative nature of the mind, so that we can actively practice transcending those

thoughts. Yoga is a process through which we begin to eclipse those internal struggles

and eventually, leave them gracefully behind. THAT is YOGA.

Students Ask Master Sbarge

Question: Would you mind helping me talk my wife into joining tai chi with me? I know it would be really good for her. Answer: Yes, I would mind. I’ve never found it helpful to try to talk people into doing something they aren’t ready to do, so best that you just keep training hard in your tai chi, and let’s hope she will someday be inspired by the positive benefits you attain.

Mission Statement for The Peaceful Dragon

Our mission is to help each of our students reach his or her fullest potential for physical, mental and spiritual development through the teaching of traditional Asian health arts and martial arts. We accomplish this by offering the most authentic and effective curriculum, by providing the best possible service to our students and their families, and by maintaining a warm and caring family environment in which every student, guest, and staff member is treated with respect, dignity and love.

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Classifieds

Your ad could be here! Text and graphics, a scan of your

business card, or artwork you submit. The cost is $5 for

students, $10 for the public. Send your copy to

holly@thepeacefuldragon.com. Pay at the front counter.

George runs two social clubs in Charlotte through Meetup.com:

http://www.meetup.com/North-

Carolina-Mountain-Biking/

http://www.meetup.com/Charlotte-Pool-Shootin-Fun-Meetup/

Mountain biking, shooting pool, hiking, trying out new restaurants or cruising

to the Bahamas!