The Crazy Wisdom Community Journal • May - August 2011 • Page 17
Chi Ties Run Deep in Ann Arbor One person who believes in Chi Walking is Judy Ramsey, a craniosacral therapist and co-owner of a therapeutic massage practice in Ann Arbor called Head To Toe Therapies. Judy — who also happens to be Danny's sister — believes the practice has kept her injury-free in her own physically demanding profession for the past 15 years, and recommends it to many of her patients. “We try to help people become very aware of their bodies, because most injuries happen when people are not aware of their bodies and the pain levels,” Judy said. “Chi Running and Chi Walking help people to become more conscious of what every part of their body is saying to them.” Judy, who goes Chi Walking frequently with her business partner, Rachel Egherman, said that the approach “gets you further, faster, easier than anything we’ve ever tried.” Judy also added that she takes pleasure in Chi Walking in a number of natural settings, as well as in Briarwood Mall early in the morning. “I like to do the Chi Walking and feel the energy coming from my feet and just let it carry me,” Judy said. “You can be fairly noncompetitive with a walk, but be very mindful of everything around you and treat your senses to the experience.” Another reason that Judy recommends her brother’s books is because of the holistic lifestyle they promote. In Judy’s opinion, the Chi books provide healthy tips to keep people’s bodies more efficient and their minds more conscious. Back-Door Enlightenment Once the proper mechanics and the mind/body connection are in place, Danny believes people have established the right conditions for energy to flow, which may provide an opportunity for a spiritual experience. The self-described “spiritual seeker” said he also is a firm believer that having a spiritual experience “must be grounded in the body” and is “not just an intellectual thing.” “In the 60s and 70s, all these gurus came over from India… They were trying to teach quiet to this crazy Western culture. They were grounded in being,” Danny said. “The Western world is established on movement so, I thought, why not combine the two?“ In terms of best experiencing spirituality, Danny echoes the Taoist principles of tuning into the five senses during his trail runs, in order to tune out his mind. He also added that the Christian Bible passage about the body being a temple resonates in him.
“[The Chi Running book] is a must-read. I guarantee this book will drive you crazy and haunt you on every run.” – Randy Step, president and CEO of Running Fit
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to listen to your body. Your body is your biggest teacher,” Danny said. “Your body is your temple, where you go to learn about the invisible world… So if you listen to your body and treat it well, you’re going to find out a lot of information that people read books and books and books to find out.” Danny said that what has surprised him is that people pick up the book to learn to run better, and then they quickly realize it is not all about running. According to the vast majority of e-mails and testimonials sent to his website, the predominant theme from people who have read Chi Running is not about what they’ve learned from a running perspective, but rather how the book has changed their lives. “It is hard to get across the fullness of this whole thing and the depth that it has…It’s one of those things I call ‘back-door enlightenment.’ People start off running and then become interested in the spiritual. It is a process of discovery and that is the coolest thing for me. That’s what I want it to be for others.” ### Chi Running/Chi Walking feature continued on page 18
Ann Arborite Judy Ramsey and her brother, Danny Dreyer
Randy Step’s Top Running Spot As a passionate trail runner, Bird Hills Park is a gem, and right in town. From the parking area at the M-14 Barton Drive exit, hop over the Amtrack Tracks, cut through a bit of woods and you land on Huron River Drive, turn right, west, about 100 yards and hit the Barton Trail on your right, taking you over the Huron river and dumping you at the foot of Bird Hills Drive where it intersects Huron River Drive. A short run up the killer steep hill on this dirt road leads to the entrance of Bird Hills Trails on your left, every direction is great so get out and explore! –Randy Step For more information on form clinics offered through Running Fit, call the store’s Ann Arbor headquarters on Jackson Road at 734-929-9022.
For a Healthy Lifestyle Tai Chi, Reiki Meditation Spiritual Art Acupressure Aromatherapy Herbal Remedies Nutrition and much more!
www.wccnet.edu/lifelong-learning/ Browse “Health & Wellness”
Washtenaw Community College 4800 East Huron River Drive Ann Arbor, MI • 734-677-5060
@ WCC