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I have been living with the word “clarity” in my awareness lately. After finally publishing my book, which has been a lengthy project continually hanging over my head, I am now feeling a great sense of freedom and clarity for the first time in a few years. I am aware of how muddled our minds become when juggling the responsibilities of work, family, and the busy-ness of life. The practices of Qigong, Reiki, and Yoga offer us a delicious temporary solace–a chance to drop our burdens for a short time and allow the muddy waters of the mind to clear. During the practice, we feel more peaceful, knowing that we are interconnected with “all that is.”

But what happens when we leave the class or session? Can we maintain a glimpse of that clarity when we rejoin life? Ideally, we carry the benefits and teachings of our practice with us into the world. But in reality, people and circumstances still push our buttons, and we soon become congested again with anger, frustration, hurt feelings, and fear.

If we look at the big picture, don’t these emotions all come from the same place–wanting and needing to be loved, accepted, respected, and validated? We are trying to find ourselves and our place in the world. Yet the irony is that we are seeking that approval from others, who are also seeking it for themselves within their own agendas. We may find that if we let go of the need to be right or to prove our worth or to impose our opinions on others, we release the trappings of the small “self” and open our hearts to the larger “Self”–the One-ness of humanity–that we feel during our practice.

I am experimenting with meeting the world from a deeper level of clarity. If someone pushes my buttons or behaves in a way I am not happy with, I pause and look at why I am muddying my waters with hurt or anger or fear. Then I see my reactions are my own, coming from my own need to prove my place in the world. It really has nothing to do with them. When we become the “watcher” of our thoughts and emotions, we create a small distance between self and reaction. Then, with clear intention, we can choose to let the reaction go, remembering that our larger “Self” is always loved, always connected, and always worthy.

May we meet each moment with clarity, and the rest will fall into place.

Having recently returned from leading an amazing retreat experience in Costa Rica, the subject of “the journey” is on my mind. There is something quite transformative when we pick ourselves up and place ourselves into a new environment. When we get away from the chores, the bills, and our daily routines, we set the stage for a shift to happen. I can certainly say that zip lining 600 feet above ground and rappelling down waterfalls in Costa Rica was a dramatic shift from my quiet daily life! And helped me to overcome a fear of heights while discovering my inner warrior strength. New places and adventures offer a mix of fear and excitement, and often cause us to question who we are and who we would like to be.

As spring approaches, you might enjoy emerging from the burrowing energy of winter and stepping into something new. Breaking patterns can open new parts of ourselves and shed light on our habitual ways of viewing the world. This is the time to plant the seeds for the re-birth of spring. Plan a trip, meet new people, take up a new hobby. The irony is that when we journey outside of our comfort zone, we also journey inward–we see ourselves, our emotions, and our reactions with greater clarity.

Life is one big journey. May each step bring you closer to being at ease in yourself and at ease in the world.

Last month, I taught a 2-hour workshop called “Develop Your Home Qigong Practice.” This was such a popular event, that I ended up teaching it four times to a packed house. It is obvious that many of us are wanting to weave moments of mindfulness and tranquility into daily life. One of the ideas we discussed in the workshop is that you do not have to fit a “formal” practice of qigong or yoga into your daily schedule. You can reap the benefits of a physical practice by just doing one mentally. When we pause, breathe, relax the body, and focus the mind, we receive many healing effects.

Here is a simple mind-body exercise that you can do practically anywhere, at any time. Take a break from whatever you are doing. Align your body so it feels relaxed and comfortable. A vertical spine is nice, but you might also practice this while resting in bed or a chair, or while riding in a car or plane. Eyes may be closed or softly open. Breathe in and imagine you are pulling in nourishing resources from nature and the earth (oceans, rivers, mountains, lush forests, sunshine, etc.). Smell the fresh air and aromas. Fill your body and your heart with the healing power of nature. Let it feed your soul. Then breathe out and imagine you are sending love and energy back out into nature and the earth. Continue for several rounds, absorbing on the inhale and sharing on the exhale.

This practice helps us feel re-connected with life. It is especially helpful when we are feeling off-balance, hurried, and emotionally undernourished. When you feel like it’s you against the world, stop fighting and tune in. It is a win-win situation. Both you and the planet benefit, and you will feel more in sync with the fluid rhythms of life.

Breathing out love and healing energy to you.

Happy Winter 2010! It is indeed a time of festive celebration in many cultures, countries, and religions. The earth, too, will soon celebrate an auspicious day. On Tuesday, December 21, we will experience three energy-filled events at once: 1) a full moon, 2) the Winter Solstice (3:38pm Pacific), and 3) a total lunar eclipse (12:17am Pacific).

Many people feel the vibrant energy shift of a full moon, which occurs every 29 days. Those who work in hospitals and law enforcement often see a rise in activity on the evening of a full moon. The December Solstice, which occurs once a year, marks the longest night of the year and brings the promise of lighter and brighter days ahead. It is a day to honor and release the darkness of the past and celebrate the light. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth, and moon align exactly, with the earth in the middle, blocking the sun’s light from the moon.

This is sure to be quite an experience of the interplay of yin and yang–darkness and light. I encourage you to soak up the energy of this event. I and many others around the world will be out there gathering energy and observing the eclipse which begins Monday evening and reaches its peak just past midnight, Pacific time. I will be leading several of my usual classes on Tuesday, and I will especially enjoy teaching my Tuesday 4pm Qigong class at my home studio–just minutes past the peak time of the Solstice.

You may wish to practice Qigong, Yoga, or Meditation at some point on Tuesday, knowing you will be united with people around the world in a celebration of life and light. I look forward to connecting with you, in person or in the “Qi Field!”

Wishing you a new year filled with light.

December is upon us once again. It always seems as though the pace of life quickens at the end of the year, as we juggle all the gatherings and events in our packed schedules. Yet in Chinese medicine, winter is the season of the Water element–signifying a tranquil time to slow down and turn our attention deeply inward. In early agrarian societies, the approach of winter meant that the work of harvest was complete and people could rest, nestled in their homes.

Just that word “nestle” sounds inviting, doesn’t it? We all need time to pause and restore. Your body needs rest. Your mind needs quiet space. And your spirit craves a moment of stillness, to reflect and replenish.

As you move through the coming weeks, spreading your energy here and there and everywhere, you may want to stop now and then, and catch up with yourself. Whatever you’re doing, just pause. Release the “have to’s” and “should’s.” Open your ears to the sounds of the present moment. Feel the sensations of breathing. Notice your feet on the ground. Draw your complete attention back into your body. “Nestle” inward. You can do this anywhere and at any time.

And when you have the luxury of time, snuggle up under a blanket and just be with yourself for a few moments, without the distraction of the TV or a book. Close your eyes and look within. Invite all of your energy to return to you, here and now. Allow your vitality to soak back your roots, until you are ready to sprout again.

Breathe · Relax · Smile.

Earlier this month, we lost our beloved cat Sherlock at the tender age of seven to kidney disease, which also took his sister, Shanti, just four years ago at age three. These losses are tough ones. Sherlock knew nothing but love. He would literally squeal with happiness to receive a belly rub or to play in the sheets as we made the bed. His daily presence in our lives and in our laps will be missed.

I’ve contemplated suffering this month–both Sherlock’s and my own. As I struggled to minimize his suffering, I was left to deal with mine. I found such great solace in my practice. I kept most of my teaching and client appointments throughout this ordeal, knowing that I could escape into Yoga, Qigong, or Reiki for just an hour. I mindfully practiced leaving “reality” outside of the room, and stepped into a different time and space where only the present moment existed.

I don’t know why there is such suffering in this world. I don’t know why bad things happen to good people and creatures. I don’t know what death is and what it brings afterward. But I do know that our ancient healing practices offer comfort. I do know that moving and stretching the body brings relief. I do know that clearing the mind and the heart, even just for a short time, helps us to better deal with our lives.

Remember to return home to your practice in times of challenge. Leave life behind for just an hour, setting “reality” outside the door and entering a different realm. When you let it all go, even for a limited time, you have created a space in which to heal.

Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.
May all beings everywhere be happy and free.

Happy Autumn! With the Autumnal Equinox this past Wednesday, we now move into the Metal phase of the year. According to Chinese Medicine, where our health and well-being is influenced by our deep connection to nature and its rhythms, this is the time of year to begin to wind down, get organized, and strengthen ourselves for the upcoming winter. Metal represents structure and clarity. The meridians (the body’s energy pathways) associated with the metal phase are the lung and large intestines, which pass through the organs themselves and continue through the arms, thumbs, and index fingers. The lungs and the large intestines are detoxifying organs, so this is a time for cleansing and simplifying.

You may be inspired during this season to rid yourself of excess. Did you allow anything to grow out of control, like vines gone wild, during the vibrancy of summer? Are you overindulging in food? Is your schedule overloaded? Is your mind cluttered or your heart burdened? Yes, yes, and yes??? Choose one place to begin and clear away what is no longer serving you.

The catch phrase for this season is, “Let go!” Invite clarity into your daily routine, your diet, and your heart and mind. Ridding ourselves of excess allows us to feel spacious and strong. Qi flows more freely in a spacious body, mind, home, and lifestyle. Step outside and breathe the fresh air deep into your lungs. Let go. Allow less to be more.

Deep riches await in the empty spaces.

We are nearing the Autumnal Equinox, which occurs this year on Wednesday, September 22, at 8:09pm Pacific time. In the ten days or so before the shift, we experience the Earth phase of year, according to Chinese cosmology. Earth represents energy that is centered, balanced, and stable–not moving in any direction. For plants, it is a time of ripening, when the growth phase ends and richness unfolds. For humans, it is a time to ground and re-group. We’ve enjoyed the bounty of summer and sharing with others. Now it is time to come home to your body and to the Earth.

The Equinox, which we experience twice a year in March and September, is a single moment in time when the sun is directly in line with the equator, and the lengths of day and night are approximately equal. This stillpoint is observed in many cultures as a time to honor balance.

So you might take a moment to think about what has shifted out of balance in your life. Are you giving too much energy toward something or not enough energy toward another? Have you tilted off your axis? To restore balance and harmony, what can you release from your life? What would you like to bring into your life? What can you do to feel more centered and balanced?

Take time over these next few weeks to pause, ground, and listen. Nourish yourself with moments of stillness. Just be, and allow space for an organic realignment of body, heartmind, and spirit. No effort. Just pause.

May you enjoy even just a glimpse of that stillpoint every day.

Many of you have asked about the Red Dragonfly story I shared with you earlier. Yes, he is still visiting daily for the past six or seven weeks now, except on the days when it is foggy. He likes to come out when the sun is warmest, because that’s when the bugs he eats emerge. I have learned so much about dragonflies by watching his behavior. He is a male, as the females are not as bright red. And he bravely defends his territory, chasing other males out of his jurisdiction. I have not had the opportunity to pet him since the time I took the video Red Dragonfly Loves Music, as he seems to be more on the move these days, hunting bugs and rarely sitting. But he still visits daily and likes to dive bomb me, sometimes hovering in front of my nose or landing on my finger. And he still loves music, though he visits whether or not music is playing. I look forward to my visit with him each day. I’ve learned to pause and observe these precious moments.

For two sunny days this past week, however, Red Dragonfly did not show. I was so sad, thinking his lifespan had run its course. So on the third day, I sat in meditation and asked him to visit me, whether he was still in his dragonfly form or some other form. And within 15 minutes, he swooped just two inches in front of my eyes, flew around me once or twice, and then dashed over the fence. I think his hunting ground has changed, but he’s still stopping in each day now to say hello.

But I have an even more spectacular second chapter to this story. My Mom lives in Texas, and in our 40 years in Texas, we never once saw a red dragonfly. There are blue ones and brown ones, and petite blue-green damselflies galore. Mom deals with a number of chronic health issues and was one day feeling down about her continual struggle to feel good. So she sat in meditation and proclaimed to the universe that she was so tired of her BROKEN body. She asked for a sign–some reassurance–that she would again one day be able to not only walk or run with ease, but to FLY. Within the next fifteen minutes, she walked out to the mailbox, and when she came back to her doorstep, something that looked like a red leaf was on her door mat. In fact, she thinks she stepped on part of it. She bent down for a closer look and–you guessed it–it was a Red Dragonfly! It had only three wings and it looked to be hobbling–a BROKEN body. She wasn’t sure if she injured him or if he was just limping along because it was missing a wing. So she picked him up gently on a paper towel, so as not to hurt him, and placed him in the outstretched hands of a statue of St. Francis (the patron saint of animals) that she keeps by her front door. She begged St. Francis to help this little creature. Crying, she could barely stand to watch, so she went inside and peered through the window. And soon after, the dragonfly fluttered its wings, and fluttered a bit more and a bit more. And then she watched it FLY straight up and away, never to be seen again.

Now, you tell me that all the energy of the universe is not interconnected. Not only did this sign appear to reassure my Mom, but it appeared in the form of a Red Dragonfly–just like this marvelous creature who’s become my friend.

I remain…simply amazed.

I’d like to share with you an experience I find inspiring and amazing. I am continually thrilled at the plethora of creatures that meander through my backyard. We live on Santa Rosa Creek, and therefore our yard has become a traffic pattern of cats, deer, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, wild turkeys, bitterns, egrets, robins, butterflies, and many more. These tame creatures often allow us to stand just feet away from them.

But none has captured my attention as much as this one red dragonfly who, I’ve discovered, loves music. I was sitting outside after lunch one day, playing my Native American flute, when a bright red dragonfly hovered in front of me and appeared to be listening. Whenever I stopped playing, he/she would zoom right in front of my face, as if to ask for more. This went on for half an hour.

Even more remarkable, the dragonfly returns to the same place in my yard each day at the same time–just after lunch–waiting for a concert. If I don’t have my flute in hand, the dragonfly is just as happy with flute music played from my laptop. He/she will fly or sit close by and enjoy, sometimes even lighting on my finger. Perhaps any music will do. Maybe the dragonfly would just as easily enjoy Metallica. I haven’t tried it. The flute feels right for now.

We talk so much about universal energy in my classes–how everything is vibration and all is one. When I sit with the music and the dragonfly, I feel warm and connected. It reminds me that I am the dragonfly and the music, and they are me.

So this summer, I invite you to “tune in” to the spectacular wonders of nature that may be waiting for you in your backyard. We simply have to stop and notice.
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My Red Dragonfly allowed me to video it sitting on my hand and petting it. Amazing!
Video