As I walked along Lake Hiawatha on the coldest of days, I saw the sunlight streaming through the clouds and had to capture its beauty.  

This reminds me of a quote posted at Tao Foods, a local eatery in Minneapolis.  The quote said, “It’s the beauty within us that makes it possible for us to recognize the beauty around us.  The question is not what you look at but what you see.  

​May we all be like the sun streaming through the clouds bringing forth our own great beauty.  Happy Winter Solstice tomorrow!

Emotions are strong after the 2024 Presidential election.  During this time I am reminded of a Chinese fable told by Alan Watts titled The Story of the Chinese Farmer.  It serves as a good reminder for me about letting go of what is a good or a bad event.    

Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate. They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.”

The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “Maybe.” 

The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “Maybe.”

​The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the neighbors came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe."

Recently I participated in a tai chi retreat with Master Bing of Wudang Mountain.  Master Bing taught us how to move like turtles in water while doing the turtle qigong form, and how to embody the fluidity and power of Chinese calligraphy.  

As a student, I became aware of how active my mind was trying to grasp the new movements.  When learning anything new I  rely on my mind to teach me.  The logical process is like putting pieces of a puzzle together.    

I came to realize that if I allowed myself to relax more, it would be easier for me to grasp the new learning.  Master Bing informed me that I don't need to do everything exactly how he does it.  His words freed me to rely on my years of tai chi experience.  I began to relax into the flow of the turtle qigong more.  It is okay if the tai chi pieces don't necessarily fit just one way.   

The original purpose for tai chi was as a martial or fighting discipline.  Within the tai chi form most of the movements can manifest as a martial application.  Even though I can see  possibilities of martial applications within my tai chi form, my training was in the meditative aspects of tai chi.

For example, when I do the "Backhand Slap" I can feel the hidden palm on my right side coming up and grabbing an opponent's fist that is coming towards me and then repulsing the opponent away with my left palm. 

However, my focus isn't on the martial aspect; instead, I focus on keeping a continuous flow from one posture into the next while breathing deeply and slowly.  I focus on relaxing my mind and body.  This approach is very calming which is why tai chi  is often called "fluid meditation" or "meditation in motion".  

Since tai chi is a movement practice we often find ourselves standing on one leg or shifting our weight from one leg onto the other leg.  This requires us to have good balance in order to stay upright and stable.  

As we age a common issue we notice is our declining sense of balance.  Tai chi has been studied with groups of seniors to see if tai chi can help them improve their balance.  The studies confirm that tai chi does help seniors with physical balance.  

The students who come to me, regardless of their age, improve their sense of balance by doing the tai chi form.  You can see in this photo how they must practice being on one leg and moving from a center of balance.  We can improve our balance at any age with tai chi.  

Tai chi and qigong are practices for calming my mind.  Here is a self-talk technique suggested by Marie Manuchehri who also teaches qigong.  When my mind needs to be redirected to a more positive mindset I ask myself, "What if?"  Instead of all the worrisome scenarios my mind can create, I imagine the hopeful outcomes.  What if I regain my vitality after being sick or injured?  What if everything turns out perfectly regardless of the hurdles in front of me?  I've come to realize that it takes energy to worry. Why not use that same energy to create positive scenarios?  Tai chi and qigong is about conserving and replenishing our energy.  Anything that follows this same purpose is a good thing to practice.  

Recently I experienced a 3 week disruption in the regular flow of my life due to injuries sustained in a harsh fall.  Simultaneously I experienced a respiratory infection.  It was painful to move and the viral infection kept me in bed.  At that point all I could do was rest and wait for my body to heal.  

As my body began to heal I had more interest to try some qigong and tai chi.  I realized how quickly my body had weakened, and my vitality had diminished from lack of movement.  I needed to regain my energy, my flexibility, my muscle strength, coordination, balance and release tightness overall.  I knew that I did not have the strength to bike, to walk or do other physical activities, but I was able to do gentle movements and breathing of qigong and tai chi.  

Over a few days of doing qigong and tai chi movements, I felt more energy.  My bodily aches and tightness lessened, and I realized that all my talks about how tai chi and qigong can replenish our energy when we are depleted was true.  It wasn't just talk, but rather I experienced the benefits personally.  I am grateful for my practice of qigong and tai chi. 

One of my students introduced me to Dr. Yang's book The Root of Chinese Qigong.  According to Dr. Yang here is the history of Chinese Qigong.  Chinese Qigong started before 1122 BCE.  Little is known about this period.  

The Han dynasty (206 BCE) brought about the second period known as the religious Qigong era when Buddhism from India influenced the development of Qigong in China.  During the religious period Qigong was practiced by Buddhists and Daoists for religious purposes.  

The third Qigong era was during the Liang dynasty (502-557 CE) and saw the practice of Qigong used for martial purposes.  Many styles of martial Qigong were developed based on Buddhist and Taoist principles and theories.  

​The fourth period occurred after the overthrow of the Qing dynasty in 1911 until  current times.  

Chinese Qigong has continued to be influenced by Qigong practices from India, Japan and other countries.  In China the concept of internal energy or vital essence is referred to as Qi.  In India this life sustaining energy is known as Prana and in Japan as Ki.  Dr. Yang goes in-depth explaining the theory and practice of Qigong in this informative book.  

A spiritual friend of mine, Greg Leveille, in his book Tao Consciousness Before the Tao Te Ching and After Ramana tells the legend of the Dragon Gate from ancient China.  There is a high mountain where a waterfall descends.  Near the top of this mountain is the Dragon Gate.  It is said that carps who can swim up this waterfall and leap through the Dragon Gate, can transform into a magnificent yellow dragon and fly to the heavens.  Personally I envision the yellow dragon as a golden dragon since it is a symbol of an awaken state.  We all have the potential within to awaken to our magnificent nature.

This process of awakening to my own magnificence only comes when I can calm my mind and be in the present moment.  It isn't to be carried away with the currents of thoughts rushing through my mind.  That only depletes my energy and brings ill health.  One way that I can calm my mind and root myself in the present moment is through practicing my tai chi and qigong.  This brings me joy!  Sharing my practice with others also brings me joy.   

The organizers of World Tai Chi Day in Stillwater decided to honor the Year of the Dragon by bringing forth a dancing red dragon.  Red is the color for happiness.  Whenever we experience joy, we expand our energy and feel more alive.  Being in the moment with this red dragon and doing tai chi with others brought me so much joy!  Hopefully in the Year of the Dragon you can experience an abundance of joy and awaken to your own magnificence.

Yesterday I hung out with a group of 12 architects during an Employee Caregiver Event at Cuningham Group Architecture Inc.  We practiced doing qigong, which are gentle movements with slow breathing.  Qigong is beneficial during times when we feel energetically depleted, stressed and needing self-care.  Even this crazy winter of fluctuating temps can take a toll on our sense of well-being.  Hope everyone is practicing some form of self-care.