“To become learned, each day add something. To become enlightened, each day drop something.” Lao Tzu
Thank you Lao Tzu for another great treasure of wisdom. These words help me be present in the here and now, and gently ease my heart. During these times of so much uncertainty I’ve been fighting hard, resisting change and trying to hold back the tides, while standing on shifting ground, trying to maintain balance.
Great pressure can yield diamonds though and the gift for me is that I am increasingly stripped back to what is real in me and more essential in my life.
I’ve become acutely aware of how my tendency to be attached to what was, has prevented me from being fully present with what is.
While circumstances have indeed been worrying, I’ve found my ability to accept and let go simply makes things so much easier than labouring to hold on. Another layer peels off, my energy is released and I feel light and flowing again. Renewal becomes a possibility.
This doesn’t mean I’m invulnerable to feeling anxiety and grief at pending losses. But it does mean that, when I can keep my body moving, ground my energy and breathe deeply and fully, I am less contracted with fear, more resourced with strength and more able to swim fluidly in the shifting currents.
These benefits are why I so love the internal martial arts of Tai Chi, Qigong and Tao Spirit, and how they relax me, balance my emotions, and revitalise my spirit. Building, conserving and harmonising energy has sustained me during these challenging times. Being able to share these arts has supported a wonderful sense of connectedness and well-being. Thank you with all my heart to these great energy cultivation systems and to all Qi practitioners.