Poetry in Transition Summer is a unique season in Qigong theory because it’s actually two seasons—Early Summer represented by the Fire Element energy and Late Summer represented by Earth Element energy. And while all seasons have a natural flow into each other, the transition of Fire to Earth Element can be tricky. I find the best way to explain the transition from…
Tigers and Dragons and Turtles, oh my! In my last newsletter I talked about the energy of the Five Elements — Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, Earth. In this newsletter, I’d like to introduce you to the Five Element spirits.But before I begin, a few words to put you at ease. This is an exercise in storytelling intended to help you…
Beware the extemes. It’s about this time every year that I start to feel bad. Everyone has their own Way, and my Way is NOT heat! So as I’m sitting in the sauna, or breaking personal records in my workouts, or pulling multiple late-nights for work this week, it should be no surprise I’m daydreaming about swimming, or going through…
Learn Your Way. Live Your Way. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it ten thousand times—-Everyone has their own Way. Summer is always where I learn this lesson again with almost every conversation I have. It seems, there are ten thousand ways to thrive during Summer. For example: Maybe you embrace the heat, make it a priority to…
Yin & Yang in Flight I was sitting in my favorite spot in all of Dayton watching the sun sink behind a row of trees when something caught my eye. A flash of white among the greenery. I focused and peered harder in that direction but was distracted by a flash of black against the blue sky out of the…
Sun Stands Still When my daughters were young, I didn’t have a lot of money, but I wanted to make sure they knew money wasn’t responsible for enjoying life. There was amazing stuff going on around us for free all the time! And one of those things was as simple as watching the sky — specifically the Sun, the Moon,…
Dealing with Difficult Emotions I know death can be a difficult topic, but death is a part of the natural life cycle. Pain is a part of the natural life cycle. Grief is a part of the natural life cycle. When we can feel, experience and be with the difficult parts of the natural life cycle, we become better acquainted…
You ARE Nature Spring Wood Element Qigong sessions have begun! And in our first class at Carriage Hill (this past Saturday), a muskrat came out to watch us transform our Winter Water Energy (because it was chilly) into Spring Wood Energy. This is actually a pretty common occurrence for Qigong practices — Nature tuning in as we tune into our own…
Y A W N ! I saw my first Red Wing Blackbird last week, and my first Robin, and my first Groundhog. But I knew Spring was coming because I’ve had an overwhelming need to begin lengthening and strengthening. So when the afternoons were sunny and warm, I went outside and stretched. And stretched. And stretched. Before I knew it,…
Circadian Health n my life-long quest to learn about living connected to Nature, there is one place where it happened for me with “effortless ease” — Iceland. That’s right, Iceland — not in the Blue Zones or on retreats to Sonoma or the Outer Banks or Southern California. Why? Because there’s nothing there but Nature, and so there’s no choice but…