I hear so many people say they “can’t” meditate, or they don’t have the time to sit down and meditate.  Maybe taking short “qi” breaks to fully engage in the present moment is just enough to calm and focus the mind.  One of my quick meditative breaks happens each morning when I drink my matcha tea.  Before I drink my tea, I engage my senses by finding a patch of grass out front and standing in the early morning sun, allowing my body to soak up the healing early morning rays.  My special matcha bowl is actually a handmade soup bowl I purchased during one of the yearly ..read more

THE ENERGY (chi) OF THOUGHTS AND WORDS   We all know that thoughts and words are energy and can greatly impact our lives and the lives of those around us.  Lately my meditation has made me more aware of my choice of those thoughts and words and exactly what message I want to send out to the universe.  The recent march that took place all around the world is a wonderful example of how we can choose our words to impact change.  We can choose to keep ourselves in the fear “what if” state, or we can choose to enter a yes “what if” state.  I remember reading once that durin ..read more

When our children were young, we began using unbreakable plastic plates and cups and even paper plates.  For some reason, we never got back to using the good plates and silverware and glasses.  As I was cleaning out cabinets and admiring the “good” china just sitting there waiting to be used, I thought, “what am I waiting for”?  Am I waiting for a celebration or party or special guests to drop by?  The days of formal dining are long gone in our household, but does that make us any less important?  With just my husband and me, is it really so hard to hand wash a “specia ..read more

My morning routine is pretty much the same every day.  I hear my 5:00am chime (and smile) and then start moving through my day.  Usually, I do some stretching, self acupressure massage and meditation, followed by my qigong/taichi practice.  The length of this practice is determined by my teaching schedule for the day.   Predictably on Wednesdays I’m on the beach before sunrise, drawing and walking the labyrinth, practicing my qigong/taichi, and then leading a sunrise qigong class.  Predictable.  Each time I arrive at the beach in the dark, I look forward to perhap ..read more

The world renown Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, teaches a wonderful method of coming back to the present moment with the use of temple bells.  Every time you hear the bell, you stop talking, stop thinking and return to yourself, breathing in and out and smiling.  Whatever you are doing, you pause for a moment and just enjoy the breath and your surroundings.  He suggests maybe reciting something similar to this verse:     Listen, listen.     This wonderful sound brings me back to myself.   There are no temple bells near me, but I jus ..read more

What makes your heart sing?  A smile? A shared laugh?  A hug?  Or perhaps just a kind word or gesture.  A simple thank you.  In one of my recent qigong classes we were discussing how qigong is more than just an exercise, but also a way of living.  Qi (chi) is everywhere and everything.  We are connected to this wonderful chi, or energy, all around us.  As we were talking about sharing our energy, someone mentioned how lovingly her dogs responded to her personal touch and how those animals in turn made her heart sing.  What a perfect way of expressin ..read more

    Besides practicing my qigong at sunrise on the beach, drawing and walking a labyrinth is one of my favorite ways to start the day.    Making a labyrinth on the beach and then mindfully walking it is a wonderful way to connect with the energy around me. Just the act of drawing the labyrinth in the sand is therapeutic and grounding. Feeling the sand beneath my feet and the back and forth motion of the pattern I am drawing balances and calms my mind. When the labyrinth is finished, I take a brief moment to enjoy the simple beauty of it and its connection to its surrounding ..read more