Never-ending

Just as quickly as summer peeked its head through a hole in the leaf-covered ground it quickly ducked itself down below again. Today's temperatures hovered in the 20s ... time to relocate buried long underwear. Skies opened to sunshine in late afternoon and, as evening falls, I'm aware of the air above me filling with buds, flowers, and leaves. Stark, naked branches are nowhere in sight.

I'm thrilled to experience how quickly and expertly my body heals itself. Joints that throbbed and ached after Sunday's canoe trip are quickly recovering; muscles, releasing and relaxing. Other than a few lingering bruises my body seems ready to get up and go.

This evening's practice slipped quickly by as I gazed out my office window. Funny. I don't feel inclined to practice outside in this weather now that I've experienced warmer, more comfortable temperatures.

I'm still thinking about my body as bellows while I move and I find that my waist-belly-t'an tien easily expands and contracts like a bellows filling and pushing out air as my weight moves forward and back and my legs straighten and bend, straighten and bend. It's gratifying to occasionally experience new realizations about practice. Truly, the learning process is never-ending or, dare I say, ending? Never.