The Tao in its Many Forms

A strong wind blew through the night and into the morning. Now the leaves are fallen from the trees and the wind's presence is less obvious as it moves through the woods. First I hear it. Then I look upward into the sky to see treetops swishing and swaying, dipping and bowing.

Today's TCC morning practice was short. I told myself that I'd only rehearse the movements I love then I found myself going through the practice as usual. It's true that I do feel drawn to some movements more than others but the plain fact is this: This practice feels so wonderful to my body and soul that I'm happy whenever I practice whatever I practice. Period.

A student said something similar to me yesterday. She returned to class last week after being away from TCC practice for the past six months. "I could feel my body shift, change, and adjust when I first began to move," she said, "From the first movement of Rocking Motion I felt myself relax."

On Monday a library patron brought in two boxes of book donations. The majority of the books were writings about the Tao including some texts I own. There were many others: The Tao is Silent; The Tao of Inner Peace; Tao: The Watercourse Way; The Book of Balance and Harmony; Immortal Sisters: Secret Teachings of Taoist Women.

The books' owner told me that she'd compared and contrasted many translations of the Tao but had recently decided that she'd studied long enough to condense her collection down to one or two books. Since she was a serious student she'd written in many of the books which meant they could not be included in the library collection. When the library director offered me the opportunity to take my pick, I gratefully accepted. (I hope to pass some of these books onto my students.)

The library director commented after I surveyed the books: See what kind of energy you're already bringing into the library....