The Power Within

Oh, it's much more fun to practice T'ai Chi Chih when I feel good! Today's practice zoomed by as I listened to music and focused, as usual, on softness and flow.

It was a cold day today. To be honest, I didn't venture outside once. Instead I worked in the kitchen from dawn to dusk. I spent the day cooking vegetable stock, barley-seitan-kale stew, carrot-orange salad, black-eyed peas and collard greens, and squash stuffed with cranberry-orange filling. Mmmm. Delicious.

The weather report on the radio focused on sub-zero windchills (25-30 degrees below zero). When I checked weather.com I saw a prediction for 4-6 inches of snow. It's cold enough outside that the geese won't emerge from their little house and Frances keeps their heat lamp turned on full time.

It's wonderful to have time and space to stay home and not have to go out or drive anywhere. I don't feel like I'm missing anything as I have unending projects to complete at home.

In search of thought-provoking and inspiring reading I turned to The Little Zen Companion today and happened upon a piece by Gary Snyder entitled "Without":

the silence
of nature
within

the power within.
the power

without.

the path is whatever passes--no
end in itself.

the end is,
grace--ease--

healing,
not saving.

singing
the proof

the proof of the power within.

Ah, yes....