Are you willing to be made nothing?

Twenty degree below zero temps began this glorious sunshine-filled day. By midafternoon temps now top 10 degrees and the sun still shines brightly.

During this morning's T'ai Chi Chih class practice I, again, focused on being instead of doing. It felt remarkably good. FACT: It's wonderfully refreshing to move without judgment, criticism, or evaluation. To simply move. Slow and free.

After practice our class discussed how it feels to practice TCC with this simple intention. One student mentioned that she read yesterday's blog and specifically focused on being rather than doing. It did feel different, she acknowledged.

Another student who is quite adept at being (you can see joy shining on her face while she moves) is coincidentally named Bea. We teased her that, given her name, she is predisposed to being or Bea-ing.

And, yes, we read and discussed the final 81st verse of the Tao Te Ching. Wayne Dyer calls this verse "Living without Accumulating" and he encourages his readers to "Reduce yourself down to zero or no-thing-ness." Then Dyer quotes D.H. Lawrence:

Are you willing to be sponged out,
        erased, cancelled,
          made nothing?
Are you willing to be made nothing?
      dipped into oblivion?
If not, you will never really change.

T'ai Chi Chih practice is truly about embracing change from one moment to the next, one practice to the next. Allowing instead than forcing. Flowing rather than starting and stopping. Letting go in place of holding on.

Now that we've completed one full circuit through the Tao Te Ching, we'll let go of it for the moment. Next week we begin to read and discuss Buddha's Brain. And then, who knows?

Inhabiting Our Own Being

As my health returns so, too, does my life of the mind. It's exciting to regain my ability to read, think, and contemplate ideas and philosophies once again.

Today I dived back into words and ideas with a vengeance. First, I reviewed Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, Verse 81. Indeed, after two to three years of studying this text verse by verse in one of my T'ai Chi Chih classes tomorrow is the day that we read and discuss the final verse of this classic text.

I realized this morning how much nicer it feels to be in my T'ai Chi Chih practice than it feels to do my practice. Being in the practice reminds me of what researcher and meditation instructor, Jon Kabat-Zinn, describes as mindfulness and heartfulness. Mindfulness, Kabat-Zinn, reminds us in an interview with Krista Tippett (aired on Being, January 27, 2011), is a way of being. Says Kabat-Zinn:

It means resting in a kind of awareness that is so stable that it's not thrown off by the comings and goings of events within the field of awareness.... So we actually haven't had that much experience in inhabiting our own being. It's kind of almost foreign territory.

I'd venture a guess that that is why T'ai Chi Chih practice feels so good. We drop into being and treat our practice (and, consequently, our lives) as if they truly mattered moment to moment. Those moments of attention and intention add meaning to our lives.

The past few days I've practiced my T'ai Chi Chih with the intention of being in the practice rather than merely doing the practice. It is a different experience somehow. For one, when I am in my practice I'm not judging, I'm sensing and experiencing. Also, when I choose not to do but simply be there is less effort on my part and more of a feeling of flow ... and freedom.

During this evening's practice my heart started to beat fast. I cut practice short, sat down, and brought attention into my heart area. Then I breathed, sent myself Reiki, and mentally slowed myself down into a quiet state of peace. Within a minute or two my heart rate returned to normal. Perhaps in those few minutes I truly was inhabiting my own being....

Move, Think & Live like Water

It's a cold, dark day with cooler temperatures set to arrive this evening. Weather reports indicate that tonight's low could be -20 with windchills down to 30 or 40 below zero.

It takes more energy to be out and about in such extreme temperatures, more energy to heat buildings, and more energy to keep one's body warm. Insulated pants and layers of fleece barely manage to cut the chill. But ... those of us who live in the north know just what to do. We keep on going (at least as long as our cars do).

Today's T'ai Chi Chih class was a semi-private affair with two students present. It's wonderful to occasionally teach a smaller class which allows more time to answer individual questions and address personal idiosyncrasies (we all have some of those now don't we?).

Today's discussion of the Tao focused on Verse 78, Living like Water (per Wayne Dyer). The verse begins:

Nothing in the world is softer
and weaker than water.
But for attacking the hard, the unyielding,
nothing can surpass it.
There is nothing like it.

The weak overcomes the strong;
the soft surpasses the hard.
In all the world, there is no one who does not know this,
but no one can master the practice.

And, yet, my friends, this is what we continue to practice with our daily T'ai Chi Chih rehearsals. Not only do we "go with the flow," shifting our weight and moving our hands and arms softly and smoothly--like water--but we also allow our minds to yield, letting go of rigid thought and habit patterns that no longer serve us.

One example of how TCC has helped me to gain the ability to let go of thoughts and expectations occurred last night as I prepared for today's class. I couldn't find a book from which I wished to make copies for class. I quickly realized that, in the past, I'd agonize and search endlessly for the missing book. Last night I easily switched to another version of the Tao, made copies, and let it go. Of course, as soon as I decided to use a different book, the desired book was found. No matter. My work was done....

Flexible Body, Bendable Mind

As I drove home from last night's TCC class evening temperatures hovered in the low 50s. During the night cooler breezes rushed through the region and, at present, under clear blue skies the temps linger in the low 40s.


It was a challenge to slow down this morning's TCC class practice. Students arrived late and an atmosphere of "rush, rush" pervaded the room. About half-way through calm and tranquility began to reign once again.

After practice we delved into Verse 76 of The Tao, "Living by Bending" (per Wayne Dyer). There are a multitude of ways in which this verse relates directly to our T'ai Chi Chih practice. As Dyer points out in his discussion of this verse (p. 361):

Lao-tzu asks us to change the way we look at the concept of strength by noticing how the most solid and durable things in the natural world tend to be soft, gentle, and even weak. If we see strength as being hard, inflexible, and unyielding, he invites us to change that perception. Life, according to Lao-tzu, is defined as soft and pliable.

This verse highlights an essential principle of T'ai Chi Chih practice. First, it applies literally in terms of how we hold our bodies--joints always have a slight bend in them and are never fully extended--which we notice most easily in our knees and elbows but which holds true for all of our joints. And it also applies to what Dyer calls "thought processes and behaviors" (p. 362).

When we loosen the tension in our bodies AND in our minds, we discover that our strength comes from being flexible and by bending not just our joints but also our unbendable attitudes and convictions. I'm convinced that this is a major reason why I feel so good when I practice TCC moving meditation. When my body and mind are flexible and at ease, I'm more open, accepting, and nonjudgmental of all that is. And that place of peace and acceptance is a wonderful spot to return to each and every day.

Demand Less ... Encourage More.

Dramatic blue-black clouds hung from the sky this morning as I drove to my Cornucopia T'ai Chi Chih class. I was greeted by the sight of waves crashing against the pier and splashing the air with their high-powered droplets as I rounded the curve into Corny.

When I parked, a flash of flurries rained down upon me. Short-lived, but memorable.

After a relatively peaceful practice I shared tidbits from Wednesday night's class discussion about circles and circularity with the AM class. Then we moved into The Tao, Verse 75. Wayne Dyer entitles this verse "Living by Demanding Little" while Ursula LeGuin calls it "Greed." Its words and message are short, simple and direct:

When taxes are too high,
people go hungry.
When the government is too intrusive,
people lose their spirit.

Act for people's benefit.
Trust them; leave them alone.

The timing for reading this verse was impeccable given the fact that midterm elections concluded Tuesday and, due to voter dissatisfaction with the state of our economy, a major shakeup occurred. There was no way around it ... the group had to talk about the outcome of the election.

It seemed important to discharge the energy; one student remarked afterward that she was glad we talked about what we thought and felt in order to realize that we weren't alone in our perspectives. Unfortunately, our country and political system appear to be so polarized that discussions result in "we" versus "they" and "them" versus "us" language.

I keep bringing the focus back to "me." What can I do to change myself? To become healthier and happier? To deal with a wide variety of people and situations with compassion and equanimity? To trust that the circling and cycling of the Tao, by necessity, must swing back and forth freely.

Dyer's distillation of this verse resulted in two key points: Don't overtax yourself. Trust those you're entrusted to lead. He encouraged readers to take a break from self-imposed pressures and excessive demands to allow ourselves plenty of time for pleasure and relaxation. In addition, he advised that the best way to lead is by demanding less of those we've responsible for and encouraging them more.

Here's what I extracted from Dyer's words: Demand less. Encourage more. Note: This applies to how you treat yourself as well as to how you treat others.

All is "One"derful

Wind ~, wind ~, and more ~ ~ ~ (wind). The drive to Cornucopia this morning was beautiful; yellow grasses and red dogwood branches glorified the ditches and yards with their dramatic colors.

Thankfully, rain no longer dripped from the sky. When I drove over the hill into Corny, I saw whitecaps on Lake Superior as they bounced from horizon to shore. There's a subtle sense of excitement in the air when the lake's waters dance and churn. And, though I drove right by, I could feel my energy rev up in an automatic response to the lake's frenetic call.

Once again, our class had an interesting conversation about Verse 74 of the Tao, "Living with No Fear of Death" (per Wayne Dyer). The verse begins:

If you realize that all things change,
there is nothing you will try to hold on to.
If you are not afraid of dying,
there is nothing you cannot achieve.

Dyer's distillation of the entire verse results in two main premises: Discontinue fearing your death. Examine the ways you kill (p. 353). Is it possible that T'ai Chi Chih practice helps us--its practitioners--to release ourselves into the inconstancy of life as we move from one form to the next, yinning and yanging through it all?

Perhaps part of the power of TCC practice is its ability to allow us to die to our ego. When we do so--even if it's simply for a few moments or minutes during our TCC practice--we can feel the Oneness, move as One, and be happy with this One moment we inhabit together ... Now.

Dyer quoted Neale Donald Walsch from his book, Communion with God at the end of this chapter. Walsch's Onederful words are a gift and an inspiration:

     Which snowflake is the most magnificent? Is it possible that they are all magnificent--and that, celebrating their magnificence together they create an awesome display? Then they melt into each other, and into the Oneness. Yet they never go away. They never disappear. They never cease to be. Simply, they change form. And not just once, but several times: from solid to liquid, from liquid to vapor, from the seen to the unseen, to rise again, and then again to return in new displays of breathtaking beauty and wonder. This is Life, nourishing Life.
     This is you.... For you are each wondrous indeed, yet no one more wondrous than another. And you all will one day melt into the Oneness, and know then that you form together a single stream.

Isn't that what T'ai Chi Chih teaches and reminds us? That we are all snowflakes, each one unique and different from the rest. When we gather our energies together and join in a group practice, we are invited to melt into that Oneness (it feels good). This is Life, nourishing Life.

Remember Not to Speak or Ask

There were moments in this morning's TCC class practice that felt magical, mysterious, and filled with peace. What a comfort it is to join with a group of silent TCC practitioners as we meld into the Chi.

Today's group discussion was on Verse 73 of the Tao. Wayne Dyer calls this verse "Living in Heaven's Net" and Ursula LeGuin entitles it "Daring to Do." Dyer distills Lao-tzu's advice down to two key points, one of which is this: Be an active listener. He explains:

     Rather than attempting to control others by speaking frequently and loudly, allow yourself to become an active listener. Many of the answers you seek (and the results you expect) from others will surface if you can remember not to speak or even ask. Try living in accord with nature, which listening--rather than pushing, striving, or demanding--will help you do.

T'ai Chi Chih practice encourages us to listen at the same time that it teaches us to appreciate silence. I am a lucky person, indeed, to teach this practice which, at its core, is about allowing, receiving, and listening to the world around you. It is a unique experience to be in a class where silence is a primary goal.

That being said, we live in a culture where silence is often feared or avoided. It can be uncomfortable. I'm reminded of my blog from October 19, 2010 "Oh, it's nothing ..." which described Peter Bregman's recent blog for the Harvard Business Review called Not Enough Time? Try Doing Nothing. The comments that followed the blog were every bit as interesting as the blog itself.

Rosemary Cairns commented that she learned a strategy from another facilitator at a conference in Minneapolis. It revolved around how to gain awareness of how much you speak and how well you listen. That facilitator lived in the South Pacific and worked with groups there that had a different perspective on silence compared to people from North America. Her method, she said, developed from Quaker thinking and involved giving each person in the group three toothpicks. Each time you chose to speak you threw down one of the toothpicks. Once your toothpicks were gone you could no longer speak.

After some of the members of this group at the Minneapolis conference used up their toothpicks they became quite uneasy. Soon they got up and left the group. Others in the group never used up their toothpicks. However, said the South Pacific facilitator, in her culture the group waits until all toothpicks are used before they finish the workshop and they often find that the last contributions provide a solution to the issue they're addressing.

During this election season we have unending opportunities to listen to political candidates who speak fast as they try to convey their perspectives and policies in one minute time slots. What, Rosemary Cairns asked, does this do to our thinking as a society when we feel like we're participating in a race with no time to absorb information?

T'ai Chi Chih practice, like other meditative practices, allows us time to absorb, cleanse, and clear the mind-body. When we enter into this peaceful practice on a regular basis, we may be surprised to discover that, as Wayne Dyer writes: Many of the answers you seek (and the results you expect from others) will surface if you can remember not to speak or even ask.

Living with Awe

I sunbathed my way through a high noon TCC practice today. It was lovely. Full sun, 75 degrees, a gentle breeze, several flitty, flightly birds, and me.

I'm grateful that my T'ai Chi Chih practice tempts me out of the house on these beautiful fall days. It's easy to get sidelined by inside chores and activities because that's where our technology resides: kitchen appliances, cleaning equipment, computer, telephone, DVD player, TV. When I venture out into nature, though, I'm captivated by the simplicity and wonder of nature.

In his interpretation of verse 72 of the Tao, "Living with Awe and Acceptance" (pp. 340-41), Wayne Dyer writes:

     The reason it's crucial to have a sense of awe is because it helps loosen the ego's hold on your thinking.... I love the metaphor of nature as a guide to sagelike acceptance. In fact, throughout the 81 verses, Lao-tzu emphasizes being in harmony with the natural world, telling you that's where you connect with the Tao.... Learn about the Tao by being in perfect harmony with the environment.

As I've written this blog over the past ten months I've become more tuned in to the subtle, seemingly minor occurrences that unfold around me. Incidences I may have previously ignored or missed now draw my attention and bring me tremendous joy. I feel intimately connected to the natural world surrounding me and can easily sense how it might feel to be a leaf floating from tree branch to earth or a bird hungrily pecking seeds from the feeder.

As Dyer recommends, I "try seeing the invisible Tao flowing through and supporting everyone and everything ... [and I] Live the mystery by beginning to perceive what average eyes fail to notice." These are gifts I've received from a regular T'ai Chi Chih practice and from my study of the Tao. And so ... I am blessed.

Happy Mind

Leaves fall with each heavy exhalation of air. They clatter and scatter themselves along driveways, roads, sidewalks, and decks. Treetops are balding, leaf piles are gathering, and each day I feel myself walking one step closer to winter.

This morning Frances and I took a walk in splendid sunshine. After work, then, I dived into my T'ai Chi Chih practice in the gathering darkness. I'm continuing to prepare for two advanced TCC class start-ups this week. Each time I practice I discover new ways to explain how to move using images and ideas that are easy for students to understand.

I'm re-reading and reviewing the Tao too. This week: Verse 71, "Living without Sickness" (per Wayne Dyer). Here's Stephen Mitchell's version of Lao Tzu's short and sweet verse:

Not-knowing is true knowledge.
Presuming to know is a disease.
First realize that you are sick;
then you can move toward health.

The Master is her own physician.
She has healed herself of all knowing.
Thus she is truly whole.

Dyer distills this verse down to two core messages: 1) have a happy mind and 2) examine your habits and really listen to and trust the messages from your body.

No question about it ... T'ai Chi Chih moving meditation practice helps me to cultivate a Tao-centered happy mind (Dyer, p. 337). When I dwell in that state of happiness, my body can rest in health, wellness, and happiness too. (Sometimes that is easier said than done but it is a worthy goal.)

Going Forward without Advancing ...

Breezy coolness today after a stretch of too-humid days. It was so breezy this morning that the wind tipped and tilted me several times during our outdoor TCC class practice. Remember the root.

Twelve students attended class, the largest group practice this session. There were moments when our silent, peaceful, and coordinated movements felt like they'd been designed by a master choreographer. Quiet joy pervaded our circle....

Wayne Dyer titled today's verse of the Tao te Ching (Verse 69), "Living without Enemies." Stephen Mitchell translates this verse as:

The generals have a saying:
'Rather than make the first move
it is better to wait and see.
Rather than advance an inch
it is better to retreat a yard.'

This is called
going forward without advancing,
pushing back without using weapons....

When two great forces oppose each other,
the victory will go
to the one that knows how to yield.

One student pointed out in today's discussion that we are constantly "going forward without advancing" in our TCC practice. In Push/Pull, for instance, we shift our weight to the forward foot at the same time that we press forward with both palms. We always leave some weight on the foot behind us and, though our hands extend out in front of us, our center (t'an tien) is located midway between our furthest forward point (our extended palms) and our rear foot. We can easily retreat, if need be, because we have gone forward without advancing.

T'ai Chi Chih practice reminds us of our unity as we flow into this dance of Oneness. Can you image fighting or battling when you're in the middle of your TCC practice? No. Why is this? Because you've taken yourself beyond polarities and merged yin with yang to create wholeness. Doesn't that feel better and more productive than making enemies, fighting endless battles, or being the victor?

Chi = Compassion and Cooperation

Our TCC class moved through another wonderful outdoor practice this morning. At one point it was so quiet--all I heard was the sound of several dogs barking in the distance--that it seemed as if time had stopped. How special it felt to dwell in that one timeless moment....

After practice we read and discussed Verse 68 of the Tao ("Living by Cooperating" per Wayne Dyer and "Heaven's Lead" per Ursula LeGuin). This verse is the shortest or one of the shortest verses in the Tao. LeGuin sums up its message in her final line: To follow heaven's lead has always been the best way.

Dyer explained:

The Tao Te Ching teaches that all of the 10,000 things emerge from the same state of nonbeing. Here there's only oneness, which implies complete collaboration, not competition. Who can there be to defeat if you see yourself in everyone?

How is this sense of oneness, of cooperation versus competition, reflected in our practice of TCC? For me, TCC is a dance with the Universe. When we move through the form, we engage in a joint effort to collaborate and unify our minds/bodies/spirits. The power of the Chi energy increases as we move in silent unity while we focus on rooting ourselves in earth and suspending ourselves from sky. As we feel our Onessness with all of nature, our hearts and minds expand beyond our single, solitary self into a space of compassion, cooperation, and non-competition.

The essence of our T'ai Chi Chih movement form is all about cooperation, sharing, and growing as One. First, though, we must be willing to relinquish the ego for the ultimate good of All.

The Three Treasures

I reread Verse 67 of the Tao today to prepare for tomorrow's T'ai Chi Chih class. Wayne Dyer titles this verse, "Living by the Three Treasures" which he articulates as: mercy (compassion, kindness, love), frugality (moderation or simplicity), and humility (not presuming to be above nature or ahead of others). As a longtime practitioner of TCC I believe that this practice opens a doorway and invites us to incorporate these treasures into our souls as we embody them through our practice of TCC.

Today, in fact, I was presented with the opportunity to model humility at the beginning of my practice. I positioned myself near the geese as they grazed along the driveway. Soon Lucy crossed the drive to stand close to me. Almost immediately her mate, Ander, walked over to intervene since he holds the position of male protector. Evidentally I was too close to Lucy and Ander made that fact evident through his body language; he started moving toward me with his beak extended and his neck shaking (a clear sign of aggression and his intent to nip).

Yes, it was intimidating! Still, I focused on my practice, on maintaining my sense of inner peace, and on not getting into a power struggle with this goose of ours. I ignored Ander even as I continued to be aware of his position and state of mind. Ander did eventually bend his head and lightly nip at my tennis shoe and ankle. I stepped calmly backward one complete step as I continued my practice.

Ander was satisfied. He'd succeeded in forcing me to move away slightly and that was all that was required. He returned to Lucy, turned his back to me, lay down in the grass, and settled himself. His eyes--just like Lucy's--closed gently and both geese rested as I continued on through my practice.

The geese are usually standoffish. It felt like a special moment to be able to observe Ander and Lucy close up as their lower eyelids closed and occasionally reopened. Soon I slowed down, let go, and joined my feathered friends in a shared state of deep relaxation. It was ducky (or should I say, goosey?)!

Live by Emulating the Sea

Our driveway desperately needs major care and attention after large portions of it flowed downstream with the rain yesterday. Unsure whether I could hold my TCC class outdoors this morning I walked carefully around the grassy yard of the Bell Town Hall to determine if it was waterlogged. Nope.

Hurrah! Our group joined together in a beautiful, sunny, breezy outdoor practice.

One class member arrived during the second half of the form as we performed Pulling Taffy Variation #1, Anchor Step. She told the group later that it was fun to see us move ... we looked beautiful. She also commented about today's reading of the Tao (Verse 66, "Living by Emulating the Sea,") that many people are drawn to the Bayfield Peninsula because of Lake Superior, our own inland sea. "It feels so peaceful and powerful," she said.

That, I replied, is how we also feel when we do our T'ai Chi Chih practice: peaceful and powerful. As we emulate water in our practice and in our lives we soften, flow, and release tension in our movements and we go with the flow in our life choices, decisions, and attitudes. When we maintain that feeling of flow, all is well.

Dyer's interpretation of the first line of this verse reads:

Why is the sea king of a hundred streams?
Because it lies below them.
Humility gives it its power.

His instructions and advice later in the chapter reiterate two key points: Be humble. Never put yourself above others or see yourself as superior to anyone.... Become a servant, not a dominator....

Many of us who live here on the Bayfield Peninsula are surrounded by watersheds, streams, and rivers that flow to Lake Superior. There is no question that Lake Superior contains a special power and beauty that draws us to her. We live in a location that allows us--perhaps more than others--to have insight into this verse of the Tao. To suspend the ego and release the need to control others, though, is an ongoing challenge.

T'ai Chi Chih practice is a gift and a tool that reminds us, teaches us, and encourages us to live by emulating the sea....

Being Here Now

We welcomed back several "summer people" to our TCC class this morning. The Bayfield penninsula draws many big lake/cool weather seekers during our beautiful summer months which means that every year I have students for my summer class who live elsewhere during the rest of the year (i.e., Sweden, the Chicago-area, Phoenix).

Today's indoor practice was energizing. By the end of practice I noticed a number of big smiles on faces around our circle as we performed the Healing Sounds. It felt fun, almost celebratory, to loudly whisper the sounds as we moved in unison.

After our tea break several students mentioned how much they looked forward to today's class because they knew it would help relieve their stress and return them to a more balanced state. One student told of his experience traveling across the country to visit his children. One morning his daughter asked him if he wanted to do yoga with her and, after they completed their practice, he asked if she wanted to do t'ai chi chih with him. What a wonderful bonding experience to share with family members!

Wayne Dyer calls the 64th verse of the Tao, "Living by Being Here Now." After I read this chapter I thought of these questions about TCC practice: Why do we practice TCC? What does it give us? How does it make us feel?

For me, one of the biggest benefits of TCC practice is the way in which it pulls me into the present moment. It feels wonderfully freeing to reside in the now where I'm removed from worries about tomorrow and released from regrets about the past. When I'm in the Now and connected to the Tao, I'm attuned to my innermost self ... and the living is easy.

Greatness in Little Things

It's a sunny mid-60s to low-70s afternoon following several consecutive days of consistent and sometimes torrential rain. I held this morning's T'ai Chi Chih class session outdoors (class 1 of 8). What a joy!

Our almost-silent TCC practice was full of bird song that one student claimed was much nicer to listen to than any of the music I normally play. I agreed.

The grassy earth where we practiced was soft, moist, and yielding underfoot. I assured students at the onset that they'd enjoy their practice on this supple surface; it's much easier to move on flexible earth than a dry dirt surface that is hard, rough, and rigid.

Our Tao discussion centered on Verse 63, "Living Without Difficulties" (per Wayne Dyer). Much of this verse reminds me of the practice of T'ai Chi Chih. "Practice nonaction. Work without doing." Does this sound familiar? Justin Stone reminds us often: Practice TCC using the effort of no effort.

The Tao continues: See simplicity in the complicated. Achieve greatness in little things. Again, I revisit TCC practice which may be viewed as a simple, uncomplicated movement form. The potential benefits it yields, however, are great: improved mental and physical health, expanded Chi flow, increased centeredness and focus, lowered stress, increased feelings of compassion, and an expanding sense of the Oneness of all things.

Ah, yes, through these 19 simple movements and one pose we discover greatness in little things (i.e., Rocking Motion, Bird Flaps its Wings, Around the Platter, Bass Drum, Passing Clouds ...).

Living the Low Life

It transformed into a beautiful day in late afternoon after a cool, windy start: temp around 50, sky clearing, sun bursts hitting deep forest and revealing an Emerald City (i.e., "The Wizard of Oz") or, more accurately, the Emerald Forest. The earth is pockmarked from raindrops that fell throughout the night and day yesterday. All is fresh.

This afternoon I listened to Here on Earth from Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) with host, Jean Feraca. It was broadcast live from the Pavilion in downtown Bayfield as part of the opening festivities for Bayfield in Bloom, a one month celebration of the season here in the north woods. I was delighted to hear chefs from Wild Rice Restaurant and the Rittenhouse Inn talk about their uses of locally gathered foods to highlight their menus: fiddlehead ferns, wild leeks, morel mushrooms, purslane, wild asparagus, lake trout and white fish, and more. I felt excited--and hungry--just listening to them describe favorite recipes and presentations.

Then I was up and moving to the beat of silent Chi. I practiced out on the porch with the kitten and dog sleeping quietly on the futon beside me. Their utter relaxation and still sleep were an inspiration to me as I shifted weight and carried balls of energy. Meanwhile a short-tailed chipmunk scurried around the side of the house and a bluejay flashed back and forth from tree to feeder.

After hearing WPR's Feraca describe the beauty of this area on-air I, once again, feel incredibly privileged and grateful to live here under the forest canopy. And, of course, Lake Superior is the source, the healing, spiritual entity that draws so many people to this area. I'm reminded of our reading of the Tao at yesterday's class, Verse 61, "Lying Low," by Ursula LeGuin:

The polity of greatness
runs downhill like a river to the sea,
joining with everything,
woman to everything.

Dyer describes this phenomenon in his book on the Tao, Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Mind. He encourages us to reevaluate our belief that it's important to "'get to the top,' 'stand out in the crowd,' 'be the best.'" Rather, he writes:

     Look at the ocean [or in my case, Lake Superior]: It's the most powerful force on the planet because it stays lower than the streams, which are necessarily and inescapably drawn to it. As the rivers flow downward to become one with it, the sea is able to be the great reservoir of all under heaven. This is what Lao-tzu refers to throughout the Tao Te Ching as the 'great Mother' or the 'feminine of the world.' That female energy, or yin, is the true receptor of all; by remaining quiet and still, it ultimately overcomes male (yang) efforts to subjugate and conquer.

I'll let Dyer have the final word here from his chapter Living by Remaining Low as I think his interpretation of the feminine/yin Chi is powerful and enlightening and, also, highly descriptive of a t'ai chi chih practice:

Reassess your personal view of what constitutes strength.
     Can you see power in humility, stillness, and remaining low and out of sight? In martial arts, the strongest conqueror is the one who uses the least force and converts the lunges of his opponent into his own might....
     By staying calm and under the radar, others will ultimately flow to you, joining with you in creating friendship and trust. As you stay in this yin, feminine, Divine Mother mode, you'll radiate energy and strength and win over others ...

The Tao in My Heart

38 degrees ... thick clouds and a feeling of anticipation in the air. More rain coming? It's hard to say but, for the moment, I feel weighed down as if a heavy cloak were draped over the heavens all the way to the edges of the sky. I've been cold all day ... just can't warm up.

This morning's T'ai Chi Chih class was small ... and powerful. Our quiet practice is a gift we share with ourselves and each other. I'm always in awe of students' willingness to be open and vulnerable as we move through the practice and then discuss the Tao.

Today we read and contemplated Verse 60. Wayne Dyer calls this verse/chapter: "Living with Immunity to Evil" and Ursula LeGuin titles it "Staying Put." Both versions begin similarly (quoting Dyer here):

Governing a large country
is like frying a small fish.
You spoil it with too much poking.

Dyer explains that the Tao isn't about destruction or visiting harm on anyone; rather, it gives sustaining energy to everyone, without exception (p. 287).

My reading of this verse leads me to this: You are immune to negativity by being Tao-centered. You are immune to negativity when you're in your TCC practice because you merge with the Tao. Stay in the midst of your practice in all that you do and say [I admit, easier said than done]. Return to your practice regularly to build/align/connect with the love, compassion, and peace of the Tao.

As Dyer reminds us in the last line of this chapter: Approach the universe with the Tao in your heart rather than reacting defensively [from ego] (p. 289).

Gather Spirit ... Be in Harmony

I look out an east window and the sky is darkly clouded, treetops circling and swaying from side to side. Hmmm. Looks like rain. I glance out a north window and the sky is lighter, the wind less pushy, the rain less sure. Perhaps, just perhaps, tonight will be the night for an all-encompassing thunderstorm. One can always hope....

Our morning TCC class was host to a good friend of one of the students. She's visiting from California and she courageously stepped into our practice circle and followed along. Even though Carry the Ball to the Side and the Taffies were a challenge she gamely continued through the practice to the end.

We engaged in a lively discussion of the Tao, Verse 59, afterwards. Wayne Dyer calls this verse "Living by Thrift and Moderation," and Ursula LeGuin calls her version, "Staying on the Way." LeGuin's verse begins: In looking after your life and following the way, gather spirit.

Dyer's verse begins: In governing people and serving nature, nothing surpasses thrift and moderation. Dyer goes on in this chapter to describe the importance of restraint, frugality, moderation, and thrift. He writes:

     Living in thrift and moderation means being in harmony with the world through your generous nature. Rather than continually prodding, directing, giving orders, setting down rules, and demanding obedience, it's important to be a leader who accumulates a warehouse full of virtue by living in accordance with the Tao.... Feel joyful knowing that the example you're modeling is helping others make the right choices, as this is the essence of Tao leadership.

Regular T'ai Chi Chih practice is important for many reasons not the least of which is the opportunity it provides us to gather spirit (per LeGuin) and to be in harmony with the world (per Dyer). One student commented that she views every movement in TCC as being about giving and receiving. When we view TCC in this way, we come to see our roles as TCC teachers and TCC students as knowing that the example you're modeling is helping others make the right choices (again, per Dyer).

What greater act of service can we give to the world?

Focus on the Unchanging Tao ...

A frosty morning (20 degrees) slowly warmed to 60 degrees then dropped back to 50. Elegant blue sky provided the perfect backdrop for greens and reds to burst from tree branches above; yellow daffodils and pink and blue lungwort blossomed out of the earth; and snatches of budding green tipped branches of bushes and small trees at every level in between. All life buds, flowers, leaves out, and grows....

This morning I heard an Eastern phoebe clinging to the top ledge of the kitchen window. Soon another phoebe flew to the south end of the house. It looked as if it were examining the entrance overhang to determine whether a nest could be built in the shelter of the patio doorway. Nest building is definitely at the top of someone's mind. Enroute to my morning TCC class I spotted three wild turkeys rushing up the hillside away from the edge of the highway.

Our small, quiet group practice felt powerful ... intense. At practice end, one of the class members with a painful injured back stepped into the center and we circled around her to direct our Healing Sounds to her body-mind-spirit. We sent another class member healing energies then closed by reading and discussing the Tao, Verse 58.

Wayne Dyer encouraged us to "focus on the unchanging Tao." I reminded the class:

T'ai chi chih allows us to be untroubled by either good or bad fortune. When we float on the energy of both, we are distracted by neither. We need both positive and negative energies in order to survive and thrive. One of the reasons that TCC practice feels so good is that in our practices as we step and shift, twist and turn, we remain in the center, calm, present, at ease ... focused on the unchanging Tao.

Allow Rather than Interfere

Yesterday's late afternoon/early evening rain leapfrogged us into spring. Today green buds burst from the treetops and ... naked branches are naked no more. This happens every year. Spring arrives in the middle of the night and at dawn we awaken to an entirely different world than the one we'd grown used to over intervening months.

Frances and I spied the meteor that whisked through our atmosphere last night. She noticed it first as she glanced out our south patio door. After I heard her quietly repeat Wow-Wow-Wow, I turned and looked too. It sped brightly by followed by a flash and thunderous sound. No. It wasn't thunder and lightning. But what was it? This morning's internet news answered that question.

Today's TCC class met in a different room in the basement of Bell Town Hall. Ten of us circled a steel pole in the center of the room and moved in harmony (sometimes more harmoniously than others, perhaps). One student mentioned that she liked the basement space because there were less distractions, fewer windows to look out, less to see. I enjoyed the feeling of intimacy and coziness as we stood closer together to fit the smaller space.

Verse 57 of the Tao stimulated much discussion of Wayne Dyer's chapter called "Living without Authoritarianism." Dyer distilled the message of this verse down to these four words: allow rather than interfere. That's the essence of t'ai chi chih practice, of course, as we relax-release-let go of muscle tension, strain, thoughts, distractions (all the things that potentially interfere with our practice) and allow the chi to flow.

Wow-Wow-Wow-Allow-Allow-Allow