Winter Water Poem

each line written by a different Lotus Group member
December 28, 2011

Solstice freedom to dive down deep into

waters of emotions and wisdom,

shining on each other as sun ripples

on ocean waves, illuminating all!

The warm tea rushes the body bringing warmth + health

Longer days – more solar rays – a sheet of ice begins to melt

Being in the “wobble” asks us to find balance

We are exactly who we are meant to be – celebrate what is.

A Limitless expression of truth

Moving inward, meandering through life going with the flow in gratitude

Be steady with Nature.

water has complete faith; fearless, deathless

accept the flow of life, like water accepts change, from liquid, gas, solid, yet always seeks level

do not push the river….go with the Flow!

Water will always find its way

the scent of a cold breeze wafts through the valley touching my nose

Breathe Like Water, Live Like Water

Water & Tao, Tao & Water

Healing Thoughts for Didi Lalita

Didi Lalita teaching at Ananda Dhira

Best wishes and thanks to our beloved teacher, Didi Lalita, as she continues a healing journey. May I suggest that you hold her well being in your meditations? Xie, xie.

Consider the Bristlecone Pine...

Older even than Lao Tsu, some of the world's oldest trees have stood for nearly 8000 years.  Bristlecone pines live at high altitude under harsh conditions.

I was reminded of their story, of all places, on a recent flight to Canada.  I read the story with wonder at the natural world, at the full spectrum of the Tao. And then realized that this story has meaning for us humans, too.

Bristlecones have engineered a longevity strategy that confounds human expectations...

The harsher the circumstances the longer the pines seem to live...Given ideal growing circumstances, the pines are shorter lived...

The more rugged the environment, the longer the bristlecone needles live, up to 30 years...

How do they do it? By growing very, very, very slowly...

In an incredibly bad year, bristlecones meet the imperative to grow or die by laying down an annual growth ring consisting of just one cell.

So, when you have the chance to move in super slow motion while practicing Tai Chi or to suspend the breath during the Ba Duan Jin, channel your inner bristlecone pine. Survive in the harshest climates and highest altitudes of life by moving slowly towards immortality.

And if you'd like to read the entire article and learn much more about bristlecone pines, click this link to read the digital edition of Alaska Airlines Magazine.

Balance Matters

Thanks to Rob Ferroggiaro for pointing out an article about Tai Chi in the November University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter.  The authors recommend Tai Chi for its "ability to improve balance and decrease falls in both healthy and ill people."  The article goes on to praise Tai Chi for:

"it's slow, balanced, low-impact movements done in sequence build confidence, coordination, muscle strength and all-around fitness."

But you knew that!  "Balance" is at the center of all we do at Body Balance.  And we are thrilled to be able to  share and transmit the ancient art of Tai Chi for health and wellness.