Dear First name / friend, 

 

As the Season of Spring has arrived, I invite us all to inquire within. What is still calling for our attention? What have we noticed internally and externally about this moment and time we are in? 

 

Recently, I have witnessed the transition of seasons from several west coast storms with the winds howling at a speed I have never experienced before. I recognize the weather patterns are more extreme and changing at a rapid rate.  As I observe the earthly winds, I witness myself and I ask… who am I in this moment… as I watch 

a world gone mad with humanity dangling from a fine thread. I am told the world has always been mad! Yet, after a harsh blow of the winds, nature remains so resilient.  

 

As I walked on the path through a redwood forest, I fell into the vulnerability of the moment and the preciousness of life. My heart quivered and tears shed as the truth of the cycle of life continues to reveal itself. I stood before an ancient relative over 1,200 years old. I looked up and immediately felt the presence of a super living being, and in this moment, the meaning of sovereignty was redefined for me. All I wanted to do was to fall on my knees and bow deeply. I felt my whole body gravitate to the earth and the immense power of this ancient one. I felt the blessing to share this moment with my beloved spouse and the youngest one in our family. 

 

My teacher has always been in the realm of a deep jungle or forest with the ancient ones… whether I fall onto the earth or just weep for a moment… truly awakening to what is sacred and precious in this life. In this moment, I felt life pulsing through my veins. I felt connected to the presence of living beings moving through me, understanding that there is no real separation between us. I am the earth, the wind, the water that sheds tears, and the fire in my heart and spirit… that calls upon the truth that we are all one in the same. 

     With gratitude,

 

In March 2024, I finished my first ever month-long Vipassana Retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in the land of the Coastal Miwok people. Prior to this month-long experience, I had accumulated over 90 days of in-person and online silent retreat practice dispersed over a decade. I realized that even with all these days and nights of experience, the longest period of retreat had not been longer than 8 days. So during each retreat, by the time I reached a place of deeper stillness, the teachers would already start preparing us for integration back into the “real world”. In this reflection, I heard a deep inner calling that a longer period of silence would benefit my growing practice. So when my Dharma Teacher and Beloved Spouse inquired about my interest to do a month-long retreat alongside them, I felt a multitude of emotions immediately - an intimidation, and then curiosity, and ultimately a sense of appreciation to have an opportunity to walk this spiritual path together.

 

Honestly, I embarked on this month-long journey not knowing if I could do it.  To meditate for twelve hours a day, thirty days in a row… it all felt really daunting. Fortunately, I received sound guidance on how to prepare beforehand which included defining my intentions for retreat, offering intentions for each sit, and letting go undue pressure on myself to get it perfect. My mantra simply became: step-by-step, moment-to-moment, and day-by-day. I was deeply grateful to be in the company of people I love on retreat as it provided a comfort to feel their presence in the meditation hall or dining room.  Deep unexpected wisdom came from having the support of nature, including our neighbors of deer, coyote, turkeys, geckos, ravens, and egrets, along with my ancestors, spirit guides, and the container of the sangha.

 

Throughout the experience, it was the solidity of the earth that held me. In this holding, the clarity of my intentions for this retreat expanded as my busy thinking mind slowed down and I came into the sweet nectar of stillness. My Equanimity Sit Spot, I called it, where I spent many hours in internal and external observation, illuminated an endless well of reflections. From the 5:00 am wake-up bell to 9:00 pm chanting, each moment offered a chance for self-care and practice, nourishing the meaningful insights within me. As a dear friend said to me, “A month-long retreat is a beautiful opportunity to learn about yourself in a deeper way” and I couldn’t agree more. This month-long retreat was a priceless gift that will continue to sprout new seeds of awakening and deeper ways of getting to know myself and how I can better care for others and the earth. 

 

 

T'ai Chi Chih is a grounding, empowering practice that gathers the chi - the life force energy - from the earth and circulates the chi in our bodies.  This moving meditation helps us embody and strengthen the heart qualities of friendliness, compassion, joy, and equanimity.  Practicing together, we create a profound synergy and an ever-deepening experience of interconnectedness.  These easy-to-learn accessible movements, practiced standing or seated, invite softness and continuity and can release tension, negativity, and stress.  No prior experience necessary to try these movements.  

 

 

Experiencing the five elements in your body deepens your relationship with them.  When the five elements of air, water, fire, earth and space unfold their mystery, the external experience of the elements now becomes internal.  

 

Each element resides in certain parts of your body. Using the Polarity theory which combines the Indian Chakra system from yoga with the elements in the body, we will connect the energetic circuit of the element.  As you balance the elements in your body, it will help balance your emotions, thoughts and actions associated with the element.  This movement video, focused on the earth element, is an invitation to step into a deeper relationship with the mineral within us.