For me, Fall is a season of contemplation. Between the wilted flowers that are dropping their seeds, the trees offering magnificent colors, patterns, and textures, and animals being busy getting ready to leave for winter, Fall offers us many opportunities to put our senses to work and be curious observers. I never cease to be marveled at so much beauty.
I just came back from a few days at the wonderful Yellowstone National Park. Besides the splendors that the park has to offer, what stroke me was the people’s attitude. Everywhere in the park, on the different sites, people were respectful of others, walking slowly, mostly silently or they were whispering. I could feel the reverence in their gestures. I like to think that is what Nature does to us when we take the time to pay attention to Her. I like to think that when we take the time to observe and connect with Her, we feel whole again and don’t need to rush from one thing to another. And I believe that we don’t need to wait for a long vacation or travel to some special place to experience that sense of belonging to Nature. Stepping out in our backyard, going for a walk in our neighborhood, or discovering a new park in our community can bring the same feeling of awe. Try it.
From contemplation, I easily slip into appreciation. When I take the time to connect with everything that life offers, I can only appreciate and be grateful for the abundance I am surrounded with.
In the last Edition of this Newsletter, I talked about how the practice of letting go is an important one to find freedom and relief. As I was recently reflecting on my life and more precisely on my appreciation of life, I realized how closely the practice of letting go and appreciation are connected. When we let go of what is not needed anymore, we can appreciate more what is left, what we have. And, at the same time, if we practice letting go without discrimination, without bringing our mindful discernment into the process, then we can find ourselves getting rid of things or people in our life without realizing how helpful they were for us.
And, I can’t be appreciative of my life without thinking about my eventual death. I don’t know when, but I will die. We will all die. Just contemplating this idea is enough for me to bring even more appreciation for what lies in front of me. As Mary Oliver puts it:
“Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?”
Being appreciative, and content with what life offers me is a practice I try to do every day.
From this state of deep appreciation for life, there is just one step to inspiration. So, with autumn unfolding before my eyes, I was inspired to create. I was inspired to create room in my life for more time to take care of myself. I was inspired to create new habits that better support my priorities regarding my health. And, above all, I was inspired to create new programs to share my love for Qigong, mindful practices, health, and natural healing with you.
My inspiration is boundless. And so is my love for sharing the wisdom of Chinese Medicine and all the benefits that it brings to our life. I hope to see you soon in one of my classes or workshops and, please stay tuned as I plan to release other new programs in the next months.