THINGS ARE CHANGING

I like February. I can feel the days getting longer, see my paperwhite bulbs growing faster, and despite some wintertime grumpiness and impatience, know that spring will be here soon. According to the Chinese seasonal calendar, which is divided into 24 segments rather than 4 like ours in the West, spring actually began on February 4! There are three more stages to go before the Chinese calendar marks the actual vernal equinox, but these briefer seasonal segments acknowledge that change happens gradually, in subtle increments. It’s a good example of the calming Taoist perspective: be here; take a breath; look around and notice what you see, what you feel. Things are changing, daylight is increasing, and winter is slowly transforming into spring. We’re changing, too. As long as we keep moving, and observing, and training ourselves to relax into the brilliant power of the present moment, we’ll keep the spring in our step. Sometimes it takes a bit of practice to remind ourselves of this fact. That’s why we practice Qigong together, right?