Lesson for the Day
By Arlene Faulk
Happy Fourth!
Stand and sit by a tree. Walk barefoot in the grass. Enjoy the sunset. Name two or things you are grateful for. That can fill your day and is enough.
Shimmering Leaves
Where I live in live in the midwest part of the United States, the trees and bushes continue to show us spring and new life, with small buds, leaves and blossoms. The tulips are up, standing erect with their tall with their slender green stems and some of the pansies are still smiling back at us.
In Tai Chi class we bring intention and attention to the present moment, to how we are standing and moving, to our alignment and our breathing. The Tai Chi Classics say that our internal energy, Qi, roots in the feet, transfers through the legs, is commanded by the waist, moves up the back, then through arms and flowers in the hands and fingers.
That’s like the trees. Think about all the work they do to bring up nutrients and energy from the earth, through their trunk and branches and flower at the tips, with leaves and blossoms. I start every class asking students to stand with legs and feet parallel, hip-width apart. We shift our weight slightly forward, then to the center, to the outside, inside of the feet, returning to center. We move in a small circular motion, visualizing our feet connected to the earth, feeling the energy and bringing it up through the entire body, flowering in the hands and fingers.
I love that image because we become like the trees, particularly at this time of year, when the leaves are new. The new leaves are a light green and have a shimmering quality. New life and a new season, nourishment and renewed energy.
Walking outside after class in downtown Chicago this week, right in front of me were city trees, with new leaves shimmering in the sunlight. Take a minute to really look at these trees. What a message they are giving us with new life, a new chapter and season. Let us pay attention and start a new season for ourselves, thinking about possibilities, a new way to move forward and nourish ourselves
Almost Spring
Exciting signs that spring is near — more sunlight in our days, little buds and leaves on the trees, a touch of warmer weather and lighter jackets on our backs. Yes, those of us who live in climates where winter seems to linger, anticipate and talk about the promise of spring. It is close at hand and we anticipate what is coming by paying attention when we’re outside by trees, near the soil with seedlings, listening to the joy of birds singing their springtime songs.
In Tai Chi class we often visualize rooting our legs and feet like a tree, feeling the rich soil filled with nutrients and energy. Like the trees and plants, we bring that earth energy up through our bodies to nourish and refresh us. We let go of tension, relax. We connect with the natural flow of nature and the universe.
Taking time to watch the growth and blossoming of the trees, bushes and flowers start to show their colors is a good antidote to all the negative news and turmoil that keep trying to monopolize our attention. Put the phone away the minute before you walk out the door and while you’re outside, notice. . . every living thing around you. Smile and say hello as you pass someone on the sidewalk. Stop to look at the trees in your neighborhood. Maybe you can say hello to them, too. They will answer soon with a glorious display of bright green leaves, beautiful blossoms, and when we pay attention, bring a smile to our face.
Photos from Chicago, West Des Moines, and Wilmette
Earth Energy
Weather has been volatile lately across the U.S., snow in Southern California, violent storms in the plains, record heat waves in the southeast. Mother Nature is saying pay attention to me. Take care of me. You need me.
We do pay attention in Tai Chi, bringing attention, then intention to how we’re standing, where our weight is, how we are connecting with the earth. We visualize standing on rich soil, with roots moving from the bottom of our feet deep into the earth. This “rooting” gives us stability, helps us bring up earth energy to nourish and invigorate us. Think about a tree, actively working right now to bring up energy throughout is trunk, getting ready to blossom with new buds and leaves.
The trees look bare, like nothing is happening, when in fact, a lot is happening. The Tai Chi classics state that with Tai Chi, energy comes up from the earth through the bottom of the feet, travels through the legs, is commanded by the waist, moves through arms and blossoms in the hands. We’re like the tree. The new leaves are the result of a coordinated effort from the tree, all parts working together. Just like the tree, our body is unified, working as a unit so our limbs are part of the whole, not working on their own.
Earth energy gives us life, sustains and nourishes us. Next time you look at a tree, say “thank you.”
Happy New Year!
