A letter for the New Year: 2021!

Dear LiveLoveChi Community,

Without tremendous pressure, a diamond will not form.  It is sometimes through challenges, pressures, suffering and adversity that we have the opportunity to more deeply recognize the core of who we are and choose anew how we live with respect to how we affect each other, all beings and the Earth. At times it can feel like we’ve all been thrown into a pressure-cooker, and so it is a welcome relief to engage in transformative practices that offer grounding, centering, clarity, peace, compassion and even… joy.

A unifying tenet amongst our holidays this season - whether we are celebrating the Winter Solstice, Christmas, or Hanukkah - is the return of light amidst the darkness, when the nights are the longest.  These celebrations remind us that in the darkest and longest of nights, we are able to more clearly recognize the brightness of our inner light. 

Ancient wisdom teachings (such as Qigong and shamanism) that have been passed down through generations convey how to cultivate, enhance, and trust our inner radiance during our trials. Transformative practices for quieting the mind, connecting to the heart, and opening to receive direct guidance all help to light one’s way. These time-honored traditions that foster unconditional love, compassion and authentic joy may help us face the night with more grace, equanimity, courage and fortitude.

Let's each become our own bright star in the “night” sky.  In 2021, I will share teachings with the community on how to turn up and radiate your inner light.  And speaking of light, did you see the planetary conjunction known as the “Christmas Star"?

I am wishing you love, light and joy as we begin the New Year!

Love

Love is the Light of Our Very Essence, the truth of our innermost presence.  Through the most challenging trials and the darkest of nights, it is love that often sees us through.  Our inner light never goes out. We cultivate awareness and enhancement of our unconditional non-personal love - our light -through our qigong, meditation, and journeying practices.

Suggested practice: What loving action can I do for myself right now?  It can be as simple as recognizing a physiological need to stretch, drink water or take a 5-minute break. Perhaps it would be helpful to call a friend or consciously inhale a few deep breaths.

If you want to go a bit further, you may consider what nurtures your essence. Whether it is taking a walk, resting, practicing qigong, journeying, meditating, dancing, journaling, listening to music, being in nature - take time to nurture your essence, your light. Practice self-care and self-love.

Light

The Light Returns.

The light returns. The longest night of the year has passed and now with every coming day, the light grows.  Winter solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah are all celebrations that honor the light within us and all around us. 

Ancestors share stories of resilience, endurance and hope as humanity has endured many difficult winters before. Through these individual and collective experiences, we recognize that we are not alone in our challenges and are able to more fully embrace our collective humanity.  Our light of compassion grows as we acknowledge our shared trials.  As the light increases, the darkness is dispelled within us and around us. We are then more able to offer our greatest gifts to the world. 

Suggested practice: Wherever you are in this journey – in the dark night of the soul or fully in the light, accepting what is – where you are – is key to moving forward. 

Joy

Whether we are experiencing our own personal or collective winter, this has been a season of challenges for so many.  Yet, there are moments of joy, and in fact, we are meant to live in joy.

"We are meant to live in joy," said the Archbishop Desmond Tutu. "This does not mean that life will be easy or painless. It means that we can turn our faces to the wind and accept that this is the storm we must pass through. We cannot succeed by denying what exists. The acceptance of reality is the only place from which change can begin."

What about those other emotions? None of us are able to go through life without experiencing grief, despair, sadness, anger, frustration, loneliness or fear. It is part of being human. It’s okay and often necessary to feel the depths of the emotion as it helps us to process pain and helps us to heal. The earth can’t forever be in summer. We can’t always be happy or joyful. We all go through seasons and storms. It’s natural. That being said, we don’t need to remain stuck in those emotions or let the emotions run our lives.

Emotion is simply energy + information.  If the information is judgment of the self (or others), worry, anger, or fear, then that will keep the energy in a more fixed state. If the information attached to the energy is compassion, equanimity, clarity, love, right action, or mindfulness, the energy is able to flow more freely. In LiveLoveChi practice, first we accept where we are and whatever information we are carrying (our own or others) and then instead of focusing on the information, we choose to focus on addressing the energy behind the emotion.

Suggested Practice: Sound Healing is one of the most powerful practices of Qigong that helps us to transform the most challenging conditions and emotions.  In one of my traditions, Zhineng Qigong, sound healing typically was not taught until the Qigong practitioner had spent 5 years in practice.  The grandmaster of that tradition, Dr. Pang, has asked that it be taught right away as he recognizes the intensity of the challenges that many are facing. With sound healing, we use our voice as a tuning fork for our organs and our body. By doing so, we transform blocked emotions or dis-ease into greater harmony.

This practice helps us to transform our emotions from sadness to compassion; grief to sympathy or deep knowing; frustration or judgment to clarity, courage and right action; worry to equanimity and centeredness; and fear/shock to cautiousness and mindfulness. Once we offer ourselves (and our cells) a new healing pattern and consistently practice, we can then rejoice in a different state of being!

Thank you so much for being a part of the LiveLoveChi community.  As we begin a New Year, may you rejoice in the light of your very essence and the truth of your presence: love. Let’s continue to see each other in our strength and our light. Here’s to an even brighter, lighter YOU in 2021!

With love, light and chi,

Michelle