The Five Elements: What is Earth 土?
In Taiji as well as in Xingyi, we pay attention to the 5 elements: metal, water, wood, fire, earth. They combine with the 8 directions to form the 13 postures of taiji. Among the elements,…
Staying Home
Today, so many of us are staying home and keeping away from others. Most of us aren't used to that. We're used to being out, meeting friends, sitting with family for Sunday dinners. Staying home,…
Don’t Fight Yourself
Being mindful is about being present, now. here. In this second. It’s also about turning down the noise. If you engage in “battle” to do this, you cannot succeed. Why not? Because you are fighting…
What we give away
What we give away merges into who we are. I just sent away some comic books from the 1960's. DC Comics. Superman. Batman. Legion of Super Heroes. Wonder Woman. Detective. And more.... They were mine.…
What is Qi (气)?
What is qi (气)? Literally, it means air. It also means breath, not the act of breathing (呼吸), the breath itself. But that's not quite accurate either. Qi is pervasive. Every living thing and some…
Trust Your Intuition
In practice and in basic self-defense, it's important to trust your intuition - about your surroundings, about your circumstances, about those you meet. When we are in a familiar place, we tend to not be…
Being fully present
We don't often think about being present, being fully present in this place at this time, now. Most of us are busy thinking about how to solve this or that problem at work, picking the…
Not Wanting
Buddhist teachings tell us that wanting is more of a problem than not having and 'not wanting' is the key to happiness. That is one of the most important points in learning to calm the…
Basic Practice: November 30, 2019
The weather Saturday morning was perfect for this time of year in Florida. Sunny and cool with a slight breeze. Ducks on the water. Fisherman on the pier. We spent some time on different stepping…
Landing in Shanghai 1990
I don't remember landing in Shanghai so much as landing in Hong Kong. 1990. The airport in Hong Kong was not on it's own island. We came through a multitude of tall buildings, 20 stories…