POSITIVITY

I was mailing a package from my local post office here in “Cabbage Corners” last week when the post mistress surprised me with a question.  “What are you most grateful for from the past year?” she asked.   I was not at all prepared for a such a profound question but an answer came to me immediately. “I’m grateful I’ve been able to teach Qigong to so many people, and it’s still fun and going strong.” That spontaneous response surprised me a second time, when I realized it was absolutely true!  I’ve got a lot to be grateful for, and I love to teach people, but our Qigong classes have bloomed into something beyond my expectations. I look forward to them. They don’t feel like work. During each class we get to focus on and cultivate good, healing, uplifting energy. I need this as much as anyone. 

Last night’s New Year’s Eve had a bit of a shadow as my friends and I tip-toed around our fears about the state of the (fill in the blank).  The number 2024 itself has come to be associated with all sorts of potential trouble. I was happy to have recently read a newsletter from the Mayo Clinic entitled “Why it Pays to Cultivate Positivity”. Here’s a quote from it:

“Feeling happy doesn't just put a smile on your face. Researchers have found it can spur changes in your thought patterns, potentially making you more creative and a better problem-solver. When you're feeling good, you're able to draw connections more easily and you're more willing to try new things.”

That’s what we need now, right? Open-minded, creative, problem-solving skills! How cool and amazing that Qigong has focused on cultivating those qualities for centuries, along with all its other health promoting benefits.  The Taoists figured it out for us. And we get to practice it together. That’s a lot to be grateful for.

Here’s wishing you all a year of health, resilience, balance, and lots of good energy! Thank you for co-creating our Qigong group with me. I look forward to generating more good qi with you during the coming months, beginning tomorrow.