March/April 2026
Qigong & Mindfulness Newsletter

 Scroll to find details about:

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• Rgistration is OPEN: Transitions and New Beginnings Retreat

• Monday Qigong via Zoom continues at 9am Central Time using NEW 2026 Zoom link.

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• OUTDOOR Qigong will begin March 25th, 8:30am, weather permitting!

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• ​Eight Extraordinary Meridians: Part 2

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• Monthly Mindfulness Meditation at Harbor Wellness 11-11:30am March 25th and April 29th following weekly Qigong at 9:45am.

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• Sacred Thresholds - Monthly Drop-In Meditation at Holy Wisdon Monastery Guest House, 1st Monday of each month at 1PM.

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• Tai Chi Easy Practice Leader Training, Kripalu Retreat Center, April 5-10.

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Transformative Times

There are moments—maybe you’ve felt one recently—when something just feels off.  Life feels uncertain. Your path isn’t clear. Anxiety or fear may be lingering in your mind and heart.

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You know something needs to change, yet it’s hard to find the clarity or motivation to begin.

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Sages might call these times our wilderness season.

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Often, our bodies speak up first.

A stiff neck. Trouble sleeping. Digestive issues. A tight chest. Maybe even a new diagnosis that leaves your thoughts racing.

The good news?
We don’t have to wait until our bodies are screaming for attention. We can listen when they’re still whispering—like a loved one offering a gentle nudge.

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Sometimes what we need most is to step away. To pause. To break the cycle. To retreat for a short time and reset.

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A change of setting, space to let the “mud settle,” and time to reflect can open the door to fresh perspective and renewed energy.

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Gloria Anzaldua writes about a concept called “nepantla”, which comes from the indigenous Nahuatl people of central Mexico.  It captures a sense of being transformed in and by the wilderness.

She referred to it as a “state of in-between-ness, a liminal space where multiple realities simultaneously exist, and transformation can occur both within our individual journeys and our collective ones."

Nepantla encourages us to embrace the in-between for all we can learn and become in the process.

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She continues, “Wilderness times, like those of napantla, are painful and difficult, and most of us want to get out of them as quickly as we can. Yet to shortchange the process is to pry open a cocoon prematurely because we want the butterfly. All we’re going to find in there is goop, or a half-formed bug body with tiny useless wings.

The question is not what we need in order to get out of this wilderness, but rather, what do we need to inhabit the wilderness—for as long as it takes to complete our transition, our metamorphosis. You see, the wilderness is a season not a location. And like the healing of wounds, or the becoming of a butterfly, the wilderness journey is a process, not an event”.

If you are looking for support on your own journey, I warmly invite you to join us for our 4th Annual Weekend Retreat:

Transitions and New Beginnings
April 10–12 at St. Anthony Spirituality Center near Wausau

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This weekend is an opportunity to:

·         Rest and unwind

·         Reflect and gain clarity

·         Laugh and connect

·         Move gently

·         Explore creativity in a playful, supportive way

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Some participants return year after year, and it’s something I look forward to every spring.

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Consider coming with a friend—or invite someone who could really use a reset. Someone who deserves a weekend devoted entirely to their own well-being.

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I co-lead this retreat with Barb Bickford, and we would be truly honored to have you join us.

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Until then, keep listening to your body’s wisdom—and responding with kindness and gentleness.

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Wishing you a joyful and renewing spring,
Sandy Salvo