May/June 2025
Qigong & Mindfulness Newsletter

Exploring the Magic Within

I received the following insights from one of my mentors in mindfulness, Sean Fargo, beginning with this passage from the book, "Into the Magic Shop":

"There are a lot of things in life we can’t control. But you can control your body and you can control your mind. That might not sound like a lot, but it’s very powerful. It can change everything."

Reading these words I think of all of us — walking the path of mindfulness, embracing the mysteries of life, and showing up again and again with presence, tenderness, and courage.

Fargo suggests, “This isn’t just about a book. It’s about us — and the quiet power we hold to create change, in our own life and in the lives of others.”

So I want to share a few lessons and practices from "Into The Magic Shop" that may serve as gentle reminders or fresh insights. Either way, I hope they support you.

1. Begin with the Body
Learn to relax every muscle in your body, one at a time. It sounds simple. But it’s profound.

Try this:

• Sit comfortably.

• Take 3 deep breaths.

• Bring awareness to your toes. Then your feet. Ankles. Legs. Keep going upward.

• With each breath out, relax that area completely.

When we relax the body, we create the conditions for the mind to settle and the heart to open.

"Breath and relaxation are the first steps toward taming the mind."

2. Think About Thinking
Become aware of the narrator in our head — the one always talking, judging, worrying.

You’re not that voice. You’re the one hearing it.

Practice tip: Sit in silence for a few minutes and just notice what the inner voice is saying. Then gently return to your breath. Do this again and again. No judgment. Just kindness.

""The voice in your head is more often wrong than right.
The freedom comes not in silencing the voice immediately — but in noticing that you don’t have to believe it."

3. Open the Heart
Connect with our heart, not just metaphorically, but as a center of wisdom and warmth.

Try this:

• Bring to mind someone you love.

• Place your hand on your heart.

• Breathe into that space and feel the warmth grow.

• Let it spread — to yourself, to others, to all beings.

"Compassion is born from understanding our own suffering and the suffering of those around us." — Thich Nhat Hanh

It’s not always easy to feel compassion when we’re hurting. But that’s exactly when it’s most healing.

4. Visualize with Intention
Visualize what we want as if it was already true. To feel it in the body. To hold it with love. And to release it with trust.

Try this:

• Relax your body.

• Calm your mind.

• Visualize something you want to create or experience — not from a place of lack, but from wholeness.

• Imagine it with all your senses. Feel it in your heart.

• Smile. Say thank you. And let it go.

"The trick is to believe in the magic — not just in your head, but in your heart."

5. Be Kind to Yourself Along the Way
This story is filled with relentless kindness. From others. From within. From the people who believe in us when we couldn’t believe in ourself.

So wherever you are in your journey — please know this: You are enough. You’re already doing the work. And the real magic is simply showing up with a full heart and an open mind.

"Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always."
 

I hope my local friends will consider joining me for some Willow Wisdom Qigong on May 16th (details below).

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Meanwhile, be well and spread your Light,

Sandy Salvo