"Go Outside and Play!"

This may seem like a strange title for a winter newsletter article from Wisconsin, but it sums up my focus for 2024 beautifully (and reminds me of these words coming from my mother’s mouth when I was a child).  In all honesty, I didn’t have to be told more than once and I was OUT THE DOOR, riding my bike, exploring the nearby woods and creek, heading to the pool or ice rink.

 

As John Muir put it, "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to stay in and places to pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike."

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I've been mentioning to my friends that I'm feeling drawn to taking my Qigong and Meditation practices outdoors, and how I want this to be my focus for the coming year.  I believe there is a strong magnetism between all living beings and the natural forces that surround us.  I have come to understand it as ‘Qi’, or lifeforce energy, always moving through, around and within us, connecting our spirits in ways we can only begin to understand.

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It's this mysterious wisdom that I feel called to

explore, by going outdoors and looking within.

 

Sometimes this takes the form of playfulness; sometimes it comes in the form of a physical challenge. And often I am simply drawn to be still and silent, to be present to what is showing up around and within me.

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So remember your mother’s words of wisdom and take yourself outside whenever possible, even in the colder weather.  Breathe deeply.  Let your bones feel the support of the earth and your spirit feel the calling of the stars! Allow yourself to be AWED, to be INSPIRED, to be CALLED HOME to your true self.

 

And please watch for opportunities to join me OUTDOORS this coming year, at a weekly Qigong practice by the lake, at a workshop at a local park, at our monthly Mindfulness Meditation drop-in group, or at a spiritual retreat with outdoor opportunities. The sky’s the limit!

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Don't forget to update your Zoom link for Monday Qigong at 9am.

 

May blessings abound for all of us in the year ahead,

Sandy Salvo

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P.S.  Two Mindfulness Meditation classes begin in the next several days - Have you taken the step to register?

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P.S.S. My word-of-the year for 2024 is:  Nature-inspired.

What's yours?

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