EmoJing In MoShen

12/21/2025

A Season of Rest and Renewal

Unearth your natural rhythms,
move with the soft pulse of life.
Winter exhales with gentle breath,
a season of stillness,
a balm for the soul.

As the trees stand bare
and creatures retreat to hidden dens,
so too does the spirit crave
its own gentle hibernation.

Not idleness, but sacred pause,
a time to soften,
to breathe,
to mend what has worn thin,
to draw deeply from the wells of renewal.

In this stillness, we gather strength,
balance is restored
and the soul blooms anew,
rested,
replenished
and renewed.

~ 'A Season of Rest and Renewal' by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Wendy Andrew of Rivers in the Ocean

12/21/2025

Something to think about Magic and Mental Health

It is enough.

What we have to go under the tree and in the stockings will be enough. Nothing else will be purchased. No more products will be researched. No more product reviews will be read. I will delete the Amazon app. I will stay out of the stores as much as possible.

Every holiday event we are attending is already on the calendar. Nothing else will be added. No more traditions will be brainstormed and master minded. No more crafts will be Pinterest boarded.

We have enough. We are doing enough. We will eat food, and it will be enough. What we have will spark enough magic, make enough merry.
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It is enough.
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I relinquish my role as chief magic maker. I become a co-participant in magic instead.

Anything that doesn’t get done really isn’t that important. I refuse to work myself into a holiday frenzy, a mad dash, a final push. Whenever I feel it coming on, I will remember that the simplest things make the magic.

Now we give ourselves space to let the magic settle.

Now we give ourselves presence:

A hymn clunked out with one finger on the piano. A single candle lit in the darkness. A slow drive through any neighborhood to look for lights. A cup of hot cocoa and a cheery movie. A phone call to a friend.
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I will be the still, small figure in the middle of the whirling snow globe.

The magic will come. The magic is here. The magic of what IS will be enough.

~ Catherine Gray
Unsilenced Woman

Art by Amanda Clark
earthangelsarts

12/21/2025

🌑 WINTER SOLSTICE - 21 DECEMBER❄️
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On December 21, we enter Dongzhi 冬至, the Winter Solstice — the longest night of the year. In Taoist philosophy, this moment is a profound energetic turning point. While the outer world rests in darkness, the inner world begins its quiet renewal 🌙
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At Dongzhi, Yin energy reaches its deepest stillness, and from this stillness Yang is reborn — gently and invisibly, from within.
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Ancient Taoist masters taught that this day marks the true beginning of the inner year, when life force returns not from the sky, but from the body itself — from the kidneys, the heart, and the deep reservoirs of Chi.
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As Master Mantak Chia teaches: “At the Winter Solstice, life force turns inward to renew itself. This is where true cultivation begins.” 💬
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☯️ Winter Solstice Taoist Practice
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Small Heavenly Orbit (Microcosmic Orbit)
This classic Taoist meditation is traditionally practiced during Dongzhi to support energy circulation, warm the internal organs, and awaken inner light ✨
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Begin by sitting comfortably with an upright spine. Gently touch the tongue to the upper palate to connect the energy circuit. Smile inward.
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Place both palms over the navel and breathe slowly into the lower abdomen, feeling warmth gather in the Lower Tan Tien, the primary center of Chi.
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With each inhalation, guide the energy upward along the spine — from the perineum through the sacrum to the crown.
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With each exhalation, allow the energy to flow down the front of the body, passing the throat, heart, and solar plexus, returning to the navel.
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Move slowly and without force, as if riding a soft wave of light 🌊
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After 6–9 rounds, rest your awareness in stillness and feel the quiet rebirth of Yang within Yin 🌕
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☯️ Continue Your Winter Cultivation with Master Chia
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If you feel called to deepen your Taoist practice during this powerful season, you are warmly invited to continue your journey at Master Chia’s Winter Classes on January 8 - February 3, 2026
⠀Join Live Online👉🏻 https://www.mantakchia.com/event/winter-retreat-2026-online/?utm_source=facebook
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May this Winter Solstice return light to your body, warmth to your heart, and clarity to your path🙏

12/21/2025

This is worth the read! Thank you for sharing your gifts

Food for Thought…

Relationships are a really big challenge for most people at some time in their lives… How to start them… How to keep them alive… And How and when to end them…

This has been a common question I have received over the years… and one I have had a time or two during my long time here on earth…

Today, we focus on when is the time and how should I end this relationship?

Like most things in life, Daoism has some insight in this area…

Thinking from core Daoist ideas (Dao/Way, wu-wei, ziran/naturalness, non-attachment)… ending a relationship is not “failure” to be resisted but a change in the natural course of things…

The question, then, is whether the relationship still expresses harmony with the Way or whether it has become a source of persistent disharmony, suffering, or blocked growth…

Below are practical signs, guiding principles, and concrete steps that follow Daoist wisdom…

When it’s time to end a relationship… some key points to consider…

- Loss of harmony over time… the relationship more often produces tension, anxiety, or exhaustion than ease, generosity, and mutual flourishing…

- Repeated harmful patterns… the same damaging behaviors or violations (trust, boundaries, respect) recur despite attempts to address them…

- Stagnation or blocked growth… one or both people cannot grow or practice their deepest values while remaining in the relationship…

- Fundamental, irreconcilable differences in core values or life direction that make honest partnership impossible…

- Safety threatened… physical, emotional, sexual, or financial abuse… when safety is at risk, ending the relationship urgently is often required…

- One person is unwilling or unable to engage in honest change or mutual care over time…

Daoist principles for how to end it when it is time…

- Wu-wei (effortless action)… act without force or grandiosity… Aim for clarity and simplicity rather than drama or aggressive control…

- Non-attachment… let go of clinging to outcomes and identities (“we must stay together”) while being fully present in the moment of transition…

- Compassion and naturalness (ziran)… be truthful but kind… allow the separation to unfold naturally instead of forcing a contrived final scene…

- Balance yin and yang… be gentle (yin) but firm (yang)… Tenderness does not mean passivity, and firmness does not mean cruelty…

- Integrity… align words and actions… be responsible for your role without blaming or punishing…

Concrete steps (practical, Daoist-informed)…

1. Internal check (listen to the Dao within)…
- Pause, quiet the mind, notice bodily responses and recurring thoughts…
- Ask… Am I staying out of fear, habit, guilt, or true mutual flourishing?

2. Try repair with wu-wei…
- If both are willing, bring needs and patterns into gentle, honest conversation…
- Offer specific changes, ask for specific responses, set time-limited experiments (e.g., three months of agreed changes)…

3. Decide and plan with clarity…
- If harm continues or repair fails, decide without drama… Prepare practical matters (living arrangements, finances, children, safety)…
- Seek support… trusted friends, counseling, legal or safety resources if needed…

4. End with simplicity and compassion…
- Speak plainly… say what you feel and need without blame (“I feel…, I need…, I see that we…”)…
- Keep the conversation focused and brief if emotions run high… Avoid prolonged debates meant to win…
- Offer closure rather than ambiguous limbo…. If you can, allow space for the other person’s feelings without being drawn into guilt or manipulation…

Suggested phrasing (calm and direct)…

- “I’ve reflected deeply and I see this relationship is no longer healthy for me… I think it’s best we separate.”

- “I’m grateful for what we had, but our paths are different now and I need to step away to be true to myself.”

- If safety is an issue… “I need to leave now for my safety… I will get help and contact [trusted person].”

Aftercare and letting go…

- Practice letting-go rituals… meditate, sit quietly in nature, journal impressions, or perform a small symbolic release (write and burn a note, if safe)…

- Allow grief without clinging… true Daoist acceptance acknowledges sadness while not trapping you in it…

- Reconnect with daily, simple practices (breathwork, walking, mindfulness) to restore rootedness…

- Learn from the change… notice what the relationship taught you and what you’ll carry forward without clinging…

If there is abuse or danger…

- Prioritize immediate safety…. Daoist compassion supports decisive, protective action…

- Contact local support services, shelters, medical help, or legal authorities as needed…

- Arrange an exit plan and don’t try to reason with a person whose behavior is dangerous…

Summary…

From a Daoist perspective, end a relationship when it persistently disrupts your harmony or safety, or when mutual growth is impossible…

Do so guided by wu-wei (act without force), non-attachment, and compassion… be clear, honest, simple, and kind… prepare practically… and practice letting go and inner care afterward…

I hope that none of you need to face this in the future… but most of you will at some times in your life…

Follow the path of WuWei and this situation will be less stressful and more empowering for both parties…

All the Best!

H Perry Curtis, Master at Pampamisayoc Qigong

11/27/2025

The Calm Within

When everything around you
feels agitated or unsettled,
finding peace within
can seem impossible,
like trying to hold still water
in trembling hands.

Yet in the quiet
beneath the surface
of all that unrest
lives a small, steady pulse
that belongs only to you.

It doesn’t ask the world
to calm itself,
only that you turn inward
long enough to hear it.

Peace isn’t always a revelation,
sometimes it’s the simple act
of breathing through the storm,
loosening your grip
on what you cannot control,
trusting the turbulence
to pass in its own time.

And in that soft inner space,
however fleeting,
you discover that calm
is not bestowed by circumstance
but grown within you,
even in the heart of chaos.

~ 'The Calm Within' by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art 'Peace in the Midst' by Janice VanCronkhite

11/07/2025

Thank you to all that participated in the morning gratitude QiGong class. The best quote I heard was “ I would rather be a w**d than a hot house flower.”
I absolutely love that 🎋
It’s very important to understand the freedom that comes with being referred to as a “w**d” and able to express yourself and not match everyone’s expectations. The lifecycle of a Hothouse flower is determined by someone else in strict, yet fragile conditions. That’s too confining for most of us..
The plants in this photo are just w**ds, but yet they have beautiful white small blossoms in the summer that provide the black bees with nourishment and in the fall, they delight me with a different color display each day
🍂
Throughout November we’re focusing on gratitude with lots of self-care and appreciation for where we are at the moment, in our bodies, in our relationships, in our professions, and in our reflection in the mirror.🌻. What has come up in many of the QiGong friends is anxiety, and concern for the upcoming holiday season. How the die was cast in the family or origin, their roles in the family somehow solidified at birth. I’m glad to be able to help people establish boundaries, clear out old grief and childhood traumas that have been stored in their body. Remain open to beautiful, joyful experiences, And to learn how to set themselves free from high functioning, codependency that may exist in their families of origin.
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I hope you’ll join me in this months QiGong practices to help provide a reset for yourcentral nervous system, provide flexibility, grounding, and balance. It’s a perfect time to restore harmony within your mind, body and spirit.🌺

10/24/2025

I love these words by Simple yet profound… as is and the essence of and the .
🌺

10/09/2025

At first glance, slow-moving practices like taijiquan and qigong might seem easier than fast-paced exercise, but many practitioners quickly discover that they can be surprisingly demanding. The difficulty lies in the combination of physical control, structural alignment, and internal awareness required.

Read more at: www.qi-journal.com/3464

10/06/2025

Happy Monday

10/05/2025

Know Your Worth

09/10/2025

Just like the body keep the score of past injuries, diseases and traumas
So does the soul and spirit keep a record of your powerful ancestral lineage! We are never alone and only need to tap back for guidance and wisdom from above 🌻

09/03/2025

got it right!
Practice with me… let me show you a better way to get through your day