April is a month of awakenings. The snow recedes, bit by bit, or goes away entirely and then comes back with force. But there is an assurance that spring will come, no matter what. Even in the north, where spring happens very slowly, we had a warm spell last week. Warm enough so that my first crocus appeared on the lawn, that the maple trees began to flower, that Star planted her peas (well, peas can take a lot). We were all so happy that the sun was out and that we could wear short sleeves that we forgot for a moment that 80 degrees in April is not healthy for the plants. It fools them into thinking, ok time to sprout out, but after the 80-degree days it’s back to the 20s and 30s at night. So, the flow of spring is long and complicated. It has its ups and downs, its warming and cooling, its beauty and its bleakness. It is a part of the cycle of the seasons, always changing, always flowing along.
In Qi Gong we do movements that are called flow. After doing movements that awaken and stretch the body, we settle into a flow state and, as we say, “let the Qi move us.” This Qi, or life force energy, surrounds us and when we are in the flow state we are aware of Qi. In my mind the Qi is like love, the substance that makes up the universe, the force that holds all things together. This love is sometimes buried deep and we can’t feel, see, taste or smell it, but it is always there. In John Philip Newell’s latest book, he talks about an early Celtic teacher, John Scotus Eriugena who “sees the divine as a subterranean river flowing though the body of the earth and through everything that has being. This sacred river runs also through you and through me. We can open to it now to be more fully alive.”
Such a beautiful statement - it brings me peace when I know that there is not much peace going on in the rest of the world. How do we cope with all the pain, disease, violence, threats and lies that are thrown at us? How do we awaken to the sacred that is all around? If you have any ideas let me know. Here are some of mine. Keep space, that means having some time away from everything, the news, the dishes, the office. Space allows me to have some breathing room. Remembering that I only have control of my reaction to things, not other people. Spending time with my anam cara, these are soul friends who listen deeply, who I am free to be vulnerable with. Go for a walk in nature or look out the window at nature. Nature can be so healing. And send light, love and healing prayers into the world like this one by John Philip:
Awake, O my soul,
to the flow of the divine deep within you.
Awake to it in every creature, in every woman, in every man.
It is our river of resurrection, the promise of new beginnings.
Awake, O my soul,
to the flow of the divine deep with you.
(Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul p. 95)
As spring continues to awaken in the Adirondacks, may we join this awakening energy, this life force, this Qi, and be a part of the cycle of new life that offers hope and healing.