Becoming aware

Driving home on Friday a skein of geese took flight not twenty yards in front of me. I was at first startled by the sudden appearance, then marveled at the beauty of beating wings and frantic honking. This year I have become aware of the sheer number of geese. Cayuga Lake's southern shore has been covered in literally thousands—from a distance a dense smudge the width of the lake. In upstate New York, we see geese so often that it's easy to take them for granted. They are just so much part of the landscape that it's easy to ignore them. But for some reason, this year I have a heightened awareness of the geese, and the awareness accompanied by a sense of wonder and gratefulness has enriched my life. It's a little thing, but the little things added together make for well-being.
A few years ago I determined to become more aware by observation of the things around me, and looking for "haiku moments"—little points of awareness captured in a three line poem. I was surprised hope much this happened over a year. Beginning at Samhain (the first season of the Celtic year) and ending in the last day of Lammas (the fourth season) that year I wrote close to 200 haikus. I reviewed them today and was taken back to a wonderful year of awareness. Here's one from each season;

as snowflake and leaf

fall gently together

synchronicity

dancing flames

in sacred hearth

on brigid’s day

raptor-like

stalking through the grass

tree sparrows

zazen

green dragonfly

knee rest

Strangely, re-reading the haikus brought the awareness alive again. Becoming aware enriches life.

In taijiquan and qigong, much of the training is to become aware of qi—essential life force, life energy—and through posture and movement to allow the free movement of qi through your body. In traditional Chinese medicine, illnesses indicate a blockage or stagnation of qi. The removal of blockages with the better flow of qi, the healthier you are. This basic principle underlies acupuncture, though it is of course more complex than this simple description. 

The taiji classics tell us that where the blood flows, the qi flows. I have my students do simple qigong/taiji exercises that enable them to become aware of qi—by observing increased blood flow (increased red blotches on hands, for example) and by sensations (such as tingling and warmth). Simply relaxing into a taiji posture has this effect, as does becoming aware of a part of your body, such as your index finger. Much of the time we are unaware of our bodies. Like the geese in January we take them for granted—just a part of our daily landscape. Practices, such as taijiquan, enhance awareness of our bodies and make the vital connection between mind and body essential for well-being.

I am finding that becoming aware of my environment, of my body, of my mind, of my spirit and of their essential connectedness and integrity, is profoundly enriching.

Be well,

+Ab.Andy