"Poetry is music for the voice," Maya Angelou
When springtime rolls around, the wood violets come out to play!
Just like we do~
These images evoke memories of my Collie, Lad, and me padding through our backyard woods in the early spring when the Earth was moist and fresh and soft underfoot. A few trees were just leafing into fresh green and wood violets were in bloom.
Looking out my window at dusk yesterday, wood violets blooming greet me again.
Words (Worlds) of Love:
*A violet, blue
Surviving in the cool shade
Casting beauty there.
*Poem by Emilie
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist , Author and Tai Chi Instructor
Photo by Dahlis
Wood Violets
April 22 is Earth Day. How Will You Celebrate?
Plant a Tree
Plant a Bush, Flowers, or Seeds
Build a Sand Castle
Paint a Picture Playfully
Draw A Tree and Color With Crayons, your inner child appears
Take A Hike!
Practice Tai Chi, Qigong, or Yoga
Connect with Earth, receive energy and improve range of motion with relaxing exercises.
Lie Down, ground yourself with Earth Energy. Look up see the Sky, connect with Heaven. Heaven and Earth: all in balance.
What kind of tree are you? Write about your favorite tree and why you chose it.
Willow
Maple: green, silver or red
Bamboo,
Oak
Birch
Aspen
Other?
I am a Blue Spruce!
Resources:
Earthing, book by Clinton Ober, et al, connect with Earth Energy
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist, Author and Tai Chi Instructor
Images:
Oak Seedling with Photographer, photo by Paul
Incoming Green, Yin-Yang in Green and Blue, photo by Dahlis
* "Soft Kitty Warm Kitty, Little Ball of Fur
Sleepy Kitty Happy Kitty, Purr Purr Purr"
My first pet was a white short haired cat named Silver Shadow. She had green eyes and walked on a leash! I taught her tricks like how to jump through my hands laced together, forming a hoop shape. She "spoke" for her food as she sat like a well trained puppy.
Most mysterious was her soft gentle purr. I learned to imitate it! We purred together, Shadow and I.
"She sounds like a little motor."
Cats purr has a frequency like an idling diesel engine, usually between 50-70 Hz, but may range from 18 (Cheetah) to 150 Hz. A true purr alternates inhaling and exhaling. I have seen "fast purr" breathing and "slow purr" breathing from various domestic cats. Some cats are very loud like Tom and Sancat and some are barely audible like Sasha and Mrs. Harris.
Not all cats, great and small, purr. Cheetah, Puma (Cougars), domestic cats, and some small wild cats purr. While lions and tigers roar, they are silent in the purring "category."
How Do Cats Purr and Why?
For many cat owners, the purr imparts a sense of tranquility for people and cats. The cat's purr seems to generate in the diaphragm then rise up to the throat center a short time later. I have seen cats' breathing motions pumping like little bellows previous to the purr motor start up. Our cats seem to meditate while purring, a resting state prior to sleep, a self hypnotic state for deep relaxation. Is she calming herself? Is he healing himself? Are they communicating through good vibrations? What are they saying? Feeling?
My Inner Cat
Recently I worked with my own purring. Purring on the exhale is easy! Purring exhale/inhale is more difficult. I can now do this with my mouth closed, like a cat. I have yet to start the diaphragm generating an audible purr as I purr directly from my vocal chords. I caught a glimpse of what diaphragmatic purring might feel like. As a child, I frequently felt a "purring vibration" across my diaphragm, but no sound from my throat. I did not generate this feeling, it just appeared. Once recently, during a silent meditation, I felt that inner purring again! It felt so good and relaxing. And then it vanished.
Purring Machine
Cats purr for a variety of reasons, usually pleasurable stimulation. A Momcact purrs while nursing, a sonic bond. However, some cats purr when ill or in pain or even at the vet in an attempt to calm themselves.
** "It is also speculated that purring can aid bone, tendon, and muscle growth/repair; increase joint mobility; and decrease inflammation."
Purring Language
** According to Bruce Kornreich, DVM, PhD, "...cats...are masters of the solicitation purr. This noise contains a very specialized, variable and complex set of unique low level bursts of sound woven into the cats usual purring speech-among the set of total frequencies available to the species-that cats learn to emit to get their needs met from their parents and cat mates."
I suspect the human cat parent can "read" these special need purrs as well! Food soliciting behavior, "Feed Early and Often," the purring cat turns on the charm.
Blog Search Key Word Cats, Cheetah or Links Tab, Story Index: Animal Magic
Resources:
*Taylor Swift's Facebook Page, fan's comment July 2014. Taylor Swift, a cat lover, is a singer songwriter, Fearless, 1989 and more albums
** Cat Fancy Magazine Sept 2014, A Cat's Purr by Tomas Mahoney
Bruce Kornreich, DVM, PhD is a board certified doctor of Veterinary Internal Medicine, practicing at the Feline Health Center at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York USA.
How to Speak Cat, The Essential Primer of Cat Language, book by Alexandra Sellers Practice your inner cat and better understand and communicate with your feline.
Wikipedia, Cat's Purr
Song of the Day: Cat's Purr Cd by Chet Day.
Lucy, Chet's cat, lends her purr plus nature sounds and binaural beats to aid in relaxation. You can listen to cat music Cd at very low volume so as not to disturb people and cats.
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor
Photos by Dahlis
Mrs. Harris Daydreams Mrs. Harris appears as if in a cat trance.
Mystery Cats, Sasha and Sancat display "eye shine" enabling cats to see in the dark
Sancat in Sunlight waiting for his meal "arriving soon."
Dr. Paul Lam
Saturday April 25 is World Tai Chi and Qigong Day
People all around the World Practice Tai Chi and Qigong at 10 AM in your time zone. We hold hands in light and harmony celebrating with gratitude how Tai Chi helps us in all areas of our lives. We practice alone and in groups, large or small, indoors or out, rain or shine. We practice many forms of Tai Chi and Qigong health exercises developed for strength, balance, flexibility, stamina, range of motion, improved creativity and mood. We practice self defense strategies and Tai Chi, Sword and Fan Forms. We practice in thanksgiving for our Tai Chi Friends near and far!
Celebrate Life!
Tai Chi Practice
Tai Chi combines breath, movement, and awareness to reach peak efficiency and perfect form. It is moving meditation, uniting mind and body. This is vital because it helps us maneuver correctly and efficiently in practice and in daily life.
As the body's energy, qi, is returned to its natural flow, a wealth of strength will be developed internally. This power opens up many opportunities for personal growth, flexibility, stamina, mental clarity, and healthy longevity.
Perfecting breathing and how the body works internally using sharp awareness and relaxed alertness introduces the practitioner /student to meditative benefits.
One principle of Tai Chi is to use as little muscular contraction as possible. In today's fast paced society, it is common to put unneeded stress on the body's muscles and organs. These patterns of tension are often so ingrained in our habits that they go unrecognized. These fears and stresses may result in energy blocks with possible negative impacts on health and mood.
Tai Chi means to be aware of one's body and mind and to relax unnecessary tensions. A few minutes of daily practice eases stress and allows the natural flow of health and inner peace to be reinstated.
* Rob Roy
Dr. Yang, Zwing-ming
** "Practice With Spirit! Got It?" Jou, Tsung Hwa
Key Words Blog Search: Tai Chi and Qigong
Resources:
Rob Roy, contributed Tai Chi comments. Rob, my son, gave me first lessons in Tai Chi then took me to Tai Chi class to meet Jiong Gu, a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, originally from Shanghai.
Dr. Paul Lam, Tai Chi for Health.org Worldwide. Paul Lam M.D. is a family practice physician from Sydney, Australia. He travels the world to bring Tai Chi to others.
Born Strong, Paul Lam's new book, his personal Tai Chi Journey, from starvation in China to helping millions practice Tai Chi worldwide.
Bill Douglas, creator of World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, is a best selling author, Tai Chi expert and spiritual teacher
Dr. Yang, Jwing-ming is a martial artist, Tai Chi and Qigong expert, author, and world traveler. YMAA.com
** Jou, Tsung Hwa, mathematician, scholar, Tai Chi expert. The Tao of Taijiquan, The Tao of Meditation. Tribute at TaiChiFarm.org "Thank you for all you teach us...."
Yang Family Tai Chi, Yang Zhen Duo and Yang Jun, learn more about the history and traditions of Yang Style.
Terry Dunn, Long Form Yang Style, Flying Phoenix Qigong
Yang Yang, Chen Style expert , author
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist, Author and Tai Chi Instructor
Photos reprinted with permission
Dr. Paul Lam practices Tai Chi in Australia
Dr. Yang, Jwing-ming Practices Single Whip
Look in the Mirror, who is Staring Back? Look Again....
Who R U?
Years ago I gazed into a mirror. I imagined a friend's face staring back at me! I could not see the friend, but I sensed a presence larger than life.
Norman Rockwell's intriguing painting of the accomplished artist, painting his selfie as a young man at his easel says it all! I always loved this painting, even a a child!
"See Yourself" in perfect cosmic time and face!
"As you visualize, so you become."
"Thought Transcends Matter," George Bernard Shaw
Kerry and the Wolf Shadow
The German Shepherd dog remembers his wild ancestor.
"Thought Travels Faster than the Speed of Light," comment by Shirley MacLaine from Out on a Limb
What is the Speed of You?
Related Posts:
In Search of Anna Kate
Once and Forever
I am your Angel
What Kind of Animal Are You?
Welcoming Mrs. Harris, how did the orange kitten find us?
Mrs. Harris is a Sand Cat
Winter Wolf
Stars and Snow Spirit of Phoebe
Resources:
Shirley MacLaine, actress, dancer, author, books Out on a Limb, The Camino, What If and other spiritual quests.
Deepak Chopra
Total Memory Makeover by Marilu Henner, actress, author
How to Draw Animals, Walter Foster Drawing Series, various topics.
Breyer Animal Models, fun for artists of all ages.
Dahlis Roy: Visionary Artist Author and Tai Chi Instructor
Images:
Who R U? Collage by Francesca, published with permission
Kerry and the Wolf Shadow, photo by Dahlis Kerry is one of my Breyer Animal Models. I hand painted Kerry, blacker than the original model. I learned to draw and paint from these 3-D friends, horses and dogs. I studied muscle tone, structure, personality and shading. Kerry beams from the stone mantel, shadowed by the wolf.
I am Your Angel, oil painting by Dahlis, Mrs. Harris studies Angels
