RECREATE, RELAX, TRANSFORM!



Autumn:  A Time of Gathering and Reflection

How can Tai Chi help?
In a class by the beach our teacher, Janet, explained there are three levels of Tai Chi practice:  Recreation, Relaxation, Transformation.

Recreation
Notice that "recreation" is "re-creation" when we give our bodies, minds, and spirits a rest from the endless list of "must accomplish" activities and re-create a space for ourselves.  We regenerate and recharge needed energy reserves.  Tai Chi re-creation feels good as the body stretches and unwinds.  The mind centers itself.  Clear focus and awareness begin to develop in many areas of life.  When you practice Tai Chi in class as you become more comfortable, a few gentle moves can be included into a daily home routine.  Many Tai Chi students begin to write, paint, or sing, opening the creative heart-mind.  New Tai Chi friends appear.  Re-creation is here! 

Relaxation
As the student progresses, a sense of inner peace and well being begins to spread throughout the person.  Wholeness and connection is developing.  You may find your temper is not as quick.  Breathing is easier.  Sleep deepens and natural color appears in your face.  When you are working on the computer your attitude improves as frustration levels begin to change.  Kay says take a few deep breaths, get up and walk around a minute.  Say to yourself or out loud, "It's only a machine and I am in control!"  Now the students finds comfort increasing practice a little more than just 3-5 minutes a day outside of class.  Perhaps 10 minutes once or twice daily is better and easier now, as Tai Chi becomes a joy filled event.

Transformation!
Tai Chi "Trance-formation" is when Tai Chi becomes a way of life.  Tai Chi is a self-care daily health program and meditation combined.  "All is possible with the mind," Paul Lam, M.D. believes.  Tai Chi is strengthening the body and regenerating the spirit.  Creative energies and increased positive thinking may surprisingly open doors and windows of opportunity.  At this stage the student may practice one or several Tai Chi and/or Qigong forms fitted to the individual so that 20-30 minutes or more feels right.  Some may even want a quick review later in the day if they are in the stage of learning a new form.  Endurance, strength, and spiritual outreach connect to new levels, and enhanced enjoyment appears.  Rob thinks, "Tai Chi enters the entire arena of your life."  Intent leads energy, transform with Tai Chi. 

Tai Chi and Qigong are your exercises, designed by you for you!  You will be led to forms and exercises you need, what feels right for you is your path.  Tai Chi is not a substitute for qualified professional medical advice.  Consult a health care professional and qualified instructor.  "Tai Chi is free from competition and judgement.  All one energy in Tai Chi," states Jiong Gu, Tai Chi instructor and Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  With Tai Chi and Qigong, the journey climbing the mountain and good company along the path makes the way much easier.  As we gaze from the mountain top, it's a beautiful sight!

Stand
Breathe
Believe
Receive


Related Posts:  
Universe Shadows of Cranes  
Painting the Earth 
Carry Water Chop Wood 
 The Great Harvest ("Growing Home Again")

Dahlis Roy:  Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor

Images
Fall Leaves, watercolor painting by Kay Wilson, Tai Chi Instructor, painting published with permission

Microclimate, photo by Rob, published with permission 

THE TEAPOT IN THE WINDOW

"The universe works differently than is commonly supposed," Mildred

Several years a ago summer dream pleasantly surprised me by sending a gleaming blue and white teapot sitting on a honey toned oak window sill.  Veils of kitchen curtains blew gently in the breeze through the open window.  A neon sun and bright blue gentle August morning had painted another dream.  Yet I rarely sip tea nor do I collect tea pots.  Why did the teapot appear?

Fall leaves and winter chill washed the landscape with snow and ice.  During a break in the weather, my husband and I traveled out of state for a bit of  recreation and shopping.  We stopped into one of our favorite grocery and variety stores.  Browsing through the shelves, I SAW IT!  THE TEAPOT IN THE WINDOW!  It was the identical blue and white Blue Willow pattern.  I had even seen the two painted birds in my dream pattern.  We eagerly filled our cart with the sale priced Blue Willow everyday dishes to replace some of our own dwindling collection.

But what about the teapot?  Of course it was not on sale...I picked it up.  The store had only one teapot.  I put it back down, not able to add it to the cart, and walked on for more shopping.  But I came back!  I looked again.  My husband suggested I buy the teapot of my dreams!


We took the treasure home.  We brewed tea in the winter night.  We loved our prize dishes.  We went back the next day to get more sale priced plates and bowls.  Where were all the dishes?  THEY WERE GONE!  We asked the manager, "Oh, we packed those up late yesterday and shipped them back to the manufacturer."

"Imagine," I thought, "If I had not bought the teapot yesterday!"  Then I reflected that I had reached into the "window" just in time and pulled out the teapot at the exact moment!  Is this how the universe works?


Recently a friend Judy came to visit.  I fetched the Blue Willow teapot.  As I prepared tea, I told Judy the story of the Teapot in the Window.  When we sat down to steaming fresh spearmint tea, Judy said, "Have you told me this story before?"

"Maybe last year?" I questioned.

"No," Judy replied, "But I had a dream sometime in the last few days.  It was you and your voice telling me this exact story!  You mentioned the Teapot in the Window in my dream!  It was blue and white!  I woke up expecting to find blue and white dishes and even looked around the room to see if there were any visible."

"And there," Judy pointed, "Is the Teapot in the Window!"

"Judy," I exclaimed, "I've been trying to write this story for five years now, and I just couldn't sit down and write it.  Why couldn't I write about my dream?  Today you came to visit and gave me the final data.  Now I can complete the picture of the Teapot in the Window!"



Brian Cox, particle physicist, Wonders of the Universe and Wonders of the Solar System books and videos, Science Channel.  On Beams of Light, Children of the Stars, Space, Time, Consciousness and More.

Morgan Freeman, Through the Worm Hole, Science Channel Series, grow your mind

http://www.taichifarm.org/  Jou, Tsung Hwa The Tao of Taijiquan and The Tao of Meditation, books written by a mathematician, mystic, and Tai Chi master, going beyond the limits of what we already know.

http://www.ymaa.com/  The Root of Chinese Qigong and other books, E-Books available by Dr. Yang, Jwing-ming

dahlis.roy@gmail.com  Purchase original paintings and custom prints.  Request Silver Butterfly Create A Vision free E-book sent via E-mail. 


The Teapot in the Window, photo by Dahlis Roy

THE HUMAN ANGEL

A long time ago in a galaxy far away....

I went to a prayer circle at a local church.  We prayed for people with their permission, anonymously if they wished.  All prayers are confidential.  Gradually I developed a friendship with Joanna, later to become my mentor. 

One day in prayer group, the leader questioned, "After you leave the Earth, how do you picture yourself?  Are you in Heaven?  What does it look like?"

Louise, "I'm going to be an Angel!"

The leader shot back, "That's impossible, Humans can't be Angels."

Louise, "Well, how would you know?"


Angels Among Us
As I got to know Louise better, she mentioned "Johanna" a lot.  Finally I said, "Who is Johanna?"

*"OH!  She's my Guardian Angel!"

"Well, how do you know that?"

"You just ask!"

I thought, "She talks to Angels?"  I recalled William Blake as several of his Angel etchings flashed across my inner vision.  I kept silent, managing to be open minded and not bolt away since Louise was a scientist and very A-B-C oriented, the opposite of me, a non-linear picture mind.


Once a month Louise and I sat in our "office" to compare notes and experiences.  The office was a large book store with a coffee shop.  "Our" table was piled high with reference books, note pads, and sometimes paintings.  I encouraged Joanna to attend my Tai Chi classes.  "I have metal plates in my ankle, and I won't be able to stand on one leg." 

I got right up out of my chair and demonstrated the Tai Chi movement, White Crane Spreads Wings, and how to "stand" on one leg..."You just point your toe!"

"Yes, now I can come to your Tai Chi classes!"  Louise came to all my weekly classes  for many years!   Louise brought friends to enjoy Tai Chi's benefits.  Louise ] glowed and radiated, a beacon of light for others, gentle yet assertive.

Louise introduced me to my Guardian Angel, Sharon, and how to develop an open positive communication.  Other angels gradually appeared to help me, "The Team of Specialists," along with St. Michel (Michael), "The Supervisor."  Animal Angels came into view one at a time....


The Human Angel
"When the time is right, you will tell all you know."  I wrote furiously as Louise spoke.  "Whoever leaves the Earth first, the other will be right there.  There is no separation between the visible and the invisible...NONE!"

"I have been on the Earth for many lifetimes.  I am getting ready to leave the Earth, and return to my Angel Light state.  I can't wait to be an Angel again!"

I remembered that there is much written about the separation of angels and humans.  I thought of passages I had read in books and heard in stories, and dreams.  I mentioned this.  Louise exclaimed,  "Well, how would they know?" 

"I almost ran away from you when you talked about communicating with your Angel," I added.  "How did you manage to convince me to stay around?"

"I hunted you down!  Let Us Prey,"  Louise chuckled!  "That's Angel Humor!"


I wandered through the bookstore...and selected Healing With The Angels by Doreen Virtue.  I opened it at random and instantly "found" a section about Earth Angels.  Harry Potter wasn't even published yet!  I telephoned my cosmic friend, "It is no coincidence that we met."

* Over the years, Louise helped and encouraged me to write and refine the book, Silver Butterfly Create A Vision, a Tai Chi journey with a mystic twist.  Out of the Blue is the continuing tale of the Silver Butterfly.

Louise is her Angel Light now, helping with the Earth from beyond the physical world.  She says, "Do you ever wonder what fills the empty spaces?" 


"Louise, What do you call this friendship?"

"Dahlis, This friendship is Out of this World!"

And now the Earth is shifting into higher consciousness, Louise speaks:
"Let your life unfold like the petals of a rose opening, one at a time and each in perfect order."

"All of us are here with unique gifts and talents to touch each others' lives in ways no one else can."

"We have gone way beyond words (worlds)."


The Angelic Human
"We have chosen to be here on Earth at this time of global change.
We are not here to witness the great shift, we are here to help with it,"
Rev. Debra Basham. 

***  "The most beautiful and deepest experience...is the sense of the mysterious."
Albert Einstein


Related Posts:  
The Great Harvest
 I am your Angel (Can a Cat be an Angel?)
 By An Unfaltering Trust 
Encounters With Michael (The Artist Meets The Archangel)
Angels 101 (Meet Your Angel)
The Christmas Rose, (A Flower Angel, Dec 2010)

Resources:
Healing With the Angels book by Doreen Virtue, All Things Angel

Ask Your Angels by Alma Daniel, Timothy Wyllie, and Andrew Ramer, meet and work with your Angel Companions.

***  Einstein in his Own Words book by Anne Rooney

Dahlis Roy:  Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor 

Images
The Angel of Opening, photo by Dahlis Roy.  At an Angel Workshop, we all pulled a picture to keep with an attribute written on the back.  My Angel is holding a Butterfly!  I turned over the card, "Opening" it read!

Flower: The Opening Rose, photo by Paul

THE GREAT HARVEST

Rare days of gold and scarlet are here, kissed with bright sun and blue skies and very warm temperatures with low humidity.  We are like children playing in the sand right "Now!"

Recently I was leafing through the I Ching in search of some ancient writings just for fun.  I found a treasure:  The Great Harvest!

* "Only in the spirit of seeking harmony with people, can we promote peace in the world, manifest prosperity in our country [and in all countries], and create abundance for our families."


GEN 8:22  "As long as the Earth remaineth, seed time and harvest shall not cease."

"Growing Home Again...."



*The Complete I Ching, The Definitive Translation by Taoist Master Alfred Huang.

Tai Chi Ch'uan and I Ching, A Choreography of Body and Mind by Da Liu

http://www.innertraditions.com/  Books designed for global change and beyond.

dahlis.roy@gmail.com  inquire to purchase prints and paintings, request free PDF E-book. Silver Butterfly Create A Vision, Awaken Your Creative Spirit.


Harvest Prayer Bowl, photo by Dahlis Roy, a gift from Rev. Debra Basham, http://imaginehealing.info/  

ZENWALK!

Beachwalk
My son Rob and I headed for a nearby beach one October Sunday afternoon.  The air was bright with sun and blue October haze.  The scent of the apple cider golden leaves filled colored spaces.  Orange and scarlet sprinkled with gold greeted us as we drove down the country highway under canopies of green and azure.

There were a few scattered families enjoying the rare Autumn treat of hot weather, 80 degrees!  Rob and I quickly shed our light jackets and tied them around our waists.  I donned my sunglasses and faded Army hat and sank gleefully into the deep white sands. We descended the weathered wooden steps to the beach, ripened by sun and footsteps.  

As I sank into the drifting sands of time, I felt like a child testing the waters of a giant swimming pool.  Looking about, Rob and I noticed snow fences were already in place bracing for winter storms to come.  Warm wind hit our faces as we felt our ankles get a workout walking into the sandstorm's pliable surface.  Swirls of sand blew and tumbled around us.  An ebony dog barked joyfully as his owner tossed a stick into the water for him to retrieve.

I glanced out at this water!  It was neon bright turquoise!  A color not usually visible on physical Earth.  The waves sparked and glowed like a blue fire of brightness frosted with the icing of white caps.  We saw sailboats with brightly colored furls unfolded like painted peacocks.

I thought about cranes and clouds.  I noted to Rob that one of my friends had watched a Sandhill crane, a huge iron gray bird with a seven foot wingspan.  The crane swooped over the water and sand and caught a fish in mid flight!

Recently, Beth, a Holistic Practitioner, presented me with a Blue Heron feather, a prehistoric memory in blue-gray perfection.  "Become Like A Human Feather," I told Tai Chi students years ago.... 

Passing the beach grass and dunes, I glanced to the South, where I had learned Tai Chi practice and teaching.  I thought about Tai Chi and how my life is enhanced by practicing.  Rob taught me basics, and then took me to his Tai Chi class to learn and grow.  I remembered Rob said, "Tai Chi enters the entire arena of your life."  I faced the liquid lake to the West and began to practice a little Tai Chi Yang Long Form.  Moving in Tai Chi, as the white crane spreads its wings, I turned from the West slowly to the South.  I felt exhilarated and quite alive and thought about Tai Chi friends waiting there. 

Then Rob and I walked through the sands and felt the hot sun beating down on us.  We remembered summers past.  We U-turned and silently headed back to the car, our great escape chariot was turning back into a pumpkin.  Again, I gazed out at the water so alive and so bright in hue I will need celestial paints to capture it.  Sand squished in our shoes.  I looked down at our shadows streaking out ahead of us, long and lean like two twigs cut from the same branch, twins in thought and vision.  Recalling the Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield, I smiled remembering at the end of the book, some of the friends were able to raise their physical vibrations high enough to vanish!  I like that.  

It doesn't get any better than this!  COSMIC!

Related Posts:  Double Vision, (The Power of Cranes, Sept 2011), Carry Water Chop Wood (June 2011), Tuning In (calm, center, focus with Tai Chi April 2011) 

http://www.innerpathtaichi.com/  Caroline Demoise, book Tai Chi as Spiritual Practice.

http://www.taichiforhealthinstitute.org/  Paul Lam, M.D., a family practice physician and Tai Chi expert develops Tai Chi for Health programs.  Articles, Forum, Products, Newsletters, and more

http://www.taichi18.com/  Master Wing Cheung demonstrates 18 Form Tai Chi Qigong, free DVD download to get started.  18 Form (Shi Ba Shi) is simpler to learn and practice than Tai Chi and has many health benefits of Tai Chi.  Master Cheung studied with the creators of 18 Form, Lin Hou Sheng and He Weiqi.

http://www.celestinevision.com/ James Redfield, The Celestine Prophecy Series sparks the imagination, books, video, forum and more.

http://www.elizabethglenn.abmp.com/  Elizabeth Glenn is certified in Healing with Energy and Language, Pre/Post Surgical Support, NLP (neurolinguistic programming), hypnosis, member ABMP.

dahlis.roy@gmail.com  Inquire original paintings and prints, request free PDF E-book Silver Butterfly Create A Vision, the prequel to Out of the Blue. 


Northlake Autumn, photo by Rob
Chasing Shadows, Zenwalk, pencil gesture drawing by Dahlis Roy