A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. he simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both.”

- Francois Auguste Rene Chateaubriand

My cabin - -

2010

So I would say I’m living on Salt Spring, though it's taken me some time to land :)

And that lots has changed and is falling into place.

I feel a bit like I am just discovering I have wings - learning to fly slowly. awkwardly.

Studying Medical Qigong – an ancient Chinese shamanic healing work based in 5 elements Chinese medicine. Traditional chinese medicine having 4 aspects: acupuncture, acupressure, herbology and energy work. The prescriptions given are qigong excercises – based on the same physical form that I began practicing in Montreal 3 years ago. It’s potent work, with a huge amount to learn (think chinese medicine meridians, 5 elements, organ systems etc…) There are levels so after each year you can give treatments at your level ei: practitioner, therapist, master and doctor - so I’m in my practitioner year.

Also starting a teacher training for Mantak Chia’s Univeral Tao chi-kung method – to eventually be able to teach the full form of qigong/chi-kung meditation/movement.

Renting a beautiful little A-frame cabin/house on my own. Chopping wood to keep me warm, though lately it has been balmy! The place is owned by a friend who lives in the farmhouse next door – it’s all really the same land – a beautiful farm with 3 ponds, a yoga studio (for warmer weather use), sauna, greenhouse, market garden and orchard. So I’m trying to figure out how I can stay – the condition being to help with the farm… Could be in the cards.

Working for Salt Spring Seeds part time which is keeping me just afloat on the rainy Salt Spring waters.

I just started teaching dance classes – two little kids classes and two adult classes – ballet with a pianist and an exciting experiemental dance-flow class. Inspired by contemporary, chi-kung, yoga, 5Rhythms work, african and flamenco! Fun! I’m getting the sense that I’m onto my own unique style of dance class and feeling stoked for next week...

Life is good. Full. Rich. Forward moving. Inward, outward. Growing. Shifting. Evolving. Reaching in to pull out essence. Reaching out to pull in essence. Finding a balance between Yin and Yang, you know what I’m saying?

“When you cultivate balance and harmony within yourself or in the world, that is Taiji. When you work and play with the essence and the energy of nature and the universe for healing, clarity and inner peace, that is Qigong