Cultivating Stillness
It is the purpose of a Daoist Longevity Practice. Do you have the patience to let your mud settle?
Magic and Stillness
I have lunch once a week with a dear friend. It is the only entry on my social calendar. Writing those two words just now made me smile . . . social calendar. We gather, enjoy a meal, and in 90 minutes solve the problems of the world. We congratulate ourselves...
Covid and The Interconnectedness of All Life
At the conclusion of my first lecture on the cultivation of stillness, after I moved to the northern Berkshires, one of the first questions I was asked had to do with the practical application of stillness. I answered simply: “Life.” I meant that answer in the sense...
Fear and Stillness
“The great Way is easy,Yet people prefer the side paths.Be aware when things are out of balance.Stay centered in the Great Dao."Chapter 53, Dao de Qing, by Laozi In stillness, we find clarity. By bringing ourselves into the present moment, we see the universe...
Daily Daoist Practice and Stillness
During a recent class, a student and I were discussing softness. Over the preceding two classes, we had been investigating the important qualities of a taiji and qigong practice. Those qualities are slow, soft and smooth. They are integral to an...
Simplicity and Stillness
?If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked. If you want to become full, let yourself be empty. If you want to be reborn, let yourself die. If you want to be...
Martial Arts and Stillness
Calm, but alert; Relaxed, but ready; Smooth, but sharp; Humble, but confident. This is martial arts. It is an integral part of our training at the Five Immortals Temple in China, where I lived as a monk. It is part of what I teach today in the Berkshires of western...
Subscribe To Weekly Posts on Stillness
Each month, I will publish blog posts on Stillness and the Dao de Ching.? If you’d like to receive these teaching essays, leave your name and email address, and I’ll be sure to send them to you.