Find Your Sanctuary…

Who among us is not called to find sanctuary at this time.
To find peace amidst a confusing and chaotic world.
To cease the mental spin and seek gentle solace.
To find ourselves when we have lost ourselves.

I find solace three ways; in my garden, in daily walks, and in moving meditation.

There is always the garden
If you have a garden or care for plants, you know of nature’s power to nurture you as you nurture her. She reminds us that all flowers must grow through dirt. She urges us to keep on growing. To release our cares and live in attunement with the natural rhythms of day and night, rain and drought, heat and cold.
 
I lose myself in my garden for hours, a sanctuary of my own co-creation with nature. I garden mindful of my body – my most intimate connection to nature. I use good body mechanics, whether lifting heavy bags of amendments or weeding the garden path. I’ve learned adaptive gardening techniques to keep me pain free from my colleague Toni Gattone.
 
I recommend Toni’s excellent book The Lifelong Gardener – Garden With Ease and Joy at Any Age. Order it here for yourself, a friend, or parent. She will autograph it for you. It’s as good as sending a whole bouquet of flowers.

In Toni’s book you’ll find my Dynamic Vitality Exercises for Gardeners. Her tips combined with these stretches will help you enjoy your garden sanctuary for years to come.

 
A walk in nature walks the soul back home
Life is like walking, one step at a time.  Obstacles do not block the path – they are the path. Research speaks of walking’s power to lift our spirits, stave off illness, and sharpen our minds. Physicians call walking a magic pill. Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us that although the mind can go in a thousand directions, on a beautiful path we can walk in peace.

Our walk is our dance in nature; at the sweetest of times it is in concert with the kiss of the sun, the caress of the wind, the lullaby of the waters, the fragrance of flowers, and the song of birds.
 
Find sanctuary in walking. Relax and recharge. Use these skills from our Dynamic Vitality YouTube channel – micro-videos to improve balance,  navigate stairs and slopes with ease, be safer on any terrain, and more.
 
Sign up for free offers and to join my online training – Dynamic Walking for Lifelong Legs – Walk Strong – Walk Free, launching later this season. You’ll learn the secrets I’ve discovered from teaching walking as a transformative practice for 34 years.

 
Moving meditation – creating sanctuary within
Any movement is meditation when the mind is present in the body – whether walking, swimming, or practicing Tai Chi, or yoga, to name a few. The synchronization of body, breath, and mind brings peace and replenishment. The act of being present in your body empowers you.
 
In our Dynamic Tai Chi/Qigong classes, my partner Russell brings us fully into the present with frequent reminders – “To see without looking. To hear without listening. To experience the air breathing us. To feel the ground beneath us.”
– For Dynamic Tai Chi/Qigong join Russell and Suki on ZoomTCQ, Tuesdays and Saturdays. 9:00 – 10:30 am

If you’d like exercises that bring more fun and awareness into your everyday life, join Suki for Body Mindfulness 101 – Exercises to Connect Within – in uncertain times.
– For Body Mindfulness 101, join us on ZoomMB101, Thursdays, 8:30 – 9:30 am

These classes are FREE. Send this newsletter to your friends, family, and anyone seeking to find their own flow during this time of creative chaos. 

Build a more resilient you.
Find sanctuary as you step into your future,

Suki