Greetings!
Happy New Year, and a deep and contemplative winter season to all. Our thanks to April Hulvershorn for her words about the season. As she says, spring will be a time of action - one of the first signs will be elections for the TCF Board of Directors.
And, winter is a time when reserves are gathered. The energy and the reserves of the TCF come from all of us, in many ways. One of those is membership dues; you will find directions for how to pay yours further on in this newsletter.
I am writing this in Amsterdam, in the middle of the Winter Training. In a week, the Push Hands training will start in New York. There is no shortage of energy, here in the darkest part of winter. Stay warm!
In unity,
Hal Caswell President
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The Stillness of Winter | |
by April Hulvershorn, L.Ac., Dipl Ac.
It is dark. The leaves are gone from the trees, bare branches are stark against the gray Winter sky. Perennial plants have died to the ground, conserving their energy for spring growth. There is work going on, but inside. Mountain lakes freeze, storing all that water to fuel the growth of spring. In the state of resting deep within, energy is collected and held in reserve.
Nature is at the point of most stillness. Things are down to their essence. Striped to the core. Winter is for us, as it is for all of Nature, a time for internal work. Of all the Seasons, this one is the most at odds with our modern culture. Most of us feel guilty or that something is wrong if we are not outwardly productive. Quiet rest and contemplation are seen as 'getting nothing done'. It is a fascinating experiment to really let yourself be in harmony with this season - prioritize rest and inner work. Watch what happens when Spring arrives and see how feeding your reserves pays off in the lighter months.
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