“Let go of the battle. Breathe quietly and let it be. Let your body relax and your heart soften. Open to whatever you experience without fighting.” 
― Jack Kornfield

Close your eyes. Sit still relaxing your body. Noticing your breath, take a deep inhale and exhale. Let it out. Let it all out. Take another deep breath. Relax and be at peace. Drop off everything letting go of body and mind. Simply just be, right here and right now in this miraculous moment in time.

Allow your thoughts to pass away like clouds in the limitless sky or waves rising and falling in the deep sea. No need to control, to change or to improve, just observe. Keep breathing with nothing more to say, to do, to achieve, to strategize or to believe. Simply just be.

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“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”
– Lao Tzu

The sound of the howling wind whistles in the distance. Clouds swirl around in the sky moving fast towards you. Suddenly, the temperature in the air turns cool dropping a few degrees. You know it’s coming. No man or woman can stop it. No super hero can fight it. No energy can overpower it. This unstoppable force heading your way, whether you like or not, are the winds of change.

The winds of change come in many forms. Some are simple and easy like a gentle breeze brushing quietly across your face. Maybe it’s starting a new hobby, finding a new friend, or updating the décor in your home. With these changes, positive emotions arise creating joy, happiness or relief. Smooth and delightful transitions feel refreshing like cool winds on a hot summer day or opening the windows after a long, harsh winter allowing fresh air to swoop into your room.

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“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.”
– Jean Shinoda Bolen

Lying on the couch after a long exhausting day, Hunter climbs up and curls next me. I wrap my arms around giving him a big, giant hug. Like my living heating blanket, Hunter makes me feel warm, comfortable and secure. Stress, worries and anxieties slowly melt away as peace and rest finally sets in. I feel Hunter’s love pouring into my heart filling me with light and joy as his sweet energy soothes my soul. I gently squeeze his squishy little body giving him as much love as I possibly can. Then, Hunter turns around gifting me a beautiful smile and says,” I love you, Mommy.”

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“If you learn from a loss you have not lost.”
-Austin O’Malley

Whack! A fierce and snappy roundhouse kick was thrown to the head. Two points called. Slap! The opponent returns with a fast spin hook kick. Two points called. Going back and forth, back and forth the competitors went exchanging a flurry of kicks and punches. It was an intense sparring match. Both were determined to win first place. But in the end, only one was going to win. And, the other was going to lose.

Two weeks ago, 97 martial arts students ranging from the ages of five through fifty-four competed at the spring KiMudo martial arts tournament. Black and colored belts alike showcased their skills in front of the judges and a large audience. It was exciting to watch the different levels of abilities while experiencing the breadth of emotions among each competitor.

They all wanted to win. You could see in their faces. You could hear it in their voices. You could feel it in their energy. And if they said winning didn’t matter…they were lying.

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