The Freedom in Presence

We all lead busy lives.

And sometimes, “busy” feels like an understatement.

Imagine that aside from the daily flow of work and the usual rhythm of life – tidying, laundry, meals, brushing your teeth – you’re also:

  • Supporting a close family member whose chemo treatments have been stopped after a year and a half after being diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer
  • Caring for your beloved 16-year-old black lab who’s gently showing you that his earthly time is coming to an end
  • Planning your spouse’s birthday golf game and preparing dinner – the day before you fly out to see that family member
  • Catching a ride to the airport, four hours away

Within three days of landing, your furry four-pawed companion back home lets you know the time has come to move on and be with the stars.

That’s how my October began.

The rest of the month looked like this:

  • Supporting my stepmom through hospital discharge, appointments, gentle outings, movie nights, shared meals, massage, Reiki, breathing, and Qi Gong
  • Little reprieves with my dad like shopping trips and lunches to get him out of the house
  • Staying connected with my husband, kids, and sweet Fresco (our black lab beauty) through video calls, and later reuniting with them in Toronto – with a surprise visit from our daughter flying in from Europe – multiple airport runs in the big city
  • Teaching classes and sessions, guiding students and clients, and making a six-hour round trip to share dinner with our son stationed away on a project
  • Catching smiles – long-time friends, Ontario Fall hikes in colour, and wouldn’t you know it… baseball excitement, the Blue Jays made it to the World Series!

In my mind and heart, I made a quiet list – one priority at a time, moving with whatever flow space and time would allow:


  2. Stepmom
  3. Family
  4. Students & clients
  5. Leaves
  6. Friends
  7. Baseball

Can you guess what fills in the blank for #1?

Me.

Me grounding. Me aligning. Me moving. Me breathing.

Keeping my energy balanced and in flow.

Opening to receive and resource Qi – life-force energy – so I can stay centred:

in my body, in my mind, in my soul…

…and be present.

Because being present doesn’t change our to-do list. It doesn’t change how a situation unfolds.

But it completely changes how we move through it.

It’s the freedom we all have – the freedom to choose presence:

          To choose grounding instead of rushing without direction.

          To choose allowing instead of resisting what is.

          To choose breathing instead of holding on too tight.

Presence doesn’t change what we move through. It changes how we move through it.

And amongst all that IS – I am fine.

I AM well.

Of course, there have been times of sadness, times when tears have flown freely.

And then…

I return to MySelf.

I remember My Essence.

I am My Truth.

And that’s what I want for you.

The breath I’m sharing here is one of the very first I learned when I began training to move my Qi. It’s also one that I guided my stepmom through – to ease her pain, boost her energy, and soothe her into restful sleep.

The Chest Breath is something I use every single day – to energise, to relax, and to return to calm and peace.

As one student beautifully described it: “A simply profound game-changer.”

One minute is all you need – to ease out of stuckness, shift your energy, and return to presence.

First, place your feet flat on the ground. Feel the ground beneath you.

And then…

Because Fall is the season of Lung Energy, I’ll be sharing a short video series starting this coming weekend. These videos will include simple tips and fun facts about how breathing boosts your immune system, and supports your energy levels and your overall well-being.

If you’d like to receive this short series, email me at  sandra@qi-taichi.ca  with ‘BOOST’.

Move your breath. Move your Qi.

Because only in presence can you return to YourSelf, remember Your Essence, and be Your Truth.

 

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