Guanyin is the family protector. This beautiful statue is my mother’s Guanyin. She has been honored and nurtured on this altar at my parents’ jewelry store, protecting us for most of my life. This past Monday, we moved Guanyin, her altar, and the lotus lamps that light her way to us, into my home. This year has been filled with change and the ups and downs change brings. It has been a wonderful feeling reconnecting with my ancestral protectors and feeling the familiar warmth in my heart in Guanyin’s presence. I am so grateful she is a strong presence in my life again. For anyone else going through some turbulence with life changes, I hope sharing my Guanyin’s light with you can bring some warmth into your heart as it has mine.
One of the gifts my ancestral spirits blessed me with is to recognize who are my guides and protectors. They first brought me to Thomas Clifford, my first martial arts instructor, who introduced me to discipline, martial spirit, and appreciation for the practical side of martial arts. They then brought me to Grandmaster Aiping Cheng, who shaped me into the instructor and leader I am today. And they most recently brought me to Damian Neve (I call him Dai Lo), who has been coaching me to understand Tai Chi at its deepest and most fundamental levels so I can truly embody my place as Master Aiping’s successor.
I can’t believe we’re already entering the last weekend in September. If you’re free this Sunday, you can make it a day of Tai Chi with us. In the morning we’re holding our last pop up at the beach and in the afternoon we’re holding our September online community workshop. This month’s topic won the poll by a landslide! It’s a challenging topic to teach because how can you transmit the intangibles? Luckily, I love challenges 🙂 Hope to see you in person or online on Sunday!
Learn more by reading our latest newsletter published September 25, 2024.