While the Dao transcends space and time, the world around us is constantly changing. Each year brings its own energies and we can use them to grow and become more aligned with the flow of the Dao.
This is the year of intelligence and insight.
Tree Snake Energy: Mind over emotion
Last year I encouraged you to work hard for your future. Now is the time to take a more thoughtful and effective approach to this effort. Start by determining what you need to do and then prioritize it. But to truly embody the energy of the Wood Snake, it is important to move forward calmly and steadily. Before making any decisions, take a moment to focus on yourself and be clear. Let your mind focus on well-thought-out plans based on reason, not emotion.
You need to bring the same energy into your inner art practice. Determine what you think is most important in your practice and focus on that – avoid jumping around. Use your wisdom to determine what really matters and practice in a steady, methodical way. Stick to it consistently to reach your goal by the end of the year.
Geo-political landscape
The world has reached a crossroads and faces either great progress or significant difficulties. As individuals, there is only so much we can do in the current geopolitical situation. It’s important to stay grounded and know what you can control and what you can’t. If you feel compelled to respond to global events, do so in a way that makes a significant impact, even if it is small. And make sure your actions are guided by clear thinking, not emotional reactions. But before you take any action, make sure you have all the facts.
We live in a world flooded with information that is often contradictory, making it difficult to separate truth from misinformation. In ancient cultures, a lot of emphasis was placed on the development of critical thinking – on not being too easily influenced. Many people these days struggle to tell what’s real, what’s not, and most importantly, what’s in between. We need to be more sensitive to uncertainty and learn to navigate the gray areas. Use your rational mind to evaluate different points of view and decide where you stand. If we want to rise higher, we have to listen to each other and think more logically, not just react impulsively.
AI: Knowing what’s real and what’s not
Last year I talked about the rise of AI (artificial intelligence) and its potential to take away human responsibilities by replacing tasks. However, artificial intelligence poses a threat not only to its users, but also to its consumers. It now has the potential to become the greatest propaganda tool in history. People’s ability to make rational decisions and not be swayed by emotion becomes much more difficult if they cannot tell the difference between true and false. As this technology continues to improve, start to see if it can tell the difference between real and AI-generated (including the images on the blog).
Energy Arts Training Center Update
THE Energy Arts Training Center our main school is located in Longmont, Colorado and is the heart of our entire Energy Arts community.
Recently, we have been investing a lot of energy in the development of our teacher training programs. Last month we held a fantastic Dragon and Tiger Trainer Training with Lead Trainer Craig Barnes and it was a huge success! We had a great turnout, and now our qualified instructors also lead guided exercises in the school. We are also very excited about our Sky and Earth instructor training coming up this summer!
We’ve also made some exciting improvements to our physical space! The Education Center received a brand new roof and, in accordance with our commitment to harmony with nature, we installed solar panels. You could say that we are now “Yang-powered”!
In addition to our physical school, we also have Energy Arts liveour virtual school. This program allows students to access live streams and recordings of all in-person classes and guided practices offered at the Energy Arts Training Center. We currently cover a wide range of practices including meditation tai chi, bagua, qigong and more. You are welcome to join us!
The best way to get the most out of your practice is to make it a regular part of your practice. The Taoist arts offer incredible benefits and we wish you the best as you continue your journey.
Upcoming events
In less than a month I will be teaching a The power of Taoist arts With Master Ly Hong Thai. This is our first such collaboration and I hope to see you at this weekend’s workshop February 22-23 (Saturday-Sunday).
This summer we will be running three Heaven and Earth Qigong courses: an instructor training, a beginner/intermediate course and an advanced training where I will go into deeper aspects of this form that I have never taught before. Our events run for four weeks, and I’m excited to see the many senior instructors who will be there to teach and help students. Heaven and Earth Qigong is a powerful form of Qigong that allows students to reach deeper levels of Neigong. Personal registration is open! Check out the summer courses here.
I’m finally going to Europe this fall… so stay tuned for more details.
Conclusion
I would like to thank everyone in the wider Energy Arts Community, especially those who continue to support the longevity of this Taoist lineage by attending our events and participating Energy Arts live program. Move clearly and wisely in this year of the forest snake! I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible and to being able to train in the new year.
In recognition
Bruce Francis
Founder, Energy Arts
