Transitioning Through Change ~ The Taoist Approach

Lately, I've been posting less and living more...

I've found myself wanting to step away from the constant sharing, creating and doing, and instead simply be present for this beautiful season of life.

There is also something especially magical about this time of year - late winter in the hinterland. There's a subtle transition between seasons, where one chapter is gently giving way to another, and the sunshine is slowly beginning to regather strength. And I find myself experiencing a similar transition within my own life. So, rather than rushing to figure out what comes next, I've been allowing myself space to pause. To notice, to listen, to enjoy the wonder of what is already here, and to enjoy the slower pace of life even more.

You'll often find me literally bathing in nature, soaking in a warm bath under the stars, slow walks at sunrise, and lazy afternoons just hanging out with the bees in a field of wild freesias. To me their sweet fragrance is a gentle reminder that spring is just starting to shine its joyful light onto the earth once again, bringing with it warmth, hope & renewed inspiration. When I was a child I'd often go foraging through the bush to find these divine little blooms that lie dormant undergound for so many months of the year, forgotten until the springtime softly creeps in again as they raise their dainty heads. I used to sing,

A little bloom, a breath of spring, a whisper of hope in everything!

Perhaps there is wisdom in these liminal spaces, when we are aware of the need to slow our racing minds, resisting the need to keep pushing, building and creating more. We don't always need to immediately fill the space with plans, answers or action. Sometimes the greatest clarity comes when we create enough stillness to hear what is quietly arising within us, the whisper of the humble wisdom that says,

'Right now it is enough to not know'.

This is something I've been contemplating deeply lately. Four simple words have quietly been dancing on my lips, that hold such a beautiful invitation. Relax. Trust. Breathe. Receive.

To relax is more than simply resting the body. It can mean softening the tight grip on life, releasing the need to control every detail, to know exactly where we're going or how everything will unfold.

The Taoists understood this beautifully through the principle of Wu Wei, which is often translated as effortless action or non-forcing. It isn't about becoming passive. Rather, it is about learning to move with life instead of constantly pushing against it. It invites a graceful kind of yielding to what is, rather than desiring and striving for what could be. Nature doesn't hurry. The seasons don't force their transitions. The tree doesn't strain to become its next expression, yet there is a rhythm to everything, and perhaps we can trust that rhythm within ourselves too. It reminds me of my favourite line in the Tao Te Ching;

Nature doesn't hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

Transitions can bring uncertainty. There is often a temptation to rush towards the next thing simply because we feel uncomfortable in the space of emptiness. But perhaps not knowing is sometimes exactly where we need to be. In the beautiful dance of yin and yang, there is a continual movement between action and rest, expression and receptivity, light and darkness. We cannot live entirely in yang, constantly doing, achieving and moving forward without eventually becoming depleted. Yin reminds us to turn inward to replenish, listen and simply allow. And sometimes, when we stop trying so hard to make things happen, we discover that life has already been quietly rearranging itself for us.

I find when I'm simply aware of the movement of my breath that this is perhaps the simplest doorway back into the present moment, back into my heart. I take a pause to relax and forget what I think I should be doing, and simply rememeber that this is it - I'm already doing it!

When life becomes busy, our attention is so easily pulled outward towards what we think needs to be done, what has happened and what might happen next. Constantly wrestling with the unknowns, the body begins to tighten, the mind feels squeezed and the breath can be almost non-existent. Yet, as deceptively simple as it is, one conscious breath brings us home, back into the body, back into this moment, and most importantly, back into our heart. In the Tao it says,

Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.

This is one of the beautiful gifts of Yin Yoga, Qigong and other Taoist practices such as Tai Chi. Through movement, breath and awareness, we gradually turn our attention inward and begin to hear what is beneath the surface. And when the outer noise becomes quiet enough, something else can quietly emerge...and we begin to open ourselves to receive what we are most needing in the moment.

In Taoist thought, and in the yogic tradition, there is a deep appreciation for the wisdom that arises through stillness. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shen is often described as our spirit or inner radiance, the subtle light of consciousness that shines through us.

I love the idea that we don't have to create our Shen, but that it is already there like the soft glow around a candle flame, that only becomes visible when it is lit, and the background distractions recede into the shadows. Perhaps it becomes more apparent when we stop smothering it with so much movement, noise and false light.

When we pause, when we breathe, when we soften and give ourselves permission to simply be, we remember we are also the light.

I notice this most profoundly at sunrise and sunset.

These golden hours of liminal space have become one of my favourite ways to begin and end my day. I love to sit and watch the world awaken, or soften into evening, and just do nothing, or slowly sip a cup of tea. To witness the changing light, to breathe, and to simply receive what is being offered without an agenda or plan, just pure, unadulterated presence. And somehow, in those quiet moments, I often find inspiration, nourishment and clarity arriving all by themselves.

The universe seems incredibly generous when we create the space to notice.

So perhaps this little pause I'm taking isn't really a pause from life at all, but more of a way to participate in it more deeply, and a chance to listen more carefully, to feel what is truly needed, to allow the next chapter to reveal itself rather than rushing ahead to write it.

Sometimes when we do this, we discover that we don't need to go searching for clarity, inspiration or our own inner light. We simply need to become quiet enough to receive it as a living practice, moment by moment, breath by breath...and trust that we are receiving exactly what is needed right now. I see it as a graceful way of welcoming life itself in a quiet, humble and simple manner. This is the way of the Tao.

So, if you are curious, open and willing to meet life this way, join us each Tuesday in Pomona, where we gather to practice Qigong and Yin Yoga in the tranquil surrounds of the forest - to move, breathe, soften, listen and become present together. Yes, we have transitioned into a lovely new space to continue to share what we love with the Noosa Hinterland community!

These aren't simply exercises or techniques to be practised for an hour and then left behind.

They are living meditations. An opportunity to embody what it is to truly Relax. Trust. Breathe. Receive. To feel what it means to soften rather than force. To listen rather than rush. To breathe rather than brace. To receive rather than constantly reach.

And then, perhaps, to carry that feeling with us beyond the mat and into our everyday lives.

Because the real practice begins when we step back out into the world.

For now I'll leave you with a gentle invitation to ask yourself a few questions;

How do I breathe when things feel uncertain?

Can I soften when life asks me to change?

Can I trust when I don't yet know what comes next?

Can I pause long enough to receive the wisdom, beauty and nourishment that is already being offered?

May you ride the waves of transition gracefully, and in your own way. Remember, life is not a race, and the destination is right here.

We hope to see you on the mat soon! Come as you are, and let's discover together what becomes possible when we allow life to move through us, rather than always trying to move life ourselves.

With love & peaceful blessings,

Sundãri & Shivatree✨️🙏🏼✨️

(Danielle & Tony)

Ps. If you'd like to explore Yoga, Mindfulness, Ayurveda, Qigong, Sound or energy healing with us, please reach out by replying to this email. We work individually or in groups, both in person or remotely from anywhere in the world.

Each Tuesday from 12 - 5pm we also offer 30 minute sessions of Ayurvedic Indian head massage from the Lions Club hall, Pomona. Please reach out for enquiries or bookings.