Dragon Whips Its Tail
I've been thinking about dragons all week. I have also been thinking about different forms of strength, which is one of the things Chinese dragons are known to symbolize. Strength doesn't have to only refer to one's physical power of course. It can also refer to the strength of the mind.
First, regarding dragons and strength, we took an amazing QiGong (pronounced Chee-gong) with intro to Tai Chi workshop last weekend and it really changed how I think about how a body can move. We've been taking a weekly gentle yoga class that incorporates some Qigong poses into the practice, so I was a little bit familiar with the idea of it. QiGong, to quote Wikipedia, is a system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used for health, spirituality, and martial arts training. The visiting instructor, Sufi T. W. Smith was a no nonsense type of guy, a guy that trains soldiers and martial arts devotees, but still very friendly and open. I practice yoga regularly and am used to getting into poses and then holding them. But Qigong is all about gentle movement directed with the breath and it makes me focus completely and utterly on what I am doing in the moment because you can't stop to think, or you will screw up the movement. Time flies by. You move and open up the many, many spaces in your body. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this and I've been practicing a little Dragon Whips Its Tail every day. Tai Chi is closely related to Qigong, but with more complicated structures, done slowly for health or quickly for self-defense. This is one of Sufi Tim's videos and this makes me want to head out to the beach at sunrise to practice!
Second, I have been thinking about dragons and strength because I am working on my next coloring book, and it is going to include several dragons. It's going to be a bit of an RPG (role playing game for those of you that have no idea what I am talking about) coloring book/activity/inspirational book, with a focus on strong women. Head over to the free coloring sheet page to download my Dragon Whips Its Tail coloring sheet.
And be sure to watch this space for updates on the new book!