This past Sunday, after my Sacred Sunday class, a student told me, with tears in her eyes, how much my message about the power of listening deeply touched her. She felt she was never listened to as a child, but now she realizes she isn't listening well enough to her daughter or husband, which is creating distance in their relationships.

During this winter water season, that's still and quiet, I'm drawn to one of my favorite passages from the Tao te Ching 43: “The softest things in the world override the hardest things of the world.”

Now that the bright lights of the holidays are behind us, we can inhabit winter as nature shows us - by creating time for quiet and stillness.

Happy soon-to-be Winter Solstice! The light returning is so hopeful and exciting. The light returning is the basis for the winter holidays. This metaphor is used in different religious and spiritual stories as a reason to celebrate.

Recently, one of our Master's Path students said to me, "Since I've been learning about the energy of each season and doing the practices that enhance my kidneys, I no longer dread winter!" - I, too, feel the same way.

The kidneys are energetically running the strongest in the winter, which makes it the easiest time to repair any imbalances and strengthen kidney chi.

While talking to a friend who was crippled with anxiety and grief, I realized how blocked up their lung chi (energy) was. They couldn't process their emotions; they were stuck and spiraling. Their skin was breaking out in hives, which added to their anxiety.

The late Thich Nhat Hanh inspired me in an interview he did with Ram Das on holding our anger with care. He spoke about holding our anger (or grief, sadness, or any difficult emotion) like you're holding a baby who needs care.

I recently listened to a talk by Frank Ostaseski about grief that was enlightening and timely for the autumn season of letting go.

Here's some of what I took from this relevant and inspiring new look at grief.

If we were to align specific practices that correspond to the energy of the season, we would have more success in sustaining them.

This is ancient Chinese medicine wisdom, knowing that the energy (chi) shifts each season, based on the relationship of the earth to the sun.

Chi energy is very subtle. It informs us through our emotions and physical symptoms. It tells us either we're in balance, when we're feeling grounded and harmonious, or that we're out of balance, which results in worry and doubt..

There is a distinct shift in my reactions when I meditate and do my yoga practice compared to when I don't.

I noticed this in a friend who used to be so judgemental. When she started meditating regularly, she became much more accepting and understanding, and I enjoyed her company a lot more.

One of the best attributes of this late summer earth-element energy is the feeling of contentment.

To feel contented is to feel fulfilled. Different aspects of our lives can provide fulfillment and balance the areas that aren't fulfilled.

This time of year can be so soothing that we may feel lethargic and not want to move much. Sitting for hours can create stagnant chi flow, which affects us emotionally and physically.

Late summer is one of my favorite times of the year. It's so mellow, soothing, nourishing and grounded.

These qualities happen to be the energy we feel when the stomach and spleen chi are balanced. Late summer corresponds to the earth element, which relates to the energy of the spleen and stomach. And it makes sense: The gardens are abundant and ripe for the picking, so digestion is at high tide this time of year.

This time of year can be so soothing that we may feel lethargic and not want to move much. Sitting for hours can create stagnant chi flow, which affects us emotionally and physically.

As the summer season marches on, there's a shift in the energy. From the early summer fire season of extreme yang chi, it's now balancing out to the earth season.

This is the only time of year when the energy is balanced.

In the spring, the yang sprouting energy of the wood element rose from the deep winter yin energy of the water element.

Then, the sprouting transformed into the early summer fire blooming energy when the yang chi (energy) peaked.

As I write this morning, I know that, according to the wisdom of Chinese medicine, this is the time of day when the intellect is energetically running the strongest. Between 7 and 11 a.m., the stomach and spleen are in energetic high tide and directly relate to our intellect. We can be efficient and get the most work done during these hours.

Knowing the energy patterns of nature throughout the day, through the seasons, and our life stages can help us organize ourselves to utilize them rather than push up against them and expend more energy than needed.

The life stages, the seasons, and the daily flow of energy that runs through our organs can be considered the three gears.

I was reflecting on my energy level to learn new things this year. I usually like learning new material, but not so much this year.

At first, I felt concerned: What's happening to me? Have I lost my motivation?

And then I remembered that I'm in a metal year. Metal years are about letting go and clearing the old so something new can emerge.

What does this mean, you might wonder?

As you may have read from my previous emails and what I share in the Meridian Flow classes, energy shifts each season, which is also reflected in our life stages.

My friend, Richard Sloane, shared something potent for me during the Mindfulness Meditation course he led last weekend. He shared the story about when he received his cancer diagnosis and the victim mentality he initially went through, thinking, "Why is this happening to me?"

We can all relate to this. Whenever something difficult is going on, especially a severe diagnosis, it can feel like we are being punished for some unknown reason.

But he then shared a phrase that shifted that mindset—this isn't happening to you; it's happening FOR you.

This difficult time is happening for your evolution.

Do you know the difference between judgment and discernment?

Judgment compares and labels things. Wise discernment sees the difference between things without comparing them.

Why do I bring this up? The small intestine's energetic role is to discern what to keep and what to let go of, and its energy is running the strongest right now, in this early summer fire season.

In my recent emails, I've focused on the heart's energy since it's front and center. I have yet to give much attention to the heart's energetic partner, the small intestine.

Although the small intestine and the heart have very different physical functions, they are affected by the same energetic frequency and vibration. So they are both running the strongest in this early summer FIRE season.

I had an interesting realization this morning. I woke up feeling heavy-hearted for no particular reason.

Sadness was up for me. I wanted to distract myself by scrolling on my phone, but I quickly realized that wasn't a great plan.

I wrote in my journal some reasons that triggered sadness, but still, they didn't seem enough to elicit a heavy heart.

So I sat on my meditation cushion and allowed my heavy heart to just BE. I let sadness be there without analyzing it, to float... and then came peace.