Last week, a student walked in our doors with a look of despair. She sat on the couch in the lobby and cried to me about her chronic pain. She's in her 30s and wept about feeling like a cripple. Oh, I know that pain and despair! I was in my 20s and 30s with debilitating chronic back pain that would not let up.

I had a realization today while journaling. I witnessed an old pattern that I needed to grow out of! I was feeling resistance that was keeping me in a small, bratty mindset that was young and immature. Journaling about it put me in the observer seat to recognize the pattern and understand how it affected me and probably others around me.

When I felt fear creep in after thinking of everything happening in our country, I read this quote from Dr. Lily Choi and remembered that this is the best time of year to bring our gifts forward. This redirects my fear from paralysis to the right action. The springtime wood season is when the energy (chi) of the liver and gallbladder is the strongest, which makes it the easiest time to utilize this energy.

After class yesterday, a new student told me that after just three weeks of attending the Meridian classes twice a week, her life has changed significantly, and she can finally wear regular underwear.

That means that she has regulated her energetic system, so she is in control of her bladder again.

After listening to the news, I felt the world's weight on me, so I did what always helps: breathwork, yoga, and walking to shift my energy. When I saw the crocuses peaking, I stopped in my tracks. I honored the amount of energy this beautiful blossom took to rise and reach its full potential. This was the news I needed to hear—the crocuses are blooming!ar.

Transitioning from a freezing winter to a scorching summer in Costa Rica in just a few hours made it seem as though we had bypassed spring entirely. I love the transitions from one season to the next more than being at the peak of each season—especially winter into spring. We are one month away from the spring equinox, which means we are in winter's last stage. Even if there is more snow or cold weather, the promise of spring is near.

A new yoga student started with us three weeks ago. She's 67 and is filled with fear. She's worried about her health, as she's a cancer survivor, but recently shared her terror for her husband's brother, who is at risk of deportation.

Fear is up for so many people. I feel it in the collective. Just listening to the news elicits fear. Fear manifests in different ways. It can appear guarded and defensive, snippy, or impatient. Stress and anxiety are symptoms of fear.

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.