The Photo:
I captured the sun with a white bottom and a red top this morning. I've never been aware of the changing color of the sun itself, until recently. Now I've seen several white tops and red bottoms, but I've never seen (been aware of) this configuration before. You??
It was slightly cooler this morning (low 60's) with a pretty steady breeze from the west. The ocean was flat and I got to see a few dolphin as I practiced. Always an auspicious occasion!
The sunrise was at 6:52 this morning and low tide at 8:55. At sunrise the tide was still going out so there was plenty of beach to practice on.
I'm really enjoying the easier access to the beach at the 22nd Ave Walkover. It's literally a straight shot down my street. I can see the Walkover from the bottom of my driveway!
The Practice:
I started on my walk to the beach by reciting out loud:
Loose, Supple and Relaxed
I still have a few places where I need extra intention in order to time my movements to be in a more relaxed and released by augmenting the movement (or still posture) with fine tuning my physical counter balancing.
I continued to become more and more aware of releasing excess tension on ALL levels. Opening joints and tissue expanding in all directions.
As I practiced I felt more and more a part of the environment as I watched the sunrise/earth rotation, felt the wind, the ever changing sand beneath my feet, the sound of the waves crashing and wind passing, the shore birds flying by on the west wind, the smell of the ocean. Breathing in the sea mist and it's negatively charged ions and bromides
With gratitude and appreciation!
Breathing in qi is in me! Breathing out, I'm in qi
Being able to walk to the beach is the main reason I've been able to amass months of sunrise practices on the beach.
Communing with the Tao on the beach at sunrise has been an experience that's impossible to put into words.
I have immense gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity!!
Living my best life;^)
Notes:
I saw a few of the regular beach walkers this morning:
The 4 sunrise beach walkers had two more this am.
Paul (the jogger) stopped and said his knee (rt) but his plantar fasciitis is better. That's why he was walking instead of jogging. He recently turned 65 and was so grateful to make it to be that old as both his parents passed when he was young.
IMHO - The shock on the feet, ankles, knees, hips and low back from jogging/running is more difficult and counter productive as we age. Usually an old injury will stop you from running for health but if that doesn't father time will eventually catch up to you. It's the human condition, there's no outrunning father time.
IMHO - T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong are the best modes of exercise after 60, certainly after 70!
As Master T. T. Liang said:
"Life Begins at 70!"