Fly Free To Tropical Paradise Today (with Master Law's Tai Chi Holiday Lesson)

Enlightenment Prompt #19

Tropical escape,

clear blue water, sunset skies-

seek within and fly.

Street art in Notting Hill.

Here is some street art on Portobello Road in London's Notting Hill. It's still the tail end of winter, people dress in coats and wear gloves. Often I overhear the locals on the bus or underground say that they are sick of the London cold and rain and have booked a flight to the south of France or Spain. We know that a change of external landscape promises to improve our mind-body health and there's no doubt that sun and clean seas are beneficial, but there's no pleasure without suffering - there's still the flight, losing luggage, hotel bookings gone wrong, so much potential distraction that comes with the trip that sometimes it can be hard to be still and enjoy the new location.

What if the same landscape and its promise lay within? Our dreams bubble up and, when we remember them, give us a taste of our inner landscape. Is sleep something you look forward to each night? Do you occasionally dream beautiful things that fill your heart with gladness, that give you a sense of inner alignment? I do, but not always. Sometimes dreams must play out challenges going on in our lives, or deep things well up seeking to be resolved, but sometimes, when inner and outer life are in alignment, the subconscious world is better than the most luxurious tropical escape.

Once, when I told Master Law that I was going on a holiday to Queensland (Australia's favorite tropical destination) with my wife he shook his head and couldn't make sense of it. “Why do you need to go somewhere to relax and be happy? Just do tai chi.” I reflected on that and realized that in all the time I had known him he never took holidays for leisure or rest, he only travelled to teach tai chi or for family reasons. It was a valuable lesson. I even ran a travel brochure style ad for tai chi classes - “book your journey to the ultimate inner destination” :)

Master Law Lun Yeung practicing tai chi.

So what's stopping you? Ten minutes meditation a day is your deposit. Book your ticket to inner peace!