042626 Evening — A Busy April

 

Only two weeks ago Lifestream completed the association's very first market experience, joining the Island of Light Culture and Arts Foundation at the Mennonite Hope Market held at the Guangfu Sugar Factory. We had barely turned around before we were taking part in Book Flow Hualien at the Pine Garden at the end of April.

When Yuping invited us in the second half of last year, Lifestream was only a few months old — a newborn calf — and back then I think I was still the only one teaching relaxation on a regular weekly basis. Today Hualien already has three fixed weekly sessions, Taichung has one a week, Kaohsiung and Taipei are in preparation, and even National Dong Hwa University will soon welcome a Lifestream presence (you heard it here first). For this market I also have my companions to thank: because they had it covered, I could go up to Taipei to teach with nothing on my mind, and still fulfil the invitation from Island of Light.

Teaching relaxation to strangers is simply part of my daily life now; I've long been at ease with it, and no crowd is too big for me. But for my companions, standing in the current of a busy market and guiding people who wandered in out of curiosity — or who just wanted somewhere to sit and rest — through a relaxation practice is exactly the kind of new experience that growth requires.

After finishing four and a half hours of sessions in Taipei yesterday, I had meant to rest properly. Today I only came by to look in on the companions holding down the venue and give them a little encouragement. But no sooner had I sat down and led a few people through relaxation than one person after another with an interest in relaxation walked into the little wooden cabin. By the time I stood up again the market was drawing to a close, the crowd had dispersed, and the staff had come to pack up the space.

Every time I see the look of relief on someone's face after they relax, I feel a joy that comes from the bottom of my heart. In this tangled, difficult world, another good connection has been made — how could I not be happy?

May is almost here. The regular relaxation sessions continue, weekend sessions will still be held, and we'll announce them early next month. If you are curious about relaxation, or if facing the world has left you weary in body and mind, please do find a suitable time to come and join a Lifestream session.

We'll teach you how to relax with a single thought.