As we approach the Winter Solstice on Dec. 21, the natural Holy-day behind many
different cultural traditions, we tend to get stressed at a time that we are best going into greater stillness of the Great Yin.
But Winter Solstice is such a deep and powerful event that it is relatively easy
to tune in across time and space. I invite everyone to tune into the chi field 
by meditating alone or with friends and family.

You might start off with the following simple meditative reading:

A Solstice Blessing and Meditation on Gratitude:

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead
and a place to sleep...
you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish
someplace...
you are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...
you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of
imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation...
you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church or other gathering without fear of harassment,
arrest, torture, or death...
you are more blessed than three billion people in the world

If your parents are still alive and still married... you are blessed with a
family that is very rare.

If you hold your head up with a smile on your face and are truly thankful...
you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not

If today, you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the
shoulder ...
you are blessed because you have made contact with another human being.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion
people in the world who cannot read at all.

Gratitude to the Life Force that manifests everything is a powerful way to come into intimate relationship with the Tao. The Life Force is the life blood of the Tao, our only means of communicating with the Great Mystery of the Unknown (wuji).

Bless you and those you love this Solstice time, in whatever form you
celebrate it!

By Michael Winn