Dear Friends,
Warm wishes and holiday greetings do not seem enough this year. We have all, to a greater or lesser degree, experienced many of the same anxiety-producing and often heart-wrenching circumstances during 2021. I need not list or enumerate. Suffice it to say, I am personally grateful for my qigong practice which keeps me focused, anchored, and hopeful during these challenging times. And I have appreciation as well, for the benefits we bring to each other and all beings every time we practice with positive intent.
I am also grateful for two favorite authors whom I’d like to share with you: Roland Merullo and David Mitchie. Pardon the pun, but they are exactly my cup of chi. These are my go-to writers I turn to when I need some escape reading that still reminds me of the profound principles of compassion, righteous action, and daily disciplined practice, all sprinkled with a heavy dose of humor and self-acceptance.
The work I do is so rewarding, including, and especially because of, its challenges. This makes it difficult for me to sometimes practice what I preach: to be kind to myself and to take some time off for a bit of rest and relaxation. And even then, I find it difficult to abandon reading about health and wellness, energetic healing, meditation and qigong, Parkinson’s and other chronic conditions. It is such a blessing that work, passions, and life in general flow so seamlessly. And now I have found a pathway to incorporate all my interests in a fun way, with novels that are both highly entertaining and also the embodiment of mindfulness, compassion, and spiritual growth. Perfect vacation reading for me.
So, as my holiday gift for those of you who haven’t already met them, and for those who have, I share the works of Roland Merullo and David Mitchie. And if you’re a serial reader such as myself, these word wizards do not disappoint. The link below is to Chapter One of The Dalai Lama’s Cat, the initial book of an ongoing series. In each book, the precocious feline is the narrator. She was rescued from a dire fate by the Dalai Lama himself, and now is the observer and reporter of all interactions between this great and humble being and his many visitors from the often disparate worlds of celebrity, including spirituality, business, politics, education, and the arts,
David Mitchie was kind enough to share a link to the first chapter of The Dalai Lama’s Cat on Facebook. Find link at bottom of post.
Author Roland Merullo has produced a wonderful series, starting with Breakfast with Buddha. Here the narrator is an initially bewildered Manhattan editor, whose almost well-ordered universe is gently yet profoundly disrupted with the arrival of a benevolent, playful, disciplined and powerful Buddhist (styled) monk, Rinpoche. He and Otto, the editor, are the most enjoyable of odd couples, as we follow their road trip, geographic and spiritual. Although I don’t have a link to share here, this author is easy to find and has works available online and in local bookstores. Just google him and Breakfast with Buddha. Should you delve in, I hope you share at least some measure of the enjoyment I experience every time I read or re-read one of these authors. These guys just can’t write fast enough for me. (I’m still working on patience, among many other aspirations.)
As this year comes to a close, please accept my thanks. Whether we’ve met or not, corresponded or not, all of you, together, ignite the pilot light that keeps me burning with the desire to share, and therefore to write, coach, consult. In other words, you bring meaning to my life. I bow my head in gratitude and send all a virtual chi hug along with blessings for a happy, healthy, fulfilling 2022.
I’d like to close with some helpful thoughts for these times: We know the power of positive visualization. Let’s remember that as we form intentions for 2022. This is the time to create positive visions for the future. Someone wiser than myself shared that the Dark Ages were followed by the Enlightenment. Nurture your pilot light. We all need each other to shine. Together we are brilliant!
FYI- I am starting a staycation now and plan to return to coaching and consulting mid-January.
Also, please note that the Hawaii Retreat, planned for November of 2022, is canceled until further notice. We look forward to a time when travel plans can be made with more certainty and less anxiety over contagious infection. The only conditions we seek to spread at a health retreat are vitality and peace of mind. Haola!
Chi blessings,
Bianca Mollé
P.S. To read David Mitchie’s first chapter of The Dalai Lama’s Cat: Click Here