Between The Darkness & The Light

The faint background lighting from my living room shapes my dark shadowy reflection in the oversized glass windows as I begin my almost daily T’ai Chi Chih practice in the pre-dawn darkness. It is a time of day that has started to communicate with me as I am gradually learning to quiet my mind and listen.

With each movement I get the sense that the world around me is waking from a mighty slumber as planet earth continues to turn and increasingly inaugurates the light of day. For a few fleeting moments the world is dark and then the magical transformation begins with the first rays of light. At first I am uncertain, but I then become aware my reflection has changed confirming light is breaking though the darkness. Now with a small degree of outside backlighting the images on the glass have doubled with a new lighter reflection in front of the original. I notice that a spider that was perched in its web outside the window is abandoning its predatory position to seek a safe hiding place from the ensuing daylight that transforms it to prey. A thought surfaces and then quickly departs; what striking examples of yin and yang.

My practice continues, every now and then the sounds of birds in my backyard fill the air and the world continues to be bathed in the growing light of day. I can’t help but reflect, wondering what the birds are saying to each other. Are they calling a mate, warning of a predator or maybe vocalizing the location of food? But the thought quickly passes as I redirect my attention to the soles of my feet and become aware my now multiplying reflections continue to grow lighter on the window glass.

The sun cracks the horizon; its rays kiss the glass and then enter the room. My reflection fades as somewhere a dog barks and a motorcycle races. I assume the Cosmic Consciousness pose and am immersed in gratitude for the rarified gift of experiencing the beauty of the earth emerging from darkness. It is almost like sipping a Chi-filled elixir formed between darkness and light. I feel the energy between my hands and develop the sense to create an image to capture the moment. Learning to listen to myself I let go and let TCC be in charge.