April 24, Tai Chi with St. Francis

April 24 is World Tai Chi and Qigong Day. I celebrated in the backyard with St. Francis on a carpet of spring beauties. I think that St. Francis would have practiced tai chi, had he known about it. In fact, he probably had his own form of movement practice that brought him to prayer. When you read the following poem, doesn't it bring to mind St. Francis' relationship with Brother Sun and Sister Moon?

I take my body and breath

and I go to play beneath the

tree and the mountains.

We are always three,

counting the sky

and my friend

the nurturing earth.

Happily the sky does

not judge me and

the earth gives me lessons.

After class students and

teachers go their separate

ways, but this sadness I do

not know. When I go

home

the earth goes with me

and the sky follows me.

~Li Bai