The Tao on the Go: A Closer Look

From a distance, Queen Anne’s lace looks like a single white flower. Simple, maybe even ordinary.  Easy to pass by.

But come a little closer.

What appears to be one flower is actually hundreds—sometimes nearly a thousand—tiny blossoms woven together. And resting at the center is something many people never notice at all—a single deep purple flower.

Since the flower is rather unobtrusive from afar, most people walk right past it. Not because it’s hidden. Because they never look long enough.

Tai Chi is much the same.

From the outside, someone sees slow movements, a graceful form, or a low impact exercise class—a way to improve balance or relieve some stress. But as you delve into the practice, you begin noticing things you couldn’t have seen before.

How the body rises with the inhale and sinks with the exhale.

How the feet feel when rooted into the earth.

How relaxing the shoulders changes the quality of the posture.

How softness suddenly feels like strength.

How, sometimes, stillness can reveal more than movement does.

It’s not that the practice suddenly became deeper; it’s your perception that became deeper.

Taoism invites us to see the world this way as well. The Tao isn’t reserved for temples, ancient texts, or even perfectly executed forms. 

It’s waiting in ordinary flowers, everyday conversations, and familiar routines—if we slow down enough to notice.

Growth isn’t always about finding something new.

Sometimes it’s about looking more closely at what has been there all along.

This week’s invitation:

Find one ordinary thing you’ve seen a hundred times—a flower, a tree, a painting, even your own breath—and spend an extra minute with it. Take a closer look. See if something reveals itself that you had never noticed before.

--Rhiannon