After obtaining my master’s degree in traditional Chinese medicine, I wondered what opportunities would present themselves. With the closing of that particular chapter of my life, I knew that another, even more wondrous phase would begin. Also, I knew that by simply turning the pages, my story would become sweeter and sweeter.
That is, after all, how life works. (Be sure to tell your friends.) :o)
So, I began to explore possibilities during my meditation sessions. Sure, I was “supposed” to be sitting there in stillness, but I was having too much fun. The internal dialogue went something like this:
I could take up a job in a hospital & make tons of money? No, too hectic. I could work in a small clinic & treat the underprivileged? Nah, the idea of working within a physical, intellectual, ethical, & economic shoe-box doesn’t sound fun. How about opening my own clinic? And do all that paperwork? Are you joking? Hmmm… what about shirking the whole “Dr. John” mess by simply treating friends and community members for free & on my own time? Yes! That sounds fun! It would take longer to pay off my schooling, but I’m in no hurry. Also, by bucking the system of licensure & insurance that I don’t agree with, I can help to deconstruct the stagnant social paradigm. ...or something like that...
Where to live? Should I stay in the desert? Well, I do enjoy Tucson, but the dry weather isn’t very good for my body. How about BeiJing? While the idea of studying with some of the masters in that area & furthering my mandarin sounds fantastic, I don’t like the idea of having my lungs turn black. Back to Tasmania? No, the last time I was there, they were slashing and burning the old-growth tree groves. The Blue-Tier Rainforest must be a cattle-ridden field by now. I loved New Zealand, but there aren’t enough instructors out there. In the end, I realized that a life in the forest sounds the most ideal. I searched, and found a forest near enough to a major city to be accessible, but far enough away to be completely isolated. Yosemite National Forest is only a few hours away from San Francisco. That city has some great instructors that I can train with, and Yosemite happens to be just about the most beautiful place that I have ever seen.
What about money? They say it’s important.
Yeah, I guess I have to pay back my loans.
(sigh) Alright, what sounds like fun? Well, I love to teach meditation, qigong, taiji quan, etc. Why not continue with instructing? Great idea! That way, I can make enough money to survive, and need not charge my patients for their healing. Should I open my own school? Well, I tried that and it wasn’t very much fun. Okay, scratch that idea. Why not just work for someone else? Even if I’m making minimum wage, it’s plenty to live simply with. I can teach sunrise & sunset classes like I enjoy doing anyway. …and running them in Yosemite makes the training a wondrous experience. Huzzah!
At this point, satisfied that all of these choices felt “right” for me, I settled back into the cultivation of stillness. I figured that life would take care of the rest. Lo & behold, several months later, I found myself living & working in the park! I am paid for 3 hours of sunrise classes, and 3 hours at sunset. Surrounded by trees & mountains, in sight of a river, I treat many members of the community every day. So far we’ve had great success with everything from rheumatoid-arthritis to emotional depression. As life would have it, I make much more money than I need to survive AND am able to help support friends with their own schooling. How great is that?
Most of my day is spent with my practices, teaching, treating, and chilling by the river. Ahhh, paradise. I knew that the next phase of my life would be great, but how could I predict just HOW amazing it would become!?
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My heart in middle age found the Way.
And I came to dwell at the foot of this mountain.
When the spirit moves, I wander alone
Amid beauty that is all for me....
I will walk till the water checks my path,
Then sit and watch the rising clouds --
And some day meet an old wood-cutter
And talk and laugh and never return.
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