Publications
Below is a curated collection of my latest work. Perhaps try reading with your heart.
Poetry: Epitastic
Publication: Poem Alone– October 2024
slide out of blackness
slip into greyness
away from nimbostratus
but not quite there yet
saunter into rising hills
away from drifting fog
but not quite seeing the crest….
Poetry: Inner Direction
Publication: Valiant Scribe – August 2024
sitting in this soft world to listen
my senses draw inward bringing
a blanket of quiet under a night sky
inner trail lit with gentle starry glow
I sit here _ not to lose myself
but to…
Poetry: The Law of Cause and Effect - A Love Poem
Publication: Ren Xue International News – August 2024
Sit with me on this earthen floor.
Arms linked
encircling our like-hearted community
graced with illuminated teachings on Dao-the Laws of Life.
Let us focus on transformation, neither good nor bad
but a natural shift from Yin to Yang and back again.
Each a totality, each part of an infinite whole.
Raise your awareness. Look up and see the ladder clearly.
Suspended from the sky, thick ropes holding each wooden rung.
Swaying in currents of change…
Fiction: The Legend of Condor and Eagle: A Modern Retelling
Publication: Roses & Wildflowers Journal – February 2024
A tale of hope, love, and remembering as Condor and Eagle fly us into a new era built upon harmony, healing, and connection. It was inspired by an ancient South American prophecy that speaks of a 500-year period in which humanity splits in two: the eagle represents the mind, technology and the masculine; the condor represents the heart, intuition and the feminine. After that time, right about now, there would be potential for them to fly together and create an uplifted human consciousness…(art by Lauren Raine)
Fiction: Patterns at the Podium
Publication: Ren Xue International News – January 2024
“Follow along in this enticing performance of patterns as Stephanie Ross takes us through the inner workings of what may be even just a few seconds of patterns at work. It is such a thought-provoking and entertaining example that many of us may relate to. “ (RXI News)
Lights dim, hushed audience awaits. A deep voice over the PA reminds them to turn off their phones, remove distractions. They wiggle in their seats vying for elbow space. A cough in the back, something falls to the floor. Finally, attention turns to center stage.
Prized speakers emerge from the wing. The first stomps towards the spotlight. Chest slightly puffed, dress shoes and jeans – a cape around his cardigan covered shoulders, mismatched gloves, baker’s hat and ‘Best Dad’ badge on his heart. Prepared for multiple roles, Mis-identification confidently takes his place at the podium, smiles in greeting, opens his mouth and ….
Poetry: Olives
Publication: Mediterranean Poetry – October 2023
olive trees lined desolate
hills along the shoreline
wrinkly branches hailing from land …
Poetry: Empty Hands
Publication: The Passionfruit Review – September 2023
empty to receive
heart filling
expanding
to body, Universe
softening waves
flowing…
Qigong Near Me
Publication: Ren Xue of the Americas Qiblog – September 2023
So, you’re interested in Qigong but unsure what it is or how to sort the results when searching ‘Qigong near me?’ Not to worry. This article demystifies ‘Qigong near me.’ You’ll learn how to find the right system and teacher to suit your body and lifestyle so that you can attain the health, emotional, spirit, and consciousness benefits you’re seeking. Qigong is a healing art…
Poetry: The Keys
Publication: Half Day Moon Journal, pg. 44 – August 2023
he handed me the keys
I hadn’t realized I’d asked
they didn’t feel like I’d expected
they smelled of fear
hold steady – look again, he said…
Poetry: Identity Arising
Publication: Ren Xue International Newsletter – July 2023
wind whispers on waking
– go forth - be the new day
rising from slumber she
steps on bareness lain before her
naked as she wanders towards sunshine –
warmth greets her at the threshold
wind caresses her cheek, softness
envelopes the woman as she contemplates…..
Heart Based Teaching in Children’s Education
Publication: Ren Xue of the Americas Qiblog – May 2023
Why heart based teaching in children's education is so important and how it can support you and your family. Ren Xue teacher Stephanie Ross from Canada shares her experience with heart based teaching at her child's school.
My heart sang with happiness. It was working. My youngest was thriving. Some might say it was the innovative school pilot project making the difference. And yes, there are several factors making that true. But, at the heart of it all, I would say it’s the natural human qualities that profoundly touch us all that are making the real difference…
What is trust?
Publication: Ren Xue of the Americas Qiblog – April 2023
While exploring Yuan Qigong, I came across the simple but existential question: What is trust? This started a journey I could not predict.
More than a decade ago, I began practicing Ren Xue and the nine methods of Yuan Qigong. My most cherished practice is the seventh method – Tong Yuan. It’s a guided heart meditation, a still practice, and a form of learning that continues with me throughout my day enabling small changes moment by moment. My experiences with it change over time, unravel….
Poetry: Fiery Sunshine
Publication: Ariel Chart International Literary Journal ~ April 2023
bubbling out of the blankets through softly lit rays
sunseeker sparks at the morning view
she slips quietly over to sleeping mom
her love letter arriving with encircling arms
scampering down the stairs with purring fur
she greets the day barefoot; laughing now
secret fairy house glints …
Poetry: Distant Lands
Publication: Ariel Chart International Literary Journal ~ April 2023
earth between my toes
loamy soil moisture cooling my feet
flaming midday sand awakening my pads
enraging tender insteps
land beckoning in the distance
across flat capped waves
glassy slickness inviting …
Qigong for Highly Sensitive Persons
Publication: Ren Xue of the Americas Qiblog ~ March 2023
Being a highly sensitive person comes with many challenges. Qigong has helped me deal with these challenges and learn to treasure the gifts highly sensitive people bring into this world.
My children spent their early years living and flourishing on a sailboat. Even two years after we had gotten our land legs back, I was often bemused by the knowledge, inspiration, and habits they had acquired at sea. For example, they still enjoyed…
Why I became a Qigong Teacher
Publication: Ren Xue of the Americas Qiblog ~ August 2022
Two and a half years into a South Pacific sailing journey, I docked our cutter in Nelson, New Zealand. A few weeks later a woman in pink gumboots handed me a book called Voyage to the Shore. Maybe it was the serendipitous title or the feeling of the book tingling in my hands, but either way I accepted her mini backyard Qigong lesson and then hid away reading for two days…
Poetry: Life in Nutritive Decay
Publication: Quail Bell Magazine ~ January 2023
needle
spined peak
standing tall above her sisters
age measured in height, rings – consciousness
bearing 900 years of wisdom in stillness
stories embedded in each bough swaying
as the wind wails and …
How to improve your Family Life with Qigong
Publication: Ren Xue of the Americas Qiblog ~ June 2022
When I discovered Yuan Qigong, my children were ages 3 and 5. I was an enthusiastic beginner and got up at 5:30 a.m. every day to practice. It helped me feel more energized, clear, and ready for whatever came next. Having a scheduled time of day helped ensure I did it. I loved that no matter how the day went after that, I had already done something good for me.
Over time, I learned to incorporate small practices throughout the day...
Yuan Qigong for Emotional Balance
Publication: Ren Xue of the Americas Qiblog ~ July 2022
BALANCE. We hear a lot about work-life balance these days. But what is balance anyway?
Let’s try looking at the concept of balance from a Ren Xue perspective. We’ll start with a physical example found in Yuan Qigong’s Third Method: Ren Yuan (Moving Qi)…
Higher Standards for a Restored Heart
Publication: Surging Tide Magazine, Issue Five ~ January 2022
A sentinel to the Sleeping Giant, its old red bricks define the rigid rectangular building dominating the marina. Each imposing brick laid a hundred years ago striving to represent higher values; elevated symbols of justice. Each brick falling flat in societal need for change.
It stood as an old courthouse with incipient foolishness winding up the ivy on its shady side….
How to Cope with Family Stress
Publication: Ren Xue of the Americas Qiblog ~ November 2021
Once upon a time, in a land much like this one, a young maiden sailed to the magical lands of Qigong. She stepped ashore and found a beautiful golden rock. She held the rock to her heart and wished for physical healing, eternal happiness, and a life of calm seas. Pouf. And it was so…