Heron Dance Art Studio

Heron Dance Art Studio Heron Dance publishes "Zen Mountain Journal: Nurturing inner quiet, the song within." It is an art journal inspired by ancient Zen and Taoist poets.

A Working Artist's Inspirational Journal

A quiet book for a noisy time / The Tao Te Ching Journal, now available for pre-orderThe Tao Te Ching Journal is a conte...
05/13/2026

A quiet book for a noisy time / The Tao Te Ching Journal, now available for pre-order

The Tao Te Ching Journal is a contemplative companion for those seeking a quieter, more meaningful life. Combining Taoist hermit poetry, abstract Zen-inspired art, and guided reflections, it turns the Tao Te Ching from a book you read into a practice you live. Each chapter pairs a distilled verse with space for personal insight, helping you reconnect with your inner world, your intuition, and the “soundless music” at the center of your life. This is not merely a translation — it is a path toward simplicity.

More on the journal here.

https://herondance.org/journal

You can pre-order at the discounted price here.

https://herondance.org/print-journals/p/tao-journal

The Moment Before ExcessKnowing when enough is enough.Knowing when wanting moreDisturbs the balance.More food, more stuf...
05/13/2026

The Moment Before Excess
Knowing when enough is enough.
Knowing when wanting more
Disturbs the balance.

More food, more stuff, more talk.
Empty roads leading nowhere.
The moment before excess
Is the moment of completion.

Quiet days by a lake.
Simple food. Silence.
Wind, trees. Bird song.

https://herondance.org/moment-before-excess

What the Current KnowsSome days the river carries you.Some days you push against itand blame life.I have spent time with...
04/24/2026

What the Current Knows

Some days the river carries you.
Some days you push against it
and blame life.

I have spent time with people
who left me lighter than they found me,
and time with people
who took something I did not know I had.

I have done work
that returned me to myself,
and work that took me to places
where I was totally lost.

The Tao does not ask
which path is correct.
It asks which one
gives you energy.
Which path brings you joy?

You can read the Reflection on this poem on the Heron Dance website:

https://herondance.org/what-the-current-knows

No One Thought The Ancient Masters of the Way Were SpecialThe ancient masterslived quiet, humble livesNo one thought the...
04/04/2026

No One Thought The Ancient Masters of the Way Were Special

The ancient masters
lived quiet, humble lives
No one thought they were special
No one noticed them.

I describe them reluctantly
Hidden, unobtrusive
They did not try to be seen.
Cautious, aware
As if crossing river ice in winter.
Quiet, reserved
So as to not disturb others
Ephemeral, barely noticeable
Like shifting images glimpsed through the fog
Simple, quiet
Like trees in a forest

They lived in ways, places
That allowed them to retreat into
Inner worlds.

An Aimless RestlessnessShort of time, in a hurryTo get somewhere, not sure where.Wanting more, not sure of whatDistracte...
04/01/2026

An Aimless Restlessness

Short of time, in a hurry
To get somewhere, not sure where.
Wanting more, not sure of what
Distracted by the trivial, the superficial
The surface things
An aimless restlessness
That which does not have cannot give.

A place of quiet beauty and mystery
The moon, the rain,
Wild winds, rivers and lakes,
Mountains and forests
Ceaseless cycles of seasons
We originated there long ago
And there, still, we encounter
The ultimate repository of the human soul
Those who know this place
Are quiet about it
But you see it in their eyes.

Rivers find the sea
Without maps, without hurry,
Without losing their way.
Wisdom guided by inner peace,
Not tossed to and fro by outer chaos.
Rooted in quietude,
Stillness walks with wisdom.
Those who know don’t speak of it.
Those who speak don’t know.

https://herondance.org/an-aimless-restlessness

What The Tao Says About WarSome want to rule the world,to shape it like clay.But the world is a sacred vessel —Efforts t...
03/29/2026

What The Tao Says About War

Some want to rule the world,
to shape it like clay.
But the world is a sacred vessel —
Efforts to dominate it
Result in pain and suffering
And more violence.

The wise leader stays low.
Uses weapons only when necessary,
with calm restraint, without anger.
A wise warrior avoids confrontation,
Never strikes first.
Retreats a foot rather than advances a mile.
Gives the enemy an opportunity
To exhaust itself in fruitless maneuvers.

But ego has no ears
It builds monuments on graves
and calls it victory.
After every grasping, empty hands.
After every empire,
the long silence of what was lost
and will not return.

Those who grab at the world,
To control it, lose it.
And lose themselves
In self-righteousness
Those who force it, break it.
The broken do not forgive.

The powerful,
Drunk on their own reflection
mistake fear for respect,
silence for agreement,
ruined lives for progress.

Weapons are tools of misfortune.
The wise take them up only in sorrow,
and lay them down without triumph.
There is no wisdom in a wound inflicted
to prove you are strong.

https://herondance.org/what-the-tao-says-about-war

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Asheville, NC

Telephone

+18438020183

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