The time is coming to test our choices, beliefs, principles, practices, our place in the world. It was easy for us not to worry when the human madness happened far away from us. It was easy for us to think that it would never happen to us. Now we are facing a new situation. Now we are faced with the crowning madness of civilization – war. Today it’s a war across the border. Tomorrow? Many of the things we considered important so far have already lost their importance. Many more will follow. Each of us is in a different life situation, in different circumstances. Each of us has to do what we have to do. However, especially now, it is important how we treat the world around us, how we treat the people around us, and how we treat ourselves. May we be able to appreciate the moment that is given to us, people that are close to us that we still have, and our place in the world. May we be able to express this gratitude through our relationship to others, our treatment of others, those who are close to us, and those who are strangers. May we not lose what is, thinking about what was or what could have been if … Let us remember that everything changes but what we do, and how we do it during and between these changes has a measurable impact on them. May the peace of the wilderness be with you always. You can also lookup – THE PRACTICE OF KAN ...
Quality of life
Primal Tao is a daily quest for quality. QUALITY of experience. QUALITY of life. In practical terms it is paying attention to the quality of foods we consume and the reasons why we consume them. Primal Tao is also paying attention to the quality of our “inner life”. The quality of our thoughts and our reactions to what is happening around us, as well as the stability and quality of our inner peace and our perception of life in general. Another aspect of Primal Tao practice is our individual physical condition and its dependence on intensity and variety of physical activities and frequent exposure to natural elements. In all of these pursuits we look for naturalness and simplicity. Thoughtful nutrition Purposeful regeneration Conscious movement Deliberate life ...
What is Primal Tao?
Primal Tao is just one of the many ways. The goal is one and the same and the paths to that goal are many. Primal Tao is not for those who look to confirm their already existing beliefs. Primal Tao is not for those who believe in the”system” taking care of its citizens. Primal Tao is for those who have that gnawing feeling that something is not right, something is off. Primal Tao gives you answers you might not expect. It is for those who understand they nobody has all the answers. It is for those who understand that growth and development are not all that counts. It is for those who don’t trust the experts. It is for those who don’t trust the mainstream narratives. It is for those who look for the meaning and application of the word: natural. It is for those who understand that life and death are part of every cycle. It is for those who understand that perfection and certainty are dangerous ideas. It is for those who understand that to change one thing, many things might have to be changed. It is for those who understand that significant changes might require significant effort and time invested. It is for those who know that competition and profit are not the only ways. It is for those who feel that fun is more important than winning. It is for those who understand that there is such a thing as enough. It is for those who realize that NOW is all we have. ...
The practice of KAN
One of the practices in Primal Tao (Tao of Nature) training is working on our daily attitude towards ourselves, our surroundings, and towards others. We call it the practice of KAN – Kindness, Appreciation and Now. Frequently, we do not realise how much of our perception of the world comes from our own thinking and acting in this world. We do not realise that everything we think, say and do has as much of an impact on others as it does on our own selves. Therefore, when we treat others with Kindness, automatically we create an inner and outer environment ripe with opportunities for joy, happiness, gratitude, compassion etc. It simply makes us feel good about ourselves and the world around us. Anyone who’s ever done a small favour to another human being, knows that feeling and its wonderful consequences. There are reasons to believe that we used to experience it much more frequently and it is only the modern pace of life and the stress that it creates that seem to cause the disappearance of this great habit. The cultivation of Appreciation is another delightful strategy of influencing our own mood and changing the mood of others. Just like there are always many challenges that our life comes with, there are also wonderful things that we can and should remember to be grateful for. No matter how small, it is of the utmost importance to acknowledge to ourselves all our little achievements, accomplishments of others, the daily comforts, relationships and opportunities that we are blessed with. Understanding and feeling thankful for the “good” things in our life is one of the most powerful tools to find peace and contentment with what is. When practiced regularly it creates an effortless ability to find simple enjoyment and pleasure of living in whatever circumstances we happen to live in. When we remember to focus more on the present moment, when we manage to stop thinking for a second about what happened yesterday and what will happen tomorrow – this very moment is the only time when we experience life as it is. This is the only time when we have a chance to fully enjoy our body, our mind and our surroundings because usually, most of the time we are “somewhere else” – not here and now. Many physical and mental activities that cause unusual focus of attention (like extreme sports or engagement in creating art) can be very addictive because the feeling of being present and fully alive is second to none. Practicing Now helps us to create a habit of remembering to concentrate on this moment and using it as well as we can. Both Kindness and Appreciation tend to require a measure of being present Now and using them together gives the most significant results. ...
Primal Tao – system without the system.
Dieting or exercising is unnatural. It is only because most of us live the way we do that we need to create systems that prompt us to move, eat etc. in a “special, better” way. For most of the human history, our daily activities were shaped by the natural environment. Since we’ve greatly altered our environment we no longer understand the genetic predispositions of our body and mind that ensure optimal functioning. Before the development of agriculture, civilization and industrialization, we used to experience intermittent periods of feasting (especially prized were all animal foods including fat, organs and bones), intervals of food scarcity – resulting in fasting, brief intense physical exertion and exposure to natural elements like water, air, sun and earth. Primal Tao practices reintroduce these natural patterns into our lifestyle within the context of today’s modern life. Pre-industrial foods – what would you eat to survive in the area where you live if there were no grocery stores? SLOW foods. Nutrient dense foods. Modern “foods” to avoid. S easonal L ocal O rganic W holesome Mental training – the importance of meditation and mind cultivation in the world of over-abundance of dis-information, confusion, depression and the lack of meaning. Regenerative training – occasional practice of forgoing food.. Physical training – daily physical activity (walking, gardening, stretching, Tai Chi, Yoga etc.) vs High Intensity Training, sprints, cold and heat body conditioning The importance of sleep, rest, contact with Nature etc. Primal Tao is the way of nature. Primal Tao is not a system. There can be as many expressions of Primal Tao as there are people expressing it. Primal Tao aspires to imitate Nature. Align with Nature. Be part of Nature. To simplify rather then complicate. To minimize rather then maximize. To subtract rather then to add. “To pursue learning is to increase daily. To practice the Way is to decrease daily . . .” Tao Te Ching ...
Yin & Yang in my everyday life
Only when I’m hungry can I fully enjoy food. Only when I’m satiated can I fully enjoy fasting. Only when I’m cold can I fully enjoy warmth. Only when I’m hot can I fully enjoy coolness. Only when I’m tired can I fully enjoy resting. Only when I’m rested can I fully enjoy hard work. Only when I’m motionless can I fully enjoy movement. Only when I’m active can I fully enjoy stillness. ...
The Way of Nature
When you’re lost, look for answers in Nature. When you’re stressed out, go to Nature. When you don’t know what to do, imitate Nature. You are a part of Nature. Nature is a part of you. It has always been so. Nature didn’t disconnect from you. We disconnected from Nature. We forgot where we had come from. When you have doubts ask yourself: How is my decision or my action going to affect Nature? Become a Nature worshiper. Treat it as sacred. Become Nature’s child again. ...
The value of discomfort.
We seem to try to avoid any discomfort no matter what. While some discomforts are worth avoiding, some natural challenges are worth having. It is too easy to forget how wonderful a full stomach can feel. It is easy to forget to appreciate a set of warm clothes suited to the weather. It is easy to forget the convenience of a toilet. It is easy to take for granted fresh, running water. It is easy not to realize the miracle of movement, the joy of using our bodies. For overall balance and to remind ourselves how good our lives can be, let’s allow ourselves to feel truly hungry or thirsty occasionally. Let’s think of how we are using our household water. Let’s use our bodies in various ways, keeping them active, healthy, and strong. Let’s feel the rays of sunshine or drops of cold water on our skin. Let us not avoid little discomfort! It will only keep us healthy and happy. ...
Wuwei of nourishment and fasting.
There is a beautiful concept in Tao practices called Wuwei. It means an effortless action that we try to manifest in everything we do. It means allowing things to happen rather than making them happen. It means aligning yourself with the natural world. It means going with the flow. This is the state of being achieved when we follow Nature. When we talk about food or fasting,(http://regenerativetraditions.com/tao-of-nature/) it is important to keep the concept of Wuwei in our minds. Fasting is not a panacea for all of our ailments. For example, it has been discovered that the application of fasting works better against bacterial infection than infections caused by the virus (https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(16)30972-2). Also, there are people who should not be fasting. Individuals, who are underweight or suffering from malnutrition, pregnant or lactating women, small children, etc. There is time for everything but to maintain balance, we have to understand the Yin and Yang side of things. It is very common, and we’ve done this ourselves, that people try to utilize fasting because of its amazing healing capacity but without paying attention to their unique circumstances. In the world of highly processed, industrialized food that is frequently devoid of any nutritional value, many, if not all of us, suffer from the depletion of micro or macronutrients. Introducing fasting in that state can and frequently does make things worse than before. Wuwei of fasting in our daily practice means that we achieve periods of rest from digestion in a natural and effortless way. Without the use of self-discipline. Without struggle and force. Just allowing it to happen. The first necessary step to achieve this is minimizing all the junk foods that not only fail to provide nutrition but also actively create deficiencies from which many of us suffer, sometimes being overweight at the same time. This needs to be corrected before making effortless fasting possible. When we stop eating things that have no place in Nature like sugar and artificial sweeteners, refined flours and oils and start consuming foods that are high in bioavailable macro- and micronutrients, high in energy and ability to produce the feelings of satiety, the miracle happens. We stop overeating because the body gets what it needs. As a matter of fact, we spontaneously end up eating less and it gives us more energy that lasts longer. This makes it possible to eat once or twice daily and be completely satiated and energetic. The next step is understanding the importance of nutrient density (concentration of nutrients in our food). What are the nutritionally dense foods? Ask our ancestors. What did we eat a thousand years ago? How about 10-15 thousand years ago? Animal products are the most nutrient-dense foods available to humans. It is not a very popular idea nowadays but only 50-60 years ago hardly anyone would question this statement. The further back in time we go the more obvious it becomes. For hundreds of thousands of years, especially glacial periods, animals were the only available source of nutrients for homo sapiens. So, what happened? Agriculture. Civilization. Industrialization. Marketing. One Big Disconnect. We are at the heights of our disconnect from Nature. Most of us have no idea where our food comes from. Most of us have no idea what it takes to obtain it. Most of us have no idea what real food is. We are told, and so we believe that animal fat makes us fat. We believe that high cholesterol is bad. We hope that we can out-exercise unnatural food choices to remain healthy and slim. All of this because we’ve never been forced to survive in the wild, to obtain food that will keep us alive, healthy and strong and most of us never had to grow or raise it ourselves. We’ve been domesticated, urbanized and industrialized. In modern times it is rare not to have some nutritional deficiencies. It could be because of the diminishing quality of our soil. It could be because we’re living in a world where foods have been severely commercialized and we no longer have a sense of what real food is. As a result, we end up consuming things that have nothing to do with nutrients and that do not provide the body with the basic ingredients it needs. What provides these ingredients? Everything we would find in the area where we live at the time before we had huge cities and supermarkets! Some veggies, maybe some fruits and nuts but first and foremost – animal products! Through research, our own experiences, experiences of many other people and experiences of countless generations of humans living in pre-civilized, pre-agriculture times, we realized the importance of animal-based foods for optimal health and wellbeing While for decades this approach has been the last on our mind (we were long term vegetarians!), the reality of the life of our ancestors and, most importantly, the results we’ve experienced could no longer be denied. We realized that we, being a product of civilization ourselves, could not understand the simplest and most obvious needs of our organism due to our disconnect from Nature and its ways. In a world of fake news and conflicting ideologies, it is easy to forget what it takes to produce food, how we have always been dependent on many other living beings, and how much our ideas are driven by the economy, politics, special interests or wishful thinking. To make a long story short, because we eat mostly highly nutritive foods, we don’t need to worry about counting calories, watching our weight or exercising to lose weight. A small amount of nutrient-dense food fills us up quickly, allowing us not to fill the stomach to more than ¾ of its capacity (which is what many old traditions recommend), feel satisfied, energetic and not hungry for a long time. Two, sometimes one meal a day is all we require, creating an effortless period of fasting between the meals (intermittent fasting). It is simple and quite agreeable once your body adjusts to not relying on a continuous supply of carbohydrates (it becomes fat-adapted). Remember, when we talk about nourishment and fasting it has nothing to do with self-discipline and asceticism. Quite the opposite. It is a normal consequence of proper, natural nutrition that creates the feeling of satiety which results in your body’s ability to function very well without constant eating. When we eat nutritionally dense foods, our body doesn’t crave nourishment for quite a long time allowing us to take a break from digestive processes and use the energy for recycling and a little cleanup. Simple, natural life and simple solutions are what interests us. When applied properly it becomes Wuwei. It becomes effortless action. ...
Tao of Nature.
Since the beginning of time, humans have been exposed to hunger, demanding physical activities and natural elements like cold, sun, rain etc. We used to consume what Nature provided and we used to spend all of our time outdoors. In modern times we’ve almost completely forgotten our connection to the natural world, as well as the connection to our own selves. As a result we no longer know what the natural world is. We no longer know what our natural food is. We no longer know how to live to be naturally fit. We no longer know what to do not to get sick. The goal of Natural Health Cultivation is to reconnect again. Cultivating natural health is very simple. Cultivating natural health is very easy. Unfortunately, we live in a world that is neither simple nor easy, and to live in it in a healthy and natural way requires, at least initially, a considerable effort. Thus, The more processed our foods become the simpler we need to eat. The more we consume these “food products”, the more we need to fast. The less we move, the more we need to exercise. The more we insulate ourselves from the elements the more we need to practice body tempering. (e.g. cold and heat conditioning). The more stressed out we become the more we need to cultivate our mind, meditate and train our attention. It could not be simpler! Eat fresh, pre-industrialized food. Experience hunger occasionally. Be active, sweat often! Don’t be afraid of cold or heat. Watch your mind. Train it as you would your body. ...
Tao of the Four Empties – the Empty Room.
The Taoist principle of the Empty Room is all about creating space in your outer and inner environment. Simplify rather than complicate. Subtract rather than add. Unclutter your room. Make space for more sunshine and fresh air. Clear up your schedules. Organize your commitments. Create space around you for freedom of movement. Try to understand what is essential. Create space in your body. Open it up, release its tension. Open up to new possibilities. Be efficient. Create space in your life for new people, new adventures, new experiences. Empty Your Room. ...
Tao of the Four Empties – the Empty Kitchen
The concept of the “Empty Kitchen” is connected to the quality of fuel we supply our bodies with. Many, if not most of the foods we buy today at the supermarket did not exist one hundred years ago. The value of the food we consume nowadays seems to come more from convenience and flavor than its nutritional vitality. In order to recover or maintain optimal health, we need to empty our kitchens of things that never spoil, are heavily processed or belong to a group of so-called “modern foods” like white flour, sugar, and industrial oils. Grains and dairy products in general, as being relatively new on the menu (only about 10 – 12 thousand years), can cause a lot of trouble for some people who are not very compatible with them. The practice of “Emptying the Kitchen” is the practice of keeping at home, preparing and consuming mainly fresh foods that haven’t been heavily processed. When they come prepackaged, with ingredients including flour, sugar, oils, fillers, preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, flavor enhancers, and many other unknown, chemical components – these are not natural foods. What are real foods? Ask yourself: what would humans eat in the area where you live, before the development of agriculture, civilization, and industrialization? The answer is simple: for most of us, it would be: meats, eggs, some vegetables, some nuts, and fruits. It was not until we domesticated animals and plants, that we would start consuming other animals’ milk and a lot more plants, especially grains. With many new, genetically modified seeds, we see a widespread intolerance to gluten and other common plant components. Ancient Taoist insisted on the principle of Bigu – not eating grains, understanding the difficulties our bodies can have deriving nutrients from this particular source of sustenance. Many of you might think that nowadays, preparing your meals from scratch would be too time-consuming. You couldn’t be further from the truth. While the process of cooking or baking might require more time, it is also time that can be dedicated to many other pursuits, and the food preparation itself rarely takes us more than 5-10 minutes. Eating natural foods has an amazing impact on the quality of our health and wellbeing. When our body manages to rid itself of all the unnecessary substances that we insist on consuming but that have no place in Nature, new levels of energy, vitality, resistance to viruses and bacteria become our everyday experience. ...
Tao of the Four Empties – the Empty Stomach.
The principle of the “empty stomach” has to do with the frequency, volume and timing of our food consumption. If we take a closer look at Nature, just like the ancient practitioners of Tao did, we will notice that it is quite common that animals will go through periods of hunger. It can be caused by the seasonality of certain foods, animal migratory patterns or simply the natural cycles of day and night, times of rest and gathering or hunting. In our “civilized” world, humans, if they can, try to practically eliminate these periods. What’s more important, we increase the frequency of our meals, sometimes up to 6-8 times a day! This is not a very natural pattern for Homo Sapiens. We evolved to rest from digestion on a regular basis. “This makes sense from a survival standpoint. If we do not eat, our bodies use our stored energy as fuel so that we can find more food. Humans have not evolved to require three meals a day, every day.” Excerpt From: Fung, Jason. “Complete Guide to Fasting.” Occasional fasting turns on a very important mechanism of autophagy – the regeneration and recycling of the cells that improves the efficiency and working of the entire system. It is a very “handy” tool for the body’s natural processes of detox and renewal. “fasting is the most time-honored and widespread healing tradition in the world. It has been practiced by virtually every culture and every religion on earth. Fasting is an ancient, time-tested tradition.” Excerpt From: Fung, Jason. “Complete Guide to Fasting.” Fasting is and has always been a part of natural cycles. There are many approaches to fasting but one of the simplest and at the same time the most efficient ways is what is known as intermittent fasting. It is done by simply limiting your “eating window” during the day to anywhere from two to ten hours of time when we consume food and leaving the rest of the day and night to fasting. For example, you eat between10 am and 6 pm and you fast between 6 pm and 10 am the following day. This gives your body 16 hours of rest and regeneration. Once our body and mind adapt, this rhythm is very easy to maintain indefinitely. Other forms of periodic fasting can include but are not limited to water or dry fasting once a week for 24-36 hours, longer 2-3 day fasts every few months, etc. Fasting can be utilized on a daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly basis depending on the individual needs and goals. The amount of food is another aspect of the “empty stomach” principle. There is an old Taoist and Yogic saying: “Eat only when you are hungry but stop before you’re full.” Overrating is often a result of food addiction, inappropriate food choice, boredom or habit. Once we start consuming natural, species-appropriate foods (check the “empty kitchen” article) our unnatural food cravings largely diminish and we start eating according to our body’s true needs. We cultivate an “empty stomach” to support recovery, healing, and overall vitality. ...
Tao of the Four Empties – the Empty Mind
How many times do we hear the story of never-ending to-do-lists, things to take care of, projects to complete, deadlines to meet, unfinished errands, etc? How many times our head is overflowing with never-ending streams of thoughts, plans, worries – an incessant noise and activity. We can easily notice an interesting phenomenon nowadays – overstimulation of the mind and under-stimulation of the body. The simplest solution would, of course, be a reversal of these proportions – activating the body and quieting the mind. The practice of the Empty Mind aims to achieve just that: a quiet, focused mind. How do we empty our minds? How to realize a focused, relaxed, flexible and quiet mind? Obviously, it is not easy. Many aspects of contemporary life stand in our way. The pace of life in the cities, work ethics of most companies, the focus on the instant results in today’s business world, changes in our immediate surroundings, lack of access to Nature for some, 24/7 exposure to marketing and mind-manipulation, high expectations towards ourselves and others, and even the impact of stimulating foods and beverages. While it is very difficult for us to be unaffected by all of these daily occurrences, it is possible to develop simple thought habits, mental hygiene of sorts, an attitude of looking at tasks at hand from a bit distanced perspective. In many Taoist practices, we frequently distinguish two opposite but complementary poles, two aspects of the same – Yin and Yang. In the practice of the Empty Mind, we also address this duality. We practice controlling our thoughts by the conscious development of certain habits of mental attitudes – that would be an active Yang approach. We can also utilize a more passive, Yin technique – letting go and focusing more on the meditative aspects of the practice. They are complementary and equally important and both can utilize the use of breath and self-observation. It is very difficult if not impossible to make any changes without the ability to take note of the present situation here and now. It is only when we are aware of the fact that our mind is overstimulated, too emotional or stuck in a negative sphere, that any steps towards changing this situation can be made. In order to do that we need to develop a habit of paying attention to what and how we tend to think. Just like everything else, at first it seems very difficult but with time it will get easier and easier. There are many simple exercises that can help us control the flow of our thoughts. We can start by noticing and writing down the feelings or emotions we would like to get rid of like anger, anxiety or the need to complain, and then pay attention and note every occurrence during the day. You will notice that at first, it requires a great deal of self-discipline but it will soon become very natural. The very fact that you notice it will give you a measure of satisfaction and increase the level of control you have over this particular habit. The next step is finding a feature directly opposite to the one you’re trying to get rid of. For example: for anger, it would be: composure, patience, mental balance. For anxiety – calmness. For the habit of complaining – noting the positive side, praise, etc. These are the characteristics you want to introduce, strengthen, and master. The habits that deserve your energy and effort. Features of your mind that you want to cultivate. The more we do it the easier it becomes. The more we pay attention to something, the more we will see it all around us. Paying attention (which is a form of energy allocation) to the positive aspects of the situations we are in will strengthen these aspects, deepen our ability to find them, create a habit of guiding our minds in the more desirable directions and not just automatically reacting to the circumstances. This is how we can manifest the kind of understanding, create an inner perspective that is the most conducive to maintaining serenity, optimism, joy, and contentment. With practice, it will become completely natural, subconscious, and effortless. In Yin practice, a more passive mind practice, we will concentrate on influencing and calming down our minds with the use of meditative techniques, working with our breath and awareness. We try to create habits of letting go of mental noise, habits of finding moments of quiet contemplation in different situations throughout our day. These can be pre-arranged meditation times (like before or after work) or, in a more informal way, brief moments of remembering and awareness of our breath, posture, our body or emotional state. Focusing attention on one’s breath, lengthening of the exhale, a conscious relaxation of the entire body and letting go of accumulated tension – they can all be an integral part of our how we “go with the flow” of our day’s events. We can find these little meditations in many unexpected places. For some of us, it could be a moment of silence and stillness waiting in the queue. For others – a short break for a cup of tea. Sometimes it happens while we take our pet for a walk, make our bed, clean the dishes or fill up our car’s gas tank. The possibilities are infinite. What are your “informal” meditations? When do you find the time to let go? ...
Qigong – Tai Chi – Yoga (and many other modalities) – why is it worth practicing?
When somebody asked me some twenty years ago: “What is Qigong or Tai Chi? – without any doubt, in just a few minutes I could precisely explain the goals and characteristics of these practices. Since I had “already” been a devoted practitioner for a couple of years, I was convinced that I knew everything there was to be known about the subject. A few years later I was asked the question again. This time I think I managed to make my unsuspecting victim bored to death by describing different styles, forms, and approaches in Tai Chi and Qigong. I think I could talk about it indefinitely. Fast forward another 10 years or so… and my answers have become shorter and more and more enigmatic. The more I practice the more I realize that I know very little and that our individual goals, perspectives, and interpretations can be vastly unique. At the same time, we have a lot in common when we ask ourselves the same questions and struggle with similar challenges that our daily life can generously provide. We can find many benefits of practices such as Qigong or Yoga. With time, both our understanding and our goals of practice can evolve and change. For me personally, my practice helps me find and cultivate the qualities that are difficult to manifest in a vortex of the everyday pace of life, work, and responsibilities. It is important for me however, to focus at least a little bit of energy on creating some peace of mind, health, and joy in my daily life. How to find my place in this world, in Nature? How to be comfortable in my own body and mind? What is my life’s work? How to accept and like my own self, others, and the rest of the world? These are some of the many questions that my training is helping me to find the answers for. For me, to practice Qigong/TaiChi/Yoga/Meditation means to continuously cultivate the qualities I seek. It means to engage in a process of self-discovery and self-observation. It means to create a quality of being. We don’t need to practice, let’s say: an hour a day. We can practice all the time. Your practice can be your being here and now. Constant awareness and conscious choice of the way you think, talk and act. Noting your posture, your breath, and your tension level. Paying attention to others, paying attention to your own reactions and to your surroundings. Continuous effort to establish an inner and outer balance. It is a practice of transforming the ordinary into the unusual, boring into interesting. It is a way to discover the magic of everyday life! ...
Life as a continuous act of cultivation.
Every day I cultivate my life experience. I like to think of the word “cultivate” as “do”. What I do is what I develop and strengthen. How I live every day influences the way I will live in the future. How I live every day determines how I feel about the past. What I do every day but more importantly how I do it, is a choice easy to forget that I have. Am I kind or rude? Talking or listening? Paying attention or absent-minded? Compassionate or indifferent? Tolerant or idealistic? Focused or scattered? Relaxed or tense? Calm or anxious? Happy or sad? Active or inert? By concentrating on certain aspects and attributes of our life and our being we can create habitual reactions that we would like to have. By making an effort to smile, to listen to others, to pay attention and notice the good side of things, it becomes infinitely easier to do it in a more natural, effortless way. Almost automatically. What is your choice? What do you cultivate? Life goes by very quickly. Be an artist and a co-creator of your daily experiences. ...
Tao of the Four Empties
There are countless ways to approach our health and wellbeing. Some people are inclined to follow the mainstream guidelines, others like to experiment on themselves. In an era of the internet, we have access to an unbelievable amount of health systems from many diverse cultures. It is only a question of what we like and what works for us. Many years ago, while studying books on Qigong, Tai Chi and Taoism I came across an old Taoist saying: “ Those who strive for longevity should maintain the “Four Empties”. For me as a Tai Chi and Qigong practitioner, the concept of the “Four Empties” neatly encompasses all the general principles of maintaining good health that I have discovered and implemented in my own life. Each of the Four Empties represents an important aspect of our daily cultivation. The type of practice that is simple, inspired by Nature itself, and accessible to anyone wishing to try it. The Four Empties are: Empty Mind Empty Stomach Empty Kitchen Empty Room The practice of the Empty Mind refers to our effort of maintaining an inner, mental equilibrium. Our mind has an unimaginable power of effecting the quality of our life, therefore it is important to pay attention to the habits it develops (for example needless worrying or dwelling on the past or future). There are many meditative, contemplative methods that help to bring our thoughts to a place of balance and stability. Control of our breath can be a very useful tool. The practice of the Empty Stomach refers to the importance of our eating habits and their impact on our lives. It reminds us of the value of the time-tested healing tradition – fasting. Each and every one of us needs to find a favorite way to implement periods of detox and restoration with no food. It mimics the experiences of our ancestors and reflects our evolutionary needs, reminding us that for most of humanity, continuous satiety is a very recent and not necessarily optimal phenomenon. The practice of the Empty Kitchen refers to the quality of foods that we usually consume. Foods our body needs have to be fresh, unprocessed, whole. Most of us quickly forget the meaning of these words. Keeping our kitchen empty means avoiding eating anything that can be stored for an excessively long time, learning to recognize the real, natural foods that humans have been using for millions of years, and “unlearning” the pseudo-foods we’ve grown to consider “normal”. The practice of the Empty Room refers to the influence of our surroundings on our mood, health, and wellbeing. Simplifying what we can make simpler, decluttering what we can declutter. Creating space for more movement, sunshine and fresh air. Motivating ourselves to activate our bodies and interact with natural elements more. By minimizing the amount of “things” in our life we open up room for more time for relationships and experiences. In the next few posts, we will take a closer look at each element of the “Four Empties”. ...
Minimalism – the incredible lightness of being.
The world around us, our schools, businesses, governments, parents, they all us teach us how we need to have more, achieve more, be more. Minimalism teaches us how to have enough. What is enough? It is a state of being when we feel contentment with what is, with what we have. In a way, it is not very different from the lofty ideas of enlightenment or happiness, ideas of being present and happy here and now. Minimalism is not anything new. The Greek philosophers, Japanese Zen masters, Chinese Taoist hermits, and many, many others have been practicing minimalism since the times forgotten. Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi, they all understood the limitations of things. In the world of materialism and common mindless consumption, the idea of minimalism is a counterbalance to excess. To have enough or to be enough has been a goal pursued by many. In minimalism, contrary to other approaches, enough is sought by subtracting rather than adding. Letting go rather than accumulating. Appreciating the “haves” rather than craving the “have nots”. When we realize what we really need – we realize what is enough for us. When you realize that there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you – Lao Tzu Many types of Buddhist practices emphasize the importance of being present in the moment, aware and mindful of what we are doing. Minimalism shares the same desire to be more mindful of our real needs for possessions, achievements, and many more. When we simply react to the world around us, it is often an unconscious or undesirable reaction. A result of previous experiences, past conditioning or a formed habit. On the material plane, we happen to react to peer pressure or marketing suggestions and buy more things in hopes that they will bring us joy and happiness. While things can do that, it is not a very long lasting feeling. Because we want to experience the feeling again, we end up buying more and more. As a result, we get more conditioned, our reward system down-regulates and we need to do it even more often, feeling progressively less pleasure. Not to mention that our stuff quickly accumulates. It is a vicious circle that slowly burns out our joy of life. So, instead of investing our hopes for contentment in yet another toy we would like to have, why don’t we start the process of elimination to discover that we don’t really need much to feel satisfied with life. Re-discovering a long forgotten hobby, simple interactions with other people and nature can be as rewarding and much longer lasting means of finding the elusive happiness. Do YOU enjoy every day appreciating its gifts and remembering its transience? ...
The hidden aliases of sugar.
In 1983 Annie Lennox (Eurythmics) sang: “Sweet dreams are made of this Who am I to disagree? I travel the world and the seven seas, Everybody’s looking for something…” Well, nowadays it seems like everybody is looking for something… sweet. And for a good reason. Did you know that sugar can be more addicting than cocaine? When we eat sugar, opioids and dopamine are released. Research shows, that our brain’s opiate receptors that affect the reward center, are activated by sugar which can induce compulsive behaviors. The neurotransmitter dopamine release caused by sugar can easily lead to behaviors known as substance abuse. The problem is we are often completely unaware of how much sugar we consume. Average American eats 150-170 pounds of refined sugars a year! This is ¼ to ½ pound of sugar a day! While you might be thinking: “It’s not me for sure!” We often simply don’t know that sugar is put in many processed foods we would never suspect. Bread, sauces, hot dogs, ketchup, peanut butter, pickles, soups, nut milk, smoothies, yogurt, salad dressings, flavored water, white wine and many, many more. What makes it difficult for us is the fact that sugar hides behind many confusing names. Here are just some of them: Agave Anhydrous dextrose Barley malt syrup Brown sugar Beet sugar Birch syrup Brown rice syrup Coconut sugar Corn sugar Corn syrup Corn syrup solids Dextrose Fructose Cane juice Cane sugar Caster sugar Crystal dextrose Date sugar Demerara sugar Sugar cane juice Fruit sugar concentrate Golden syrup Gluto-malt High-fructose corn syrup Honey Icing sugar Invert sugar Karo Lactose Malt syrup Maltose Maple syrup Molasses Glucose Fruit nectar Panela Pancake syrup Rapadura Raw sugar Sucrose Treacle White granulated sugar Evaporated corn sweetener Liquid fructose Read your labels! Sugar in a processed, refined form has an extremely negative impact on our health! Please, be aware of what you are eating! ...
Life is complicated enough. Simplify what you can. Especially your daily habits. Healthy = Natural = Simple
Kids do it. Birds do it. Your dog and cat do it. Sometimes 40-50 times a day. Since we sit so much, we tend to forget how important it is to pandiculate – contract and extend the muscle or better yet – the entire muscle group as often as possible. This is how we can get rid of excessive tension accumulating in our body as a result of a lack of movement. Pandiculation resets the muscles to their neutral position, helping them to get back to their natural state and prepare the entire musculoskeletal system for movement. Contract and extend the entire body when you wake up, while in bed and continue to do it frequently throughout the day (especially if you have to sit a lot!) Various forms of meditation have a huge impact on our body and mind. Did you know that meditation reduces anxiety and stress, improves concentration and mood, decreases cortisol (stress hormone) levels, lowers blood pressure, slows down the heartbeat, increases the feeling of relaxation and raises the number of antibodies thus improving resistance to infections and inflammation? At the beginning or at the end of your day, create some time for quiet contemplation, simple meditation… Most animals in Nature do not eat all the time. Observe and imitate natural patterns in the wild by skipping a meal or two from time to time. Extend the time between meals and create an opportunity for your organism to activate its regenerative mechanisms. The body gets quickly adapted to a new meal frequency and it becomes a natural, everyday habit. By not eating for 16 hours (including sleep), we benefit by improving our cognitive functioning, lowering the inflammation, blood pressure and blood glucose levels and by a general improvement of metabolic processes of the body. Do not eat until you’re really hungry and when you are, drink some bone broth or a cup of herbal tea or coffee, extending the time of fasting. When you are ready for a meal, eat real, natural, unprocessed food, including lots of veggies, especially the fermented ones. Move your body. Sweat a little every day! Exercise and physical activity allow you not only to retain your strength and functionality but have a huge impact on your mood, memory, sleep quality, stress reduction and cognitive fitness. Take at least a short, intense walk. Run a few flights of stairs. Take the garbage out. Walk the dog a few blocks. Take every opportunity to train your thermoregulating mechanisms. Body conditioning that takes advantage of natural elements, exposing yourself gradually to cold or heat can improve your blood circulation and resistance to colds, activate your hidden energetic reserves and strengthen your immune system. Walk barefoot. Take a cool shower! It can be more efficient than a cup of coffee or a Red Bull! Make sure you create an optimal condition for natural, healthy sleep. People who experience problems with sleep tend to gain weight easily, are more prone to inflammation and depression. Proper sleep helps to ward off diabetes, prevents heart disease, increases fertility and sex drive, improves concentration and productivity, boosts immunity response and mental wellbeing. Sleep in a quiet, dark and well-aired room with no phone, iPad, computer etc. ...
