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! ...
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? ...
Hormesis aka daily challenges.
We all want to have as little stress as we can but we need to understand that a little bit of stress can be not only useful but necessary for normal functioning of our mind and body. HORMESIS is a process through which moderate stress creates a body response that makes it more resistant to attacks of external or internal agents, promoting a better quality and more robust health. It has been noticed long time ago that organisms develop complex adaptive mechanisms in order to cope with environmental hazards. These mechanisms evolve as a result of a continuous mild stress eventually leading to adaptation. This positive stress also known as Eustress, applied in daily life, can boost our motivation, positively influence physical recovery and increase immunity. In Primal Tao we will focus on three areas of daily application of hormesis: physical exercise, movement cold conditioning periods of under eating or fasting They all trigger beneficial physiological adaptations. It is well documented that exercise increases the resistance to injury and disease and that mild stress (like running or lifting weights) can have a tremendous positive impact on our musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, nervous or digestive system. Engaging in intellectual activities (again – exposing our brain to a mild stress) seems to activate new neuron pathways and neurons which not too long ago was believed to be impossible. Skipping a meal or two puts the body in an active search mode for energy sources which results in utilization and recycling of used up, weaker or damaged cells, unnecessary proteins or stored fat tissue. Moderate exposure to cold activates our thermo-regulating mechanisms, stimulates blood circulation and immune responses. All of these and many other observations point to simple conclusions: challenging ourselves on many different levels can have an incredibly positive impact on the quality of our physical and mental well-being. How do you challenge yourself daily? Do you appreciate an opportunity to make every inconvenience or challenge into something creative and positive? An opportunity to grow, learn and change. ...
Movement.
Movement as an integral part of life is the important principle of Primal Tao. Ask yourself every day: what have I done today for my body? Ask yourself every day: what have I done today for my mind? You are wrong if you think that if you live a sedentary lifestyle, an occasional session in the gym will allow you to maintain your functionality and health. You are wrong if you think that doing some crossword puzzles or sudoku from time to time, will allow you to maintain your cognitive abilities throughout your old age. It’s like expecting the development of a muscular body because you enjoy long, frequent walks. The amount of effort and the type of training determines the kind of results that you are going to see. Both our body and our mind need regular stimulation. The degree of adaptation will be proportional to the degree of intensity of the stimulus. Because we’ve created modern conditions in which we spend most of the day sitting, our ability to perform other physical tasks is slowly diminishing. The trouble is that our bodies have not evolved in the evolutionary process to be able to easily deal with extended periods of sitting in one place. As a result, we develop all kinds of “mysterious ailments” and have difficulty explaining their origins. We are all too familiar with the lower back, knee, hip, shoulder and neck pain, headaches and general “stiffness”. Many of these symptoms tend to be attributed to the fact that we are getting older when in reality, it has more to do with the fact that we are getting less and less active. Our beloved “magical” flat tv boxes in every living room do not help much in activating neither our bodies nor our minds. Usually, as if in some hypnotic trance, we sink in the soft embrace of the sofa in front of them and forget about reality at least for a couple of hours. Being active doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to go to the gym, lift some weights or run on the treadmill (although it is certainly one of the ways). Every one of us has a different personality, needs, interests. It is up to us to find a physical and mental type of activity that is best for us. The activity that suits our needs and expectations and gives us a feeling of pleasure, satisfaction, and the ability to sustain it for an indefinite period of time. Nobody is going to do this for us. And if through years of repetition we have already developed habits of inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle, then obviously, our challenges will be proportionally greater. It is good to start looking for opportunities for movement in the flow of our everyday activities. Where can we walk an extra few hundred yards? Where can we take the stairs instead of an elevator? Can we use a bicycle instead of the car sometimes? Can we replace an hour on facebook with an hour walk in the local park? It is important to realize that movement is not negotiable if we want to maintain any decent level of health. We don’t negotiate the need to breathe. Both breathing and moving are indispensable ingredients of life. Primal Tao is here to remind us of that. ...
What is Primal Tao?
When you get up early in the morning and feel like stretching, moving, being active – this is Primal Tao. When you understand that cold, hunger, physical or mental effort, gentle stress, in general, are your allies – this is Primal Tao. When you understand the importance of eating mostly real food (not processed commercially) and only when you feel truly hungry – this is Primal Tao. When you feel tired and rest – this is Primal Tao. When you turn to Nature to recharge your batteries – this is Primal Tao. Ask yourself at the end of the day: Was I active today? Did I allow my stomach to rest and gave my body some good quality food when it needed it? Have I slept well and long enough? How did I deal with stress? Did I go out of my comfort zone and allowed myself to feel a little cold or hot occasionally? In Primal Tao we understand the concept of HORMESIS which means a phenomenon of producing beneficial effects by introducing small doses of the potentially harmful agent. For example, moderate stress on the body in resistance training leads to the strengthening and development of the muscles. The daily habits of Primal Tao reflect a simple understanding that we all need gentle stimulation and challenge for optimal functioning. Primal Tao is a lifestyle. It is a continuous effort to improve the experience of our daily life, health and well being through simplicity and understanding of the mechanisms governing our own selves. It points out simple ways to enhance our daily pleasure of life, energy levels, performance, and vitality. It is meant as an antidote to our crazy busy lives. Lives in which: – we forget to create time for our own body and mind – we forget how to breathe – we forget how to think – we forget how to be active – we fuel ourselves with lots of unnatural foods, for lots of unnatural reasons – we forget how to strengthen our immune systems – we forget how to be with our own minds, with ourselves. – we isolate ourselves from nature and it’s elements – we don’t get enough sleep There is a fascinating new approach to technology and engineering – Biomimicry. It finds time-tested solutions in Nature, imitating its designs. Of course, in a way, this approach is something humans have been doing for a long time. We have looked at nature to find solutions to our problems throughout our entire existence. Nature has been providing us with inspiration for how to build our homes, how to fly in the air, swim in the water, grow food or recycle what is no longer needed. When we pay enough attention we can learn from Nature and its methods to make our own lives easier and more balanced. It applies to our health as well. Observing nature and its creatures allows us to understand ourselves better. It allows us to find ways to discover strategies for maintaining, developing or regaining our own optimal health and well-being. The concept of Primal Tao is the result of such observations, It shares with Biomimicry the same principles of looking for answers in the natural world. It is imitating natural behavioral patterns still present not too long ago in our daily lives but now almost completely absent. Some of them are: The need to eat real food. The need to fast. The need to move. The need to rest. The need to be exposed to natural elements. We get easily confused about how to stay healthy nowadays. Primal Tao is one of the ways to answer this confusion. It is about simplicity, common sense, observation of nature, and effortless and sustainable ways to find your own recipe for a healthy life. ...
Everyday cultivation of quality.
Every single day you wake up in some place, you wake up in some body, you wake up in some mind and you begin to tell yourself your own story from the beginning, again. You remember where you are. You remember who you are. You remember what you need to do. Remember. It is a nice word but do you realize that human memory is re-created over and over again every time we try to “remember” something?! We do not function like a computer storing memories of yesterday. Every reflection of the past is created anew every time we try to remember it. Amazing! A continuous creative process! Just like our everyday life. Every morning you wake up and create your life again. You put it all together the way you are used to, the way your environment had conditioned you, the way it is convenient or the only way you believe it is possible to do. But of course, you know that there are many, many ways. All it takes is changing your immediate surroundings, social circle, cultural environment, the place where you live or work and it becomes very clear how many different ways of doing things there are. Or.. you can change the way you think. Change the thinking and continuously use this new way, practice, utilize, cultivate it. This is the simplest and yet the most demanding change. It requires our own work, effort, willingness, time and patience. All the things we are constantly running short of. When you wake up – think of something nice, appreciate a good night’s sleep. Stretch and appreciate your body. Get up and appreciate your surroundings. Walk to the bathroom and appreciate the water you have. Go to the kitchen, prepare something healthy, tasty, nutritious and thank for the food you have. Go out, appreciate the world and yourself and do something good, do something nice! ...
What spirituality is and what it is not?
I am sitting on the train watching a father and his ten-year-old daughter. They are so nice. He is so engaged and enthusiastic and has so much fun in a conversation with her. They exemplify how one can be towards another. Full of love. I think it is possible to be like this with everything. It requires attention. It needs cultivation. But it is possible. I think when people see it in someone who doesn’t apply it only towards a family member or a loved one, they think this is spirituality. Perhaps it is. Giving love to everyone. Perhaps feeling love for everyone is spirituality. Perhaps feeling gratefulness is spirituality. Perhaps feeling contentment is spirituality. Perhaps feeling inner peace is spirituality. Certainly showing devotion to a principle, doing things for show, being overly strict to oneself or others, showing no appreciation, showing anger, pessimism, anxiety – is not spirituality. Which one do you practice? ...
Avoid confusion.
Simplify your life and find out what is important for you. Don’t confuse things. We confuse education with intelligence. Happiness with pleasure. Achievement with sales numbers. Real value with popularity. Longevity with a number of years lived. Health with the looks. Facebook likes with real human interactions. Size of the muscle with fitness level. Sex with love. Starchy, sugary, processed stuff with nutritious food. Addictive cravings with hunger. Cockiness with confidence. Aggression with strength. Modesty with shyness. Tax deductible charity with generosity. We confuse surviving with flourishing. Existing with Living. ...
Vipassana – again… (memories from the past)
Vipassana – again… This time my destiny led me to the birthplace of Buddha – the town of Lumbini in Nepal. A small place visited by Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world ( there are estimated 350 million Buddhists worldwide ). A relatively small area became a construction grounds for Buddhist monasteries representing different branches of Buddhism. From Japan and China to Sri Lanka, Thailand and Tibet. It was not the Buddha’s place of birth that was the main reason for my visit though. I came here to take part in yet another experience of Vipassana meditation. While many who had come here would enjoy the beautiful temples and monastery gardens, my journey will take me more “inside”, to the fertile gardens of my own mind. It was time to do some pruning and weeding! The fact that I would not be spending much time admiring what’s outside was readily reflected in the stark architecture of the Vipassana meditation center where I was to spend the next ten days. Actually, the place looked more like a prison than anything else.. The purpose of it being – not allowing the distractions of the outside world to weaken the focus on the world inside.. Vipassana – it is not an experience for everyone. Not everyone is inclined to test his or her body and mind with the severity of silence and intense inner work, meditating ten hours a day for ten days straight. The first few days are always difficult but the results of this tremendous effort can be as surprising as the intensity of the effort itself. Intensity that is difficult to compare to anything else. Ten days of absolute silence, nearly continuous meditation and observation of the many inner processes taking place in each and everyone of us, reveals the truths and realizations about ourselves that sometimes we wish we didn’t know. And all of this takes place in the company of twenty to hundred and twenty silent people who just like me, try to learn something about themselves, figure out why they are the way they are and why their life is unfolding the way it does. It is not very often that we have an opportunity to ask and answer ourselves questions like these. It is not very often that we have the time and environment to go this deep inside. Perhaps it is why many European Vipassana centers are booked full well in advance and every year new centers are built all over the world… ...
Follow Nature – Natural health cultivation.
The way of Nature Mother Nature provides. Listen to her voice. Listen to her instructions. Her voice is part of you. She will tell you what to do. Use her elements to stay fit and healthy. Use air, sun, earth and water. You are part of her. Do not avoid her. Flow with rather than against her. She is your teacher. Learn. Pay attention to your own body and everything around it. Use breath to control your body and your mind. Discover the breath as a wonderful connection between one and the other. Breathe deeply and fully. Keep things simple. Don’t over-complicate. Life is complex enough as it is. Simplify your work. Simplify your foods. Simplify your needs. Simplify your life. The more things you add the more complicated things become. Seek beauty in simplicity. Enjoy simple pleasures and learn how to recognize them throughout your day. What you do is what you develop. Repetition develops habits. You have a choice of what you want to develop. Do more of what and how you want to be. Do less of what and how you don’t want to be. Repeat it long enough and it will become your nature. It will become you. Live your own life. Get inspiration from others but you are the one who has to walk the chosen path. Make it your own by doing not just reading or thinking about it. Pick what suits you best. Discard what is not your cup of tea. How to tell the difference? – you might ask! Ask yourself! You and only you can answer this. Realize what comes to you naturally. You are a unique individual with your own strengths and weaknesses. Nurture the former and get rid of the latter. Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Combined with the air you breathe – this is what you are made of! Choose fresh and avoid processed foods, especially sweets. Variety is important. Think why you eat, how much, what you eat, when you eat, and how you eat. Let your body rest and recover after intense physical exertion. Let your digestive system rest and recover regularly. Your body is designed to feast and fast. Let your mind rest and recover. Find your favorite form of meditation. Make sure you get a regular good night’s sleep. Feel the hunger regularly. Do not stop moving! Your body is designed to run, jump, lift and twist. Pay attention to your posture. Repetition creates habits! Make sure you get a daily dose of physical and mental activity and stimulation. Sweat every day. Good stress (eustress) is the very stress that provokes change, adaptation and development. Find time to commune with nature and its elements. Don’t always insulate yourself from cold, heat, rain or snow. Train your body and mind to adapt to changing circumstances. Appreciate. Develop a habit of finding things, situations and people in your life to appreciate. Realize how lucky you are! ...
