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”.
