Cultivating
“Joy is a byproduct of a life well lived. It’s much bigger than happiness.”
The words that the hermit monk Jiaye spoke to us embody the spirit of the Eightfold Path. They have made a lasting impression on my personal cultivation and my way of being. To paraphrase, the hermit monk said that the key to peace and joy is “ Think beautiful thoughts, listen to beautiful sounds, look at beautiful things, speak beautiful words, do beautiful acts and….take care of your feet.” We all chuckled at the last advice, but recognize the importance of taking care of the physical body through wellness practices and the importance of caring for our feet as connection to the earthly/universal energy. Jiaye is a role model for qi cultivation.
Back to cultivating qi. Throughout our quest, we pursued our own personal qi growth, developing and improving our body, heart and mind’s attention to qi by care, training and study.
So what does this learning about cultivation mean for me?
- I cultivate and nourish my qi by daily practicing Tai Chi or Qigong
- Instead of gulping down my daily cup of green tea just because it is good for me, when I drink my green tea I reflect on how it is produced, how many people are connected to this one portion of tea, this connection to Chinese history, philosophy, folklore, wellness and qi cultivation
- Instead of jumping out of bed and rushing around, I begin my day by listening to calming Chinese flute and guzheng music
- Instead of enumerating the to do list when I get into my car to drive, I think about the Three Treasures of posture, breath and mind focus and seek the beauty on my drive
- Instead of nourishing my body with white carbohydrates, I make efforts to by eat healthy foods without sugar or refined white flour, and to eat with chopsticks, slowing me down and allowing me to savor the taste and effort that went into the production and preparation of my food
- Instead of jumping out of bed or hitting snooze multiple times, I practice gratitude every morning before I get out of bed, listing 3 things for which I am grateful
- Instead of remaining indoors, I make an effort to spend time outdoors and seek the beauty in simple aspects of nature, from a snowflake to a tree, to a sunrise
- Instead of doing one more thing, I allow myself time to sit and practice a beautiful art, whether playing the piano or cello, or knitting or reading
- Instead of verbally reacting in a situation, I use the acronym THINK (is it True? Is it Helpful? Is it Important? Is it Necessary? Is it Kind?) and whenever I can I try to use the word “we”
- Instead of focusing always on my own needs and desires, I try to do something for my family, something for someone else, something for my community and something for the planet
- ...and I DO take care of my feet. I massage them with essential oils at night and do yoga inversions to help circulate the qi. :)
Do I manage to do all of these things every day? Of course not! I am human. But I make the effort to practice these things as a way of “being” rather as a way of “doing”. I forgive myself if on a given day I spend a lot of time in the “doing” mode, accept that that is part of the way things are supposed to flow, and welcome the opportunity to engage more fully in my qi cultivation tomorrow, grateful for today’s lesson. As the Dalai Lama explained in The Book of Joy:
‘I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life. I am not going to waste it.’ The ability to see wonder, surprise, possibility in each experience and each encounter... that is a core aspect of joy. In Buddhism, one can be grateful even for one’s enemies, as our most precious spiritual teachers. Gratitude helps us catalog, celebrate and rejoice in the each day and each moment. (Yanik Silver Blog)
(To be continued. In the meantime, enjoy these photos and this practice which will help you discover qi.)
PRACTICE: Green Tea
The benefits of drinking green tea along with the availability of green tea in different forms and flavors make it an easier healthy choice than in the past. Information about Gongfu Cha: The Art of Preparing and Enjoying Chinese Tea properly. Although below is not the complete Chinese tea ceremony, it makes drinking a daily cup of green tea more ceremonial, and includes elements of tea drinking as learned at Long Jing (Dragon’s Well) plantation.
- Prepare your tea with attention. Notice the smell of the tea as you put it in the cup. Think of all the people who have participated in getting this tea from the field to your cup. This helps us to see our interconnectedness.
- As you pour hot, not boiling, water over your tea, lift and lower the kettle 3 times. This symbolizes welcome, connection and respect.
- Brew as per instructions according to the kind of tea you have.
- Notice the aroma, the taste. Place your face directly over the cup and allow the steam to rise. This is tonifying for the face and eyes.
- Enjoy your tea. Chinese tea cups are small so that we can enjoy small amounts, then reuse the tea so as to notice the changes in flavor over time. If you prefer to use a larger cup or mug, once your tea has brewed, remove the teabag and prepare a second cup. If you are using loose tea, add more water.