Cultivating
By definition, “cultivate” means
- to improve by care, training, or study; refine (to cultivate one's mind)
- to promote the development or growth of; acquire and develop (to cultivate a taste for music)
- to seek to develop familiarity with; give one's attention to; pursue
Cultivating qi has become an essential part of my way of being.
The focus of our China trip was to explore the many ways through which qi is traditionally cultivated. We learned to cultivate and nourish our qi by daily practicing Tai Chi and Qigong under Master Zhou, by learning about silk, jade and tea production and their connection to Chinese history, philosophy, folklore, wellness and qi cultivation, by practicing Chinese calligraphy, by listening to Chinese traditional, opera and folk music, by visiting palaces and a Buddhist college, speaking with Buddhist and Daoist monks about their qi cultivation, by eating healthy foods without sugar or refined white flour, by spending time surrounded by the beauty of nature in Hua Shan and the Wudang mountains and allowing ourselves time for reflection and rest.
The most powerful moment of our quest for me was meeting with the hermit monk Jiaye who has lived in a cave for over 25 years. Granted his solitude and qi cultivation have been disrupted since he has been found and has many visitors, but he has accepted and embraced this “interruption” as the way his life is supposed to flow. He welcomes each person who visits with a warm handshake and deep look into the eyes. His face, his words - indeed his entire way of being exudes the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path of Buddhism.
"I teach suffering, its origin, cessation and path. That's all I teach", declared the Buddha 2500 years ago.
The Four Noble Truths contain the essence of the Buddha's teachings. It was these four principles that the Buddha came to understand during his meditation under the bodhi tree.
- The truth of suffering (Dukkha)
- The truth of the origin of suffering (Samudāya)
- The truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha)
- The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga)
The fourth Noble Truth, in which the Buddha set out the Eightfold Path, is the prescription, the way to achieve a release from suffering. (BBC 2014)
It is said that these truths are in and of themselves not noble, but that they are the way of being of a noble person.
“In brief, the eight elements of the path are: (1) correct view, an accurate understanding of the nature of things, specifically the Four Noble Truths, (2) correct intention, avoiding thoughts of attachment, hatred, and harmful intent, (3) correct speech, refraining from verbal misdeeds such as lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, and senseless speech, (4) correct action, refraining from physical misdeeds such as killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, (5) correct livelihood, avoiding trades that directly or indirectly harm others, such as selling slaves, weapons, animals for slaughter, intoxicants, or poisons, (6) correct effort, abandoning negative states of mind that have already arisen, preventing negative states that have yet to arise, and sustaining positive states that have already arisen, (7) correct mindfulness, awareness of body, feelings, thought, and phenomena (the constituents of the existing world), and (8) correct concentration, single-mindedness.” (2019 Encyclopedia Britannica Online)
“The 8 Pillars of Joy,” from “The Book of Joy,” by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu presents these concepts in a more user-friendly format. In The 8 Pillars of Joy, the first four are qualities of the mind:
1. PERSPECTIVE
The way we see the world is the way we experience the world. Changing the way we see the world in turn changes the way we feel and the way we act, which changes the world itself.
2. HUMILITY
Learning to recognize basic human nature is good leads to a positive outlook which provides us with courage and self-confidence. Too much focus on ourselves, the “I” and the “me”, leads to fear, insecurity, and anxiety. It is important to allow life’s experiences to always teach us.
3. HUMOR
Make an effort to be less serious and laugh more. This will lead to a sense of abandon and ease. Laugh at yourself and not at another’s expense.
4. ACCEPTANCE
Stress and anxiety come from our expectations of how life should be. We can lessen our suffering by accepting our life in all its pain, imperfections, and beauty. Acceptance is the opposite of resignation and defeat. The acceptance of reality is the only place from which change can begin. Acceptance allows us to engage with life on its terms rather than get mad because it is not as we wish. “Life is frustrating and difficult-it is not about escaping it, but discovering how we can use it as something positive.”
The last four of The 8 Pillars of Joy are qualities of the heart:
5. FORGIVENESS
It is freeing ourselves from the past and the only way to heal. Without forgiveness, we remain tethered to the person who harmed us. The power of forgiveness lies in not losing sight of the humanity of the person while responding to the wrong with clarity and firmness.
6. GRATITUDE
Being grateful moves us away from the narrow minded focus on fault and lack and to the wider perspective of benefit and abundance. When we recognize all that we have been given it is our natural response to want to care for and give to others. Gratitude is the elevation of enjoyment.
7. COMPASSION
Caring for others is a part of who we are, it is instinctual. We are hardwired to connect and care. Compassion is an empowered state where we want what is best for the other person. We need to practice letting go of our expectations of wanting more, being more, achieving more, which will allow for more self-compassion.
8. GENEROSITY
Being generous expresses a fundamental aspect of our interdependence and need for one another. With a generous spirit, we become more tolerant, more open-minded, patient, forgiving, and kind. Taking care of others, helping others through life, ultimately is the way to discover your own joy and to have a happy life. (Leigh Hawkins Integrative Fitness)
(To be continued. In the meantime, enjoy these photos and this practice which will help you discover qi.)
PRACTICE: Deepening our Connection to the Earth through Foot Massage
- Sit in a comfortable position.
- Rub your palms together as if to generate heat. Using lotion or massage oil if you like, warm the lotion.
- Use both hands to smooth the lotion over your feet. You are actually giving yourself a full body massage, as there are acupoints in your feet that correlate to the organs in your body.
- Placing your thumbs on the top of your foot and your fingers on the bottom of your foot, massage away! Rub every bit from your toes to your heels, making outward circles with your thumbs.
- Placing your thumbs on the bottom of your foot and your fingers on the top of your foot, massage away! Rub every bit, from toes to heels, making outward circles with your thumbs.
- Massage your toes from base to tip, pinching when you get to the top. Massage the spaces between your toes.
- From the top of your foot, interlace your fingers and toes.
- From the bottom of your foot, interlace your fingers and toes.
- Repeat on the other foot.