Today is World Tai Chi and Qigong Day

I'd like to offer my thanks to Dr. Robert Bates, Lee and Karen Holden, Garri and Daisy Garripoli, Thich Nhat Hanh, and, believe it or not, David Carradine, who sparked my interest in the gentle martial arts many, many decades ago.

Today's Reading from "The Tao of Joy Every Day" Book

November 23
Day 327

The Holistic Self

Perhaps due to the great advances in science and technology, we have a tendency to divide, sort, and categorize everything. The body is divided into the nervous system, lymphatic system, digestive system and so on. Even the mind is divided into the id, ego and superego in Freudian psychology.

The Eastern approach also involves categorization, but there is a greater emphasis on interconnectedness. Both the mind and the body are seen in a holistic light where everything has an effect on everything else. Indeed, even the mind and the body are recognized as inextricably connected.

One principle we can derive from this is that if one wishes to sharpen the mind, one cannot rely only one reading, learning and other mental activities. One must also work on the body. This means both exercise and nutrition. This is one of the reasons many sages exercise regularly and either choose a vegetarian lifestyle or limit their consumption of animal products. At higher levels of cultivation, one can sense the effects of food on the mind, and a diet rich in plant-based foods is considered the best choice for mental clarity.


The Tao Today

Most of us are not operating at peak efficiency, either physically or mentally. Your body and mind are capable of so much more. Think about them as the sages do, not as separate parts, but as an interconnected whole. Look for ways to work on both body and mind to be at your strongest and clearest.

The Tao of Joy Every Day

365 Days of Tao Living

Derek Lin

2011

Tarcher/Penguin Press

ISBN: 978-1-58542-918-9

The book's offical page on the author's site

Amazon page

Derek had once written on his forums, The Tea House, that he follows the food program of Dr. John McDougall. And Derek's writings have been recommended by people on the McDougall forums. Unfortunately I can't link to Derek's post itself because the original version of that board was closed because of excessive spamming. The new Tea House is doing quite well and is so-far spam-free.

VeganMoFo Day 5 - Eating Simply

Here's an excerpt from a book I'm currently reading that goes along quite nicely with Dr. McDougall's and Jeff Novick's philosophy of eating simply:

Chapter 64

Put things in order
before a disorder makes its appearance.
Don't wait until your body cries.
Pay attention to the way you eat
and what happens next.

The wise desire what others do not desire:
tranquility, centeredness.
The wise learn what others do not learn,
eat nourishing foods others have passed by,
keep the natural development of all things.

A transformed diet begins with this bite.
Don't fuss over food;
keep it simple or you will spoil it.
People who explore numerous diet possibilities
are too busy trying to remember past knowledge
to pay attention to the here and now,
where life is.

Avoid calculated outcomes.
Just pay attention
and your outcome will be right for you.
The wise take action
by letting things take their course
and watching.


Commentary
Some of us get so carried away with hype about a new food or diet that we bombard our bodies with a wild array of foods that end up fighting each other in our systems. We never look beyond our tastebuds until a crisis presents itself and we puzzle over the why of a condition, such as colitis, hypertension, or other conditions.

When we keep our intake simple and listen to our whole body response we experience calmness — freedom from gas, gurgles, cramps, and fuzzy teeth; our joints move more easily and we have a steady stream of energy.

There is nothing complicated here; the body runs at peak efficiency with no calculation necessary. Give your body the undivided attention you pay your valued, most inspiring mentors.
~~~~~

Forget That Diet and Eat What You Need
The Tao of Eating

Elizabeth Terp
Paperback: 126 pages
Publisher: Trafford Publishing (July 6, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1412024552
ISBN-13: 978-1412024556

Amazon page, with Look Inside feature


And that's just ONE chapter. The entire book, based on ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu's work, Tao Te Ching, compares his basic teachings on living simply and how to rule a country to eating simply and ruling your own body. Learn by observing. From the back cover:


The TAO OF EATING
is written out of what I know
and what I don't know,
all of which changes instantly:
what I know becomes suspect
and what I don't know becomes clear
in the present moment.

Under all this confusion
flows the Way,
continually softening knowledge posts,
floating well-secured docks out to sea,
exposing fresh sand where there was none.

My work is to be sensitive to all the
great and subtle changes,
awake to life.
 - Elizabeth Terp
~~~
Eating the McDougall way follows the Way.