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Change is brilliant, no matter how bad it is – possibly

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Change season

Change is in the air

Autumn and winter are periods of retreat in the world of nature. Growth seems to be at a standstill and animals have to forage or hunt with greater skill and determination until the spring comes. We, too, have our periods of less activity, when our earth element predominates more. Then gradually, or sometimes with a burst, our creativity emerges from its rest. We become the instruments of change, which can be very exciting – or maybe a little frightening.

Things cannot stay the same

Change is inevitable. That’s a good thing in some ways because when the days are dark, we know that they will eventually get lighter. Nothing stays the same because change is inherent in absolutely everything. Even the mountains are gradually changing. But this can create a tendency in us to hang onto the good times, to the days of laughter and pleasure. Change is everywhere. Sometimes the prospect of it seems like fun but often we resist. I should know – I’m an expert at resisting.

Act or accept?

When circumstances are bad and there is something constructive we can do, of course we should act. At other times, though, not accepting what life is presenting to us simply makes us unhappy. If it’s raining, we can blame the weather forecaster who promised sunshine. But what a waste of energy that is, and it actually makes life harder and the day more miserable. Alternatively, we can choose to be happy – marvel at the miracle of rain and enjoy life as it is now.

Accepting the present moment and what it brings actually makes us feel safe. Then we can smile and be free of the fear of losing anything.

More on this in The Art of Not Doing

Upcoming workshop in Staffordshire: Longevity – A Case for Leading a Long and Happy Life. Details here.

Related posts:

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  4. Action: Why everything you do and say is more important than you think

Longevity: seven secrets of ageing gracefully

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Longevity tai chi masterLongevity is a lovely word that beautifully conjures up images of a long and healthy life. Age merely becomes a number as the essence of youth carries us on its fragrance into the later decades of life.

But the truth is that although people are generally living far longer, longevity in our society doesn’t always match up to our ideal image. Most in middle age will say that they would rather be shot than end their days in a care home. In spite of that promise to themselves, too many end up where they dreaded being. Perhaps it needn’t be like that. Here are some things we can do to minimise the risk.

For longevity, breathe deeply and more slowly

Many of us breathe shallowly. Instead of using the diaphragm and filling the bottom part of the lungs, we fill the top and maybe a bit of the middle. Breathing more deeply reduces the stress responses in the body and can help to reduce blood pressure. It increases oxygenation and tends to stabilise the flow of qi or vitality, which we need to conserve more as we age.

Meditate or learn to sit quietly every day

There is a wealth of documentation on the benefits of meditation and quiet sitting on health and wellbeing. Imagine life like being on a train journey. We can choose to enjoy that journey, admire the scenery and stop off here and there. Sitting quietly with ourselves for five or ten minutes a day, longer if we wish, helps us to enjoy our trip through life. That really is what longevity is about.

Do something that engages both sides of your brain

Meditation helps to harmonise the left and right hemispheres of the brain. If we tend to analyse, use logic and intellectualise a great deal, the intuitive side of the brain can be underused. Drawing, gardening and listening to music, for example, if done with full awareness, will help to balance things out.

Aerobic exercise is good in moderation

If you like to run or go to the gym, great. It’s much better than sitting on one’s bottom all day. But longevity is about balance, too. As we age, the body’s energy changes and exercise that is very strenuous can be counter-productive. Walking, dancing, tai chi (taiji) and yoga are all good for promoting a long and healthy life.

Learn something new every day

Learning stimulates the brain and encourages the growth and renewal of neural pathways. If combined with physical activity, such as learning and practicing tai chi, there are multiple benefits.

Taiji and qigong

Think about looking into these classic exercise systems for longevity if you haven’t done so already. These are forms of physical exercise sequences, practised with a relaxed and heightened state of awareness. Both taiji and qigong work on the energy of the body as well as the normal physical aspects and emphasise promoting health in the vital organs.

Let go of the past – and the future

Clinging to memories of the good old days or to resentment of when they were bad causes negative energy patterns in us. Similarly, hoping for something to happen in the future takes us out of the present into an imaginary sphere. Let go of all this. It’s like junk in the attic. Clear it out and let yourself be free.

The Great Little Book of Happiness – A Guide to Leading a Happier Life looks closely at the various cycles of life and how to achieve balance for longevity.

An evening workshop entitled How to Eliminate Fear is coming up very soon in Staffordshire. A limited number of places is still available. More information.

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  4. Movement: why listening to our body is vital for health

Stillness and clarity: here’s how they can save your life

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Stillness truly is remarkable. Nothing can go wrong in stillness. When the mind is truly peaceful, we are safe. Even when we are ill, if we are at peace, there is nothing to fear, not even death. From the deepest level of our being, we know that everything is all right. It is a remarkable way to live but when life is so busy, is it really possible?

Stillness zen garden
Zen meditation garden

Stillness or worry – which is better?

Worry may be exceedingly unpleasant but it is unusual for someone to be completely free of it. As a society, we are addicted to it. Commerce and the media thrive on making us worry – generating incipient fear that we will lose out if we don’t buy goods or subscribe to services that we didn’t know we needed. Once, it was okay and even good to age gracefully but now wrinkles and less-than-pure-white teeth are things to avoid, they say. This is all a far cry from stillness. As is the pressure to be up-to-date with the latest story. Well, here’s some breaking news: we don’t need breaking news.

Discover what you don’t need and be free

Whenever I think of stillness, the image of a Zen monk comes to mind. I don’t know why. Perhaps there is something about simplicity that is inherently attractive. Life is so complex now. There used to be a choice of tea, coffee or water; now you almost need encyclopaedic knowledge to make a decision. That’s not a bad thing, necessarily, but it makes for a busy mind in even the most mundane things.

The antidote is to drop the clutter from our minds. When you find yourself chasing after something, just stop for a moment. Ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” Take a breath or two and feel the tension in the body. Ask the question again and feel the reaction in yourself. More often than not, the answer will be a no and you can let go.

Clarity switches the light on

If we stop thinking about trivia, cease our worrying and end our chasing after rainbows (or unicorns now, I’m told), we begin to relax and let our energy settle. We start to enjoy greater clarity and feel more alert. Light enters the mind.

When we practise taiji, we begin by standing still to do just that. It is as though we have a glass of muddy water. The mud starts to settle. The water gradually clears as a result of the non-movement. If we can then move without stirring up the muddy sediment, we have learned the skill of stillness in action.

You don’t need to learn taiji to experience this. Just sit or stand. Be still. Breathe. And enjoy being alive. There – you’ve saved your life!

Cutting down on too much thinking and doing is tremendously powerful. Read more in my book The Art of Not Doing .

Related posts:

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  2. Time: why keeping an eye on the clock shortens your life
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  4. Can we let go of needing to know?

Time: why keeping an eye on the clock shortens your life

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Time is a bit of a bugbear, isn’t it? There is either not enough of it or ittime life passes too slowly. Time rules our lives – something has to be done by a particular date or a certain hour. We go about life with one eye on the clock or our watch, or perhaps more these days on our phone. Does this near-obsession improve our quality of life? Of course it doesn’t, and in fact it leaches the quality right out of it.

But surely we need time to organise our lives?

It would be very naive to suggest we could live without time altogether. Once, people lived according to natural rhythms and cycles, as animals and plants do. But modern society has to organise itself, so calendars, schedules, clocks and appointments will probably always be with us. Unfortunately, they can also put us under pressure and it is that – our attitude to the passing minutes, hours and days – that is the problem.

The more we do, and the faster we do it, the less happy we are

Quality of life is not about having or doing more but about satisfaction and fulfilment. The more deeply we experience life, the more fulfilling it is. We may get a temporary buzz from the achievement of doing a lot of things in a short space of time, but in terms of consciousness, it is very shallow.

Do I allow myself time to appreciate drinking a cup of tea or do I take quick sips from my mug while doing something else? Time management might suggest the latter is more efficient, and that may well be our habit. But in doing two or more things at once, we lose the precious gift that those moments are offering us. Instead of gaining, we literally rob ourselves of time.

Take a step back – out of time

Our natural state of consciousness is free and rather like space without any boundaries. It is beyond all concepts, including time. It is simply presence.

Consciousness is like a screen onto which the appearances of daily life, together with our thoughts and emotions, are all projected like a film show or a movie. When we get drawn into them, as we usually do, the concept of time appears. But with presence, time stands still. Fully conscious, we step out of time.

So if I’m fully present, I’ll live longer? Maybe, but that isn’t the point

It is generally recognised that high levels of stress can reduce life expectancy. When we live with full awareness, our stress levels drop immensely. That may or may not affect the length of life in the conventional sense. Quality of life will improve immensely, though.

But should we consider our lifespan anyway? As soon as we think in terms of “how long will I live?”, we have lost our presence. Let’s face it, there are just too many other factors, such as general health, the quality of the air we breathe and so on.

With full awareness, there is no concept of long or short. Lifespan ceases to matter. We simply are. Life just is, and life is full. No matter what, we are free. Unless we keep our eye on the clock, that is.

Thanks for reading this. This subject is explored in greater depth in my book The Art of Not Doing

Related posts:

  1. Taking refuge can give us what we really want
  2. Mortality: why our own impermanence is such a wonderful gift
  3. Thinking too much? Why it can make you ill
  4. Can we let go of needing to know?

Understanding death truly is liberating

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Understanding death: there is no birth or death, just appearance

The body we have now was in fact never born. Understanding death requires us to see that there is no single thing that can be identified as the body. It has constituent parts that are constantly changing. Even conception and the growth of the embryo are not beginning points – they are conditions which have their preceding conditions. The body we have now is not the same as the body that came out of our mother’s womb; it has evolved from it but is not the same, just as a tree is not the same as the seedling it once was. Our present body was not born but is an appearance resulting from preceding and current conditions. This is a point that we really need to meditate on quite deeply.

understanding deathWhen the time of what we call death comes, the body will not be the same as it is at this minute. Some prefer to say that it is the body that dies rather than the person, in an acknowledgment that consciousness and the body are not the same. The subject of death is a very profound one, too deep to go into at this point. For our current purpose, it is enough to contemplate the temporary nature of the body and the fact that at death the elements of our physical appearance and structure do not cease to exist – they change into other things, whether that is through rotting in the ground, cremation or some other process. The body and its constituent parts are merely recycled.

What is the point of contemplating like this? Done well, it releases very powerfully much of the tension that comes from the excessive attachment (and sometimes aversion) we have to the body. Releasing that tension allows us to become more in tune with our psychic energy – the dynamism and creativity of our spiritual nature that is beyond time, and beyond death.

From The Art of Not Doing

In memory of Neil Stanley Kirk

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