July 2018 | Nerdy Foraging in Great Nature

There is an ancient Chinese saying “To follow the Great Nature”.  This sentence guides us to learn from Great Nature, as it could be considered one of our most respected teachers. Why? My beloved teacher and Grand Qi Gong Master Ou Wen Wei spoke of this recently, elaborating on the qualities of Great Nature. Great Nature gives of its resources equally and completely, to all creatures. Sunshine, water, and air, are all resources that are given without discrimination. We can learn deeply from this kind of Love.

How do we learn how to give love equally and completely?

I believe it can begin first with presence, and then appreciation. One way we can connect to this Great Love is by appreciating, being curious about and respecting the plants and animals around us. This always seems easier to practice with plants and animals. In their simplicity, they are more receptive to what we offer them. Over time we can give that same quality of love and respect to other humans. I’ve been exploring native plants and herbs quite a bit this year and have developed a fascination with my immediate environment here in western NC. Through this process of learning, I've felt more connected to Great Nature, and through this connection and building of knowledge, I've grown my love and appreciation for it. I’ve become especially fond of finding fun uses for weeds and otherwise overlooked plants!

I recently discovered the wild and wondrous Elderflower on our land. I’d love to share what I’ve learned about this incredibly healing and useful plant: This flower has an abundance of pollen which has building blocks for balancing the endocrine system (hormonal system). It carries a natural yeast you can use to ferment all kinds of tasty treats including champagne, kombucha or jun! It's very gentle for children. If they have come down with a cold or fever, you can use it as a diaphoretic (makes you perspire) and diuretic (makes you urinate), so it helps to disperse any bacteria or viral infection that has a hold in the body. You can make a tea from fresh or dry flowers, or for a very small child you may create a sponge bath with the flowers that will help them sweat and bring down a fever. A study in a hospital in Ireland showed that elderflower tea was more effective in combating the flu and other bacterial infections than antibiotics. The flowers move lung stagnation and congestion. As a cooling herb, it can move heat in the body and any blood stagnation as well. The best part is that it grows in the entire northern hemisphere of the planet and is blooming right now!

Master Ou says that in order to seek truth, beauty and kindness in the world, one needs to be willing to learn all kinds of knowledge with humility. Only those who are truly humble, who are willing to reflect and evaluate themselves and their surroundings can discover higher truths.

I know for me, when I marvel at nature and all it’s mystery and glory, speculating curiously, the delight it brings to my soul is immeasurable, infinite, and leads me to nature's Great Love.

With Love,
Anisha

Some of you who attended my Pangu Yoga class in Raleigh requested the poem I read honoring and thanking Great Nature. Here it is.

A prayer stemming from the Lakota in regards to "Aho Mitakuye Oyasin

To all my relations, I gave thanks.

To the Creator, for the ultimate gift of life, I thank you.

To the mineral nation that has built and maintained my bones and all foundations of life experience, I thank you.

To the plant nation that sustains my organs and body and gives me healing herbs for sickness, I thank you.

To the animal nation that feeds me from your own flesh and offers your loyal companionship in this walk of life, I thank you.

To the human nation that shares my path as a soul upon the sacred wheel of Earthly life, I thank you.

To the Spirit nation that guides me invisibly through the ups and downs of life and for carrying the torch of light through the Ages. I thank you.

To the Four Winds of Change and Growth, I thank you.

You are all my relations, my relatives, without whom I would not live. We are in the circle of life together, co-existing, co-dependent, co-creating our destiny. One, not more important than the other. One nation evolving from the other and yet each dependent upon the one above and the one below. All of us a part of the Great Mystery.

Thank you for this Life."

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May 2018 | The Mind Is Our Fiercest Battleground

My recent travels to Macau, China where I presented Pangu Yoga at the International Qi Gong Conference became a stark reminder of what I have no control over and what I CAN control. I was at a conference where I didn't understand the language and it was anyone's guess if my appointed time to be on stage would actually materialize per schedule. For two full days the sound from the speakers was so blaringly loud I thought my ear drum was going to explode and some speaker's voices were so unpleasantly rough that it was completely jarring to the senses. My nervous system was getting assaulted in every direction and yet I was getting ready to present a practice that was supposed to be steeped in the opposing energies of unwavering calm, tolerance, and love. I tried my best to remind myself to be tolerant, to remain calm and trust that if I could let go of the environmental factors I couldn't control and focus on my own inner cultivation I would deliver. As the phrase goes ‘When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do’ refers to the importance of adapting myself to the customs of the people who are in a certain place or situation, or at the very least having tolerance for it.

The mind is our ultimate battleground. It’s the space where the greatest and fiercest conflict resides. It’s where half of the things we thought were going to happen, never actually happened. It’s where our inner resistance can bury us with negativity. And, when we allow these thoughts to dwell in our mind, they gradually succeed in robbing us of peace, joy, and ultimately our life. We can think ourselves right into nervous breakdowns and bouts of depression, time and again. I know because I've done it, time and again.

There’s so much about our lives—and our fate—we can’t control, and if we focus all our energy on these things we neglect everything we CAN control. We can decide how we spend our time right now, what we choose to focus on, and whom we share our energy with.

There are many things that unavoidably befalls a person

• the young man who had his life turned upside down by cancer
• the young woman, and mother of two, who lost her husband to death at 27
• the family who lost their house in a tornado
• the local business owner who was thriving until the economy collapse
• the runner who lost his leg in a hit and run car accident
• the mom whose son has Down syndrome despite her doing everything right during pregnancy
• and many, many more people just like them…

What we have almost complete control over is how we RESPOND to these events. It may seem like we don't have control only because we haven't practiced it enough and cultivated ourselves in a way that creates a new habit. But the more we do it the easier it becomes.

So, I invite you right now in this moment to think of just one single thing you know you have complete control over. Maybe it's the choice of your words and the tone of voice in which you speak to yourself and others. Maybe it's what you decide you will engage in, read and study next. Perhaps its how you choose to respond to a challenging life situation, and whether you will see it as a curse or an opportunity for growth. Just pick one and really feel the CHOICE and control that you have. Battling the mind and getting to know yourself in this way can really provide the greatest freedom.

As for what we can't control, it will always be there. But we can transcend our circumstances by doing our best to let go of what’s wrong and grab a hold of what’s right.  Make things happen with your efforts and choices, and then let things happen with your surrender, hope and confidence.

With Love,
Anisha