The valley spirit, undying
Is called the Mystic Female
The gate of the Mystic Female
Is called the root of Heaven and Earth
It flows continuously, barely perceptible
Utilize it; it is never exhausted
What does this mean?
The passage refers to the valley spirit. Why a valley?
When you are in a valley, you are surrounded by nature on all sides. One can rethink the "valley spirit" that we are in the valley of the Tao sitting at the very bottom.
To take it further, think about our existence being a Russian doll. At our core, there is our true presence, the I in "I am." The next layer is our thoughts and emotions. The next layer is our senses and our bodies. Then we have our subjective realities we interact with. Next is the objective reality that affects all of us; things and ideas. The next layer is the source of reality. The last layer that permeates all other layers is the Tao.
The passage also refers to Mystic Female. Her gate is the root of Heaven and Earth, or things and ideas. Why is this powerful figure female?
To go back to the russian doll analogy, I think that men understand the layers dealing with the world around them more naturally, and women understand the layers of the body and emotions more naturally. To use the female valley spirit is to understand your body and emotions. It is internal awareness. We need our senses and emotions before we can understand the outside world.
To fully embrace the Tao, one needs all the layers, not just the ones you are born being aware of.
How do I use this?
This requires mindfulness.
Just like a someone who trains every day to use his training as muscle memory instantly and naturally like a martial artist or athlete, one must practice mindfulness and then use it all the time. I'm still learning this. There are many to learn it, but practicing it every day brings you closer to just being mindful as a default.
The true goal is to be mindless about being mindful.
Where did I start?
1. Meditate.
Focus on awareness.
Stop and concentrate specifically on your breath, how it goes in and out. How your lungs move and your nose tingles. Notice other things going on. Maybe sweaty feet in your socks: how does each part of each toe feel. How about the tips of your fingers. Did you wiggle something even though you are holding still? Do you notice the air on your arm hairs?
Be aware of all things you see and hear. You think and feel, but just acknowledge it and do not react with movements, thoughts or feelings.
Do this whenever you get a few minutes. Meditate for a minute in the car before driving to work. Do it as you are getting ready to sleep or before you get up in the morning. Meditate before turning on the TV for 10 minutes after the kids go to bed. Make it a habit.
2. Chores.
I have a tornado of thoughts and feelings without channelling mindfulness. When I sweep or clean without awareness, I always ended up missing spots because I wasn't aware of missing them. Recently, I started practicing mindfulness during simple chores. I extended my awareness outside of myself to what I see. Now, I miss less spots.
This has helped me across the board. I'm a safer driver, a better worker at work and I listen to my family better when I am mindful.
3. Cut out distractions.
Our goal is to be mindful all the time, and this means living in a sea of modern distractions and crazy situations. However, just like any new skill, we need to practice it correctly. You'll eventually get there where you can be mindful with all of the distractions going, but you have to start without them.
Turn off the TV or video game. Silence the phone. Ignore Facebook and e-mail. Cut the music. Wear comfortable clothes. Use the restroom and have a snack. Put thoughts and feelings aside for the moment.
When all that is done, channel awareness and just do the task mindfully.
Is called the Mystic Female
The gate of the Mystic Female
Is called the root of Heaven and Earth
It flows continuously, barely perceptible
Utilize it; it is never exhausted
What does this mean?
The passage refers to the valley spirit. Why a valley?
When you are in a valley, you are surrounded by nature on all sides. One can rethink the "valley spirit" that we are in the valley of the Tao sitting at the very bottom.
To take it further, think about our existence being a Russian doll. At our core, there is our true presence, the I in "I am." The next layer is our thoughts and emotions. The next layer is our senses and our bodies. Then we have our subjective realities we interact with. Next is the objective reality that affects all of us; things and ideas. The next layer is the source of reality. The last layer that permeates all other layers is the Tao.
The passage also refers to Mystic Female. Her gate is the root of Heaven and Earth, or things and ideas. Why is this powerful figure female?
To go back to the russian doll analogy, I think that men understand the layers dealing with the world around them more naturally, and women understand the layers of the body and emotions more naturally. To use the female valley spirit is to understand your body and emotions. It is internal awareness. We need our senses and emotions before we can understand the outside world.
To fully embrace the Tao, one needs all the layers, not just the ones you are born being aware of.
How do I use this?
This requires mindfulness.
Just like a someone who trains every day to use his training as muscle memory instantly and naturally like a martial artist or athlete, one must practice mindfulness and then use it all the time. I'm still learning this. There are many to learn it, but practicing it every day brings you closer to just being mindful as a default.
The true goal is to be mindless about being mindful.
Where did I start?
1. Meditate.
Focus on awareness.
Stop and concentrate specifically on your breath, how it goes in and out. How your lungs move and your nose tingles. Notice other things going on. Maybe sweaty feet in your socks: how does each part of each toe feel. How about the tips of your fingers. Did you wiggle something even though you are holding still? Do you notice the air on your arm hairs?
Be aware of all things you see and hear. You think and feel, but just acknowledge it and do not react with movements, thoughts or feelings.
Do this whenever you get a few minutes. Meditate for a minute in the car before driving to work. Do it as you are getting ready to sleep or before you get up in the morning. Meditate before turning on the TV for 10 minutes after the kids go to bed. Make it a habit.
2. Chores.
I have a tornado of thoughts and feelings without channelling mindfulness. When I sweep or clean without awareness, I always ended up missing spots because I wasn't aware of missing them. Recently, I started practicing mindfulness during simple chores. I extended my awareness outside of myself to what I see. Now, I miss less spots.
This has helped me across the board. I'm a safer driver, a better worker at work and I listen to my family better when I am mindful.
3. Cut out distractions.
Our goal is to be mindful all the time, and this means living in a sea of modern distractions and crazy situations. However, just like any new skill, we need to practice it correctly. You'll eventually get there where you can be mindful with all of the distractions going, but you have to start without them.
Turn off the TV or video game. Silence the phone. Ignore Facebook and e-mail. Cut the music. Wear comfortable clothes. Use the restroom and have a snack. Put thoughts and feelings aside for the moment.
When all that is done, channel awareness and just do the task mindfully.
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