The very highest is barely known by humans.
Then comes that which they know and love,
Then that which is feared,
Then that which is despised.
One who does not trust enough will not be trusted.
When actions are performed
Without unnecessary speech,
People say, “We did it!”
– Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching
Nettles are hanging in my south-facing window,
soon to be tinctures and loose-leaf tea.
They are outstanding medicine to build blood and lung function. They are great relief for seasonal allergies.
Nettles are an iron-rich sauteed feast,
when harvested with love and protection from their sting.
Zong Qi is one of many kinds of Qi that we use to live our lives. Food/ Universe Qi + our stomach Qi = Zong Qi.
What does it mean to think of our food as Universe Qi?
It’s the understanding that food is a manifestation and combination of the universe around us. We know that some food tastes better and is easier to digest. Food that is grown in toxic soil under stressful conditions will taste differently than food grown in healthy soil with ease of being.
How it is grown isn’t the only component of quality. How food is prepared is a huge part of unlocking or destroying the nutritional qi it offers. Whatever approach you use – raw, fermented, fried, steamed, frozen – will change what’s possible for combining with your stomach qi to make Zong qi.
Other important components of quality are the state of being when preparing food and when eating it. Can you remember a time you ate food made with love? And food made under duress? It has nothing to do with the complexity of the meal or the amount of time it took to make it. The state of consciousness during preparation is a key ingredient to healthy food.
And so is the condition of our consuming it. Eating the breakfast burrito in the car on the way to work or a quick bite en route to a meeting decreases the Zong Qi we can make of it. Dimly lit restaurants have it right – low lighting and a calm environment without many distractions are ideal for our stomach qi to do it’s work. Watching television, reading the news, and stressful conversation during eating are one more thing we have to ‘consume’ and diminish our capacity to create Zong Qi.
We can all optimize our digestion with simple changes in choosing food, preparing food, and consuming food.
Artwork by Kathy Goodall
Thank you
for helping me grow, be, share.
I offer my work as ours and in gratitude to the willingness and bravery that makes connection possible.
Thank you
near & far.
With Regards,
Corinne
It wasn’t until 10:45am today that I knew it was Earth Day. Last year I celebrated all week with kiddos at the Nursery School. We sang songs that focused on the wind, rivers, rocks, forest, the ocean, mountains, and every being here with us.
Today I pondered one of my favorite sayings, which I can no longer source:
“Humans, unlike other creatures, get most of their information from other humans.”
What would happen if we received most of our information from earth? The other earth inhabitants? From the weather? From any of the minutiae and macrocosmic presence here with us all of the time?
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