The Yin and Yang of Climate Crisis by Brendan Kelly

Author:Brendan Kelly [Kelly, Brendan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SCI092000 Science / Global Warming & Climate Change
ISBN: 9781583949528
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Published: 2015-07-15T16:00:00+00:00

Experiencing Metal

To better understand Metal, try the following exercise of sitting quietly with your eyes closed. In a quiet place, make yourself comfortable sitting on the ground with your legs crossed, or sit in a chair with both feet on the floor. Relax your body as much as possible and breathe slow, deep breaths. Lightly place the tip of your tongue on the top, front, center of your mouth, where the roof of your mouth and back of your teeth meet. If possible, breathe through your nose, inhaling and exhaling in a relaxed rhythm. As is done during Tai Chi practice, try to imagine that when you’re inhaling you’re drawing out a spool of silk, which needs to be done carefully and consistently so as not to break or clump the thread.8 Follow your breath. Pay attention to its rhythm, note where it’s not relaxed or deep, and see if you can gently return it to a steady, smooth pace.

After a few minutes of focusing on your breathing, try to relax your mind. Take note of what ideas or images are appearing, and see if you can let them go. Using your inhale and exhale as encouragement, begin to clear your thoughts. Let yourself stop thinking about your job, or things you have to do, or bills you need to pay. Try not to worry about the next paper you have to write or the fight you just had with a friend. Try not to worry about climate change.

After a few more minutes, open your eyes. Even after a brief period of following our breath and relaxing our mind, many of us will feel more peaceful. Our heart rate has probably slowed and we may feel less stressed than when we started.

The internal relaxation that comes from sitting quietly is part of the Metal. Just as walking through the woods in the fall can help us comprehend how Chinese medicine understands this season, quieting our mind and relaxing our breath can also allow us to experience this phase. The Metal is introspective and peaceful: it’s the sense of inspiration that comes with each conscious inhale and exhale of Heavenly Qi.

If you tried to sit still and quiet your mind and had a hard time, you’re not alone. Our mental overactivity is at epidemic levels in our overstimulated, planet-warming culture. Similar to how the planet is warming quickly, our minds are overheated. A common result of too much mental and visual stimulation—from computers, cell phones, or TVs, for example—is that our organs heat up internally. This can eventually overstimulate our thoughts, making it difficult to experience peace. Taking away some of the outside distraction, even for a short time, can make it clear—sometimes uncomfortably so—just how constantly busy things are within us.

Even if it’s uncomfortable in the beginning, it’s vital that we work on cooling ourselves down internally. We can do this by sitting quietly and following our breath or by engaging in more formal sitting meditation. We can also study and practice forms of moving mediation as well.

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