Nourishing Arts

The Naturally Just So

Chang Tzu the Taoist master said "Stress comes from too much attachment to wordly affairs and not enough love for the well being of the self." When we get too attached to external events, or overly concern ourselves with what others think, we not only create stress, we pass it on to others and out into the world. The minute we focus attention on our immediate well being stress disappears. When we are content with ourselves problems and stresses cease.

Stress is a self-trained reaction to situations that appear threatening. By definition stress is the sum of biological reactions to adverse stimuli that interfere with the homeostasis of an organism. This results in emotional or physical strain and tension. Neither sex, money nor anything else "out there" are the problems, rather any stress we experience arises from the reaction we have in relationship to our perceptions. Although it is easy to see that stress increases according to how we mentally perceive and interpret what is happening around us, this doesn't stop most from getting "stressed out" over certain things. The good news is that because stress is entirely made up of interpretations about what we think is happening, it is possible to eliminate stress by letting go of our perceptions.

The Theory of Releasing Stress

Most of the time, people hold on to stress thinking they will release it once the current difficulties are over. They are like water skiers who fall and keep holding onto the rope, only to be dragged through the water. While hoping the boat (or life) will slow down, their body incurs damage. Its obvious letting go is the smart thing to do, but why do the majority of us hang on?

Stress is an accumulation of self trained negative habits that are so frequently expressed they seem normal. Over time, we forget our body's natural state and get so used to living with stress we barely notice the tension until an acute situation arises. Letting go of stressful reactions such as out bursts of rage, complaints or recurring irritations is possible to do when we retrain our selves to become used to more peaceful and tranquil states of mind.

Replacing a stressful habit or reaction with a calm response is so simple most overlook it nearly every minute of the day. To eliminate stress, first negative reactions need to be immediately recognized. Begin by taking notice of what seems to trigger a stressful reaction.

Enduring tranquility begins with aligning to what is naturally just so.

Remember, you have spent many years training yourself to see something, instantly make an interpretation and then reacting with stress or tension. The problem is we come to see repeated reactions as natural. But tension is not a natural state. Carefully watch an infant and you can observe the naturally just so.

Entering tranquility is different than escaping problems or pretending things don't bother you when they do. The key to discovering the naturally just so is to quietly rest inside yourself frequently during the day in the middle of whatever is going on. It is as if you press a pause button and just watch whatever is happening. Resist the temptation to say anything good or bad. If you repeat a restful state of tranquility often enough the body will get used to it and naturally wants more. This is a way of allowing stress to be replaced rather than trying to get rid of it.

Taoists believe we have to in essence trick ourselves not to activate the negative habits we so often use. When replacing negative habits it is a mistake to use some kind of internal or external force. If you usually say things like: "I have to or, I should exercise more, or I need more…." the negative stimulus sets the stress pattern in motion. It is better to say "I want to move around." The body naturally loves to move around, and thus no force is needed.

Discipline

Oh that tricky word discipline, some of us love it while others avoid it like the plague. Discipline simply means to repeat a pattern often enough until you no longer think about it as something you have to do. Discipline means to be a disciple of, to love and be devoted to something. Deep down we do not love what we are forced to do (even if we ourselves are doing the forcing). Eventually we will resist whatever is forced. If you practice consciously letting go, allowing whatever is disturbing to settle like debris at the bottom of a glass of water, the water will soon become clear. After a while you will have a more tranquil state of mind and your actions will become more clear as well. The key to success is allowing repetition to take root.

My teacher said look at birds: they don't fly every day because they tell themselves they have to: they fly every day because it is their nature to do so. So it is with humans, it is our nature to move every day, and heren lies the path to eliminating stress.

Taoists believe that if you are interested in eliminating stress and experiencing tranquility train yourself to consciously choose to do one thing that you mildly enjoy on a regular basis. What you wildly enjoy, although thrilling and definitely great to do from time to time, will help with temporary shifts of behavior. To enjoy a life of many stress free days it is wise to immerse yourself often in what is calming. While it seems entirely obvious it is still the best way to eliminate stress.

Part Two:
Breathing and Sound Exercises

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