In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the quality of pulses indicates not only the patient's overall state of health, but provides specific information about imbalances in life force energy, known as qi (pronounced chee), as it flows throughout the body and its various organ systems.
"Whatever my pulses told her," he continued, "prompted her to ask a question that was surprising and fascinating. She asked where I found nourishment in my life, which activities or experiences filled me."
A good question for each of us to ask ourselves during these dark days of winter. Not only would a little nourishment be a good thing as we continue to metabolize all that 2024 brought our way, but filling our cup now will allow us to move into 2025 more wholly.
The answers, no doubt, will be as varied as we are. These are some of my own...
Waking to the stillness just before dawn.
Being in nature as the sky brightens and colors light up the clouds.
Engaging in spiritual practices that have come over the decades from a variety of traditions.
Diving beneath the surface appearance of any encounter to discover the essence that waits there, offering itself for the crafting of a rich experience of life.
My body entwined with my husband's.
Open~hearted witnessing of loved ones, and being witnessed by them as life unfolds in ways both painful and joyous.
And let's not forget good food!
Ah yes, good food. All of these things are food good for the soul, life~giving and life~enhancing. Nourishment in many guises.
"Debby suggested," Jonathan continued, "that after giving this some thought, I commit to more often doing those things that nourish me. And that I not only do these things, but fully absorb the nourishment that comes from them." Debby's suggestion resonated with me this morning, as the sun turned the eastern clouds crimson, orange and gold.
My morning walks are usually a blend of nature immersion, prayer, and full~tilt aerobics. This morning, though, my path around the lake would have required me to turn my back on that gorgeous sky, which seemed almost sacrilegious. So I halted my speedy forward motion.
Seeking protection from the brisk wind, I climbed over the lip at the western edge of the lake. I then settled myself as comfortably as possible atop a jumble of rocks, and raised my face to that fiery sky. My breathing slowed. The colors washed over me, and I let them fill me. The only sound was water gushing through the sluice to my right.
I sat there as minutes passed, doing nothing, letting mind and spirit drift where they would. Another nourishment I too seldom allow myself, in favor of busy schedules and to~do lists that seem to grow more often than they shrink.
The colors didn't last long, one of the things that makes sunrise and sunset so precious. As the intensity of dawn racheted down, I found myself thinking of Debby's next suggestion. "Commit, too, to doing less of the things that are not nourishing."
Certainly there are things on the agendas I set for myself that are neither necessary or soul~sustaining, things that can be let go of. There are attitudes I adopt unthinkingly that make the way I engage with the world less wholesome than it could be.
There are places where balance has been lost, mindless pursuits that don't give me sufficient bang for the buck extended, relationships which could be restored to greater harmony with a bit of the focused attention they deserve.
I could also take inventory of the negativity I have fallen prey to, the ways in which I am not living my best self, but instead feeding fear or anger, rather than the love and forgiveness I intend and know is sorely needed these days.
These ideas about nourishment have continued to percolate since that morning and have grown to greater awareness through the writing of these words. My wish is that these questions percolate for you as well...
What nourishes you?
Will you commit to providing heart and soul the nourishment they need, and to absorbing that nourishment as fully as possible?
And will you do your best to let go of those things that do not feed your soul?
What better time to ask these questions and to live our way into their answers. The Winter Solstice has just recently come and gone, and though the days will begin to lengthen, we are still in the dark time of the year. An ideal time for rest and reflection.
Rest and reflect well, my friend. Settle into all that came to you over the past year, even as the new one beckons you forward. Don't, though, move too fast into what shall be. You deserve this pause point, and time to reflect on what is nourishing to body, heart, mind and soul.
Much love, as always,
Leia
