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[post_content] => Briana and I have spent the last year developing the curriculum for our coach training program, and I was recently fine-tuning the section on applying the wisdom of the Five Elements when it occurred to me to share the “three treasures” mentioned in the Daoist classic, Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching). I’ve written about these treasures in the past, but after speaking about them to our future coaches, decided they’re worth revisiting.
Like the rest of the words in this 2500-year-old book, the names of the three treasures have been translated in a variety of ways, but I think the most accurate terms are: compassion, simplicity, and humility. These qualities can help us lead lives of greater joy and deeper peace.
Before we get into them, I’d like to share just a few words on what I feel is the overarching message of Daoist philosophy. Dao is most literally translated as “way,” as in “the way of things” – AKA, reality. Daoism is primarily concerned with (1) perceiving this reality with great clarity and (2) abiding by it. That is, living in harmony with reality rather than trying to avoid it, fight it, or manipulate it.
The first treasure is Ci (“tsuh”) which means compassion, gentleness, benevolence, or love. Life is sweeter and easier when we practice compassion for ourselves, other humans, and the world. Grievances, which often comprise a large portion of our thoughts and speech, dissolve in the presence of compassion. Compassion implies an openness to our shared experience with another; in practicing compassion, our world becomes less fragmented. The pieces, formerly viewed as separate and unconnected – or even adversaries – are seen instead as a unified whole.
When we’re dominated by the scared, animalistic mind, we frequently seek to attack and assign blame – ourselves, others, and the world. Consequently, it’s only natural to expect retaliation. Somewhere in a mind that attacks lives a vigilance for the counterattack. But when we embody this treasure of compassion and gentleness, there is neither attacking nor fear of counterattack. When we recognize that change needs to occur, there is no blame, just compassion and purposeful action.
The second treasure is Jian (“jee-ehn”) which means simplicity or frugality. It’s the antithesis of the trend in the West (and increasingly in the East also), where there’s ever more stuff, more complexity, and more information. We tend to believe we need to acquire more – of whatever we think we’re lacking – in order to be safe, in control, and happy. In actuality, however, it’s usually a subtractive process to clear away the veils that cause us to forget that happiness and freedom are our native state.
Chapter forty-eight of the Dao De Jing (DDJ) starts, “In the pursuit of knowledge, every day something is acquired. In the pursuit of the Dao, every day something is dropped.” Frugality isn’t just a matter of being economical with money. It means not seeking to acquire what we already have. It means curtailing useless expenditures of energy. It means not doing more than what is needed to make our lives work. It means utilizing the currents of life to get where we want to go. Dao, like water, takes the simplest path – the path of least resistance; and like water, says the DDJ, “It is content with the low places.”
The third treasure is called Bu Gan Wei Tian Xia Xian ("boo gahn way tee-ehn she-ah she-ehn"), which literally means “not daring to put oneself ahead of the world.” A common interpretation is that this is simply a pragmatic survival tool: if we don’t stand out in a crowd or take the lead, we will stay out of harm’s way and therefore avoid premature death. But this is inconsistent with the other parts of the Dao De Jing which advise on how to be a superior ruler. If everyone held back out of fear of death, there would be no leaders.
Instead, I believe that “not putting oneself ahead of the world” is an admonition to stay humble and innocent, and internally, not allowing one’s thoughts and judgments to become more important than reality itself. It is a reminder to see the Truth beyond our labels and beliefs. To always engage with the world in the present, with fresh eyes, rather than being a backseat driver. It’s a call to transcend our little personality and open to the whole that encompasses us.
A hundred years ago, the Russian philosopher G. I. Gurdjieff lamented that in the humans of his modern world he saw “more personality than essence.” He explained that through our imitation of others and their intentional influence over us, through our resistance against what we see, and through our attempts to conceal from others what is our own or real – we hide our essence. And I feel this is exactly what
bu gan wei tian xia xian is advising us to get back to. If Gurdjieff had worded it, perhaps it would have said, “not daring to put the personality ahead of the essence.”
This week, I encourage you to start with one of these treasures and try it on. What is your life like when you practice radical compassion? How do things flow differently when you choose the simple course? And who are you when you relinquish the know-it-all self and instead experience life with innocence, from your essence?
Additionally, we are now offering sessions with the committed individuals who have gone through our training to become certified Dragontree Well Life Coaches.
You can learn more or book a session here!
Book your session with a Dragontree Illuminator
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Last week I wrote about the basic principles of cleansing and why this is the ideal time of year for it. Generally, I favor cleanses that consist of reducing food intake and simplifying the diet to things that are natural, non-irritating, and easy-to-digest. This regimen is best accompanied by an equivalent reduction and simplification of physical and mental activity. Virtually anyone can do this form of cleanse without worry of suffering ill effects. Rather than undertaking a more intense cleanse, people can usually get the same benefit from a gentler cleanse over a longer period of time (even a few weeks or months). If you choose to do something more challenging, I recommend you consult with a healthcare practitioner.
Now, let’s look at the details of how to accomplish this housecleaning.
1. Consume Less (on all levels)
This is just basic mechanics. If you want to clean out a sausage machine, you can’t keep stuffing meat into it. Consuming less means less energy is tied up in assimilating what you take in, and more resources can be devoted to removing waste.
Studies have shown that fasting induces organ regeneration, but a total fast (just water) for more than about a day is difficult for most people. Luckily, some of the same benefits can be achieved through “intermittent fasting” – fasting briefly and repeatedly. A study a few years ago showed a correlation between a 13 hour fast each day (between dinner and breakfast) and a reduced rate of recurrence of breast cancer. Subsequent research indicates that a longer fast can provide additional anti-aging benefits.
When a patient is interested in trying intermittent fasting, I have them aim for at least 14 hours, and ideally 16 hours between dinner and breakfast. This means all your meals are consumed in an 8 (to 10) hour window. This window should correspond roughly with the daylight hours (for example, eating only from 9 AM to 5 PM). In this way, when the sun is shining (the main presence of the Fire Element in our lives) there’s a parallel activation of our digestive fire, and when it’s dark, these organs are allowed to rest. This is what both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine recommend.
Outside of this window, it’s ideal to have only water. During a cleanse, I believe it’s permissible to also consume plain, non-caloric, unsweetened herbal teas (avoid even non-caloric sweeteners).
Whether or not you choose to limit your window of eating, during a cleanse (and really, always) you should never eat to the point of feeling full. Fullness means the stomach is packed. Perhaps even stretched beyond its normal size. Rather than aiming for a feeling of fullness, the goal should be to simply not be hungry. So, stop eating at the point of feeling no more than 80% full. It may require some mental retraining, but you’ll find if you pause and listen to your body, this is enough. If you’re slow and mindful during the eating process (that is, giving it all of your attention), you may find that you need much less food than you think.
As I explained in the previous article, this reduction of consumption should go along with a fasting of the mind. Avoid media of all kinds – especially anything that involves conflict or pain. It’s just more to digest.
2. Choose Simple & Easy-to-Digest Sustenance
While many people believe a cleanse should involve zero food, and perhaps even substances to cause the body to purge waste, I see a safe and universal cleanse a little differently. Since I can’t assess the suitability of a strong cleanse for a person I haven’t met, I lean again toward gentleness. Rather than starving the body or taking the herbal equivalent of Liquid Plumbr, think of the process as one of satisfying the body’s minimum nutritional needs while replacing waste with nutrients.
In Ayurveda, the main fasting food is kitchari, a porridge made with rice, mung beans, spices, and occasionally vegetables. You can find lots of kitchari recipes online. For the easiest cleanse, you can have a day or several days of kitchari with well-cooked vegetables in it. For a more challenging cleanse, you can work your way from kitchari with vegetables to plain kitchari (just rice, mung beans, and spices). To take it a step further, you can then go to a day of just rice. To go further still, you can follow this with a day of just rice water (the solid rice strained out). To go further still, you can follow this with a day of just water, and then follow the cleanse in reverse – rice water, then rice, then plain kitchari, then kitchari with vegetables.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, a simple cleanse is achieved through a qing dan diet. Qing means clear, pure, or light, and dan means bland. This means generally avoiding rich (fatty) and foods that have a strong flavor (i.e., very salty, very sour, very bitter, very sweet, or very spicy). It sounds boring, but it’s easy for the body to handle and tends to calm the internal environment. All sweet processed foods would quality as very sweet, all salty snack foods would qualify as very salty, almost anything fermented or that contains vinegar would qualify as very sour . . . you get the idea. Primarily it’s a diet of whole grains, cooked vegetables, beans, and a little fruit. A staple is porridge known as congee (“con – jee”), usually with a base of rice cooked with several times more water than usual, sometimes with bland root vegetables such as yams.
Many American naturopathic physicians recommend Bieler Broth (or Bieler’s Broth) – a bland green soup presented by Dr. Henry Bieler in his 1965 book, Food is Your Best Medicine. The basic idea is to steam or simmer several kinds of chopped green vegetables (ideally organically grown) in a couple cups of water until tender, then puree the whole thing, including the water, and consume warm. It’s best to use little or no salt.
Most recipes utilize some combination of zucchini, string beans, celery, parsley, chard, and spinach. Some cook and puree the whole thing, while others add some of the leafier ingredients (such as spinach and parsley) just for the last two minutes, or even don’t cook them at all. Also, there are differing philosophies on how long to cook the broth. I recommend that if you have very sensitive or weak digestion, you may benefit from cooking the vegetables for quite a while (perhaps 45 minutes on low heat). You can find many variations if you search for “bieler broth” online. Bieler Broth could be your sole sustenance for a cleanse, or something you use as a supplement. It’s rich in minerals and is considered to be alkalizing.
Finally, many people like juice cleanses because the all-liquid diet tends to clean us out well, and juice is tasty. However, fruit and carrot juices are very high in sugar, which is arguably a significant downside (non-sugary vegetable juices would be better in this regard). Second, because they’re raw, they’re not always easy for everyone to digest. If large amounts of juice upset your digestion or make you feel bloated, this probably isn’t the ideal cleanse for you. Third, some people have sensitivities to fruits and veggies that are high in latex or salicylates. And fourth, some people have difficulty digesting certain kinds of sugars found in produce, referred to as FODMAPs, which I’ll discuss in the next section.
3. Avoid Irritants
Any of the above foods, as benign as they may sound to most people, may present problematic substances to a sensitive individual. The best way to figure out your sensitivities is to eat a simple diet and pay close attention to what your body tells you. But sometimes it’s tricky, so here are a few common offenders to consider.
A. The Big Five: The most commonly problematic foods are gluten-containing grains (wheat, rye, and barley), milk products, corn products, soy products, and eggs. Oats technically don’t contain gluten, but they’re sometimes stored with glutinous grains, and some people are sensitive to a gluten-like protein in oats called avenin.
It’s important to remember that although many people have sensitivities to these five groups of foods, there’s nothing inherently bad about them. However, most people would do well to avoid these foods during a cleanse.
B. Common Irritants: Many people have allergies or sensitivities to shellfish, nuts, sulfites, alcoholic beverages, artificial colors, and preservatives. In addition, deep fried foods, charred foods, hydrogenated oils, processed meats, and all sweeteners should be avoided or consumed in moderation by everyone, and are worth cutting out for a cleanse.
C. Nightshades: Vegetables in the nightshade family – tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, huckleberries, goji berries, and all peppers – can make some people feel bad, especially folks with joint pain. Symptoms may include achy muscles and joints, skin rashes, itching, phlegm, and nausea. It’s probably a good idea to avoid nightshades during a cleanse.
D. FODMAPs: FODMAP stands for “Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides and Polyols” – a group of short-chain carbohydrates that are difficult for the body to digest. For most people, they pass through the body without being absorbed and without symptoms. But in some folks, their gut bacteria ferment FODMAPs and produce hydrogen gas, causing gas pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation.
Anyone with Irritable Bowel Syndrome or longstanding digestive upset should try avoiding foods that are high in FODMAPs during a cleanse. They may be worth avoiding long-term, if you feel better without them; however, some scientists have suggested that FODMAPs play an important role in maintaining healthy gut flora and shouldn’t be permanently removed from the diet. The list of high-FODMAP foods is long, so if you suspect you have a FODMAP problem, I encourage you to read about this diet on the web.
E. High Latex Foods: These are only a problem for people with a latex allergy (usually you would know this from irritation from latex gloves, condoms, or blowing up a balloon) and they tend to cause itching, hives, nasal congestion, or difficulty breathing. Some foods containing the most natural latex are: apple, avocado, banana, carrot, celery, chestnut, kiwi, melons, papaya, raw potato, and tomato.
F. High Salicylate Foods: These foods contain chemicals that are essentially a naturally occurring form of aspirin. Only people with a salicylate sensitivity are bothered by them (more often the case in people with asthma), and they should certainly avoid them during a cleanse. Symptoms of salicylate sensitivity include: nasal and sinus congestion, asthma, gas, digestive upset, diarrhea, and hives. The list of high salicylate foods is long, so it’s best to look it up if you’re concerned.
Okay, I know that’s a lot to process, so it’s worth saying again that most people don’t have sensitivities to all these things, and significant sensitivities to many foods is pretty rare. For most people, rice, millet, wild salmon, sweet potato and cooked squashes make a good, gentle diet for a cleanse. If you need more variety, you could add most well-cooked vegetables to that list (however, it may be worth avoiding nightshades for the reasons listed above and perhaps avoiding cruciferous vegetables if you find them difficult to digest).
I’d love to hear about your cleanse experience – both past and present.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
[post_title] => How to Cleanse, Part Two: The Details
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A few decades ago, we knew very little about the chemistry of cannabis, and now companies like Supreme.ca are funding various cannabis brands which are helping make a difference is society. Most of what I encountered in college was low quality, compressed, greenish-grey material with lots of stems and seeds – commonly known as “Mexican brick weed.” It was likely to make you feel passive, immobile, and hungry – a much more benign combination than the various effects you might experience from too much beer or Mad Dog 20/20.
Of the many compounds in the plant, we only heard much about two back then – THC and CBD. At the time, our elementary knowledge could be summed up in a few words: THC is the mood-altering component (what gets you “high”) and CBD is the part that makes you relaxed. We didn’t want to be relaxed, though, so we interpreted this to mean that “good marijuana is high in THC and low in CBD” and bad marijuana is the other way around.
In the years that followed, Mexican brick weed became increasingly scarce as the American cannabis industry bred more potent plants that contained an ever-higher percentage of THC. But for many of us who had dabbled in it in our early 20’s, an intensely altered state was no longer something we desired.
As legal restrictions loosened up, specialists in botanical medicine were eventually able to gain a better understanding of cannabis chemistry (we still have a ways to go) and breeders began to develop strains that produced a more specific effect – calming, stimulating, and so on.
Furthermore, although the market for Mexican brick weed seemed to be long gone, it turned out that there was a high demand, especially among older consumers, for a product with its effects – essentially a breed with a high level of CBD and a very low quantity of THC preferably in the form of gel capsules as it is the best way of consuming. Something a connoisseur would have once called low quality cannabis is now sought after. And an increasing number of my patients tell me they use the best cbd oil – or simply CBD alone – in the market, not to “get high” but to de-stress, decrease pain, sleep better, manage neurological disorders, and more.
A patient with very stubborn idiopathic nerve pain (meaning, the cause was unknown) came in one day reporting that the pain had been remarkably better since our last visit. “I hate to break it to you, Doc,” he said with a smirk on his face, “but it wasn’t the acupuncture.” He went on to tell me that he had been using a topical CBD lotion, and that it was more effective than anything else he had tried.
Another patient, who had for years experienced an anxious tightness in her chest in social situations, told me that a small amount of oral CBD resolved it without causing any other perceptible effect. She said, “I don’t feel different in any other way. I do my work, I can think clearly. I just don’t have that anxious feeling.”
And several patients who were tired of using pharmaceuticals to treat their insomnia have told me of their success with a variety of CBD products. They generally find them just as effective as sleeping pills, but with the advantage of being natural. Also, unlike the prescription drugs, they don’t worry that the CBD could put them into such a deep slumber that they might not hear a smoke detector or other emergency.
Now, if there’s one thing that rubs me the wrong way, it’s a “cure-all” – and that’s because there aren’t any! There’s no substance out there that’s good for everything or everyone, and I’d be remiss as a healthcare practitioner if I implied otherwise. CBD isn’t going to fix your life, and some people don’t experience any noticeable benefit from it. But I can say that, for many, it’s a useful natural helper with an excellent safety profile. And I’m eager to see what more we learn about this and other remarkable plants.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
P.S. Just as we were publishing this article, I discovered a new study in the journal Nature on the use of CBD in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer has a dismal 5-year survival rate of just 5%. But in this study, mice with pancreatic cancer who were given CBD plus chemotherapy survived THREE TIMES longer than those who were treated with only chemotherapy. While we don't yet know how this will translate to treatments for humans, it's one more way in which this astounding plant is a promising tool for healing.
Click Here to Learn More About Dragontree CBD Infused Body Care Products And Get Free Shipping On Your Next Order
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[post_content] => Briana and I have spent the last year developing the curriculum for our coach training program, and I was recently fine-tuning the section on applying the wisdom of the Five Elements when it occurred to me to share the “three treasures” mentioned in the Daoist classic, Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching). I’ve written about these treasures in the past, but after speaking about them to our future coaches, decided they’re worth revisiting.
Like the rest of the words in this 2500-year-old book, the names of the three treasures have been translated in a variety of ways, but I think the most accurate terms are: compassion, simplicity, and humility. These qualities can help us lead lives of greater joy and deeper peace.
Before we get into them, I’d like to share just a few words on what I feel is the overarching message of Daoist philosophy. Dao is most literally translated as “way,” as in “the way of things” – AKA, reality. Daoism is primarily concerned with (1) perceiving this reality with great clarity and (2) abiding by it. That is, living in harmony with reality rather than trying to avoid it, fight it, or manipulate it.
The first treasure is Ci (“tsuh”) which means compassion, gentleness, benevolence, or love. Life is sweeter and easier when we practice compassion for ourselves, other humans, and the world. Grievances, which often comprise a large portion of our thoughts and speech, dissolve in the presence of compassion. Compassion implies an openness to our shared experience with another; in practicing compassion, our world becomes less fragmented. The pieces, formerly viewed as separate and unconnected – or even adversaries – are seen instead as a unified whole.
When we’re dominated by the scared, animalistic mind, we frequently seek to attack and assign blame – ourselves, others, and the world. Consequently, it’s only natural to expect retaliation. Somewhere in a mind that attacks lives a vigilance for the counterattack. But when we embody this treasure of compassion and gentleness, there is neither attacking nor fear of counterattack. When we recognize that change needs to occur, there is no blame, just compassion and purposeful action.
The second treasure is Jian (“jee-ehn”) which means simplicity or frugality. It’s the antithesis of the trend in the West (and increasingly in the East also), where there’s ever more stuff, more complexity, and more information. We tend to believe we need to acquire more – of whatever we think we’re lacking – in order to be safe, in control, and happy. In actuality, however, it’s usually a subtractive process to clear away the veils that cause us to forget that happiness and freedom are our native state.
Chapter forty-eight of the Dao De Jing (DDJ) starts, “In the pursuit of knowledge, every day something is acquired. In the pursuit of the Dao, every day something is dropped.” Frugality isn’t just a matter of being economical with money. It means not seeking to acquire what we already have. It means curtailing useless expenditures of energy. It means not doing more than what is needed to make our lives work. It means utilizing the currents of life to get where we want to go. Dao, like water, takes the simplest path – the path of least resistance; and like water, says the DDJ, “It is content with the low places.”
The third treasure is called Bu Gan Wei Tian Xia Xian ("boo gahn way tee-ehn she-ah she-ehn"), which literally means “not daring to put oneself ahead of the world.” A common interpretation is that this is simply a pragmatic survival tool: if we don’t stand out in a crowd or take the lead, we will stay out of harm’s way and therefore avoid premature death. But this is inconsistent with the other parts of the Dao De Jing which advise on how to be a superior ruler. If everyone held back out of fear of death, there would be no leaders.
Instead, I believe that “not putting oneself ahead of the world” is an admonition to stay humble and innocent, and internally, not allowing one’s thoughts and judgments to become more important than reality itself. It is a reminder to see the Truth beyond our labels and beliefs. To always engage with the world in the present, with fresh eyes, rather than being a backseat driver. It’s a call to transcend our little personality and open to the whole that encompasses us.
A hundred years ago, the Russian philosopher G. I. Gurdjieff lamented that in the humans of his modern world he saw “more personality than essence.” He explained that through our imitation of others and their intentional influence over us, through our resistance against what we see, and through our attempts to conceal from others what is our own or real – we hide our essence. And I feel this is exactly what
bu gan wei tian xia xian is advising us to get back to. If Gurdjieff had worded it, perhaps it would have said, “not daring to put the personality ahead of the essence.”
This week, I encourage you to start with one of these treasures and try it on. What is your life like when you practice radical compassion? How do things flow differently when you choose the simple course? And who are you when you relinquish the know-it-all self and instead experience life with innocence, from your essence?
Additionally, we are now offering sessions with the committed individuals who have gone through our training to become certified Dragontree Well Life Coaches.
You can learn more or book a session here!
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