Donna Carey, LAc and Ellen F. Franklin, PhD
Oriental Medicine Journal, 2011
All of the photos used to illustrate the article were taken by Ellen Franklin.
Living and working on 35 acres in the mountains of Northern New Mexico, we are fortunate to see and experience the extraordinary benefits of being in the natural world. Growing our own food, walking among the ancient pines, listening to the calls of the birds that stop to drink at the pond, following the tracks of bear, coyotes and mountain lions along the trails. There is a sense of peace and stillness in these mountains that is deeply renewing. It is also humbling to witness the vast power and wildness, the raw potential and the infinite natural cycles. Our personal experiences are supported by the growing body of research that cites the tremendous benefit of being in the natural world to improve health and wellbeing. This is something that Taoist philosophers and East Asian Medicine practitioners have known for thousands of years. The natural world and its cycles play a critical role in the development of a balanced and sustainable way of life, a life that is built in harmony and a deep recognition that what is out there in the natural world and the greater cosmos is also within us.
We are living at a challenging time. Each day we bear witness to the rising statistics in heart disease, autoimmune disease, obesity, cancer and depression. At the same time, we are surrounded by daily examples of rapid environmental devastation. This article explores the direct correlation between the stress to our planet and the rise in human distress and stress-related illnesses. Does the disconnection from nature result in a sense of fragmentation that prevents us from being in attunement with our true “Nature,” our true “Self?” Ecotheologian Thomas Berry believes that when we activate modes of being—physical, biological and psychic—we are able to experience the sacred dimension of the Earth and the greater universe. Each mode of awareness—our individual self, biological self, Earth self, and universe self—help to shape our experience and relationship to Earth (Berry, 2009). These same ideas are contained within the tenets of Taoist philosophy where there is deep recognition of the relationship between heaven, Earth and humanity. When these are not in proper alignment, it may present in physical form as a disconnection among the brain, heart and kidney energy in the form of chronic stress. Specific approaches that are designed to reduce the chronic stress response and improve health are presented. These techniques can be applied using acupressure, acupuncture, or through the application of specific sound vibrations to acupuncture points. We place particular emphasis on simple point protocols including the Tree Treasures and Buddha’s Triangle.
“The natural world is the larger sacred community to which we belong. To be alienated from this community is to become destitute in all that makes us human. To damage this community is to diminish our own existence.” — Thomas Berry (1990)
Stress occurs when environmental demands exceed our ability to adapt and cope and results in both physiologically and psychologically measurable events. Small amounts of stress may have positive outcomes, such as arousing us to act when in danger, or helping us become more resilient. However, far too common life events, such as conflicts, unemployment, loss of a loved one, financial concerns, physical or emotional abuse, work or school related challenges and natural disasters, are serious stressors that can impact a person’s health and wellbeing. Numerous research studies indicate that stress makes us more vulnerable to illness, and also suppresses the immune function (Groer, et al., 2010). Chronic stressors, such as our current global environmental crises, can result in heightened negative emotional states, which lead to high-risk behavior. Ongoing negative emotions increase the risk of disease, including diabetes, depression, and heart disease, and may also impair social relationships (Kendall-Tackett, 2010). In the 1920’s, Cannon identified the stress response as part of a unified mind-body system that impacts the sympathetic nervous system. He also made the connections between high levels of stress and our increased susceptibility to disease. As our body responds to a stressor, it engages in what Cannon called the fight-or-flight response. When the body is threatened, frightened, or responds to an emergency situation, there is sympathetic activity and heightened adrenal activity. Cannon demonstrated that physical and emotional stimuli could reach critical levels of intensity, which had the potential to overwhelm the body’s homeostatic mechanism resulting in damage (Baum, 1987). The daily reports and potent visible examples of earthquakes, rising sea levels and extreme weather that is being experienced globally may well be keeping us in a heightened state of fight or flight.
Hans Selye, expanding on the work of Cannon, attempted to identify and systematize the effects of nonspecific agents on the body’s internal systems. He identified a physiological process called the general adaptation syndrome (GAS), which has three phases. The alarm phase includes detection and mobilization, resulting in the secretion of corticosteroids. The second phase is resistance, or a restocking of weapons, and the third phase is exhaustion, where all of the reserves are depleted (Baum, 1987, pp 2-3). As a result of Selye’s research, stress was integrated into the study of human physiology and psychology.
When we live in a state of constant stress, there are direct biological effects that increase the risk of disease. If the brain perceives danger, it engages the sympathetic nervous system, HPA axis and inflammatory response. The interaction within these systems is bi-directional so that chronic stress and our immune response are inter-connected, increasing the risk of inflammation, neurodegenerative and autoimmune disease (Groer, et al., 2010, p. 15). Evidence of the impact of chronic stress on our physiological and psychological health is growing. Stressed individuals have increased susceptibility to colds and flu, heart disease, weight gain and depression (Myers, 2010, p. 533). Stress also impacts renal, liver, kidney and pancreatic functions and contributes to hormonal fluctuations in women (Baum, et al., 1987).
There is a direct correlation between the devastation to our planet and increase in human distress that often leads to depression. E.O. Wilson is credited with identifying the biophilia hypothesis, which essentially states that we need and benefit from our relationship to the natural world (Wilson, 1984). Numerous studies have demonstrated the advantages of being in nature and that personal health and wellbeing profit as a direct result of this contact with the natural world. Exposure to natural environments also supports our ability to recover from stressful events and enhances our ability to recover from illness (Ulrich, et al., 1991). As the natural world on which we depend for our very survival is destroyed, stress leads to distress, and to depression. Heightened stress, over an extended period of time, has also been proven to lead to a rise in suicide. One study identified a significant rise in suicide and a 17% increase in depression and anxiety in New Orleans in the four months after Hurricane Katrina (Myers, 2010, p. 530). By 2020, the World Health Organization estimates that depression will be the single greatest cause of disability worldwide.
The relationship between the Earth body and the human body, as one uniquely connected entity, has often been cited by indigenous cultures around the globe. It is a basic tenet of East Asian Medicine and Taoist philosophy, which recognizes the deep ecological connection between our outer and inner landscapes. The human body mirrors the Earth body, and yet the predominant worldview is not one of cooperation or awareness of this connection but one of domination over nature. Our estrangement from the natural world and our own nature may well be at the root of our psychological and social distress. This deep sense of disconnection can manifest as loss of will or desire. It is as though we do not know our place here on Earth and in the greater universe, or comprehend our true journey, our soul’s calling or reason for being. What is our true nature?
East Asian Medicine has always been a true medicine of the mind, body and spirit. Rather than chasing individual symptoms, there is an understanding of the deep inter-connections among the physical, emotional and spiritual. Our responsibility as clinicians is to truly listen and to recognize these interwoven pieces. Contained within our clients’ stories, there is a global intelligence—the ecology of the human body—which relates to the ecology of the Earth body. Perhaps what we are being called to recognize is something that is as basic and deeply pervasive as alienation. When we are cut off from the natural world, or witness its destruction, do we lose a part of ourselves? Does this sense of loss result in an overall numbing, increased anxiety, fear and sorrow? Has our heart strayed? Mencius, a follower of Confucius, said:
Sad it is indeed when a person gives up the right road instead of following it and allows their [sic] heart-mind to stray without enough sense to go after it. When one’s chickens and dogs stray, one has sense enough to go after them, but not when one’s heart strays. — (Lau, 2004)
So our focus for our clients and ourselves amidst the global environmental challenges of these times should be directed toward the strayed heart-mind. Can we help to call it back to life, to understand that recovery of the self and recovery of our planet Earth are one and the same? By fostering return to center, we are embracing the Wu Qi and honoring our greater relationship within the cosmos.
For the past seventeen years, through our work with East Asian Medicine, sound therapy and gems (which represent the integration of sound and light), we have had excellent clinical results ameliorating the symptoms associated with stress. In an Acutonics session, we focus our intention on reconnecting to and aligning the individual with the Earth and the cosmos. A treatment session will generally begin and end with the Ohm tuning forks. Symbolically, and scientifically, they represent the frequency of the Earth traveling around the sun through the four seasons, in its 365-day yearly orbit. It is linked to our ability to create harmony within, and to reconnect to the diverse cultures and species, of all life forms, that populate the Earth, our home. The forks are applied to specific acupuncture points that help to calm and soothe the entire body, unifying mind, body and spirit with Earth energy. When we incorporate the use of Acutonics Gem Tips with the Ohm tuning forks we are amplifying the energetic by bringing in the unique quality of each gem.
Integrating the use of sound and light into an acupuncture treatment provides a powerful form of alchemy that enables the practitioner to fine tune the energetic that goes into the point. The end result is a deeper level of internal and external harmony, a true sense of coherence and a renewed sense of balance. There is a shift in perception of what is within and without; the body, mind and spirit are able to achieve far greater unity that results in an increased wellbeing.
The Tao is always to be practiced in the midst of daily life. Stop talking about lofty wonders and the empty void. Just carry out the human Tao, and there will be no shame in your heart. When you fulfill your nature, you’ll know heaven and earth are the same. — Energy, Vitality, Spirit, Thomas Cleary (1991)
Stress Signs and Symptoms:
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Fright, fear, hopelessness
Depression
Insomnia
Sleep with nightmares
Restlessness
Irritability
Forgetfulness
Night sweats
Dry mouth
Hearing loss
Memory loss
Increased cortisol levels
Endocrine imbalances
The Three Treasures
The concept of mind-body-spirit medicine is deeply embedded in the Taoist and shamanistic understanding of East Asian Medicine. It is found within the powerful triad that is represented by the Three Treasures. Three Treasures embody a triplex covenant among heaven, Earth and humanity. This covenant focuses on nature and the intimate relationship between humanity and the cosmos. The Three Treasures provide a framework to deepen our understanding of the dynamic equilibrium between the natural world and the personal world, which are intermingled. When there is a connection among Earth, nature and the heavens, our cosmic connection is activated, and we gain access to our heavenly endowed Nature. There is no mutual exclusivity. Rebuilding these powerful access points provides a rich foundation to reduce stress. They invite us to experience that for which the heart yearns, a return to center, the place of promise, home and hope. When we access and connect The Three Treasures, there is a renewed sense of promise, a rebirth and remembrance of how it feels to live in balance, health and harmony. This is true physiological and psychological coherence, resulting in greatly reduced stress.
Manifestations of the Three Treasures
Mind – Body – Spirit
Past – Present – Future
Heart – Kidney – Brain
Upper – Middle – Lower Elixir Fields
Jing – Qi – Shen
Energy – Vitality – Spirit
Heaven – Earth – Humanity
Outer – Inner – Center
Yin – Yang – Non-duality
Human – Terrestrial – Multidimensional
Stress and the Labyrinth of Life
As practitioners we cannot eradicate the conditions that cause stress, but we can help our clients come into proper relationship with the stressors in their lives. The stress response can be examined with new insights that create awareness of the consonance (harmony) and dissonance (discord) that unfold in our lives. Both are essential—but it is through the journey into relationship and relational elements that we evolve as learning humans in the labyrinth of life. The Three Treasures can serve as a gentle reminder of the powerful peak experiences to be found by embracing the natural world, including a sense of euphoria, harmony and a deeper union with the cosmos.
Finding the Heart Qi
There are numerous interpretations of and ways to discuss Qi, but for the purpose of this dialogue let us simplify the conversation. Our heart connects all of the other organs and their spirits through the natural force of our soul, our Qi. So when we talk about heart, we have to distinguish the meaning of shen—our original Shen, Yuan Shen, from personal shen, which resides in the heart. This aspect of shen affects mental activities, emotions, memory, alertness, consciousness and sleep. The heart governs blood and its flow to every cell. It represents our divine seed, our internal sun, around which everything circles. In its broader context, the shen refers to the complex of our emotional, mental and spiritual consciousness. It penetrates and influences all of the internal organs, glands, brain, memory, nervous system, senses, emotions, subtle bodies and our conscious and unconscious thoughts. Since the heart governs consciousness, each of the internal organs houses a part of our consciousness and our spirit. The heart rules and has responsibility for all of the various aspects of our mind, consciousness and spirit—it is the true mixer. It directs and processes our intention, willpower, thought, memory, and nervous and sensory input.
The Brain, Kidney, Heart Connections
The brain is the sea of blood and marrow (Jing essence). It is a curious organ—in a sense an extraterrestrial organ. It stores impressions and blueprints and connects with them through the physical and non-physical realms. These are united with the kidney through Yuan Qi and cosmic memory, which connects to the bloodline of history and time. It is through this connection with the heart that essence, the heavenly blueprint, is brought into expression.
Through the kidneys there is a remembrance of Earth (kidneys). It is the kidneys’ realm to remember both our cosmic identity and our earth identity and essence. The kidneys store Jing—both cosmic and terrestrial (yang and yin). This is essential, for it is where the divine and human will meet and find unique expression in the shen—the heart.
The heart holds the keys to memory. It is the seat of our emotions for not only our experiences in the Earth body, but deeply connects to the memory of our celestial blueprint. This blueprint is imparted from the heavens (interacting with the brain/mind) into the Earth (kidney) and is in constant communication with these intersecting fields. The heart combines the will of heaven with the will of Earth and expresses it uniquely. It receives Qi and information from both elixir fields.
The heart is the mixer—mixer of wounds, pains and joy. It uses the will of the kidneys informed from the brain, and integrates wisdom, dreams, symbols and archetypal impressions. Somehow it makes sense of them—makes sense of loss and birth, of sorrow and happiness—of particles and waves, of democrats and republicans, of male and female, of all the disparate parts.
But sometimes it is our fears (kidney) that place judgment and impede the soul’s progress. So the heart has a big job—but knows it is not alone. It is in the company of the battery (kidney), and champion of our strong will. When it is in connection with the higher will, it can help the heart express its divine mission, its true song. This is the song of balance and harmony, peace, non-duality and coherence. It is reconnection with our true nature, our true spirit.
Faint Evidence
from “Insinuations of Wabi Sabi”
When planets rise at night
there is always a piece
missing
from the side
top or bottom
sometimes
the very center
this is not evident
with visual
aids or
magnification
It is an overlooked
detail
meant for each
alone to see
— Donna Carey
Though there are many external influences that cause stress and numerous techniques to relieve stress, like exercise, meditation, breathing, and connecting with the natural world, these are sensory exercises. They do not acknowledge that the root of stress is often a deep disconnection from spirit, or from our true home, the Earth. We are the Earth and the Earth is a manifestation of humanity; destruction of the Earth and loss of the natural world and habitat create imbalance in our spirit.
The greatest recipe for the reduction of stress is to reconnect with the natural world, which can lead us to a deeper understanding of our own nature, and to keep the Three Treasures balanced and in constant contact with the larger matrix, so that we are able to remember the whole.
Birdsong Brook
Idly I watch cassia flowers fall
Still is the night, empty the hill in spring
Up comes the moon, startling the mountain birds
Once in a while in the Spring brook they sing
— Wang Wei (Seith, 1992)
Accessing The Three Treasures
Regardless of where we look when we work with The Three Treasures, we are dealing with the superhighways of the central nervous system, with our psycho-energetic core, and the co-mingling of deep holographic fields, that are braided and integral. It is the axis known as the Central Channel that runs between the microcosmic orbit to unify yin and yang and all polarities. This is the deep multidimensional channel that connects the sacred scriptures of the cosmic and the earthly with our interior awareness. We can distill this into three specific areas that unite the macro and microcosm to provide a deep sense of coherence. The Three Treasures are represented in three specific points of the body. Du 20 (GV 20, Bai hui), Gate of the Ancestors, provides access to our heavenly Qi; Ren 17 (CV 17, Shan zhong), Original Child, Center of Our Inner Storehouse of Light, mediates between heaven and Earth; and Ren 4 (CV 4, Guan yuan), Origins Pass or Gateway of Origin, connects with our core, deepening our connection to the Earth.
The contact points of the Three Treasures can be accessed with needles, with touch, or with directed sound and light through the combination of Acutonics Tuning forks and Gem Tips. The Gem Tips are attached to specially designed Ohm tuning forks. Alternatively, Ohm Unison or Mars/Venus tuning forks can be used to create balance and provide an opening into the larger hologram. Musically the Mars/Venus tuning forks create a musical 5th, which is a powerful gateway. They also represent a true balance point between yin and yang, which help to unify the disparate yet complementary aspects within us.
HEAVEN – Shen – Spirit
Heavenly Qi is considered the first great force. It is a universal force, a cosmic force. It is incomprehensibly vast, bountiful and beautiful. It includes the energies of the planets in our solar system and beyond. This first force is about sympathetic resonant physics. It represents the spirit of universal love and connection, which pours forth in generosity and abundance, to the soul, spirit and qi of all sentient beings. This universal force has a special ability to nourish the yang aspect of the spirit and soul.
Contact Point: Du 20 (GV 20, Bai hui), Gate of the Ancestors, Hundred Connections, Heaven, the upper elixir field, seat of the spirit, relates to Shen and spirit. It calls on the wisdom of the ancients to align us with the harmony of the heavens, providing access to the Music of the Spheres. It relates to the brain, the mind and the sea of marrow; and it imparts the heavenly given Jing to the kidneys. This point supports the reconfiguration of chaos into unity, inviting peace, calm and higher perceptions. It calls in the first great force, the force of universal love and connection. It connects to the brain, the endocrine glands, and cosmic energy though the force of our great Shen.
Treatment: Apply Ohm Unison or Mars/Venus Tuning Forks, or use amethyst Gem Tip with Optically Pure Quartz as amplifier.
In the Country
My neighbor runs to me with
The news, “Look out your window!”
For days that morning was
Invisible. This morning
It shines bright and new
As though it had been washed
Lu Yu (Rexroth, 1970)
HUMANITY – Qi – Energy
The second great force is the energy of our cosmic or higher Self, our individual cosmic Qi, our divine spark. These are the particles of sound and light that are present in our essence. They are a part of Nature, in our own nature and our personal Shen. This Qi is wound into us through a spiral motion, much like the spinning vortices of cosmic dust in the formation of stars and planets and other celestial bodies that are accreting in time. We are cosmic dust formed from the dust motes of the multi-universes. The ancient Taoists and other indigenous cultures perceived this, and modern science has proven it. These cosmic particles and waves nourish our mind, body and spirit, and our entire physical structure. Humanity is the highest vibrational genesis of the Cosmic force and can gather in this force through meditative and inner alchemical practices, as well as through dreams and creative expression.
Contact Point: Ren 17 (CV 17, Shan zhong), Original Child, Center of Our Inner Storehouse of Light. This point is also known as the middle elixir field, the seat of breath, representing the cosmic breath within us. This field incorporates yin and yang qi. It is the force that mediates between heaven and earth. This is the great mixer. It creates harmony that can be experienced through the illumination, love, and purity that emanates from the Sun and heavens, and from the modesty, rootedness, balance and nourishment that comes from the Earth. It is our heart. This is the chalice that mixes and animates the will of heaven and Earth to fulfill our desires and destiny. It connects the heart and all the other organs through the force of our soul as directed by the High Self.
Treatment: Apply the Ohm Unison tuning forks, or use the Rose Quartz or Jade Gem tip with the Optically Pure Quartz as an amplifier.
All those stars set out in order bright in the night’s deep
Dark on the cliff, the orphan lamp, moon not set yet. . .
Perfectly round, that bright mirror no one needs to polish,
hanging there in the clear air: it’s my heart
Han Shan (Seaton, 2009)
EARTH – Jing – Essence
The third great force is the Earth force, which includes all the manifest energies of this incredibly diverse and beautiful planet we walk upon, our home. The Earth force includes all the myriad things, plants and the animals, water and minerals, geological formations,oceans and mountains, rivers, streams, caves and forests, grasses and meadows. The gravitational fields and inherent magnetosphere and the earthly five elements are powerful aspects and manifestations of the Earth force. All of these energies nourish our physical bodies with qi, with potent life force, and supply each and every cell in our bodies with the energy and capacity to self-heal by coming into balance. Earth force has a special ability to nourish the yin aspect of the spirit and soul.
Contact Point: Ren 4 (CV 4, Guan yuan), Origins Pass or Gateway of Origin, EARTH, the lower elixir field, seat of essence, Jing. It is connected to the kidneys, and abdomen, the pelvis and legs—it is Earth-centered and gives us deep access into our rich garden of inner essence imprinted from the heavens. It can reach everywhere to nourish and to integrate. It is our root and core, which helps us preserve in our Earth bodies and register the will of heaven.
Treatment: Use Ohm Unison, Ohm Octave, Red Garnet or Citrine Gem Tip with Optically Pure Quartz as the amplifier.
Visit to the Hermit Ts’Ui
Moss covered paths between scarlet peonies,
Pale jade mountains fill your rustic windows.
I envy you, drunk with flowers,
Butterflies swirling in your dreams
Ch’ien Ch’i (Rexroth, 1970)
Amethyst
Is known for its high spiritual vibration. It is calming and stabilizing, healing and clearing, tranquilizing. It promotes love of the divine, grants insights into one’s true nature, and opens physic gifts, intuition and spiritual insights. It relieves physical, emotional and spiritual stress and brings peace from tensions.
Optically Pure Quartz
Connects the individual to the universal grid, brings harmony within, with others, and with one’s world. It expands mental clarity and promotes creativity, and it stimulates attunement to the highest spiritual levels and energy flow. It stimulates telepathy and expansion of energy on all levels. It generates a powerful prismatic effect and energetically activates and amplifies other gems, releases stress, disperses toxins, and relaxes the body, mind and spirit.
Rose Quartz
Promotes heart healing on all levels, reinforces self-love, facilitates healing through connection to self-worth and deserving. It fosters forgiveness and compassion within and without, quells fear, soothes grief, loneliness, heart-ache, fear. It opens the heart chakra and promotes peace, happiness and unconditional love.
Jade
Opens and heals the heart, soothes emotional distress, fosters the acceptance that we are human and hurt and suffer in life, facilitates development of mercy and compassion for all sentient beings, encourages selfless service. It increases love and harmony and balance and our nurturing capacity, as well as assisting in the spiritual journey and in the uncovering of the heart mysteries.
Red Garnet
Opens the Root chakra, warms, grounds energy into the root, facilitates movement of Earth energy into the body. It both stimulates and balances the development and movement of Kundalini energy throughout the spine. Its action is regenerative, purifying and protective, and is considered by many ancient cultures to be the stone of health.
Citrine
Carries the power of the sun and so is energizing and protective, creating abundance, attracting prosperity and spreading of wealth on all levels. It raises self-confidence and self-esteem, and it energizes both the sacral and solar plexus chakras, directing energy needed for personal power, creativity and healing. It helps uncover the “inner sun,” opens the light body, and awakens mind and intellect to higher purpose.
Buddha’s Triangle: Additional Points to Support the Three Treasures
These three points are collectively called Buddha’s Triangle.
PC 6 (Nei guan), Inner Pass, Connecting Net of the Inner Chambers
PC 6 (Nei guan) connects the outer situations of life with the reality of our inner essence. It opens the gate to the inner self, the High Self, so that we can call our hearts back from the disturbances in the outer world and connect with strength and balance to forge healthy relationships that support our life’s song.
Use Red Garnet Gem tip or Yellow Citrine when the heart (fire element) needs a spark or needs to be called back to life, and Optically Pure Quartz Gem tip in the field to amplify.
Use Rose Quartz or Jade Gem tip to heal wounds to the heart and reach out to new levels of relationships both on the personal and the cosmic level, and Optically Pure Quartz Gem tip in the field to amplify.
Use Amethyst Gem tip to calm hysteria and anxiety and to create calm in the emotional matrix, as well as to allow the heart to assimilate new levels of emotional and spiritual understanding and awakening, and Optically Pure Quartz Gem tip in the field to amplify.
HT 7 (Shen men), Spirit Gate
This is the source point of the heart and keeps the energy of our humanity connected to heaven (through the higher Self, and holding the shen of all the organs), and Earth, as it is the Earth point of the heart meridian.
Use Jade to balance all of the aspects of the heart on all levels and to assimilate and mix the energies of heaven and earth, and Optically Pure Quartz Gem tip in the field to amplify.
LU 9 (Tai yuan), Great Abyss, A Supremely Profound Pool
This is the source point and Earth point of the Lung meridian, keeping us connected to heaven and Earth and to the breath and depth of both outer and inner resources. It helps us assimilate new experiences that come out of the depths of personal experience to emerge from the grief, loneliness, and pain of our human existence. It provides connections to the wisdom of the ages that feed the perennial streams of spirit to renew us.
Use Red Garnet or Yellow Citrine Gem Tip to contact inner strength and inner solar power for reemergence out of the abyss into the new worlds that emerge when we let go and are nourished from the wellsprings within, and Optically Pure Quartz tip in the field to amplify.
Use Jade to balance all of the aspects of the heart on all levels and to assimilate and mix the energies of heaven and earth, and Optically Pure Quartz Gem tip in the field to amplify.
Conclusion
East Asian Medicine provides a deep opportunity to shift both conscious and unconscious thoughts so that we are able to embrace the Tao, moving towards a place of wholeness, unity and peace. The Three Treasures help us to transcend the desperate scenarios of our time to access the realm of pure spirit. This is the place of balance and wholeness, the Wu Qi. It is here that we are able to return to the center. When we bring our body, mind and spirit into right relationship, we have the power to access true inner peace. The matrix of The Three Treasures provides a powerful key to shift our paradigm and move into a state that transcends the overwhelming stress of these times.•
The Cricket
The cricket is so small a thing,
yet moves us with tender chirping—
so quiet out among the weeds,
now it’s crept under our bed to sing
Tu Fu (Hamill, 1988)
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