Nourishing Life
Cultivating the Art of Change
Cultivating the Art of Change
Daoist practices for Health, Vitality and Spirit
Welcome to Nourishing Life
Nourishing life - Yang Sheng - is the art of skilful living rooted in Daoist philosophy and classical Chinese medicine. The Art of Nourishing Life is a process of deep inquiry into the nature of life, self and nourishment. Through embracing the ebb and flow of life’s inevitable rhythms, we cultivate adaptability, resilience and the capacity for spontaneity and change. This then forms the ground from which the higher aspects of our nature may emerge, well rooted and uncontrived. A well nourished life expresses itself as true comfort and ease in one’s own skin and in the company of others; being at rest and at home in self, body and world.
“The mark of a well nourished self is the ability and willingness to nourish others”
What we offer
We run a Tui Na clinic and offer group and one to one training in Daoist Qigong and Nei Gong in the heart of West Cork. We handcraft functional food blends from medicinal mushrooms and Chinese tonic herbs and are also in the process of developing The Art of Nourishing Life - a comprehensive study programme covering all aspects of yang sheng.
“Let the beauty that we love be what we do”
Rumi
Our work is informed by our on-going exploration and practice of the arts of Nei Gong, Internal Alchemy and classical Chinese medicine. It stems from our shared dedication to the Daoist path and a heartfelt desire to share these beautiful teachings in the spirit of nourishing others as an expression of our own journey. Our experience in clinic and Nei Gong training has shown us that a lack of appropriate understanding of healthy living from an energetic perspective can hinder healing, limit vitality and impede energetic and spiritual growth. All too often people fail to strike a healthy life balance and nourish themselves and others efficiently. As a result it becomes a struggle for them to achieve their aspirations and a burden to meet life’s challenges. The Art of Nourishing Life offers a thorough grounding in the theory and practice of Yang Sheng that places healthy living and self nourishment firmly in the context of deep self exploration, spiritual cultivation and service to others. We are fully committed to living these teachings in our own lives and to embodying the values of integrity, compassion, reciprocity, and community.
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The Five Foundations of Nourishing Life
Nourishing the Body
Nourishing life begins with nourishing the body. The Daoist path is rooted in cultivation of the body. The body is the vehicle through which we travel the path. It is through the body that we experience the world and in the body that we cultivate the spirit. The body is our means of expressing our life through work, action and service to others. We use diet, lifestyle changes, massage and movement work to nurture and transform the body, opening the door to subtler levels of practice.
Nourishing the Energy
Energetic cultivation is the cornerstone of the Daoist arts. The quality of our experience and the efficiency of our body and mind depend on the strength and coherence of our energetic system. The degree of our energetic organisation shows itself clearly in the dynamics of our emotions. According to Chinese medicine lack of emotional harmony lies at the root of most imbalances in our health and blockages to personal and spiritual development. We use seasonal adjustments, diet, stretching, breath work and simple qigong to clear and regulate the energy body and harmonise the emotions; paving the way to stilling and opening the heart.
Nourishing the Mind
Shaping the mind is a basic principle of Daoist training. In the same way that we condition the body for practice we must also condition the mind. Theory is the root of practice. A deep understanding of the cosmological and philosophical framework of Daoism and classical Chinese medicine is central to our approach to nourishing life work. Over time engagement with the theoretical foundations of the practices changes the way our thinking process works so it supports our body and energy, making us more receptive to spirit.
Nourishing the Spirit
Spirit is our origin and destination, the source and ground of our being. Life is rooted in spirit, and it is through spirit that we are connected to the axis of Heaven and Earth. The spirit is nourished by stillness. The process of nourishing life prepares the body and mind for cultivating that stillness. We nourish life to nourish spirit.
Nourishing Others
The art of nourishing life lies in developing a robustness and resilience that will enable you to meaningfully risk yourself in giving back to the world and nourishing others. The highest skill in nourishing life is to develop the capacity to nourish others as an effortless expression of your inner nature. This skill is the essence of a person’s ming or destiny. The specific shape of how this manifests in the world is unique to each individual. Nurturing virtue - de - is the primary purpose of nourishing life.
