Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) began with observing nature, and the founding principle of TCM is that humans are both affected by and should mimic its patterns. Therefore, achieving good health is centered in finding balance with our environment. TCM’s observation and assimilation with nature as it pertains to health began with Daoism.
Daoism is a religious and philosophical tradition that emerged in China as a set of principles during the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.E). Daoism is traced back to Lao Zi, who spent his youth trying to persuade others around him to follow a naturalistic philosophy as way to rule a country. In a metaphor, he explained that cooking a “small fish” is like ruling a country; if you have cooked enough fish, you understand the meaning and the method. The more you rule, or cook, however, the more you try to be elaborate about it unnecessarily. Thus, the principle of “doing nothing,” or a hands-off approach being the most efficient, was born.
Lao Zi’s teachings, recorded in the Dao De Jing, are rooted in one single term: Wu wei. Simply translated, it means “non-action.” Through non-action, Zi proposed that one could be in harmony with the constant change of nature. Water was his main image for exploring and explaining this notion because water was constantly seeking lower and lower places in its cyclic journey to the ocean. In other words, Wu wei does not mean to be immobile, but to move with the flow, and exhibit no resistance, as water is soft and unyielding. Chapter 25 of the Dao De Jing states, “Mankind follows the ways of the earth. The earth follows the ways of heaven. Heaven follows the ways of Dao. Dao follows the ways of nature.” The yearning for harmonization with nature has been the Dao’s organizing tenet and surrounds the development of Daoist philosophy and religion.
“Doing nothing” can be a misnomer. Wu wei is an action of non-action, or in other words, cultivating a state of being where our actions are effortlessly aligned with the natural world’s ebb and flow. The “going with the flow” aspect points to an ease, or awakeness, where, without trying, we can respond appropriately to whatever situation comes to us. This is void of resistance, pressure, or trying to control or change what cannot be controlled or changed. Instead, it is accepting many things as the way they are and embracing change. This could mean simply embracing the seasons, the weather, or natural sounds of the earth, and embracing the nature of others and situations. It could be as simple as ensuring you get sunlight in your eyes the first thing in the morning to set your Circadian clock and promote the production of melatonin and restful sleep.
Indeed, Wu wei is inextricably linked to observation of our surroundings. Back when we lived on the land on prairies and in deserts, paying attention to our surroundings was key for survival. We needed to know where things grew, herd patterns, and weather cycles in order to eat and take appropriate shelter. If we were not keen to this, we did not survive. Today, this concept is known as Bioregionalism. In Jenny O’Dell’s 2019 novel, How to Do Nothing, she states this philosophy is “first and foremost based on observation and recognition of what grows where, as well as an appreciation for the complex web of relationships among those actors.” A bioregion’s geography, climate, plant and animal life directly influence the way a community will act or interact with one another in such a way that is optimal for that community to thrive in its environment. Therefore, regions will be fundamentally coherent within themselves and different from surrounding regions, and your place will shape your identity. This concept might sound like that makes us fundamentally different from one another, but in reality, it only compounds the notion that we are a microcosm of our surroundings, and of planet Earth. “…just as attention may be the last resource we have to withhold, the physical world is our last common reference point” (Odell, 2019).
Wu wei may contradict one’s innate desire to control or change our surroundings to what might be more physically or emotionally comfortable. If there is prolonged silence, we might turn on music. If we take a look at the weather forecasted for the day, we might begrudge the fact that it is snowing. Of course, we can all have opinions and preferences, but more pain and suffering will come from resisting pain and suffering. Instead, the simple act of doing nothing in its presence, or just embracing the sensation, can yield power within ourselves as well as stoke harmony with the cycle we are in. We might even change our perspectives. If someone loathes the winter time, they will suffer through winter every year. Instead, they might embrace the time winter gives us to relax and restore our energy, and in turn might gain great pleasure and emotional benefit from this natural season and cycle of life. The act of releasing the desire to resist can open a higher consciousness.
Ignoring life’s cycles can also have other deleterious effects, and the fact of the matter is, Wu wei, or embracing our surroundings and the natural cycles, is also often in direct contradiction with modern life. We import out-of-season fruits and vegetables from foreign countries so we can eat bananas in January, when our bodies might be unfamiliar with the fruit and the chemical composition it does not need. We package and DoorDash our food that further separates us from the cycles of nature and the land. Our modern conveniences, while helpful with the fast pace of the world, have further separate us from the cycle. In other words, we insulate ourselves as much as we can to changes, and instead we live a life that is often on an even keel or uniform. We eat what we want to regardless of its regional availability, and this further separates us from observing what actually is around us and our natural world.
Wu wei is grounded in the idea of observing things such as the seasons, our rest and wake cycles, Yin Yang, and also adhering to those rhythms. This observation and compliance are what will make us stronger, more connected to our environment, and will prevent disturbances in harmony and body. It will only perpetuate the notion of Wu wei, as we are not resisting and instead acting upon the environment.
Take this example. If you are awake between the hours of 10pm and 4am, you are in what is known as a Circadian Disturbance. Your body is awake when the sun is down, and this causes more damage than you think. Physiological circadian oscillation is our natural sleep-wake cycle that respects the cycle of the sun and moon. Yet, this is impaired in modern society because of shift work, social activity, jet lag and so forth. Circadian Disturbance promotes systemic metabolic dysfunction associated with obesity, diabetes, and emotional disturbances. Therefore, our ignorance of the natural cycle of earth puts us out of whack. Shift work is considered a carcinogen by the World Health Organization.
Rather than to live a life insulated from nuance, observation, and attention to detail, it is more beneficial to observe life and your surroundings from an ecological standpoint, wherein you understand your place and hand in the bigger picture.
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