Jagged Frontier
Light in Darkness, Connective Tissues, Morbidity and Mortality
Dear Ones,
Hi Ecoliterates. Post-moderns. Speed of change feels so disruptive. Decentralization is upon us. What else is growing on?
December rose blooms are like forehead kisses. Pomegranate and wasabi arugula are on every menu.
Winter solstice is about the balance of light and dark. Tonight is the longest and darkest night of the year. Shabeh Yalda.
It is not light vs. darkness. If there is no mud, there is no lotus flower.
The light vs. dark narrative is manufactured misery. A tired old argument. Meant to keep us separated. Because divided we fall.
It is not light versus darkness. It is light in darkness. With darkness. After darkness.
Growth threatens those who benefit from the lack of light.
There is light within all of us.
As we age, we discover the alchemy of light and dark.
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
I stay out of mainstreams. Prefer collaterals arteries. I study the spaces between. Interstitia. Connective tissue.
Being authentic used to be confrontational. It still is unsettling.
My birthface conjures loyalty and hostility. It is my inheritance. From my mother and my motherland. Aqualine noses are threatening, apparently. Sameness is preferred in the East and the West.
MONKEYMIND
Silence is transformative. Gives way to spaciousness. When protected, it shushes mental chatter. Sharpens perception. Mental chatter is not just random noise. It is our brain’s:
cognitive labeling
conceptual framing
running commentary
internal narration
self-referential thought
inner predictive filters
BEGINNER’S MIND
Beginner’s mind is a sequelae of living in present moments. Living with present moments. A way to witness what is happening now without control or fear.
The idea of a beginner's mindset, also known as “shoshin,” comes from Zen Buddhism. It is a life approach to see each day as if for the first time.
When wholly present, perception becomes sharper, less filtered, and more vivid.
Life is experienced in high definition. Attention becomes unified and more organized. More neural bandwidth is available.
RITUALS
Let’s be imaginable. What if we protect brain and body health the way most people protect their pocketbooks?
Most people are in autopilot survival mode.
What makes you do what you do each moment?
Daily rituals are repeated acts of boundary setting. They can be seen as a form of neurobiofeedback practice. Attentional self-training program.
MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY (M&M)
M&M means morbity and mortality. It refers to a multidisciplinary review process to learn from hospital cases.
We study the string of events. Ask many questions. What was the story? What went wrong? What went right? What can we learn? Can we adapt? How can we adapt? How can we prevent?
Can we perform an M&M for modern humanity?
***NESSA TIP***
Thich Naht Hanh teaches us to care for our anger like it is a baby. Nurture it. He says anger is a like a pot of potatoes. It needs to be boiled to be softened. This visual helps me. Food references also work.
Keep the book in the home in plain sight. When anger arises and/or even at random, refer to any page. Read for 5 minutes. It cools flames every time.
GRANDMOTHERS
I recently saw Orcas in the channel. I went uninvited into their home like I do often. This time, they decided to greet me.
Strong killer whale populations are an indicator of a healthy ecosystem. Planetary health.
Orcas and humans have large brains and well-developed cognitive abilities.
What do Orcas use their big brains for? They are an acoustic species with complex echolocation skills. They have dialects that are used to identify each particular pod and even matrilines, similar to regional accents.
Orcas, pilot whales, belugas, narwhals, and humans experience menopause. How curious.
Why did we evolve to females outlive our fertility? The grandmother theory posits that females live long after they stop reproducing to provide extra care for their grandchildren. To pass on navigation, hunting, and socialization skills.
Find the elders. Be the elders. Locals, please come harvest.
May All Beings Find Peace.
Nessa (born at 333 ppm)
I like your photos and your Winter Solstice table, and your Health videos with your colleague. Happy Holidays!