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and
    fragmented.
    In order to reacquaint yourself with your guan and start to culti-
    vate it, the next time you eat something, try to eat with guan. Eating with guan means focusing solely on eating. Don’t engage in any
    other activities while eating. Try to just observe, without any preconceptions, judgments, or biases, whatever occurs in your mind and
    body as you eat. In a sense, you are a witness to your own eating.
    As a detached observer, what insights do you discover about eating while you are eating?
    Don’t worry if you find yourself getting distracted. For most
    people, maintaining guan is a challenge at first. If you get distracted, simply acknowledge that this has occurred and return to eating. You may need to do this again and again. By nonjudgmental y acknowledging your distraction and returning to eating, you are beginning to train your attention and concentration. You are also beginning to develop guan. This will take time and practice. Let go of any frustrations that may arise about only being able to engage in the process for a brief period of time. This is normal.
    Initial y, spend just five minutes applying guan to eating. For the remainder of the meal, you can return to eating as you normal y do.
    If you want to go longer, that’s fine. If not, that’s also fine. You may find it challenging to practice for even one minute. Again, this is normal. Don’t dwell on any frustrations that may arise. This process is intended to help you learn about yourself and what you need to do to overcome your stress. Just trying this exercise will provide you with considerable insight about this.
    When you’re finished eating, reflect on whatever you noticed hap-
    pening in your mind and body as you ate with guan. Did you notice
    a difference in how you felt when you ate with guan as opposed to
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    Basics of Taoist Meditation
    how you felt when you didn’t? Record your experiences and thoughts in your journal.
    As previously noted, to develop guan to help you gain insight into and reduce your chronic stress, you must practice on a regular basis.
    The great thing about guan is that you can apply it to anything you do, wherever you are. Whether eating, taking a shower, going for a walk, washing the dishes, exercising, listening to music, watching it rain, or interacting with others, you can practice guan. During the course of your day, periodical y select an activity with which to practice guan for a few moments. Note what you discover about yourself.
    You might wish to occasional y write about this in your journal.
    Smiling and Meditation
    There is an additional component of Taoist meditation that’s generally overlooked: smiling. When you practice the various meditation techniques you’ll learn throughout the book, make sure you smile while performing them. For that matter, throughout your entire day, whenever you find the opportunity to do so, remind yourself to simply smile. Notice how your feelings change immediately— how your mind empties, your
    body relaxes, and your posture straightens. Observe that you are attentive and focused, your breathing is natural, and you are nonjudgmental and in the present. Be aware that, at least for the moment, your stress is gone. All from a simple smile!
    Interlude
    At this point, spend a few moments thinking about what you’ve learned up to this point in the chapter. Also reflect on what you experienced with the various activities and practices you engaged in. What did you discover? Remember, the Taoist path has two interrelated components: the mental and the physical. Both are required. The first half of this chapter focused on the mental; the remainder focuses on the physical component and your subjective awareness.
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    The Tao of Stress
    Qigong
    Qigong is a recent term for ancient Taoist practices for making the mind and body healthy. Essentially, the word “qigong” refers to working with qi. If you recall, “qi” refers to