Finding My Tao of Pandemic Strength
My Taoist teacher Casey Kochmer always encourages me to focus on my inner strength. The importance of his message was never so timely as during the emergence of the Covid-19.
In March of 2020, I scheduled a call with Casey to talk through my growing concerns about the pandemic. Sharing my hopes of not repeating the disaster of a year I had experienced in 2019, he offered me some wisdom that has allowed me to thrive over the past 14 or so months. He said:
“Michael, because you had your pandemic last year, you are built for what’s ahead. Just focus on getting stronger.”
Amid a world that was shutting down, a tumultuous political climate, and an unprecedented wave of racial justice protests fueled by the death of George Floyd, I heeded Casey’s words by staying in the moment, focusing on following the bread crumbs right in front of me.
Like a samurai, I entered into the mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and financial battle of each day without concern about life or death. What I discovered is that in strengthening myself to endure a series of small “inner deaths,” I had given myself a golden opportunity to thrive
This is the essence of Taoism, a way to experience one's life in an effortless way. By embracing the strengthening energy of Tao, I have been able to make a life-altering leap forward over the past 18-months that has given me great hope for the road ahead.
Here are a few of the profound lessons I have learned on this amazing journey of strengthening my energy, mindset, and immunity.
Steer Clear of Negativity: I have become convinced that the news media through the constant spewing of toxic information (and misinformation) has one agenda in mind — the control of our consciousness. So as the racial, political, and pandemic ugliness reached new heights during 2020 and beyond, I made the decision to cease reading and watching the news. Moreover, I ended a number of friendships with people whose subtle negativity was no longer in my best interest to listen to be around.
Embrace Wuji: When one is in Wuji, your mind is neutral and without thought. I’ve discovered that while rational thinking is important, obsessive thoughts can cloud one’s ability to feel into the moment and act effortlessly.
Keep The Energy Centers Open: My acupuncturist Cara Dinote was my go-to for keeping my energy channels moving during the pandemic lockdown. Whether through Tai Chi, QiGoing, Meditation Music, I cannot overemphasize the importance of deploying one or more of these practices.
Cold Showers: After reading the book the Wim Hof Method I instituted this into my daily regimen with life-altering results. Morning and evening, I take ice-cold showers to boost my immune system and energy levels throughout the day.
Strengthening The Immune System: When the COVID-19 pandemic first began to take shape, I immediately took steps to up my immune system game. Vitamin C, Immune Garlic, Quercetin, Minerals, and Vitamin D have all been a part of my regimen. The latter supplement was particularly important given the rampant deficiencies present among black people.
Substitute Coffee For Smoothies: As a Bulletproof Coffee fan (coffee with grass-fed butter and MCT Oil) I found myself drinking up to 2-3 cups a day during the height of the pandemic. The good news is I’ve now switched to an MCT-based protein powder smoothie mix with tons of fruits and vegetables as my energy source. The results have been spectacular.
Being Nomadic: I have always been a person who needs to switch up environments often. It’s a part of my essence. So even during the pandemic, I traveled widely in order to take in new scenes and avoid the lockdown doldrums. The late Anthony Bourdain put it best: “If you’re …..physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go.”
Compassion: Last year when it seemed like the vitriol and divide among people would never end, I decided to exponentially increase my acts of compassion towards others. Whether it was being obnoxiously kind to bigots, purchasing someone’s coffee, or taking any and all calls from folks who were sad and depressed, I found loving compassion to be a more appropriate way of approaching a world in pain.
Embrace Randomness: One of the reasons I have been able to thrive during the pandemic is because I love mystery and paradox. I’ve rediscovered how rhythmic and orderly my life has become by allowing things to organically unfold. In the spirit of Wu Wei, I try to live simply and do as little as possible.
Finding strength in the deep, mysterious wisdom of the Tao has been a real gift. It has given me the energy and grounding I’ve needed to navigate through these uncertain times with grace and wisdom. Whatever your journey is, I hope you, too, are finding an easy and effortless way to embrace it.
Diamond-Michael Scott is a Black + Libertarian + Taoist who embraces a life of location independence between the cities of Denver, Chicago, San Diego, and Las Vegas. He can be reached at:
TaoOfDiamondMichael@protonmail.com