It Means No Worries

How can a Yijing Reading
ease your worries?

Traffic in Hanoi
During our first day in Hanoi, my partner and I were scheduled to do a short city tour. We enjoyed our breakfast while waiting for our guide, who later became our new Vietnamese friend. A few minutes passed and she arrived at the lobby of the hostel where we checked in. She looked hurried and worried, apologizing for being 30 minutes late. She explained that Hanoi roads have become quite jammed these days.

I told her, “Oh, no worries, you’re not that late. And 30 minutes is not really too long.” I actually meant what I said. Later, I said a joke to ease her up. “You have to go to Manila. Late is actually almost 2 hours!” She laughed and relaxed, while surprised at how Manila is worse than Hanoi when it comes to traffic. We told her our traffic stories as we went on our way.

Traffic means Worries
I can say we are all on the same page when it comes to transportation, traffic, and time – 3Ts that have plagued our everyday concerns and robbed us of our sense of peace. A friend of mine once endured 5 hours of heavy traffic just to get home, from a taxi ride that was supposed to take her only for a maximum of 45 minutes. It was then the worse year of heavy traffic in the notorious EDSA. She had to quit her ideal job not too long just because of the traffic.

You might be thinking that an issue like heavy road traffic is too trivial to warrant a Yijing reading. But if you recall the fact that you were trapped on a bus or a car for many hours, losing most of your quality time, drained because of the exhausting long and slow travel hours, can you also recall the emotional and mental stresses that heavy traffic has incurred?

Easing the Worries
I have my own share of worry-inducing moments during heavy traffic. And over time I have reflected on how worrying about it is an unnecessary waste of mental and emotional energy. I also have moments of easing up those worries – doing meditation, reading, or just plain relaxation.

Early this year was a different story. While on the road to Cavite to meet some friends, we encountered a series of delays and slightly heavy traffic on an otherwise less busy provincial road. So I had to be conscious and remind the typical me who always hates being late and getting totally distressed.

Signs on the Road
So my immediate refuge to worry less is Yijing as usual. I didn’t have my casting coins with me, but my surroundings are a rich source of symbols to generate a hexagram. (I used an ancient technique which I will discuss in another post).

First, looking up, I saw a huge formation of cumulus clouds. It signified the image of Trigram Water. Then, I looked down at the road, and a pedestrian lane was ahead of us. It signified the image of Trigram Heaven. So, Water above and Heaven below, it resulted in Hexagram 5 Waiting:

Can you see the similarities? Clouds obviously are a form of water, only condensed. Pedestrian lane is almost a copy-paste of Trigram Heaven. But the amazing insight doesn’t end there. Hexagram 5 describes this ancient advice:

A noble one eats, drinks and relaxes with music.

This line directly spoke to my traffic worries. Yijing is very straightforward here, which happens a lot of times. Its entire message did not tell me to eat, drink or listen to music literally. Instead, it mainly tells me to relax, to just enjoy the ride. After all, my worry won’t instantly teleport me to my destination. I might as well be present and trust that we will arrive safe and sound. What a relief! later, things turned out well and on time when we arrived.

Yijing Means No Worries
Hakuna Matata is not just iconic as a soundtrack, but also for its beautiful Swahili lyrics and message:

It means no worries
For the rest of your days
It’s our problem-free philosophy
Hakuna Matata!

In light of this song and the meaning of its title, I’d like to think of Yijing as a “problem-free philosophy”, given its ability to reveal insights that relieve me from worries. A worry-free mind “for the rest of your days” is always a golden moment in this modern age of the worried. Traffic or not traffic, we can’t avoid being worried, there is something to help us ease our minds.

If you worry a lot, why not try Yijing for yourself?

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What are you worried about these days? Send me a message and let me give you a sweet, short and free Yijing reading to ease up your worry.