So central was labor in the lives of African-American slaves that it has often been taken for granted, with little attention given to the type of work that slaves did and the circumstances surrounding it. Cultivation and Culture brings together leading scholars of slavery- historians, anthropologists, and sociologists- to explore when, where, and how slaves labored in growing the New World's great staples and how this work shaped the institution of slavery and the lives of African-American slaves. The authors focus on the interrelationships between the demands of particular crops, the organization of labor, the nature of the labor force, and the character of agricultural technology. They show the full complexity of the institution of chattel bondage in the New World and suggest why and how slavery varied from place to place and time to time.
'Exquisite... for anyone interested in building a sustainable life that is imbued with vibrant healthy, mental and emotional clarity, and the most basic human need of all: happiness' - Donna Farhi, author of Yoga Mind, Body, Spirit 'A treasure chest for the heart and mind, a potent tonic for body and breath, and a vibrant life essence for the spirit' - Simon Low, Principal of the Yoga Academy 'A beautiful and timely gift' - Sifu Matthew Cohen, Sacred Energy Arts Founder 'Profound and powerful' - Noman Blair, author of Brightening Our Inner Skies For centuries, Chinese sages, rulers and spiritual seekers have embraced a simple yet powerful principle to enable them to live in harmony with the Source of nature and all life; the art of 'self-cultivation' or, xiu yang. Xiu yang works with the idea that we can steadily nurture our capacity to being fully human and fully awake. Like a field that is patiently cultivated to optimally grow the nourishing and healthy crops, we can undertake practices aimed at smoothing out the roughness and irregularities in our bodies, minds and spirits in order to produce a deep, lasting spiritual happiness. Xiu yang promotes the idea that inner balance leads to outer radiance: in order to be in harmony with the world, we must first be in harmony with ourselves. By tending to the field of our own bodies, hearts, minds and relationships, we can start making positive changes within our lives and in the lives of others. In this nurturing lifestyle guide, Mimi Kuo-Deemer champions the contemporary value of adopting this ancient approach. Through a combination of practices from meditation and mindfulness to yoga and qigong, Xiu Yang offers a fresh approach to finding balance and bringing peace into your life, home and community. Part I: The Art of Xiu Yang Part II: Xiu Yang for a Healthy and Harmonious Body Part III: Xiu Yang for a Balanced Mental and Emotional Life Part IV: Xiu Yang for a Happier Place in the World
A single seed is more than just the promise of a plant. In rural south India, seeds represent diverging paths toward a sustainable livelihood. Development programs and global agribusiness promote genetically modified seeds and organic certification as a path toward more sustainable cotton production, but these solutions mask a complex web of economic, social, political, and ecological issues that may have consequences as dire as death. In Cultivating Knowledge anthropologist Andrew Flachs shows how rural farmers come to plant genetically modified or certified organic cotton, sometimes during moments of agrarian crisis. Interweaving ethnographic detail, discussions of ecological knowledge, and deep history, Flachs uncovers the unintended consequences of new technologies, which offer great benefits to some—but at others’ expense. Flachs shows that farmers do not make simple cost-benefit analyses when evaluating new technologies and options. Their evaluation of development is a complex and shifting calculation of social meaning, performance, economics, and personal aspiration. Only by understanding this complicated nexus can we begin to understand sustainable agriculture. By comparing the experiences of farmers engaged with these mutually exclusive visions for the future of agriculture, Cultivating Knowledge investigates the human responses to global agrarian change. It illuminates the local impact of global changes: the slow, persistent dangers of pesticides, inequalities in rural life, the aspirations of people who grow fibers sent around the world, the place of ecological knowledge in modern agriculture, and even the complex threat of suicide. It all begins with a seed.
This book explores Daoist philosophies of qi and virtue through inquiry into their potential as technologies for cultivating good among individuals and society within educational settings, as well as in the modern world. The first part of the book, authored by Jing Lin, examines Daoist cosmology, axiology, and epistemology. She illuminates qi cultivation’s reliance on the accumulation of virtues, leading to transformation of the body and even—extraordinarily—the abilities of Daoist masters to transcend physical limitations to achieve health, longevity, and immortality. The second part of the book, authored by Tom Culham, establishes an understanding of qi and virtue as a technology within the Daoist paradigm, outlining the benefits of its cultivation while illuminating how contemporary Western philosophy and science support this paradigm. Both authors explore new forms of education to incorporate Daoist wisdom in schooling.
The authors offer ways to help readers discover their special purpose in life--through love, life circumstances, other people and faults--that essence which underlies all decisions and activities. Full-color illustrations.
Farming While Black is the first comprehensive "how to" guide for aspiring African-heritage growers to reclaim their dignity as agriculturists and for all farmers to understand the distinct, technical contributions of African-heritage people to sustainable agriculture. At Soul Fire Farm, author Leah Penniman co-created the Black and Latino Farmers Immersion (BLFI) program as a container for new farmers to share growing skills in a culturally relevant and supportive environment led by people of color. Farming While Black organizes and expands upon the curriculum of the BLFI to provide readers with a concise guide to all aspects of small-scale farming, from business planning to preserving the harvest. Throughout the chapters Penniman uplifts the wisdom of the African diasporic farmers and activists whose work informs the techniques described--from whole farm planning, soil fertility, seed selection, and agroecology, to using whole foods in culturally appropriate recipes, sharing stories of ancestors, and tools for healing from the trauma associated with slavery and economic exploitation on the land. Woven throughout the book is the story of Soul Fire Farm, a national leader in the food justice movement.--AMAZON.
Practices for maintaining optimum health and prolonging life, or yang sheng, have been a part of Chinese culture for thousands of years, and health cultivation is an important component of Chinese Medicine. Health cultivation is related to methods of disease prevention involving exercises and practices that aim to improve the individual constitution while maintaining harmony within the body. A broad range of practices involving both body and mind have been collected here. This book contains twenty chapters, beginning with an introduction to the historical development and basic concepts of yang sheng. Health cultivation methods provided in this book include dietary methods, sexual practices, spirit-cultivation exercises, medicinal herbs, geomancy (feng shui), tui na massage, qi gong exercise, and many other specific practices for promoting health in all stages of life.
Centenarian Ginseng, Millennial Ganoderma lucidum, all the medicinal materials in the world could be evolved in my hands.The rare things on the earth, mountains and rivers, all could be risen in my tripod.Traveling the world with one tripod and one blade, only I can be free and unfettered to seek the Way by medicine.