Mooi is the Chair-cat of Bio Basics. (“Mooi”, pronounced “moyi”, means beautiful in Dutch, as we were back from The Netherlands at that time!)
She has been there since Bio Basics started. Now all of 9+ years, she continues to reign, guide and chide us all. And we have learnt invaluable lessons from her, lessons for us all humans, especially on the organic way of life!
Ten most valuable among them are:
1. On Food: Eat only in moderation, only when hungry, only when you are satisfied it is good for you. “Organic food is always good for you”, she wants me to add. Demand food LOUDLY when the plate is empty (ok, that one is not for us humans).
2. On Health: When sick, just rest it out. Sleep. Fast. Give it time. Nature will take its course. You can’t cure yourself anyway, so just stay out of the way, and let Nature cure. Be petrified of vets (or doctors, in our case).
3. On Work-Life Balance: Rest often. Take it easy. Your best work can be done in less than 4 hours of activity in a day. Let others take care of the other tiny bits.
4. On Grooming: Your body is a gift of Nature or of Cat-God. Take care of it. Keep it clean. (No, you don’t have to lick yourself as she does, but you get the point!). Watch every part of your body - from your face to your toes, your chest, your arms, your legs, your tail (ok, not that one) - pay attention to each. Even if one of them goes out of whack, the whole of you will suffer; there is no insignificant part of your body.
5. On Exercise: Sharpen your claws (in our case, your muscles, bones and brains) regularly, keep them fit for action. Do spurts of exercise (aka zoomies, or as we call it, aerobics). Yoga is a must (whatever else you do). Keep your body flexible. You should be able to raise your leg above your head while you sit. If you can’t, you have a lot of “cat”ching up to do.
6. On Entertainment: Understand that entertainment is the need of your mind, not of your body. DO NOT over-stimulate your mind. Keep it light, and once in a way. Not daily. So keep your phones away. OTT and social media are best kept slotted to a tiny part of your day. Travel is overrated. Vacation at home. Never leave the house, if you can help it. Even if you are alone.
7. On Me-time: Ensure you have time to roll in the mud, chase imaginary prey, or run from fictitious foes. Again, don’t control your mind too much. Let it run amok for a while. Keeps it healthy.
8. On Medical Treatment: Do it yourself. There is a term for it too. Zoopharmacognosy. Look it up. Avoid doctors, tests and scans. Eat grass when the tummy is upset. Bring out the bile, and cleanse yourself.
9. On Family: Love your family, but not too much. Keep everyone, especially your siblings (two dogs), in their places. Do not drool over anybody. Nobody is worth that much. On a quiet night, when you are alone with your favourite family member, purr. Give long blinks to others, tell them you love them, but from far.
10. On just Being: Be in the present moment. Solitude, Stillness and Silence are underrated. No need to pray or chant. Just Be. You are just Perfect the way you are.
11. BONUS lesson (for Free!) On Aging: Accept your body as it is. Age will change your figure. A primordial pouch (aka paunch, for us), black spots around the mouth, jowls around the face are signs of wisdom and experience. Don’t obsess over them. Just follow the above instructions, and you will age gracefully.
Hope this helps you too. Don’t worry if you don’t understand all of them. Mooi is deep. At times, we ourselves don’t understand her teachings. Most times, actually. But we continue to learn at her pink paws.
BTW she is not happy with the progress at Bio Basics, but she knows we are trying our best.
