"I wish I could just stop here and keep things as they are for a while. Too many things are changing too fast. I feel like screaming!"

Sound familiar? One of the major stress factors in our lives is change. We finally become comfortably adjusted to the last change and here comes another. Sometimes we don't even get to adjust to the last change before the next one is upon us. Frustration, impatience, powerlessness, anxiety, fear and rage can vie for dominance as we try to cope with change. They all add up to stress and illness. But change is not the villain. Our management techniques are faulty.

As an old Chinese adage reminds us, "you never step twice in the same river." Change is the way of life. Everything changes every minute. Over the next seven years, you'll have completely new skin - one cell at a time. Want to stop change? Try stopping the growth of a baby. What causes all our stress is our response to change. If, instead of attempting to push the river, we learn to ride the current, we could perhaps smooth out our lives. We can't stop change - but we can accept it and learn to manage our responses.

There are many tools to help us learn how to manage our response to change. Taiji, qigong and meditation are wonderful examples. Another is an ancient Chinese oracle, the I Ching or Book of Changes. The I Ching was developed by the Chinese thousands of years ago as an intuitive tool to assist emperors in making important decisions. It was so valuable to them that when all other books were burned, the I Ching was spared. Using the I Ching puts us in touch with the current of the universe and helps us learn to navigate smoothly through change. When used properly, it can be like The Milepost, guiding you through the potholes and major construction zones of your life. Thus, you find yourself accepting change rather than fighting it.

The I Ching is traditionally consulted by using yarrow stalks - or, in a more modern method, by casting coins - to achieve six lines, or Yao, which reflect either Yin or Yang. These six Yao are used to build one of 64 Hexagrams. The casting is a simple process that is surprisingly accurate. The I Ching may be consulted about anything, even health matters.

To try a very simplified yes/no version, dig a coin out of your pocket. Holding the coin in your hand, think of a question to which you'd like a yes or no answer. Focusing on the question, take several slow, deep, clearing breaths. Now shake the coin in your hand like a dice and drop it on the table in front of you. If it comes up heads, that's Yang and your answer is yes. If it comes up tails, that's Yin and your answer is no.

This simple version can be a helpful tool, but it's like using a calculator. Working with the I Ching is like working with a computer. The calculator and computer do the same thing, but the computer has more depth. Just so, the I Ching offers deeper insights into your life and health.