In my last post, I discussed the importance of Grounding and getting in touch, both physically and energetically, with the energy of the Earth.
And as I mentioned, in my online video course, “Introduction to Qigong and Breathwork“, I included an easy, fun Grounding meditation. Did you check it out yet? If not, please do so.
Here’s an additional “Fun Fact to Know and Tell”:
The Earth has a natural electromagnetic frequency of 7.83 Hertz. This is called the Schumann Resonance and is also referred to as the “Earth’s heartbeat”.
Did you know that the human brain, in a healthy state, also resonates at a frequency of 7.83 Hertz? Not a coincidence!
Our brains, indeed our entire electromagnetic and biophotonic selves, are in a natural state of resonance with the Earth. In fact, the Schumann Resonance is thought to affect our health and wellbeing, including our sleep, mood, and even consciousness.
This is why we often feel good when we are out in Nature, as it allows us to get connected to the Earth’s frequency and essentially become entrained with the Earth. This in turn has a positive effect on our moods and emotions and promotes a feeling of wellbeing and calmness.
WARNING: Interrupted Transmission
However, if you live in an urban environment, or a suburban area that is undergoing development, you are subject to human-generated EMF emissions – from radios, cell phone towers, and the electricity that hums around us in our homes and offices. These types of EMFs are NOT at 7.83 Hertz and are NOT in synch with our natural frequency. They can crowd out the Schumann Resonance, leaving you feeling depleted, moody, low energy, etc. etc.
Getting back into resonance with the Earth is easy. Make it a habit to sit our stand outside in your bare feet (or socks if it’s cold), preferably in the vicinity of trees. Breathe naturally and deeply and relax. Do your grounding meditation or just sit and enjoy. This is just about the easiest health practice I can possibly recommend, but it’s also one of the most powerful!
To show you just how easy it is, please see the photo below. This is Zuzu and Clinty sitting in their favorite spot, grounding and resonating with the Earth. They look pretty happy don’t they?
As we move from the heat of July and August into the not quite-so-hot warmth of September, I’d like to remind you of the “season” of Late Summer.
Late Summer is the last season within the Five Elements Cycle (or Wuxing) and is associated with the Spleen and Stomach organ system (which also includes the pancreas). This season corresponds to the late summer, early Fall, Indian Summer time when we are wrapping up the summer fun and beginning to harvest the last of the fruits, veggies, wheat, etc.
This season is also associated with the Earth Element. It’s important to get in touch with the Earth – and a wonderful way to do this is through Grounding.
Grounding is one of the most fundamental aspects of practicing Qigong, as well as working with patients within the Medical Qigong paradigm.
Grounding is the ability to fully connect with the Yin energy of the earth. Through a simple grounding meditation, we center and relax, connect, and allow ourselves to feel the warm, comforting embrace of Mother Earth’s energy. When you are grounded, you feel a sense of stability, of being safe, secure and protected, and of being whole.
An interesting aspect of grounding is that we are connected through our lower dan tien or energy center, which is in the middle of the lower abdomen. This is our physical center of gravity, our center. It is also related to our essential essence or “Jing”, the life force or vital energy that we are born with. When we ground, we automatically support and enhance our Jing. But we are also connecting with our spiritual side, albeit in a subtler way. When we ground, the energy moves from our lower dan tien, through our root or base (Huiyin point at the perineum), and then up through our heart center and all the way to the crown of our head – the Baihui point, which is analogous to the crown chakra in yoga.
Hence, the feeling of wholeness we enjoy when we are fully grounded is not just physical wholeness or stability, it is also mental and emotional wholeness and stability. In our paradigm, body (physical), heart/mind (emotional and mental), and spirit (higher consciousness) are inextricably connected. When we give ourselves the gift of grounding, we impact our entire being.
When mind, heart and body are coordinated, you are grounded. Some wonderful manifestations or signs of being grounded include:
-You feel safe.
-You feel present – your mind is focused on the here and now, not drifting to the past or worried about the future.
-You feel comfortable in your own body.
-Your biorhythms, such as heartbeat, breathing, and blood pressure are entrained, stable, and slower.
-Your personality manifests as someone who is stable, reliable, and down-to-earth.
Unfortunately, our modern lives have caused most of us to lose touch with Mother Earth, to lose this connection. We spend more time inside…we are on our screens much of the time…we don’t walk around barefoot like we did as kids.
Simple But Powerful
One of the first things I teach a new patient – and one of the first exercises I teach in my Qigong courses and classes – is a simple grounding meditation. This exercise is powerful. Restoring the connection to the earth can result in dramatic changes and experiences.
A key to grounding is simple awareness. Through your breathing and gentle intention, you relax, center, and get calm inside. This helps open the channel to the earth’s energy.
Another key is to have a direct connection to the ground. Whenever possible, go outside and stand (or sit) with your bare feet solidly on the ground. Or you can sit on the ground with the bottoms of your feet and the palms of your hands touching the ground. If it’s cold outside, wear socks or moccasins that don’t have a rubber or synthetic bottom.
A third key is to center your intention gently into your lower abdomen. Breathe in and out of this area. Allow your breath to become longer and fuller. But don’t strain or push. Just gently breathe in and out through your nose (which helps you relax) and be open to the connection with Mother Earth.
I teach an effective (and fun) grounding meditation and have included it in one of my courses, Breathing and Qigong for Health and Energy (click here for more information). This course provides the foundation for a wonderful, effective, and fun Qigong and Breathing practice. It’s taught in a short four weeks and will introduce you to a proven health and energy cultivation method impacting body, mind, and spirit, which hopefully becomes an ongoing, consistent practice you will enjoy and benefit from.
Give yourself the gift of breathing. And add the power of “plugging in” to Mother Earth through grounding.
Most fitness and health professionals will say the best time is the time of day that YOU will follow through and exercise. You should choose a time that works for you based on your schedule and energy levels.
Good advice! However, I’d like to make a case for exercising first thing in the morning.
I wasn’t always an early morning exerciser. However, as I got deeper into my Qigong practice, I began to follow the traditional advice to practice Qigong first thing in the morning, preferably as the sun is rising. The air is fresher and cooler, the Yang energy is rising, and you can relax and focus without interruption – which isn’t always the case later in the day.
I then tested this approach with exercise, such as walking first thing in the morning. Lately, I’ve been getting up at 5:45am to join my sensei and other Uechi instructors and students to participate in a virtual morning workout. I alternate days: Uechi workouts three mornings per week, walking the hills in our community three mornings per week. Finish with some Qigong. Head in for a cold shower and get ready for my day.
Central Texas Heat Wave Makes You Adapt
Here in Central Texas our summer came early! In fact, we’re already in the middle of a four or five day HIGH HEAT INDEX event.
We’re experiencing heat indexes of 113 to 115. Sheesh! They are running out of colors for the heat maps. We’re seeing more dark burgundies and purples on the weather maps. Southern California and Arizona are just as bad.
Even though I love the heat and love summer, I wave the white flag once the temps get up over about 92 or so. Walking in the hot Texas sun with temps in the 90s and heat indexes over 100? No thank you!
Many folks retreat inside and do their walking or jogging on a treadmill. I can’t stand walking or running on a treadmill! I used to do it when I had to, for example when I was traveling and wanted to get in a workout at the hotel gym. No, for many of us, it’s outside, fresh air, trees and natural beauty – or bust.
When you exercise first thing, you have to arise earlier than usual to fit in your exercise session and have at least a little time to cool off before you jump in the shower. You typically train in a fasted state, with perhaps a cup of coffee or tea as your only sustenance, so you feel lighter. Your body actually LIKES to move first thing! Although it may not feel that way at first, trust me: once you get through the first several days of moving within minutes of awakening, you will begin to enjoy the feeling.
It may take some effort to sell you on trying this out. So here goes. Following are just some of the wonderful benefits you’ll experience when you work out first thing.
Benefits of Exercising First Thing in the Morning
Cortisol levels are highest in the morning. Cortisol is the hormone of fear and stress. Exercising first thing, even just for 20 minutes or so, significantly lowers your cortisol levels.
Sweating from a good workout releases BDNF – Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor – which can enhance your cognitive abilities. BDNF repairs brain cells damaged by stress; accelerates the formation of neural connections; and promotes neurogenesis (growth of new brain cells). So you think better and faster.
Intense enough exercise first thing (i.e., break a sweat, get out of breath for at least part of the workout) causes the release of dopamine, the “reward” chemical which helps promote our drive to accomplish tasks, and increases the amount of serotonin, the “feel good” chemical that regulates mood and happiness.
Early morning exercise helps to boost norepinephrine which improves your attention and leaves you feeling calmer. In turn, this makes you more productive and focused throughout the day.
Working out first thing elevates your metabolism. Working out first thing in a fasted state helps you burn fat for energy. And that metabolism bump continues for hours after.
Perhaps the most important benefit: You win that “First Victory” – following through on a commitment you have made to yourself. This helps fuel other accomplishment and goal achievement throughout your day.
We’re already into the third month of 2024. How have you done so far on your New Year’s resolutions or the goals you set for this year?
If you’re like the majority of folks, you’ve already slipped, backslided, or simply given up on your goals. The famous dictum within the fitness world is as follows: the gyms will get super crowded in early January…but by the third week in February, the crowds have mostly disappeared and it’s just “the regulars” again.
Well, I’ve got wonderful news for you!
“It’s not your fault.”
You see, setting new goals and resolutions in late December or early January is just about the worst possible time to do so.
Winter is the most Yin time of the year. The reduced light, shorter days and longer nights, and cold temperatures naturally encourage us to sleep more and become less active. Our metabolism and energy levels decrease in winter. Nature’s idea is that we should slow down, use less energy, and basically “hibernate” during the cold, lean winter months.
And yes, even in our climate-controlled, well-lit modern existence, our bodies, brains and energetic matrix still respond to nature’s call.
Energetically, this most Yin time of year is just the worst in terms of gearing up to conquer ourselves, move forward toward new challenges, and push to achieve our goals. The energetics of winter are more about quiescence, going inside to ponder and reflect, develop some wisdom, and help the body rest up and recharge.
Lunar New Year Just Concluded
Here’s a suggestion: Instead of beating yourself up for not making better progress….or berating yourself for having already given up on your stated resolutions or goals…start all over!
Yes, restart your year now.
The Chinese Lunar New Year just concluded in February. So it’s a brand new year! The year of the Wood Dragon, by the way, which is quite auspicious. The Wood element means growth and development, rising energy, and many other good things (which we will discuss in a future post).
And now we are experiencing the first glimmers of Spring.
If you live in the northern states or climes, you may still be experiencing cold weather and even snow. But you likely are detecting some signs of Spring, including the days getting longer. Where we live in Central Texas, we have already been mowing the lawn, cleaning the beds, and planting new flowers. In fact, we just put the garden in!
Spring means Yang Ascending – the energies are increasing. So it only make sense to ride that energetic wave, recommit and refocus on your goals, and get moving.
Declare it a new year and move forward with renewed vigor and expectancy.
I’m sorry I haven’t posted since early December. The end of 2023 brought family tragedy, family illnesses, emergency trips home…at times it all seemed overwhelming. However, we managed to decorate the house and choose and decorate a beautiful Christmas tree. Fortunately we did this right after Thanksgiving, while our son was home from school, so we were able to honr and enjoy this portion of our holiday traditions. The rest of December seemingly went to hell and back. However, we spent a nice New Year’s Eve together. Finally some calm family time to rest and begin to mend.
And now we move into 2024.
This time of year, many folks like to make resolutions, often around things such as losing weight, getting fitter, getting more organized, earning more money, doing better at the job, etc., etc., etc. Some of the more enlightened among us may place emphasis on improving relationships – spending more time with the wife / husband / partner, spending more time with the kids, calling Mom every week – or on more intangible goals such as experiencing more joy this year. Others stick to very tangible goals like “finally” cleaning out and organizing the garage or the shed.
Whew! I’m getting exhausting just typing all that!
There are as many ways to tackle resolutions or goals or aspirations as there are human beings. However, I’d like to share a couple key strategies that might be helpful this time of year. And they work together synergistically which is really cool.
I tend to “overschedule” myself in terms of goals, activities, and what I wish to complete or achieve in the coming year. I also tend to NOT hit all of those goals and fall short on some of the activities. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that, while I may have a list of 8 to 10 major things I would like to achieve during the year, I will not actually achieve anywhere close to that number of goals unless I FOCUS.
I have also realized that I won’t achieve an important goal or objective (or resolution) unless I make the activity related to that goal a HABIT.
Yes, FOCUS and HABITS are the keys.
Not very sexy, I know. Not sounding fun.
I can hear the moans and groans now. “Can’t I just bask in the glow of my super awesome resolution, Karen? Focus and habits just don’t sound very appealing!” I feel your pain. Bear with me. It’s not that bad.
And when you give up the fantasy of completely transforming your life without any effort or patience or perserverance, you will find my recommendations below actually make things EASIER on you! So read on, my friend…
The key idea of the book is to focus your efforts on a smaller, but more substantial, set of goals and objectives. Even just ONE critical goal or objective. Then build the habits that help support your achieving it.
Their key question, what they call “The Focusing Question”, is as follows:
“What’s the ONE THING I can do, such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”
At the beginning of each year, ask yourself this question with the “Big Picture” in mind – meaning, what is the one thing that will be most critical to YOU. Questions such as “Where am I going? What target should I aim for? What do I really want to do with my life?” This can be for the new year or aspirationally what you would like to manifest over the coming three to five years (or longer).
You can also check in at regular intervals during the year with a Big Picture review of how you’re doing against your most important goals or dreams, and then course correct as needed. (And you will almost always have to course correct, that’s just the nature of doing big things.)
Then plan this year, this month, this week, and today, by asking the “Small Focus” question: “What must I do right now to be on the path to achieving the big picture?”
In other words, focus on one or two or three big things…then work your way backwards to what you will do each month, week, and daily to help you reach that big thing.
The key takeaway I get from this is to FOCUS better. Instead of 10 different “priorities” for the year, or month, or week…I am titrating down to the top three things during each time frame, then thinking about and identifying the supporting objectives and habits to support me and make it easier for me to reach my big goals.
Develop 1 to 3 Good Habits
A ton has been written over the past five to 10 years about the importance of HABIT and developing good habits, so I won’t spend too much time on them here.
As an individual who is not always as “self-disciplined” as I think I should be…and who then berates myself when I miss the mark…I offer another approach that might work better – for me and for you.
Just as you focus on one top goal or achievement for the year (or top three goals at the most), focus on building one key habit. Think about the most important habit you could develop that would make achieving your goal easier.
For example:
-Your top goal, the outcome you want the most, is to get fitter and lose weight. Of the things you can do to help achieve this, what would be the most important habit you could build that would make this easier?
Think here not only in terms of the cumulative effect of the habit over time. Think also in terms of whether you will stick to the habit.
So, if you haven’t exercised at all in several years, you might not want to say you will “run three miles” every day or life weight four times a week, or something crazy. Rather, set a lower benchmark that become your “floor”, the least you will do – the effort you will COMMIT to doing, come hell or high water.
A good example would be to establish the habit to walk every morning, or every evening. Or to do some type of physical activity every day, even if it’s just some stretching or a few minutes of qigong and breathwork.
Or start out by doing one pushup every morning, without fail. Then build from there. Just like eating Lays potato chips, you probably will not be able to stop at just one pushup. You will want to do more. But committing to ONE pushup, or ONE short walk, or ONE MINUTE of breathing, as your baseline, will make the habit easier to build.
I’ll have more to share about habits, as well as a super fun method for helping you FOCUS on your most important goal – your ONE THING – and actually make it happen this year – in my next post.
Until then, start asking and pondering the focusing question: ” What is the ONE THING you can do, such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”
I’m fond of quoting one of my favorite martial arts instructors, who used to say – over and over again: “Repetition, repetition, repetition…repetition coupled with enthusiasm is the key to success in all your endeavors.”
When a much younger “me” first heard this, I found it to be a transforming message. I had experienced success in many areas of my life, including my studies, my athletic pursuits, my career, and so forth. Yet I sometimes baffled myself with how impulsive I could be.
If I were more into astrology, I might blame it on being a Pisces. Pisces, a water sign, is symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions. There’s a certain duality in the Pisces personality and we are known for our sometimes impulsive tendencies. Or perhaps it’s genetic. Or maybe it’s how I have always handled the stress of having many interests, many things to do, and sometimes feeling overwhelmed.
Whatever the root cause, I have found that impulsiveness can manifest in our lives in many different ways, such as procrastination, a lack of focus on the task at hand, or making a big decision solely based on intuition, without any sort of thought or rational analysis.
On the darker side, it can appear as addiction and compulsions that are extremely difficult to overcome. Like eating too much, drinking too much, drug abuse, etc.
The cure for impulsiveness – or, at least, one of the best ways to control it – is consistency. This brings us back to my instructor’s advice. Repetition means consistency. It means doing the things that are good for you every day, and making them a habit. For example, exercise must be consistent to be effective. This is the first and foremost precept of physical conditioning and health maintenance. Lack of consistency leads to the erosion of your health and fitness foundation. And without a solid foundation, no structure will stand.
Too many people who begin exercise, or healthy eating habits, or a qigong and breathwork practice, give up and quit too soon to realize their amazing benefits. Don’t be one of them!
If there is one overall secret to success, it’s consistency…consistency and enthusiasm. In other words, doing the right things, and having fun while you’re doing them.
Well, this is Thanksgiving week here in the U.S. And before I dive into our family activities we have planned for the week, I wanted to write to you about the powerful impact that cultivating a spirit of gratitude can have in your life.
Think of this as a friendly little reminder of what you already know. Something that we often can easily forget when we are in the thick of “life”: work, family, community obligations…and now all of the extra activities and stress associated with the holidays.
Did you know that the feelings of gratitude and appreciation are probably the most profound you can have. Perhaps love is a higher value feeling or emotion. But let’s stick to gratitude for now.
When you are focused on gratitude, you vibrate at a higher level. You feel more in harmony with the world. You smile and laugh more easily because you are more relaxed. And you can feel the energy boost.
On Thanksgiving, a day meant for expressing thanks, take a minute or two to reflect. Take a “gratitude time out”.
Sit and reflect on the people, circumstances, and blessings in your life. We all have them. In tough times, you may have to search deeply to find them. But they are there.
I’ll leave you with a quote about the power of gratitude:
“The grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best; therefore it tends to become the best; it takes the form of character of the best, and will receive the best.” (Wallace D. Wattles)
I appreciate YOU, my friend. Thank you for reading.
Here continueth some old time wisdom on following the natural seasonality of our planet and our bodies to enhance your health and energy levels and improve your ability to fight off illness. Let’s talk about Spring for our brothers and sisters who reside in the Southern Hemisphere.
Spring – Exercise
In Classical Chinese Medicine, Spring is associated with the Liver. The Liver is one of the most important organs for detoxification. It also plays a starring role in converting the food you eat into usable energy.
If your health is compromised in any way, you eat an unhealthy diet, you drink too much, or your breathing is not up to snuff (pun intended), then you are placing a massive load on your liver. It’s important to take advantage of the spring to detox.
If you need to lose weight, spring is an excellent time to do so, because your body’s natural chemistry and metabolism will support your efforts. As the days get longer, your energy and metabolism increase. You should transition into more vigorous physical activity, and your Qigong and breathing exercises should include plenty of more robust movements – like the traditional Liver Daoyin exercise you can learn in the Wu Xing / Five Elements Daoyin program.
Spring – Nutrition
In traditional medical and health practices, early Spring is associated with a natural cleansing phase. As winter concludes, your body naturally wants to lose weight. It wants to detoxify and shed the old tissue, built up toxins, and excess fat stored over the winter.
Traditionally, this is a time of fasting and consuming lots of clean foods, such as fruits and vegetables, preferably raw or lightly steamed, as well as juices, which help detoxify the system.
Spring is the time to sweat and breathe hard, release toxins and air out the lungs, and eat “clean”. It’s also the time to celebrate your rebirth, and the rebirth of the earth.
Remember, synchronizing your physical activity and nutrition to the seasonal changes of body, mind, and earth is a powerful way to promote excellent health and help avoid illness and disease.
There’s one more area I’d like to cover, which we will get into in our next post.
“The natural healing force within us is the greatest force in getting well.” -Hippocrates, the Father of Western Medicine
Here followeth some old time wisdom on following the natural seasonality of our planet and our bodies to enhance your health and energy levels and improve your ability to fight off illness. Since we have fellow readers in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, I will focus on the Fall and Spring seasons in these next couple posts.
I never ceased to be amazed at the tremendous healing powers that reside within our bodies and minds.
Before the advent of the modern pharmaceutical age, people in all societies, ancient and more modern, sought to promote and support these internal powers with natural methods: natural herbs, foods, exercise and – most of all – natural breathing.
We’ve become somewhat separated or disjointed from our own natural, inborn abilities to propagate robust health, as well as counter and eliminate illness. One of the easiest ways to begin to get in touch with your body is to recognize its rhythms.
We each have hourly, daily, monthly and yearly rhythms. But you may not actively leverage these rhythms in your own fitness and health program. In fact, you may often work against these rhythms, making you more susceptible to illnesses, injuries, weight gain, and so forth.
Ancient health practices from around the world, as well as existent traditional societies (which are becoming increasingly rare), apply seasonality to the treatment and prevention of disease, as well as the promotion of robust health.
Let’s discuss Autumn from the perspective of exercise and nutrition.
Autumn – Exercise
In ancient Chinese, Japanese and Korean medicine, Autumn (or Fall) is associated with the lungs. Although all of our internal organs and systems are interdependent, the lungs get the most attention at this time of year.
This makes a lot of sense from a pragmatic point of view. Think about it: in the Fall, the hot, stale, often polluted air of summer gives way to the refreshingly cool and clean air of Fall. In many areas, nature also provides us with a wonderful display of colors and scenery.
Fall is an excellent time to exercise and practice your qigong and breathing outdoors. Proper breathing in the fresh air has a cleansing effect on your lungs. Your Qigong can also prepare you for, and build your resilience and adaptability to, the changing energies associated with this season. For example, performing the Lung / Metal exercise from the Wu Xing / Five Elements Daoyin form, is especially important this time of year.
One potential problem to be aware of: in mid to late Fall, as temperatures become cooler and precipitation increases, there is the potential for dampness. The air is heavier and it can be more difficult to breathe. Dampness can invade your lungs and airways, and manifest in the body as excess mucus and phlegm.
In addition, the kids are back in school and many of us adults are spending more time in our closed, often polluted offices. The potential for catching a cold or flu is higher if you are not taking care of yourself. A proper regimen of exercise, as well as good healthy eating, can help you avoid this.
Autumn – Nutrition
Generally speaking, late Summer and early Fall are associated with a building phase. Late Summer is associated with the Spleen and Stomach / Earth element. Spleen is associated with building the blood and the muscles or flesh. And Spleen and Stomach are responsible for transforming the food we eat and liquids we drink as their initial part of the digestive process.
During this time, the body wants to build itself up and add muscle. It also wants to lay down some extra fat to prepare for the winter. It wants to extract more nutrition from food. You may find yourself craving more food, especially protein and the fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables that are readily available.
Here’s an interesting but little-known fact about our bodies. We often associate the winter months with weight gain, because we tend to be relatively less active. From an evolutionary standpoint, however, our bodies are programmed to eat more and lay on fat during the late summer and fall months – preparing our bodies for the lean winter months.
In fact, it is thought that, in earlier times, humans ate so many fruits and vegetables during this time that their blood sugar was at the diabetic or pre-diabetic level. Why is this important? Well, sugar in the blood acts as a sort of antifreeze for the body, and helps it better cope with colder temperatures. (I don’t recommend this, but if you were to taste the antifreeze in your car, it would taste a little sweet.)
At any rate, if you find yourself really craving a good steak, or you can’t get enough fruit or seasonal vegetables– don’t worry. Honor what your body is trying to tell you.
In the late Fall, it’s important to take nutritional measures that help prevent or mitigate dampness in the lungs and sinuses. Drinking warm liquids, such as green and herbal teas, and eating hot soups is an excellent way to keep your sinuses open and clear. Using spices in your cooking, such as cumin, turmeric, chiles, Tabasco and cinnamon, can also help keep your sinuses and airways clear and your body warm.
Synchronizing your physical activity and nutrition to the seasonal changes of body, mind and earth, is a powerful way to promote excellent health and help avoid illness and disease.
Autumn has finally arrived here in Central Texas, with rain and temperatures more reflective of what Fall should feel like. We dropped from the 80s to the 50s in less than a day. With a cool North breeze to accentuate the shift.
Times like this, I am thankful for the wonderful Five Elements Daoyin (Wu Xing Jing)form I learned some years ago and include in my Qigong and Breathwork classes and private lessons. The Lung exercise, which is associated with the Metal element and the Fall season, is particularly important right now. Fall includes changing temperatures, changing wind directions, and changing energies, all of which can make you more susceptible to seasonal colds and flus, allergies, and even more serious illness. Unless, of course, you build RESILIENCE through healthy nutrition, good sleeping habits, and doing your Lung / Metal exercise on a regular basis.
(BTW, if you’re interested in learning more about this super effective, powerful, yet easy (and dare I say FUN) health practice, go here for more on the Five Elements / Wu Xing Daoyin form.)
With the cold comes more outside training. What? Outside? Don’t you mean more INSIDE training, Karen?
No I don’t. Our summers are so brutally and endlessly hot, and we typically have to time our outside exercise and other activities to the early mornings or late evenings. Now, with the onset of cooler / colder weather in the Fall and Winter, we can enjoy our activities outside at any time of the day.
And it’s important to align yourself with the changing weather by spending time outside. Walks, yard work, sitting out by the fire pit, practicing your Qigong or Tai Chi…it’s all good. We’ve become so insulated from the weather and the changing seasons in our air conditioned / heated buildings and houses. Get out there and get some wind on your face. Shiver a bit until you move and generate some heat.
In fact, I typically do even MORE Qigong sessions outside in the fall and winter than I do in the summer, when it’s easier. Years ago, one of my Qigong and Martial Arts instructors, Master Yoo, taught us to go outside in the early morning and practice our Qigong or martial arts. First thing in the morning, the air is fresher and cleaner. And you aren’t distracted by the tasks and cares of the day.
As he put it, even if the rest of your day “go to shit”, you still accomplished something very important to your health, productivity, and creativity. And you came through on a discipline and a commitment you made to yourself.
A key point Master Yoo hammered on was to do your Qigong outside, no matter the season or the temperature. That way, your body is exposed to the natural, seasonal cycles and becomes more quickly acclimated.
As an aside, Master Yoo was one of my favorite Ki Kung (Korean version of Qigong) and Hap Ki Do instructors. His dad was Korean and his mom was Chinese, as well as a highly respected master of Qigong and Kung Fu. While Master Yoo came up through the TaeKwonDo competitive ranks, his true loves were the exercises and forms his mom taught him. And he, in turn, taught us these ancient disciplines in the hopes we would benefit from them and carry them on to future generations.
Back to the weather…
Your ability to acclimate and adjust enhances your adaptability and therefore, your resilience. Modern science, especially in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, has “discovered” (in quotes because the Chinese beat them to this by about 5,000 years) that putting yourself through discrete bouts of stress – such as exercising in higher intensity bursts followed by rest intervals, or exposing yourself to cold for a period of time – actually trains your body and brain to adapt, so you get stronger and increase your capacity to handle even more stress the next time. These adaptations occur at all levels: physical, mental / emotional, even spiritual…and from the systemic (i.e., circulatory system, lymphatic system, digestive system, etc.) all the way down to the cellular level.
I’ll have more to say about living in alignment with nature in future posts. For now, be sure to get outside and get in sync with the current season, however it may be manifesting in your area of the world right now.
