Winter Qi Chats | Week 1
Can you be still?
This week we discuss how to use the Tao of Winter so you can can be healthy by being still.
Wintering
I love getting into the talk of “Qiology” because our understanding of Qi will better connect you to your health and longevity. Throughout the seasons, there’s an ebb and flow of energy that runs naturally with all that lives within the Tao.
The Tao is just the way things are and if we work against the Tao, we go against nature and literally fall out of sync. Illness arises due to disharmony and dysfunction. So to still yourself, you begin to find your rhythm and discover what you actually need before it becomes an issue.
Wintering is an excellent time to come inward, be still and do the work from within. Not everything has to be this outward expense.
Is it too late?
When it comes to the Chinese Medicine connection of the Tao and ‘Wintering’, I want you to see yourself as a bowl of marbles. You can waste those marbles throughout your life or your can hold them and keep them safe. These marbles are consider your Jing in Chinese Medicine and are essential to your health.
The concepts of Jing (often referred to as "essence") and Qi (vital energy) are fundamental to understanding health and longevity. These concepts also have implications in the context of epigenetics.
Jing (Essence): Jing is often divided into two aspects: prenatal Jing and postnatal Jing. Prenatal Jing is inherited from our parents and is a finite, fixed resource that determines our basic constitution and potential for health and longevity. Postnatal Jing, on the other hand, can be influenced by our lifestyle, including nutrition and overall health practices. It represents the preservation and enhancement of our innate essence and is considered more malleable than prenatal Jing.
Now here’s where I take it further, where your Jing (marbles) are stored are in your Kidneys.
So it’s important to see your Kidneys as the Root of Life: The kidneys are the associated organ system, governing the storage of Jing (Essence), which is the foundation of vitality and longevity. Jing is conserved in winter to prepare the body for the active, yang energy of spring.
Note that the Kidneys also regulate water metabolism, bone health, and the reproductive system, making winter an ideal time for restorative practices.
Neuro-Qi Tip o’the day!
Rest + Restore
Let’s begin our Qigong Posting Challenge this winter.
Explore your 4 Pillars
MOVE - focus on slower movement & strength train
BREATHE - count to 100 (inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3, exhale 4, etc)
EAT - slow how you eat & slow the times between WHEN you eat
SLEEP - less stress, less noise, less light 1 hour before bedtime
*Video posts every Friday by 11:30am MDT
