A new cycle begins
With the Solstice we’ve reached the low ebb and so it is the turning point where the Yang energy is returning and our inner flame can find resonance with the slowly strengthening light and warmth. Beside good sleep,
Cleansing Meditation
Shielding Meditation
Studies show that meditation practice can optimize physiological functions including the immune system. Dr. Mao shares a simple meditation practice from the Taoist tradition that was originally developed to help one shield from negativity as well as pathogens. This is timely for the pandemic crisis we are facing today.
Winter Solstice
Celebrating the return of light
The four quarterly poles in the yearly calendar are times when new energies arise and can be utilized to prepare for these new cycles. By attuning yourself to Nature’s cycles you can benefit from her rejuvenating and healing energy for physical and spiritual renewal. It works the same way as surfing – you use right timing to select the most auspicious wave to carry you in the strong and correct path. The Winter Solstice is a good time to let go, renew yourself and quietly welcome the new cycle of sunlight that will govern all our activities the coming year.
Tree Breathing Qigong. . . .
The simple practices of Forest Bathing and of ancient Qigong working with trees have great healing benefits, now widely documented in Japan: among other effects, stress hormone cortisol significantly decreased in test subjects after a walk in the forest. Ancient insights and current research note that the cells of the roots and rootlets of trees and our brain cells have similar functions and parallel structures: we are “inverted trees” with our brain on top while trees have their functional brain in their roots.
Meditation and the breath
Be detached and relaxed as the chi generates naturally
Breathing links the mind and body, establishes an underlying rhythm and calibrates our energy through regulating internal gathering or clearing. When we first settle down to meditate, it is most often useful to clear away debris. This means dispersing superficial tension and opening blockages on our way to clear, healthy functioning.
Meditation - Reset the scale
Embrace the innocence of an infant.
Reset the scale
It’s summertime. You’ve worked hard all year and now seems just the right time to sit back and relax. What could be more pleasant than to have no pressure, no deadline, no work, no boss to critique or analyze you; no-one to struggle to please; nothing special to do but just enjoy some quiet time sitting, letting yourself unwind and recharge.