Summer Qi Chats | Week 12 (Copy)
Collect + Conserve
This week we discuss how and why we’ve gathered Yang Qi to nourish our Fire energy & how to put a lid on that Qi jar.
Time to Draw Inward
Summer taught us to expand. We moved more, connected more, cultivated Yang Qi, nourished the Heart and gave the Shen opportunities for expression. But seasonal living also teaches us that knowing when to change direction is part of health. The Huang Di Nei Jing summarizes the yearly rhythm beautifully: Spring gives birth, Summer grows, Autumn harvests and Winter stores. Autumn therefore introduces 收, shōu, the movement of gathering, collecting and drawing inward.
This transition begins earlier than our Western calendar might suggest. Henry McCann explains that the traditional Chinese calendar recognizes the Beginning of Autumn in August because it follows the changing relationship between Yin and Yang rather than temperature alone. The Summer Solstice marked peak Yang. From that point forward the days shorten, Yang gradually declines and Yin grows. We may still have hot afternoons, but nature has already begun turning inward.
This gives greater meaning to what we practiced last Summer when we talked about putting a lid on our “Qi jar.” We are not suddenly stopping Summer or putting on the brakes. We are gradually taking our foot off the gas. Instead of continuing to expend the Yang we cultivated through Summer, Yang Sheng 養生 asks us to recognize the changing season and change our habits with it.
SEAL IT UP!
It’s time to begin taking the foot off the gas (no need to punch the breaks!) because we can sense that it’s okay to slow down. We’ve gathered the Yang Qi that will nourish the Heart, Liver, Lungs and Kidneys for the following seasons. So by slowing down we don’t waste or expend our energy. This Yang Qi is going into our ‘savings’ account.
So how do we secure this precious Qi in our savings account? We seal the deal with a simple Qigong sequence that you can perform sometime this week!
1. Gather the Qi
The Su Wen gives surprisingly practical instructions for Autumn. Begin going to bed earlier. Become a little less externally driven. Allow the mind to become peaceful. Most importantly, it tells us to “collect the Shen Qi” and not continually direct our attention outward so that Lung Qi can remain clear. McCann interprets this as more than a change in sleep. Our physical activity, mental activity and attention should begin following nature's contracting movement.
2. Protect the Lungs
In Autumn, the Lungs take center stage. Chinese medicine associates the Lung with Metal, dryness, the skin and body surface, the nose and the inward movement of the season. McCann explains that Autumn's defining action is shōu, to harvest or collect. As nature contracts, our practices can begin doing the same.
The Lung is traditionally described as governing Qi and respiration, so breath becomes a particularly useful bridge between Summer and Autumn. Rather than immediately replacing active Summer practices with Winter stillness, we can gradually change their quality. Slow the movement. Lengthen the exhale. Pay attention to the expansion and contraction of the ribs. Practice Qigong with greater internal awareness. Walk without rushing. Allow the breath to become part of how you narrow your attention to the movement you are performing right now.
From a movement perspective, Yang Shen, shows our desire & ability to change the intention of our movement. We are learning to recognize what the next season will require and begin preparing the brain and body before that season arrives. We move from expansion toward collection, from doing toward noticing, and from spending toward preserving.
Neuro-Qi Tip o’the day!
Seal + Be Done
First, lighten your schedule so you’re not overwhelmed with activities and social events
Second, watch the video to learn the simple “Sealing the Qi” movement that you can perform this week (just need to do it once after your Qigong practice!)
Keep cool and try not to get over heated, this will tax the Heart
*Video posts every Friday by 11:30am MDT
