Spring

I wrote this post one year ago, when I was beginning my "Qigong in a Park" practices. I'll be practicing Springtime forms with friends this Saturday.

The element associated with Spring is wood.

Rooted yet reaching for the sky.

Firm yet flexible.

Metaphors. The Ancients used nature as a metaphor to explain, define, and guide our human existence.

Spring: rebirth, growing, drawing water from the earth and sunlight from the sky.

Like wood, we seek healthy growth. We rely on the right conditions to support our plans, our visions and our dreams. If we let obstacles get in the way by not growing around them, or seeking alternatives, we'll get frustrated and give up.

But, if we create a healthful wood balance we experience fulfillment of our visions and dreams.

We find contentment and alignment, organically.

We grow around, or in spite of the obstacles.

Anatomy and physiology time. We feel flexible and stable when the wood element is in balance.

Tendons and ligaments are associated with the element of wood. Ligaments connect bones to bones across joints. Tendons connect muscles to bones.

Synovial fluid exists in some joints to reduce friction. If we balance stretching muscles and creating space in the joints and lubricating the joints with synovial fluid, we support structure, reduce pain and encourage effortless movement.

One of my Qigong teachers, Mimi Kuo Deemer asks us to focus not on the muscles but on the bones. Warmups in Qigong are oriented towards lubricating the joint spaces, encouraging movement of Qi and also synovial fluid.

Another teacher, Nick Loffree often says

"the hinges of an active door never rust."

So, what might a wood element Qigong practice look like? We will practice joint movements called "silk reeling" to lubricate the joints. We will practice grounding through our feet and lifting at the crown of our head. We will tap along acupuncture/pressure meridians, specifically the Liver and Gall Bladder Meridians. Also, breath-work, bone marrow cleansing, and we imitate the movements of a dragon, or a tiger.

Nick Loffree often ends a session with a moment of being like "bamboo in the wind."
Rooted yet supple. Strong yet graceful.

I have attached a video by Nick practicing Springtime Qigong at a Shinto Temple. Enjoy.

The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists. Japanese proverb