BLOSSOM into SPRING with the Dance of QIGONG
Karen Steinbrecher QiGong Practitioner
Did you experience Spring fever in the first few weeks last
month?
Although the premature warm weather gave us a Spring preview
with blossoms on the shrubs and trees and bulbs in bloom, now we are officially
in Spring, which in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is associated with the
Wood element. There is a sparkle in the air, we are ready to play baseball,
watch the butterflies flutter with light-hearted images of young lovers and
love bursting all around us.
Practicing, dancing Qigong, we can transition and follow the
Seasonal changes with grace, as we adjust our bodies and unblock our meridians
to align body, mind, and spirit to find peace and harmony towards optimum
health. Qigong is more than a set
of flowing movements, it is an attitude that works to restructure one’s
perspective on life, leading to balance and harmony with the world around us.
In every culture sages are revered for their ability to live
in harmony with Nature and with themselves. The outward reflects the inward. It was the great, ancient sages, the Taoists, who discovered
the acupuncture meridians, the principles of Qigong, as well as the healing
qualities of herbs.
The ancient Taoists of China saw living according to the Tao, the
Natural Way, as both sociological and ecological, the dance of life as being
all-encompassing. Taoist Qigong traditionally emphasizes the body, for nature
and the physical world are sacred.
In Taoist philosophy and TCM medicine, Spring is a time to cleanse, nourish, and
support the Liver and Gall bladder. Inspired by the Wood element, envision a
young tree as a pale seedling beginning to push through the winter-hardened
earth, reaching for the warmth and light of the Sun. This is how insistent your own life force becomes
during this point in our year’s cycle.
Taoist Qigong alludes to a cosmic order of sorts, following
the rhythms of nature, that we see
in the world around us as well as the rhythms we feel inside ourselves.
Spring is also a time of ‘emergency,’ where one’s life force
pushes forward unexpectedly and in potent ways. Any suppressed feelings or intentions clamor to come
forth. It is no surprise then that
the emotion most associated with the liver is Anger. Just as it’s not uncommon for a woman in childbirth to lash
out in anger during the throes of labor, one may find the exhaustive work of
your own ‘birthings’ brings you to a similar emotional pitch. If you use Qigong to move energy through
your liver and break up stagnation, you will find that you can transform anger
into kindness and forgiveness, beginning with forgiveness of self. This is empowering, a rebirth to joy
and love.
With Qigong practice we follow the TCM practice of the 5
Seasons. The Wood element
focus is upon the Liver and the Gall Bladder. We dance, practice flowing movements that help us to
detoxify, let go. Here at the
Resiliency Center we practice Zhang Fu, movements that correlate with our
organs. What is Zhang Fu? Zhang = Yin organ, Fu = Yang organ, Yin
being the Liver, Gall Bladder being the Yang. The TCM functions of the Liver govern the free flow of
Qi which in turn will ensure the harmonious flow of emotions, blood, and water;
it also governs the tendons and ligaments. Liver function is reflected in the nail, known as the “free
& easy wanderer ~ Alchemist.”
It opens into the eyes -the sense of sight. The Gall Bladder, Yang, eliminates toxins in the body,
emulsifies fats, and regulates cholesterol levels. Practicing these special
movements enables us to flow into Spring.
From an ancient Taoist monk, Huang Di Nei Jing:
“Heavenly Qi moves down to meet the rising Earth Qi. As a result living creatures
bloom and bear fruit”
Qigong is about blending and using the Powers of the
Universe to become more whole as humans.
Let us be thankful. Life is
a beautiful journey, a dance. Be
happy. Enjoy and learn from life itself.
Come dance Qigong with me!
Karen Steinbrecher Qigong Practitioner at the Resiliency Center
$10.00/class
contact: 215-836-7184 karensteinbrecher@msn.com Thursdays @ 2 P.M. and 6:15 P.M
