Qigong for the Winter Solstice – Attune Your Energy With Your Thoughts, Intentions and Dreams
If you have not already done so, this is a perfect day to begin preparing for the winter season and the new year ahead. The December Solstice occurs on either December 20, 21, 22 or 23. It is called Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the shortest day of the year. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is the Summer Solstice and the longest day of the year.
You can easily check the Internet for the exact date and time for your city and country (At the time I am writing this and at my location the Winter Solstice 2014 is Sunday, December 21, 2014 at 6:03 PM EST). Not only is it the solstice but it is also a NEW MOON (New Moon of Capricorn 8:36 PM EST).
REMEMBER – This exercise is not just for use on only the day of the Winter Solstice, it can be used throughout the ENTIRE WINTER SEASON. Imagine staying well during the winter season while your co-workers are succumbing to colds, flu’s and the winter blues. The ancient practice of Qigong embodies breathing, movement, visualization and affirmation to awaken body and mind to thrive.
When the daylight decreases and the darkness lengthens and the cold days of winter bring you indoors your body and especially your kidneys tend to contract. This can manifest as an increase in pain or illness in your back, energy and attitude. Using the Winter Solstice Qigong Exercise your Qi balance can be restored and the Winter Season can become a time for you to exhibit an alert, clear and supple mind and body.
It is an especially positive day to attune your energy to finish this year and begin the new year. REMEMBER, It is your emotions that fuel your dreams and desires along with your intentions that set your beliefs and perceptions and result in your true purpose manifesting into your Awesome Reality! And in the coming New Year to create a positive state of being it is necessary for you to express your gratitude and enjoy each and every minute that remains this year.
It is a time of holidays and a time of hurrying busily around trying to accomplish everything that needs to be finished as soon as possible. It is a time of holiday stress, a time of family, friends and the hectic pace that the holiday activities seem to create. It is a time that you very often, with all the rushing about, forget yourself, your happiness and all for which you have to be grateful.
One thing that you should remember is that you will want to finish, physically, mentally and spiritually all that you have sought to complete in this year. It is a time for you to build your NEW YEAR intentions and consciously create a clean slate, a new and revised plan for the year that is coming.
It is a time to begin to TUNE YOURSELF, TUNE YOUR ENERGY, YOUR QI and begin your new year transformation with clear intentions, a joyful heart and a peaceful mind. It is time to create the fertile field in your mind in which you will plant new seeds, new plans and new intentions that you will continue to nurture in the weeks to come.
At this time of MINIMUM YIN, The Winter Solstice, you have begun to store the energy that you will need to clear away any obstacles in your path. It is a time for you to gather your thoughts, dreams and desires and use your imagination to see and feel yourself in the new year experiencing your TRUE REALITY with gratitude to the Universe, the Universal Energy, the Universal Mind, for providing you with the awareness to see your opportunities among the infinite field of all possibilities.
The Winter Solstice is a time when the practice of Qigong can be a powerful way tune Your Energy and imbue your intentions with energy and meaning. When you connect to the rhythm of nature through your practice of Qigong you, your thoughts, your beliefs, your perceptions and your energy will be in harmony with the world around you providing you with a potent connection to the Universe through your subconscious Universal Mind connection.
INTERNAL FLAME – WARMING UP YOUR ENERGY
To create an abundance of Qi within yourself begin by standing in a comfortable position, breathe softly and relax. Place both of your palms, overlapping, on your abdomen just below your navel. Focus your mind on the area behind your palms in the center of your body. Inhale and Exhale softly as you imagine a candle flame inside your belly, growing stronger, brighter and hotter with each breath you take. As you breathe the candle flame breathes growing brighter, hotter and stronger. Repeat to yourself, “My heart is filled with wisdom, joy, compassion and love. I am a light of the Universal Energy and I am grateful for the Qi within me.” Remain relaxed and repeat this 9 to 18 times, each time maintaining your focus on the area behind your palms and on the candle that you are visualizing.
CONNECTING TO THE UNIVERSAL ENERGY
Next stand quietly with your eyes closed breathing softly as you center your body, mind and spirit and feel the connection to the Universal Energy – the Universal Mind. Bring your awareness into your heart and keep your focus there. Remain relaxed and go on to the Winter Solstice Qigong Exercise.
WINTER SOLSTICE QIGONG EXERCISE
In this Qigong Exercise you will allow the energy of the Earth and the Heavens to flow through you, tuning your human energy to that of the Heavens (Yang) and the Earth (Yin). The Earth’s energy will flow upward through you and connect with the Heaven’s energy and then the Heaven’s energy will flow down through you to connect with the Earth’s energy with you acting as a Qi Conduit or Tuning Fork.
Begin by standing in a natural and relaxed position.
INHALE as you raise your palms from the sides of your thighs up to your hips imagining that you are gathering your energy in your center, like water filling a balloon, and say to yourself, “I am so happy and grateful… “
EXHALE as you bend forward and run the palms of the hands down the front of your legs, across the tops of the feet and out onto the floor imagining that as you reach down your Qi flows down (like water from a tall waterfall into the pool below) into the Earth as you say to yourself, “Now that I connect with the Earth… “
INHALE as you bring your hands from floor across the tops of the feet, up the sides of the legs, up sides of the body, up the sides of the head and up toward the sky imagining that you are pulling the Earth’s Qi up through your feet and out the top of your head (like water flowing up through a tube and spraying out as a beautiful fountain in a bright garden) as you say to yourself, “… I feel the awesome energy flowing up through me connecting to the Heavens… “
EXHALE as you bring your hands down the sides of the head, down the sides of the body returning to a relaxed stance while imagining that the Heaven’s energy flows down through you into into your center (returning to the pool of water from which all began), while you say to yourself, “… and flowing down filling me with its’ strength.”
That completes one set. Repeat for a total of 9 to 18 sets.
ADDITIONAL IDEAS – CLEARING YOUR MIND AND SPIRIT
The time right after the Winter Solstice Qigong Exercise is an AWESOME TIME to “Clear Your Slate” for the upcoming New year. It is a time when you can very often see most of the negative chatter that hangs out clouding your mind, your judgments and your perceptions.
There are several things that you can do, and although these are not necessarily Qigong per say, they are quite helpful in clearing your slate.
1. You can write down a list of all of your awesome experiences this past year. Think and feel grateful for all that you have done. Take a moment to be happy with yourself.
2. Think of anyone against which you may be harboring resentment or negative emotions, write down there names, repeat their names and end by saying, “I forgive you and I let go.” Fold up the paper, tear it up and throw it away.
3. Since you are now in a more positive space after the Winter Solstice Qigong Exercise take a moment to write down any impressions that you may have about what your true purpose is and what you would like to create in the future. Use your imagination, do not limit yourself and in essence Dream Big – it does not have to be realistic.
4. Take a moment to imagine yourself in what you believe your most positive and realistic future might be. Imagine and feel yourself confident, happy and radiating a strong and positive light for all to see and feel.
5. Take another moment, even if you have already done so, and SPEAK A WORD OF GRATITUDE to the Universe for all that it has given to you.
Every Moment in Life is a New Beginning, Your every choice is a New Opportunity to manifest the SELF that you desire! Please share this with your family, friends or anyone that you may know that might be interested in improving their life. Enjoy Life!