Conserve, Pack and Store Your Energy!

As we are coming to the end of the year, the energy of the winter water element is all about conserving, packing and storing our energy, or qi.

Think of animals going into hibernation, they are conserving and storing energy to get them through the long, cold dark days.

The Meridian Flow practice aligns with the seasonal energy, according to Chinese medicine. The Chinese character for winter is the image of a sun locked up and stored in an upside-down bottle, to signify the closing and storage of energy.

As nature is still this time of year, this is its way of conserving energy. We too are part of nature, so taking time to sit in stillness for inward reflection, sleep longer, take naps, and increase our mineral intake with bone broth or dark green mineral broth helps sustain our internal warmth throughout the organs, especially the low dantian, our internal furnace.

Observing this image shows us how we can inhale into our abdomen, the lower dantien, and exhale visualizing the energy (qi) spiraling and packing into the kidneys, as we press the navel back to the spine.

The lungs receive the qi and the kidneys house it.

This will conserve your qi and create a warm nourished abdomen to keep the kidneys and digestive organs running smoothly.

If you'd like to learn more about cultivating a seasonal practice, and join a community of like-minded yogis, consider the Master's Path or 300-hour Teacher Training. This practice has been so helpful to those suffering from auto-immune issues and chronic pain and anxiety.

Happy winter conserving your qi!

Blessings

Maggie