FALL QIGONG
This practice of qigong matches nature and its season of fall by focusing on the element of metal and its corresponding organs, the lungs (yin), and the large intestine (yang). The corresponding sense organ for this season is the nose as well as our largest organ, the skin.
The lungs, like metal, offer strength, structure, and all the ability to bring in Qi from our external sources of life energy. This element, as with the lungs, large intestine, nose and skin, governs the ability to take in and let go—of oxygen and carbon dioxide, nutrition and waste, energy, ideas, habits, relationships, life. The lungs offer protection as well as a home for courage, integrity, grief, and sorrow.
The acquired emotions or states of the lungs when out of balance, deficient or in excess, may include grief, sadness, sorrow, depression, shame, guilt, and despair, as well as anxiety. The balancing and natural virtues of the lungs include integrity, resiliency, courage, strength, reverence, justice, righteousness, and detachment.
Blocks or imbalance in the metal element, are often related to constipation, diarrhea, headache, lung disorders (such as asthma), sinus congestion, allergies, fatigue, and loss of enthusiasm for life. Unresolved grief is often at the root of many physical lung problems. Holding on to the energy of grief, sadness, and the past I the lungs can lead to colon ailments. When we hold, instead of feeling emotions and allowing them to move through us, we stop and block energy flow.
When open and balanced, metal Qi is experienced as the ability to encounter difficulty with openness and strength, quiet integrity, confidence, and a willingness to release physical and emotional wastes, including old beliefs, habits and behaviours, and unhealthy relationships.
The ability to experience our moments as precious and be present in them, whether they are happy or sad, is the power of lung Qi. Strong and balanced lung Qi and the metal element provide us with the courage to bring in life and also to let it move through us in a timely way.
Our fall practice will use the inner smile meditation and lung healing sound to practice the alchemy of transforming held or stuck energy. Our Qi self-massage will focus on stimulating the lung and large intestine meridians (energy pathways) to further allow for energetic balance and flow. Our stretching, posture, breath work, and flowing qigong movements will connect us with our lungs, open, clear, purge, tone, and cultivate fresh and supportive Qi into the physical and energy bodies.
We will work with the healing sound for the lungs, which is “Ssss,” and the energy colour, which is a pure, brilliant white. We will practice Ocean Breathing, Tiger Claws, the Daoist Five Tonification movements for Heart and Lungs, Lung Healing Sound, Silken Form, Compassionate Heart Qigong, and more.
See the fall schedule here.
Namste,
Sandra
© Sandra Tonn