The Chinese calendar is based on a lunar year and the starting date varies each year. According to ChineseNewYear.net "The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, has more than 4,000 years of history and is the longest holiday of the year. In the 21st century, the national holiday begins on the first of the Lunar Calendar and lasts until the 15th of the first month. In 2024, Chinese New Year begins on February 10th and ends February 24th with the Lantern Festival. In China, all stores are closed during the first five days of the Spring Festival, with some not opening until the very end ..read more

One of the reasons for doing qigong is to become more aware of our interconnectedness. As Lynne McTaggart explains in her book" The Field" everything is connected by the Zero Point Field (ZPF), a sea of energy. As described by quantum physics, Hans Andeweg writes in his April 21, 2016 article Everything is Energy, Everything is One, Everything is Possible, "We could say that everything is connected to everything else by an unending ocean of zero-point energy, covered by morphic fields of information, acting like a kind of matrix. From the connection between this life energy and information com ..read more

With the new moon brings a new year according to many of the world's calendars. The Chinese designate each year according to a 12 year cycle using the animals of the zodiac. The lunar new year starts today. We have left behind the Year of the Tiger, which according to Erica Sloan, was a yang energy, "associated with fast-paced movement and action - which is why the Year of the Tiger was “unpredictable, and sometimes even aggressive and chaotic,” she says." and we move into the Year of the Rabbit. The Rabbit is embodies yin energy, “an animal known in the Chinese zodiac for its sense of calm an ..read more

Allergy season is here and by many accounts it's a doozy. Runny nose, sinus congestion. itchy eyes, it's all here. Here are a few suggestions to try and get some relief. Try the Nose or Sinus Clearing Dao Yin found in the handouts section. Tom Bisio of New York Internal Arts LLC writes the following: "The nose is the opening to the lung, so to some degree any sinus problems have to do with imbalances in the lung and its paired organ, the large intestine. Nose Dao Yin can be done several times a day, and combines well with other Dao Yin methods like Comprehensive Daily Dao Yin and Spirit Calmin ..read more

For the last year or so most of us have been spending a lot more time front of screens: cell phones, tablets, computers, televisions, etc. As such many are experiencing problems with their eyes. It maybe due to not getting outdoors enough and allowing the eyes to absorb the full spectrum of light. It may also be due to the inability to experience many different stimuli through the eyes, which cause them to "exercise". Spending so much our our time staring at screens can cause the eyes to become strained, tired and depleted. According to WebMD, "The blue light from electronic devices messes wit ..read more

In this time of extensive sitting down, and even standing, in front of screens, a number of people have begun to notice that they're slouching forward. According to an article in Fitandflex.com, "Over time, your muscles adapt to whichever position you adopt the most frequently. If this is a slumped posture, your core muscles and spinal extensor muscles weaken, your shoulder & scapular stability muscles weaken, your neck and chest muscles tighten, your thoracic spine (upper to mid back) stiffens up, your hip flexor and hamstring muscles tighten, and your gluteal muscles weaken. This imbala ..read more

According to the Mayo Clinic, "Knee pain is a common complaint that affects people of all ages. Knee pain may be the result of an injury, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage. Medical conditions — including arthritis, gout and infections — also can cause knee pain." WebMD goes further to say "injuries can happen, and they often involve the knees. Some of the most common problems are sprained ligaments, meniscus tears, tendinitis, and runner's knee." MedicineNet states, "Pain is a common knee problem that can originate in any of the bony structures compromising the knee joint (femur, t ..read more

Back in December of 2021 two interesting articles on qigong crossed my screen. The first is an article entitled Over 50 weight loss: Tai chi [substiture the practice of Qigong for Tai Chi] or yoga could be as effective as jogging published by Fit & Well, reports on a study of "Researchers from several Chinese Universities and the University of California looked at tai chi as an example of slow, mindful exercise. A total of 543 participants, all over 50 were randomly assigned to a control group with no exercise, a group performing conventional aerobic exercise and strength training, and a t ..read more

Michael Scaramozzino states, "Wu Chi (Wuji) standing meditation is used as the first position in many Qigong (Ch’i Kung, pronounced Chee Gong) exercises where you stand in relaxed stillness in both body and mind, like the stillness of the void. It’s the first step in the journey of a thousand miles along the path of Qigong. This simple starting position is both more important and more complicated than it looks. Wu Chi is the beginning position that creates the optimum conditions for Qigong practice. When properly done it helps cultivate and flow your Qi (or Ch’i, pronounced Chee), which means ..read more

For many years the American public seemed unaware of Qigong. Its related spin-off, if you will, Tai Chi, was known but not really understood. Most people usually say that it is a series of graceful dance movements from China that helps the elderly with balance issues and seems very complicated. When told of Qigong there is a momentary flash of interest but it is quickly forgotten as it to is expected to be too difficult to learn. The reality is, as many of you are aware, that Qigong is easy to learn. Whereas Tai Chi is a martial art, qigong is a system of wellness. As stated by Gaiam, "T’ai ch ..read more