Winter
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Winter Solstice is an Optimal Time for Stillness
“The winter solstice marks the beginning of the return of Yang; a thunderclap shakes the sky” Dongzhi yi yang lai fu shi, pili yisheng zhendong tian. 冬至一阳来复始，霹雳一声震动天。 ~ Zhang Sanfeng’s Meditation Song 三丰打坐歌说 The winter solstice (dong zhi 冬至) marks a special point in the year: The days will start to get longer again, the sun will start to get stronger. Yin Qi has peaked and will now start to decline. Yang Qi will begin to emerge and grow. Neigong and neidan practice are concerned with accumulating Yang Qi in the body. This is considered an excellent time to practice stillness-based practices such as meditation (both specifically on the winter…
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Nourish and Store Energy for the Year to Come: Recipe for the Greater Snow 大雪 Solar Term
Da Bu Yang Cang Tang (大补养藏汤) might be translated as something like “Great Nourishing and Storing Soup” is a widely-recommended yangsheng (“nourishing life”) recipe for this time or year–starting from the Greater Snow (Da Xue 大雪) Solar Term (December 6th in 2024) and onwards for about the next month. This time of year to reduce excess physical exertion, increase stillness meditation and nourish the body’s storage capacity. Our Yang Qi has retreated to the interior and we want to carefully nourish it during this time. This soup nourishes the five internal “zang” organs: heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. It is especially nourishing for the kidneys. It nourishes kidney qi,…
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Nuts: Wintertime Snack of the Immortals
“Ren you san bao jing, qi, shen You san zhong xianguo bu jing, qi shen de” (人有三宝精气神, 有三种仙果是补精气神的) People have three treasures: essence (jing), energy (qi), and spirit (shen). There are three kinds of xianguo “immortal nuts” that replenish jing, qi, and shen. Winter is the season for storage (cang 藏), storing jing (essence). Plants store much of their essence in nuts and seeds to prepare for spring. Nuts are ready to harvest in the fall, and we can take our cue from the squirrels outside scurrying around collecting and eating up nuts to fatten up and prepare for winter. Ancient Chinese named three nuts as the “three nuts of…
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Autumn Wellness: Chinese Yam (Shan Yao 山药)
Chinese yam (shan yao 山药), literally “mountain medicine,” is a staple food often found in a traditional yangsheng (“nourishing life”) diet. It is one of the few foods that you will see recommended in practically every season for its diverse benefits. It is commonly recommended as food to eat in the autumn season, and is perhaps my favorite yangsheng food for autumn next to pear water. Aside from its seasonal and general health benefits, it is a great addition to a neigong cultivator’s diet because it is so beneficial to the organs systems responsible for extracting post-heaven qi from the food we eat and the air we breathe, as well…
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Winter Wellness
Winter is characterized by the Chinese word cáng 藏 which means “to store/conceal/hide.” It’s the time for hiding out and laying low. Nature is dormant and hibernating. Yin is dominant and at its peak. Yang is completely concealed, hidden inside. Winter corresponds to the Water phase (shuǐ 水) and the kidneys. It is also recommended that one does not overexert oneself. It’s good to exercise, but not to the point of excess where one is pouring sweat. Foods, medicines, and therapies such as sauna that promote excessive sweating are not recommended at this time as too much yang qi can be lost. It is best to moderate sexual activity in…
