Spring!

Its clearly Spring here in Seattle! Plants are growing inches a day and nature is busy. The deep rest of winter has given way to a flurry of activity. It is happening inside of us, too. If we are well and in balance it is natural to rise early, to lay plans for the coming year. We look into the future and see a clear vision for our lives. Its time to launch ideas that have been gestating. Favorite springtime activities include:

A visioning exercise - create a vision board - a collage of images that embody your dreams and plans for the future.

A deep spring clean, internally with a cleanse, or externally in your space.

Trying a new activity, joining a class, or stretching into something you have never done before.

Making decisions and moving forward in any areas of life where you have felt stuck.

Happy Spring!!

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle

Late Winter

It is late Winter here in Seattle.  The first bulbs are flowering and buds are beginning to swell on the trees.  All of a sudden the days are lengthening - in fact the rate of change speeds up this time of year - it is getting light faster!  You can feel that the energy is starting to change.  

There is caution needed this time of year.  Although things are changing quickly, it is still winter.  Professor Cheng, the great Chinese physician and T'ai Chi Master, used to caution that this is the time of year when many people get sick because they do not keep warm.  The earth is still quite cold.  Just sit down on the grass and you will feel it!  I often see people with the flu this time of year and sometimes ending up with pneumonia or a bad sinus infection.  It is time to use energy wisely.  Sleep as much as your body needs.  Be inside in the evening.  Let small projects begin to flower, but keep ambition in check.  Spring is coming, and with it plenty of energy and momentum.

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Questions for Winter

Winter is the season of stillness & inquiry. Time to go deep inside and reflect on the essence of life. 

Some questions to ponder at this time of year:

• What is the state of your reserves of energy? Do you have plenty or have you run yourself down? Take the time to build up your reserves if needed. Rest. Stay warm. Drink lots of water.
  
• What practices do you have in your life that create space for stillness and reflection?
  
• A mountain lake that freezes in the winter is storing its power - when it thaws it fuels that tremendous growth of spring. Are you aware of your personal power and how you use it?
• Do you manage your energy wisely?  Do you contain your energy well or do you spill it out in your life?  Are your boundaries appropriate, allowing you to hold your own energy and use it consciously?

Practices for Winter include:

• Sleeping as much as your body needs.
• Gathering with close friends and family - time to go deep with those who mean the most to you.
• Taking a conscious rest vacation or retreat.
• Eating cooked foods - warming stews and roasted vegetables.

For more information about living in harmony with the seasons and Five-Element Acupuncture see the Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Winter

Winter is a time of quiet and depth. 

Trees are stripped of their leaves; the activity is internal.  

Animals hibernate.  Perennial plants lose their branches and leaves, appearing to be dead. 

There is stillness.  Things are down to their essence, stripped to their core.  This is the time of darkness.

Mountain lakes and rivers freeze - storing their power to fuel the growth of spring.  

This is a time for internal work: containment, meditation, collection, and storage of energy. Now is the time to restore our reserves of energy, to gather strength for the year ahead.  Snowy days force outward activity to stop.  We must be indoors.  Once we let go of our attachment to cancelled plans, these days provide a much needed Winter rest.  Time to sleep, relax, restore..

For information about Five-Element Acupuncture see the Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.   

For information about Tai Chi see taichiseattle.com