Winter Solstice Meditation

Today is the Winter Solstice. This is the time of maximum Yin, when the first seed of Yang begins to regenerate. Like the Summer Solstice and the Spring and Autumn Equinox, it is an important time for Qigong and Internal Alchemy (Neidan) practitioners.

Today is a day you will reap great benefits from your practice. Spend as much time meditating and doing Qigong as possible. Even the benefits of acupuncture and moxibustion are enhanced today.

The extreme Yin energy from the moon on the year's shortest day is the ideal time to absorb nature's Qi. It is often too cold to practice outside unless you have already conditioned yourself with special training.

However, you can solve this problem by simply visualizing yourself being outside.

You'll get the best results if you combine meditation and movement in your practice. For the Winter Solstice, you'll want to make certain that the movement you do it gentle, warming, and opening, such as the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle Tendon Changing Qigong). This will help support the seed of Yang that returns on the Solstice.

There are a couple of important additional points to note:

First, practicing on the actual day of the Solstice is considered to be most powerful... maybe 3-5x more powerful than any other day you can practice. This means that taking the extra effort to practice on the Winter Solstice will pay off dramatically,

Second, you can further multiply your benefit by doing extra practice on the three days before and after the Winter Solstice.

It's just that powerful.

The Winter Solstice is also an ideal time to start a new practice, such as the original form of Taijiquan.

Finally, if you love to eat, grab a bowl of Jiaozi - Chinese dumplings. The word Jiaozi refers to Yin and Yang exchange. Your belly with thank you.

Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous Winter.