Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is Bronwyn.
I am recording this on themorning of the spring equinox
and wanting to talk a little bitabout nature and the chi of
this time of year and how we canhave appropriate conduct to
harmonize our energy with whatis happening in the botanical
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world and the cycles of theseasons.
There is a huge change going onaround us in nature.
You can see this in the buds ofthe trees and the insects that
previously were undergroundduring the winter have now
emerged above ground.
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This bursting forth with lifefeeling is well represented by
the Chinese brush paintings offlowering tree art, such as plum
blossoms, and taking a walk inmy garden yesterday I was just
amazed at all the little buds onthe trees and the greenness
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everywhere.
The bursting forth of life isthe young energy returning.
It is that fantasy of the fruitthat is to come from looking at
the buds on the flowering fruittrees.
A healthy lifestyle includesliving and acting in harmony
with what we are seeing aroundus, the seasons and cycles of
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nature.
So with spring there is anamazing opportunity to replenish
ourselves.
The season itself representsthe energy of fertility, newness
and growth.
As we see nature flourishingeverywhere around us, equinox in
itself mean that yin and yanghave become equal and this
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delineation indicates a specialkind of harmony that does not
mean the same amount per se, butpoints more to a state of
equality and quality.
Spring Equinox represents therefresh or rebirth quality of
the ongoing relationship betweenyin and yang.
Yang is initiating thiscreative force and yin is
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nourishing it.
So spring is a time ofrecalibration after the long
winter months spent hunkereddown and in our internal world.
This new energy, cognitively,is not very intelligent.
It's more physicallyintelligent on a chi level.
It doesn't bring forth newideas very coherently.
It's more of a recalibrationprocess after the long months of
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winter.
So as we transition out ofwinter we probably notice that
the lethargy is starting todissipate.
Yang is now a little bit morestable and in ancient China,
during the Tang dynasty, theemperor now chose which sun was
to be crowned prince duringspring equinox.
I should just pause and saythat most of this is coming from
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my teacher, lu Ming, who was anamazing adept Taoist adept and
lineage holder for thistradition.
During this time we can choosethe way that the emperor chose
to crown the prince.
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We can choose which projects wewant to devote the rest of the
year to.
So if we've not cultivatedself-knowledge during winters,
we propose, this process can bedifficult, as we won't be in
touch with our deepest desires.
The knowing of our path comesfrom the quietness and stillness
that we cultivate during thewinter months.
So during the winter Yang goesinternally and our inner world
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becomes very active.
Now Yang is climbing out intothe external world with this
brightness and the approachingspring.
So during the spring equinoxthere's an adaptability quality,
having gone through the darkwinter, getting Yang to recover.
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Here it does recover, andthat's when the magic happens,
when the confidence returns.
This confidence is not based onhard work, but it's based on a
response to the spring.
So through appropriate winterconduct, we have the ability to
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cultivate spring properly, andnow there is a great deal of
fertility available for us.
Cultivating our Yin over thewinter means we now have enough
energy to nourish the, the bigbursts in creativity, that
bringing forth of new ideas,dreams and visions that have
been cooking in the winter nowcome to fruition.
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Actually, this is the samereproductive energy that keeps
us from premature aging.
In this way, this reproductivefertile energy can be used for
fertility Firstly.
Secondly, to prevent prematureaging and replenish ourselves,
and thirdly, for creativity andbringing forth other kinds of
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fertile projects that are readyto happen.
So appropriate conduct Duringthe spring means that of modesty
and food and drink, readingbooks, listening to music.
Discipline is made a lot easierwithout Ian's winter senility.
So if you're having the habitthat you're wishing to change or
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to start fresh exercises, thisis a fantastic time to do that,
because that old, lethargic,senile energy of the winter is
now left and there's a freshnessand an inspiration to that
supports us starting new ways ofbeing in the world.
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As far as kids go, at springequinox, the yin and yang are
still immature, which makeseducation very important.
So when yin is on the risethere can be a tendency towards
upbursts, tendons, anger,pushing on boundaries.
This is really a time to trainyang properly and to cultivate
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respect.
Appropriate behavior is reallymodest and well educated and
diverse, rather than chaotic andout of control.
So at this time of year yangcan be managed, because it's
still immature.
If we let it mature withoutproperly educating it, the
energy will be very difficult tohandle if we wait until July.
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So this is an important timenot to indulge our children but
rather educate them aboutrespect and listening.
If we don't assert thoseappropriate boundaries with
children now, by summer theycould be out of control,
demanding and otherwiseunmanageable.
And education in this contextcan also be expressed through
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divination and strategizing.
It's a wonderful time of year toseek counsel and advice, as,
the immature yang is prone towasting energy and fluffy
fantasies, we look at thoseflowering trees and think about
the fruit that comes withoutactually being grounded,
necessarily, and appreciatingthe simplicity of what is now so
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, even though our ability tofocus is back online, it's
appropriate to augment thisfocus with sage wisdom and
ancient philosophy Yang needs tobe managed.
So get involved in thepredisposition of your fate.
Consult the yiqing, get outyour tarot cards, pay a visit to
your local shaman, seek wisecounsel, consult astrologers and
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fortune tellers, lean into theadvice of your trusted sages,
and it's a great time of year toread old philosophical texts.
Gatherings this time of yearcan be light and playful.
The crows and ravens we seeflying about get playful in this
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spring and their frivolousnessis symbolic of the sun's return.
During the Tang Dynasty'sspringtime court entertainments
involved recitation of poetryand the playing of new music,
especially poetry about love.
So play and listen to new music.
Let your hair down, wear green.
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This is not the time forspeeches or formality.
It's a time for informalgatherings with lots of music
and poetry and newness andrebirth Practice.
This year, the best time topractice is at dawn, with the
rising sun.
The qi available at this timeof day is extremely replenishing
.
You know those moments whenyou've been awake at dawn in a
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forest or out with a view by theocean.
It's super magical.
It's still damp outside, andespecially if you've had a lot
of rain, but the sun shining onthat dampness is provocative.
This is the yang shining on theyin.
The dew is not hanging aroundall day, but it's starting to
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move upwards as the sun rises,and this is what our energy is
doing as well.
It's not stagnant anymore, butit's becoming vital that turbid
yin is starting to dissipate.
General counsel for spring isto rise at dawn, face east for
your practices and greet therising sun.
A simple practice is to imagineyou're inhaling the light and
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the dew and bring it down intoyour lower dan tian.
As you exhale dry, stale, dustyair, inhale the morning light.
As far as exercise goes duringthis time of year, it's best to
practice a steady amount ofmodest exercise rather than
large amounts or even smallbursts of strenuous exercise.
Making ourselves tireddisperses the yang.
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We want to increase ourexercise after the winter, but
not to a point where we aresweaty and gasping for breath.
If we tire ourselves out, wedrive off yang when we get a
second wind.
The second wind comes from toodeep inside us and it depletes
that yang.
So we only want to exercisesurface yang rather than delving
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into any sort of deep yangarousal place For food.
We still could have a littlebit of that winter food leftover
, that yin nourishing food.
But eating food that is freshand matures quickly is also
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indicated in nature.
In the botanical world there'snot yet much to harvest during
the spring equinox.
We only have green herbs andasparagus and fresh green onions
.
So incorporating these freshherbs into our meals is yummy
and flavorful and we can bringthat spring freshness into our
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bodies in this way.
Another great option is stirfry, as we can add those fresh
greens and you can even make apaste with them.
Go into the forest and collectsome of that miner's lettuce,
any of the fresh springing upplants that are edible and make
them into a kind of pesto.
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That's a way to preserve them.
I've noticed in my garden thatthe oregano and the parsley, the
zaatar, the thyme are all upand added already and these are
great digestive herbs that wecan use.
So they have the culinaryinfluence of enhancing digestion
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and being flavorful, but theyalso have this freshness, young
sprouting chi that we can bringinto our bodies.
In the treatment of chronicillnesses there emerges new
options with the freshness ofspring.
The quality of chi takes chargeof the treatment, so,
especially with younger patients, they'll have an amazing
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opportunity for recovery.
At this time Everything ismoving and the environmental chi
is supporting this idea of thechannel chi not being lethargic.
If you're practicingacupuncture, insert the needles
this time of year to go alongwith the flow of the channel
this.
There's a tug.
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This way, even if we're tryinga perpendicular insertion,
there's a way where the needlejust wants to go with the
channel, even if it's onlyslightly.
I'm going to end with somequotes from the Tongxu.
These are coming from Lu Ming'sbook the Way of the Three
Treasures and that he publishedin 2008.
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At the spring equinox, the yinand yang are equal.
A green yang arises and a shakyyin submits.
The day and night are equal inlength.
This chi node marks with thefour annual pivots that rectify
the annual chi.
In lunar calendar terms, thisis spring midpoint.
A princess crown During thischi node.
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The best chi is available atdawn and you should practice
neigong, facing due east andgreet the dawn.
Imagine that you inhale thetrue yang of the sun from over
the horizon as the light appears.
Have it enter your body andrefresh all your organs,
channels and joints.
You will notice that all thewinter's lethargy is gone and if
you have been cultivatingspring yang is no longer shaky,
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plains and actions are enhanced.
It is an ideal time forin-depth study, long walks and
consulting with diviners andastrologers.
Focus and go forward.
Do not forget the advice of thesages.
Current and ravens are suncreatures.
In Chinese tradition, they willbe rascally now all through
spring and summer, and thisquote is from the neiging.
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The three months of spring areTime of birth and pervasiveness.
Grasses sprout and trees bud.
All living beings and thingsflourish.
In the new dynamic Chi thatopens up and outward, people,
like all phenomena, are included.
To be synchronized with theseasonal Chi, one should retire
when night turns dark and riseearly in the morning.
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At dawn, one should present agong in the courtyard, wearing
loose clothing and untied hair.
One should breathe in thefreshness of spring Chi.
Since spring is the season ofrenewal, one must not interfere
with new growth.
One should offer one's Chi tohelp the new and weak survive
and not kill.
One should not give, takereward or and not punish,
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disabay the natural Chi mandatesof spring and it will harm the
liver, the wood, the organ ofspring.
If one does not absorb thefreshness of spring, one will
contract the cold syndromes inthe summer.
Without spring Chi one isunable to adapt to summer.
This is called inadequateofferings of freshness.
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And lastly, from the ZhangZhishan Yin Chu Spring days
after waking in the morning,urinate, wash your hands, rinse
the mouth and brush your teethWith unfastened hair.
Knock your teeth and stroll tothe lower end of the hall to
meet the purest dew, receive thejing of heaven, drink one cup
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of water.
These are the methods toenhance harmony.
Enter the palace from eveningto greater midnight, otherwise
harms the Chi.
Entering the palace in thiscontext probably means sexual
intercourse.
To summarize, the spring timeis the ideal time for education,
renewal and initiation.
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Try something new, take a newcourse, meet new people, eat
fresh food.
And this is the time when theresolutions of the new year
should be instigated.
If you don't do that, summercould be arduous and chronic
patterns of illness start toharden again.
Enjoy yourself, read poetry,make love and make art and meet
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new people.
This is Bronwyn McHalesspeaking on the Spring Equinox.
If you'd like to find out moreinformation about my offerings,
please visit wwwrakiyogacom.
That's R-E-I-K-I-Y-O-G-Acom.
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Happy Spring.