Health
You Have the Ability to Heal Your Self: A Simple Qigong Practice to Support Immunity
One of the oldest and most famous of all qigong sequences is ‘Ba Duan Jin’, or ‘Eight Pieces of Brocade’, also known as ‘Eight Treasures’. This practice can be traced back to the Song dynasty, which lasted in China from 960-1279CE. During this period, China was noted as the most advanced civilization on earth and responsible for the invention of the mass printing of books, gunpowder, and the compass. General Yue Fei (a Song era military general, poet, and calligrapher) is often noted as the originator of the set of exercises that became Eight Pieces of Brocade as a way to keep his soldiers healthy and ready for battle.
Summer Self-Care: Support Your Wellness and Balance Your Fire Element
The arrival of Summer, The Great Yang according to Chinese Medicine, occurs on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at 10:58 A.M. EDT. This date is also known as the Summer Solstice, marking the astronomical first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Many times referred to as the longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice is actually the day of the most sunlight hours, as the Northern Hemisphere receives sunlight at the most direct angle of the year.
What Does Your Heart Desire?
The Heart as emperor lives well protected at the center of the nation.
No injury must come to the heart and as long as the heart’s function is intact, there is always hope of healing.
~~ Nei Jing Su Wen
Mixed Berry Crumble Recipe
Summer brims with berries! Whichever way you eat them – fresh or cooked – they are packed with nutrients and flavor. Baking the crumble and filing separately ensures a super-crisp topping. Berries are sweet, sour and astringent. They are rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, making them an excellent choice for countering inflammation and supporting circulation. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, berries nourish essence, hydrate the body and strengthen the blood.
Summer Loving: Tending to the Heart
Summer is a time of abundant energy, long sunshine-filled days and warmth. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), summer has many different associations that help define it. The element of summer is fire, the color of summer is red, the emotion of summer is joy and the governing organs are the heart and the small intestine.
