WINTER - Five Element Qigong & Yoga Weekend Immersion
Register only on this email: peteraskew@evolutionary.yoga
Payment Details at the bottom of the page
Here in Portugal, Autumn has drawn to an end and we can feel the stillnessof the absolute Yin energy of the dark days of Wintercoming into being. The trees are barren , the wind is blowing stronger, there is a distinct chill in the air and the days are much shorter. This rapid change in temperature, light and atmosphere has a profound effect on us biologically and psychologically. By adjusting our lifestyle and attuning our energy to the season through Qigong & Yoga we can make the transition smoothly & enjoy its blessings .Winter supports our ability to nourish the spirit. Right now, every moment is a supreme opportunity to align our spirit with the new waves of cosmic energy that are coming in through relaxation and surrender.
This upcoming weekend workshop / Mini retreat will give us the tools we need to gently guide us through the season of Winter & to help us all cope with the exceptional challenges to our physical health & psychological wellbeing that face us all right now.
The Chinese character for the word Winter is an image of the sun locked up and stored in an upside down bottle. This is a brilliant way to demonstrate to us that the energy of Winter is about closing and storage. During this time, all of nature is in a state of stillness and hibernation. It is not the time to waste energy. It's the best time to conserve your energy and nourish your Qi. Qigong practices for Winter emphasise rest, stillness and inward reflection, sleeping longer hours, taking naps, self-massage and maintaining internal warmth throughout the organs especially in the Lower Dantian, your internal stove or cauldron under the sea
The upcoming weekend retreat contains a variety of practices designed to attune your energy to the deeply nourishing rhythm of Winter.
The blessing of WINTER is that is supports our ability to be with uncertainty, to resist fighting our destiny & to be comfortable with the fact that one day we will pass away returning to the stillness of the void from whence we came & truly rest in peace. Therefore this is an optimal time to release our fears of death, forgive old hurts, clear out what we don't need, calm our minds and support our ZHI spirit’ (the spirit of the kidneys which enhances our ability to have both a steady will to power & gentle ). The Qigong forms& Yin Yoga Postures for Winter focus on the Kidney & Urinary Bladder meridians. We will also learn helpful breathing exercises& other practices to enhance & support our vitality & essence and cultivate the courage to live with uncertainty
Physically Winter practices focus on the organs of the Water element: the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder.
In the Five Element Phases of Chinese Medicine, Winter expresses the Water element. In your body, the Water element particularly affects your Kidneys, Urinary Bladder, fluids, spinal cord, bone marrow and brain. The Kidney are considered the energy batteries of the body. They store the Yuan Qi, that we inherited from our parents& the reserve Qi, Jing Qi, which effects our general energy and sexual potency. When our Kidneys energy is weak, the whole body becomes weak and we cannot actualise our full potential or will power. The Kidneys also rule the Water element by regulating it's distribution and excretion through our body fluids, urine and the blood.
Because the Kidneys are so critical to our state of health &vitality, there are literally thousands of practices that focus on cleansing, nourishing and circulating the Kidney Qi. In the Winter, we pay extra attention to conserve our energy and focus on tonifying or nourishing Qigong practices.
Emotionally practices for Winter focus on transforming Fear, fright & Neuroses into trust, tranquility, love and willpower.
For ancient people to survive the Winter required a lot of tenacity It was a time of danger, scarcity and death. Even today with our modern luxuries, those who live in remote locations are familiar with the trials of snowstorms and the priority of warmth and resources. Therefore, the natural emotion that resonates with winter is fear or fright.
One of the unique principles of Daoist wisdom is that emotions are not stored in the mind, they are stored in the organs and tissues of our body. In particular, the emotions of fear and fright are stored in the Kidneys. As we work with the Kidneys in the practices, we will be naturally transforming fear into trust and tranquility. As a result of this transformation, the emotional virtue or spirit of the Kidneys that arises is zhi,meaning will power. When our will power is in a state of optimal balance we have a natural sense of confidence that we project into the world to promote peace and connection.and requires release. Often emotional imbalance in the Water Element arises from resistance to the flow of life, especially at times of transition or loss.
Spiritually, the season of Winter supports our ability to rest, rejuvenate, strengthen our inner world of dreams both sleeping & waking & to simply be in a state of repose & quietude..When we resist sleep & rest , the result is depletion & exhaustion & ageing. We also hold on to excessive internal qi through our unprocessed beliefs, judgements, experiences, traumas and emotions
Energetically, winter supports our ability to reflect inward and cultivate awareness.Winter teaches us to become still and awaken the awareness of our senses.
This transformational weekend will be relaxing, restorative& nourishing & in addition to learning lots of really simple but useful practices there will be informal lectures with lots of lifestyle & dietary advice that will help to further enhance your kidney health on all levels. We will trace meridian pathways & also learns some helpful acupressure points & gain a basic understanding of how we can incorporate the wisdom of five element theory into our everyday lives.
May the black Tortoise of Winter protect your Spirit!
Schedule
SATURDAY 23rd JANUARY
9 - 9.30 Breath Work
9.30 - 10.30 Morning Qigong
10.30 - Break
11.00 - 12.00 5 Element theory lecture
12.00 - 1.00 acupressure self massage
1.00 - 3.00 - Lunch & question time
3.00 - 5.00 - restorative & yin yoga
SUNDAY 24th
9 - 9.30 Breath Work
9.30 - 10.30 Morning Qigong
10.30 - 11.00 Break
11.00 - 12.00 - 5 Element theory lecture
12.00 - 1.00 pm - acupressure self massage
1.00 - 3.00 - Lunch & rest time
3.00 - 5.00 - Kidney optimisation, Empowerment affirmations & yin yoga
Venue - at home via Zoom
Cost - £55 per weekend per household ***** If your employment has been effected by current circumstances concessions are available, please email Me .
Dress Code - loose comfortable blue/ black clothing** In the season of winter blue/ black assist in the strengthening & purifying of the kidney organs.
Whats Included - 9 hours of practice, 2 hours of lectures, chance to ask any questions you may have relevant to the course & an e- booklet outlining the main practices.
Payment Details
Once we have received your payment all of the details will be sent to you to join.
Payment is via bank transfer
For the UK please use the details below.
36 The headrow
LS1 8EQ
Account Details..
Bank - Halifax (HBOS)
Act name- Miss S M Billington
Sort code- 111041
Act No- 00415168
Act name- Miss S M Billington
Sort code- 111041
Act No- 00415168
Paying from outside the UK
PT - Portugal
Bank 0035 Caixa Geral Depositos, SA
Account 0552009452200
Account Name Sue Margaret Billington
IBAN - PT50 0035 055200009452 200 83
BIC CGDIPTPL