Hi,

December 21st is the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The
Sun is at 270 degree on the ecliptic and the dipper is pointing at zi
(north) direction.

The 3-4 days before and after the Winter Solstice are characterized
with very poweful pozitive energy in Nature. This is a good time for
receiving energy from Nature, important time for more meditation and
relaxation. Even in a non-meditation state one can feel how the
energy and the blood in the body are very intensified as if in a
meditation state.

Now the qigong meditation is very qualitative, it gets easier and
faster to enter into the deep levels of subconsciousness. The
daoists, budhists and the qigong practitioners give a great
importance to the meditation during the Winter Solstice and they
utilize this period for more intensive cultivation. This is not
accidentally. At the Winter Solstice the yang energy starts to
increase (and the days start to get larger), while the yin energy
gradually starts to deminish (and the nights are becoming smaller).
Slowly and almost unnoticeably the heat in Nature and in the human
body is increasing from inside towards outside.

To a certain point, this is also related to the lunar month of rat
(zi), in which we are now. It is represented by the ¡°Fu¡±24 hexagram
in I Ching:

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Lao Zi says "Returning is the movement of Dao.¡¯Fu hexagram means
¡°Returning, Coming back" and it consists of 1 yang and 5 yin. The
past month (hai) was completely yin ¨C with 6 yin, but now a new
cycle is beginning, in which the first rays of the Yang energy start
to appear. In Chinese, this is called ¡°Yi yang chu" (¡°the
appearance of first yang¡±). That's why this is considered a great
time for cultivation.

During the different 24 solar segments of the Chinese calendar, the
qi is concentrated at different energy points (guan) of the small
heavenly orbit. Now, during the 15 days of the Winter Solstice
period, the qi is concentrated at huiyin energy point of the body as
well as in the lower dantian. Now it starts to activate especially on
the Dumai (the yang meridian) of the small heavenly orbit. At the
same time, the flow of energy can be felt much better and faster
throughout the whole body.

In the past times, the Winter Solstice in China was regarded as an
official holiday and the New Year's day. The scholars and
practitioners of methaphysics have done important forecasts namely
during the day of the Winter solstice.

With best wishes to all,

Annie Pecheva
Hanlin Academy

http://www.hanlin.hit.bg