Need Some Endurance to Get Through the Winter?

Hi jake

I've been listening to a lot of folks complain that this is an intense winter here in the northeast, and we still have a few months to go.

In my classes, I have been teaching about the water element of winter according to traditional Chinese medicine, and all that it relates to: physically, emotionally, and spiritually, also known as Jing (physical) Qi (energy) and Shen (spirit).

During our yoga and qigong classes, we tend to our kidney qi, as the kidneys are the organ that energetically runs strongest in winter. The spirit (or consciousness) of the season is called Zhi (pronounced Jur), which refers to our willpower. And boy, do we need willpower these days to sustain this snow-filled, cold winter!

The amount of snow we have to shovel requires willpower! This testimonial from a student just came in, and describes how her strength and Zhi is getting her through:

“Thank you, Maggie Heinzel-Neel at Vitality Yoga Flow, for encouraging me to take the yoga teacher training classes.

I walked into my first yoga class at 59, not knowing what to expect. Seven years later, I come in after 90 min of shoveling A LOT of snow, and my body feels strong and energized. This would have crippled me 7 years ago. My back, arms, and legs would've been exhausted and sore. But today, I'm ready to move on to the next part of my day!”

The kidneys are known as our bio-batteries, so when they are charged up through specific yoga and qigong practices that we do in the winter, we have ample energy to get us through the cold, dark winter and/or difficult times.

Zhi doesn't only mean willpower; it also refers to charisma, magnetism, destiny, and our life‘s purpose. When Zhi is strong, the essence and purpose are strong. When our batteries are charged up, we have magnetism!

And what's interesting about the student who gave the testimonial above is that her purpose has shifted from being a retired math teacher to a yoga teacher, teaching chair yoga to people who have never done yoga and who don't move much physically.

She's told me that if she had started yoga earlier, she probably wouldn't have retired so young because of stress and fatigue, but that now, she's deeply moved by the impact she is having on others' lives.

Since she has pursued this new calling, she feels deeply fulfilled when she hears her chair yoga students say that their bodies don't hurt as much anymore, they're sleeping better, and they've even reduced the medications they take.

And she started this new calling and career in her mid 60's and has never felt better!

This is strong Zhi!

Hope to breathe with you soon.

From my heart to yours~

Namaste,

Maggie