Yang Qi Reemerges, A New Year Begins
It might seem strange to have a picture of an icy twig for the Qi node named “Spring Begins,” especially since the name in English comes with lots of expectations of flowers and growing plants and abundance that will come later in the year. But each season in the Chinese calendar begins when the environmental aspects of the previous season recede enough to show the next emerging layer. In this case, the might of Yin Qi reached its zenith in December during Winter Solstice, and though Winter has often felt colder and heavier since then, the truth is that Yin’s expansion after Solstice is driven by the momentum of her growth and not by the potency of her qi. By the time we reach this Qi node, that momentum has been exhausted and Yin qi begins to recede back toward is dark, moist, and nourishing core. As it does so, the retreat exposes the tiniest aspect of Yang qi that has been hibernating deep within the enveloping Yin. This exposure causes Yang to stir and marks the change in the season and setting the stage for Yang’s growth and eventual dominion over Summer.
A NOTE ON THE WEATHER:
Most people associate the seasons with the weather. It’s a totally natural thing to do and often the weather corresponds nicely to certain qualities of the season. But weather is only an aspect of cosmological qi. It is a tangible manifestation of seasonal qi but is not the qi itself. If you live in a cooler climate and you use weather as your primary guide to seasonal shift, then it would be impossible to imagine that Spring begins in February when everything is still covered in feet of snow. Similarly, it was hard for folks in warmer climates to internalize the retreat and cold of Winter solstice when, in many places, they were wearing shorts and flipflops at Christmas. Weather is only an aspect of the qi, not the qi itself. With an increased awareness of this cycle, you will be able to feel the changes in the season irrespective of the temperature or humidity outside and the attitudes and conduct that embody that season will feel increasingly natural even if its 75 degrees outside in December.
Conduct During this Node
Don’t get too excited: While Yang qi has reemerged, it is an infant — weak and dependent on the nourishing presence of Yin. Even though there is a bit more light in the evenings and even though you might feel the slightest lift in your step, it is not the time to start training for your marathon. You can begin to plan your Spring garden, buying your seeds for sowing. You can start to organize your fitness goals for summer and imagine what the training regimen might look like. You can watch some videos about that new hobby you though about over the Winter. But at its core, Spring Begins is just a marker along the annual cycle. One that tells us that change is coming but is certainly not here yet. Going to be early, slow starts to the morning, easy activity, avoiding sweating, and all the usual Winter conduct remains but you can start to get up in the morning ever so earlier.
Renew social connections: much of winter is about retreat and restoration which is often done in small family groups or alone. It was seasonal to minimize social interaction and to not over-extend and so your social interactions are at their most infrequent at the end of Winter. Now it is time to slowly reinvigorate those connections. Have a few friends over for a simple dinner together. Go to a play or a music event with a few people. Start to rekindle the interconnectivity that will help encourage the growth of Yang over the coming. Remember to take it easy though. Baby steps.
Environmental qi is now best around 3am (which emphasizes the continued importance of sleep) and physical activities should remain indoors where it is warm and free of drafts.
What to Do:
Continue with easy, non-exertive exercise
Plan your Spring garden. Buy some seeds.
Crack into your stored pickles from the Fall to access some of that delicious Summer vitality.
Call your friends for a casual dinner hang
Check in with your body and feel the very earliest shift toward lightness
Feel the excitement of the coming Yang but resist the urge to run out into the cold and do too much.