Baby, it’s cold outside! The wind is blowing and the snow is snowing! I feel like I am being slowly cryogenically preserved, just like baseball star Ted Williams and many others who chose to be frozen. It’s just that I am still alive.
I am visiting my family in Michigan again. They are a hardy lot of Northerners who are strong and adventuresome. Living in the North
takes a lot more preparation than my home in
Florida. Every crack in the house must be sealed
up tight to stop old man winter from blowing a
cold chill through every bone in your body. The
heating system has to be in great working
condition and lots of clothing needed to endure the
winter cold. I put on my long underwear, boots, hats, gloves and a scarf around my neck as soon as I get off the plane. I think my blood has thinned out too much on my sub-tropical diet.
You have to prepare
to stay healthy no matter if you are in the cold winter or in the Sun belt. I am here for one reason and one reason along. It’s Thanksgiving! Being with family and friends over the holidays is a very special time, a time to be grateful for everything and everyone in your life. People are quite friendly in Michigan. They always say hello even to strangers and, if you ever get stuck in the snow, there is always someone that will stop and offer to pull you out. You have to be friendly in the North for you never know if you’ll need some help. I think it goes back to the time when food was very scarce and you never knew if you were going to be able to feed your family through the cold winter. So, people stayed in touch with their family and their neighbors to make sure the entire community survived. One never knew when you would need a helping hand before spring came again.
Here is one of Aesop's fables translated by Laura Gibbs:
“Winter made fun of Spring and mocked her for the fact that as soon as Spring appears, nobody can keep still: some people go off to the meadows or into the woods, others like to gather flowers and lilies, or perhaps to gaze upon a rose as they twirl it in the air or to twine it in their hair, while some board ships and even cross the sea to meet different kinds of people. No one worries any longer about the winds or the great downpours of rain from the sky.
'Whereas I resemble a dictator or a despot,' said Winter. ‘I command everyone to look not at the sky but down toward the ground. I frighten them and make them tremble and sometimes I make them content themselves while having to stay indoors all day.’
Spring replied, ‘Indeed, that is exactly why mankind would be glad to get rid of you, whereas even the mere mention of my name is enough to bring them pleasure. By Zeus, there is no name more pleasant than mine! That is why, they think fondly of me when I am gone and give thanks when I appear again.’”
As winter gets stronger and stronger for the next three months, it’s a good time to get more sleep, increase your meditation, read, write and internalize, and conserve your energies. I will be practicing slow-moving Qi Gong forms like the Flying Crane Qi Gong http://rechargingqigong.com/flying-crane-qi-gong.html and be putting more attention on my internal practices of Nei Gong and Shen Gong. Winter is also an important time to watch your diet, take vitamins and stay
in the right headspace. I make sure that I get
a massage, a chiropractic adjustment or an acupuncture treatment at least every other week during the winter
months. I increase my internal exercises. I get a lot more
sleep and eat warmer foods like stir-fried vegetables, more soups and less cold foods like salads, and I stay away from cold drinks all winter.
Sometimes, we need encouragement to stay on a
program and not junk out for the holidays. You
can do it yourself but if you have a coach, that
can keep you on track mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is worth its weight in gold. I belong to a few groups and get coached
on my business, my health, and even my diet. The people who
belong to my coaching group are members of the Qi
Gong Inner Circle http://www.qigonginnercircle.com/. Every month, they receive a DVD on meditation, internal
exercises, diet, and much more to keep them in the best shape. Are you prepared for the
winter inside and out? Join us http://www.qigonginnercircle.com/ and be the best you can be, learn how to build your Qi stronger than ever, and get healthier and younger all winter long!
I wish you the best in your Health, Wealth and
Happiness!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Dr. Wu Dhi
— Last Edited by Sherwood S. Swartz, DOM, DMQ (China) at 2014-11-18 11:16:34 —
— Last Edited by Sherwood S. Swartz, DOM, DMQ (China) at 2014-11-18 11:17:51 —
— Last Edited by Sherwood S. Swartz, DOM, DMQ (China) at 2014-11-18 11:18:12 —
— Last Edited by Sherwood S. Swartz, DOM, DMQ (China) at 2014-11-18 11:22:39 —
