Author Archives: Ellen Ziskin

WINTER – The Way of the Water Element

Posted on by March 11, 2020

Winter is the season of culmination of all that has transpired in the year. With winter solstice, December 21 we mark the longest night,  the deepest yin, and the turn toward the new light. Time now to rest, reflect, renew.  Within a few months, Spring will come along to begin anew. Seeds lie quietly dense with stored energy, anticipating the upcoming cycle of new growth.

Season of Light

Meanwhile, as we harmonize with winter, we emphasize the yin principle if we allow ourselves to become more receptive, introspective, storing. This can be a time of profound healing at every level of one’s being – our deepest essence touched, restored. We cool the surface of the body and warm the core. Cold and darkness (less day-light) move us to seek inner warmth. It is a time to rest, to meditate deeply, refine one’s spiritual essence, and store physical energy. Yet, we must stay active to keep the spine and joints flexible and adaptable (tao y’in, qigong, t’ai chi practices are ideal).

This is the time of the water element; midnight blue/dark purple/black; kidneys and bladder, bones, bone marrow, reproductive organs, body fluids, ears. It is said that the kidneys open to the ears – meaning that hearing is related to the health of the kidneys, the organs most affected by wintertime. The ability to listen clearly is heightened in the cold, silent months. Keep the kidneys and adrenals (atop the kidneys) warm and comfortable. This includes keeping the feet warm – the first kidney point in the meridian being at the sole of the foot. This is a time to recharge our life batteries with loving care and appreciation.

In Balance the water energy of the kidney/adrenal function (energetically speaking) – one experiences strong healthy bones, knees, lower back, teeth; good hearing and ear health; healthy hair; urinary, sexual, and reproductive health; vibrant vitality / youthful aging; strong sense of personal will and gentle power (rather than a sense of excessive fear, stress, insecurity).

Renew your Gentle Power; Release Fear and Stress

Renew your Gentle Power; Release Fear and Stress

Food: Warm hearty soups, whole grains, and roasted nuts are the staples in this season. Dried foods, small dark beans, seaweed, sea vegetables, and steamed winter greens fortify the kidneys in winter. Cook foods longer, at low temperatures and with less water – the qi taking on a more sinking, dense, inward character. Salty (naturally salty or moderate use of sea salt) and bitter foods are appropriate for the season – lettuce, watercress, endive, escarole, turnip, celery, asparagus, alfalfa, carrot top, rye, oats, quinoa, and amaranth, chicory root (often found in grain ‘coffee’), miso, soy sauce, millet, and barley. Take in warm drinks, avoid cold. Drink less alcohol than usual, if any.

Self-Care in Action (what you can do):

  • Enjoy going within and experiencing your own infinitely deep source of gentle power (no need for force) and trusting in your natural state of being able to act will-fully, easily, joyfully in alignment with your purpose and passion.
  • Practices include: slow t’ai chi, qigong; ocean breathing qigong; spine rolling qigong; laughter qigong; 6 healing sounds qigong, inner smile qigong.
  • Play with preparing foods that support your well-being, rather than those that draw you into a need for re-cooperation.
  • Upon arising in the morning, sip 4 cups of warm water (yin/yang water, mix room temperature and heated water)
  • Meditate. This suggested focus will be particularly powerful on the winter solstice, December 21. Stand outside facing the north, the direction of the Water element. Visualize and feel the power of the north in the form of blue light qi. Gather this qi into your body through your inhalation, through your pores, through the door of life in your lower back, and through the crown of your head.
    As your body fills with blue light Qi, visualize that your body becomes transformed into translucent pure blue jade. Feel that you have absorbed the essence of the Water element and that you are recharged and renewed.
  • The holidays…since we live in the West, a time packed with holidays, practice moderation, so you can enjoy the holidays as well as listening to your inner nature, all of nature: Attend only the events/gatherings most important to you – choose foods/drinks that nurture and nourish you, stay only as long as feels good for you; Schedule quiet, alone time, rest.

Autumn/Fall -Metal Element

Posted on by March 28, 2020
visual natural forms of white to bathe and infuse the lungs with fresh Qi

Breath in fresh white Qi

Fall is the season of harvest, a time to pull inward and gather together on all levels, a time to store up fuel, food, and warm clothing, a time to study and plan for the approaching stillness of winter. Everything in nature contracts and moves its essence inward and downward.Easing Into Autumn Leaves and fruit fall, seeds dry, the sap of trees goes into the roots. This is the time of the Metal element, the lungs, skin, nose, color white, pungent flavor, balanced emotions of joy, harmony, courage. Imbalances such as grief, sadness, and despair can be transformed with our conscious attention to our patterns and practices.

Foods: We become aware of the season’s abundant yet contracting nature. Choose more astringent foods (e.g. spinach and radish) with heartier flavors. Cooking methods involve focused preparation to supply greater energy required by cooler seasons. The essence of food is received through the sense of smell, with baked or sauteed dishes – concentrated foods to thicken the blood for winter. In general, cook with less water, lower heat, for longer periods of time. Include more sour (a little goes a long way) foods such as sourdough bread, sauerkraut, olives, pickles, leeks, aduki beans, salt plums, rose hip tea, vinegar, cheese, yogurt, lemons, limes, grapefruit, and the sour varieties of apples, plums, and grapes. To counter dryness, add a small amount of fresh soy products, spinach, barley, millet, pear, persimmon, loquat, seaweeds, almond, sesame seed, honey, eggs, and a little salt in cooking moistens dryness.

Connecting with the Earth. As we root our feet and open to receiving the earth’s nourishing energies, be mindful that the ground is becoming cooler now. Shoes should be warn when standing on cool ground. This includes indoors. Enjoy bare feet when the day is warm and the earth has been warmed by the sun.

What you can do:
Pressing back palms qigong; qi self massage – tapping the thymus gland, SSSSS healing sound, playing the Tiger movement.

Access your inner courage, integrity, happiness - Tiger frolic with healing sound

Access your inner courage, integrity, happiness – Tiger frolic with healing sound; qi self massage lung tops/cross forearms over heart.

Don’t know these practices yet?

Please join us at qigong and /or tai chi class.

SPRING Is In The Air – The Wood Element

Posted on by March 11, 2020

A time of new beginnings; birth. We notice the plants pushing upwards, awakening and refreshed after their winter hibernation. The sun rises earlier and we naturally awaken earlier. There is an energy of activity and fresh new life all around us – the energy of spring. This season correlates with the wood element ; the color green; liver/gall bladder; eyes; tendons; balanced natural state of passion, kindness, ease (imbalanced state being excessive anger, dissatisfaction, frustration, shouting).

We see green all around us – this tender new life nourishes our soul through our eyes. There is less desire to eat, as the body naturally cleanses itself in spring. Cleansing is not only residue from heavy winter foods, but of excess desire and pent up emotions of dissatisfaction, impatience, anger, and accompanying short sightedness. This season may bring clearer vision; new ways of seeing things. We are encouraging quickness, more rapid movement, more outward activity. Think of a deer leaping and bounding (such movement is governed by the quality of the tendons). A vital liver supports a calm, smooth, soothing way of being – body and mind; decisiveness; sound judgment; leadership capability; ability to bring one’s passion – ideas, creativity, projects out into the world.

Wood element and FOOD and food preparation:

This is the season to clean the liver and gall bladder. Simple food preparation, including raw and sprouted foods may be emphasized. A little bit of such foods can bring in the qualities of cleansing without too much cooling and/or overworking digestion in those who are in a delicate or re-cooperative state.

Select foods reflecting the yang, ascending and expansive energy of spring. These include young plants, fresh greens, sprouts (including wheat and other cereal grasses). Minimize intake of salty and heavy foods, particularly animal products.

Create your own inner spring by selecting sweet and pungent foods such as honey/mint tea, pungent herbs – basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, caraway, dill, bay leaf; complex carbohydrates which are primarily ‘sweet’ flavor (increased by sprouting) – grains, legumes, seeds; young beets, carrots, and other sweet starchy vegetables; raw onions and garlic (to rid the body of parasites).

Include raw food as appropriate. When cooking foods, cook at higher temperatures, with shorter cooking time than winter preparation. If oil is to be used, quickly sauté. When cooking with water steam lightly or briefly simmer foods.

What you can do:

Play Six Healing Sounds Qigong – emphasizing balance and harmony of the whole self, with special attention on the “shhhh” of liver.

Give more focus to playing Qigong practices for the eyes. Play t’ai chi with special attention on the tendons; your ability to feel springy like a deer. If you haven’t done the qigong practices in a class, ask me for details.

Though it is getting warmer outside, keep your neck warm (eg. Wear a scarf), and protect yourself from wind, especially after playing qigong/t’ai chi.

Enjoy getting out in nature; stop and ‘smell the roses’.

Explore your creativity and the projects you have been dreaming about; let them out into the world –the world is waiting for you to authentically, fully express yourself.