Seasons

[ZIM]

Hi.

This question is especially directed towards those who practice outdoors. "How does seasonality affect your practices?"

I hadn't given this a great deal of thought... I just do my regular routines and try to eat seasonal... but I was reading up on this subject recently. Apparently 5 seasons [no kidding...:rolleyes: always 5] with indian summer being one of them. The idea was to practice different kinds of qiqong throughout.

Anybody do this? Only thing I've noticed is breathing can be labored in summer heat/smog.

[bodhitree]

I dont change my practice, the seasons change it for me. I hate the winter because there is barely enough room to practice in my house, there are low ceilings (so certain reaching up qigong movements I can't do also little room for practicing forms).

I have been trying to change my diet more to the season. I dont know how to change qigong practice. I try to eat warming foods in the winter and cooling foods in the summer.
It is a topic I would like to know more about.

[Repulsive Monkey]

I take it you weren't reading a traditional chinese literature when you cam across freference to an Indian Summer???
For the Cinese thought there is Winter, Spring, Summer, Late Summer and Autumn.

However Late Summer has no connection with an Indian Summer whatsoever.
Traditionally though there are certain exercises one should practice based upon what season you are in as they all hace differenet characteristics, and therefore one should perform in league with them too, traditionally speaking.

[ZIM]

I don't think you can really help but eat seasonally, in truth. But soem just eat more seasonally than others, or are more concious of it, whatever. My favorite Western variation of the idea is slow food (http://www.davidscooking.com/slowfoodmanif.html).

WRT "Indian Summer"- that was my idea of what was being referred to by 'late summer'- you are correct. I get the impression that this is not a 'typical' approach becoz it just isn't mentioned alll that much. At least as a method of division into different practices. Maybe this is becoz of the tempo of modern life as opposed to older times, I can't say.

TonyM.- I assume you meant Asian Indian, not American Indian, here? I should look at that for more info, perhaps.

[looking_up]

I've been meaning to get this book for a long time:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1587611422/qid=1058544260/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-0286783-3067147?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

I think the general advice in this book could be interepretted for your qigong practice.


Screw it, I'm ordering it now.