But wait a minute. What else happens around this time of year? Hmm.
Maybe you’ve got some Christmas parties lined up? Do you think there’s a good chance you might eat and drink more over the next month than you did in the last three?
Quick question, do you find you get to relax and take things easy during the coming festive season? Or do your stress levels go off the radar buying presents, meeting friend’s friends (that’s not a typo) and family relations you don’t really get on well with?
And then there’s New Year’s eve! The ultimate booze fest and let’s burn the candle at both ends event on the planet.
So during the next 30 days or so the vast majority of people (especially here in the UK) will:
- Eat more
- Drink more
- Go out more
- Stay up more
- Spend more
- Stress more
- Burn the candle at both ends more
Do you know someone like this, maybe personally? Tis, the season to excess!
When you combine this with the cold weather that is on its way and apply it all to a system (say the human body) that was only just managing to operate in the first place, what do you think happens to your ability to stay healthy (or Yin/Yang harmony as it’s known in Traditional Chinese Medicine)?
Remember that when we mention Yin and Yang in relationship to our health – Yin represents our bodies natural ability to respond accordingly to our ever changing environment and Yang is everything that causes illness and dis-ease. With such an increase in Yang components, is it any wonder that for many people Yin is overwhelmed, Yin/Yang disharmony occurs and illness is rapidly on its way to you – otherwise known as “I’ve got the flu”.
So what can you do? I’m not saying you shouldn’t go out and enjoy yourself at this time of year, I know I’ll be out there having a whale of a time. Follow my top Super Seven tips for surviving the Christmas/New Year season without getting out of balance:
- Smile from your heart more – smiling from your heart is not exclusive to Qigong sessions. You can benefit from it whenever you need it. Feeling tired, feeling frustrated, feeling like you’d rather be anywhere than where you currently are? Just relax and smile from the heart and feel joy flood through you. You can think of it as a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual cleansing agent.
- Keep warm – you body uses a lot of energy to keep your internal organs warm. When you go out avoid walking around in the same clothes you’d wear during a heat wave! You know what I’m talking about.
- Make time to relax -Even just a few minutes relaxing yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually will leave you filling energised and refreshed. Remember to relax regularly, this way you’ll be able to do it when you need to. When it feels like you’re battling against life and that everyone is conspiring to make you late, frustrated or angry – relax. Let go, let the feeling wash over you, through you and away from you like a big wave. Feeling stressed, frustrated, angry etc, is a great signal. It’s your body’s way of telling you that you are “swimming against the tide”. Take a breath and let go.
- Avoid over indulging your system with food and alcohol – this is just plain old common sense. But it isn’t always that common! So enjoy yourself, just don’t over do it!
- Say NO to invitations you’re not excited about (go on, I double dare you!) – Sure it takes more courage to say no (what if I offend them?) but trust me the relief you’ll feel immediately after you’ve done it is well worth the minor discomfort. Time is relative, life is neither too short nor too long, it just is. However to spend your time engaged in activities that bring you no joy or benefit is a waste. The great equaliser in life is time. Whether you’re the richest or the poorest person on the planet one thing remains constant – the 86 400 seconds that make up a day. Spend them wisely.
- Remember that your practice should complement your life – not take it over! If you find that you are going to miss one or two Qigong sessions during the festive season due to travel, engagements or other “can’t get out of appointments”, don’t worry about it. Certainly don’t feel bad about it. That’s counterproductive. Just do your best with your practice.
- Remember you practice an elite art – I received a question from a new student asking me if it was still okay to go out partying and drinking now that she practiced Qigon. My reply to her is relevant here: “if you could do something before you began to practice Qigong you will still be able to enjoy it after. Probably more so!” You don’t have to be a monk to get the benefits of genuine high level Qigong (just make sure it’s Qigong you’re practicing and not Qigong form!).
- Be Generous - what you ‘put out’ comes back to you. Usually with interest added. So when the festive season really starts to kick in and things start to get crazy, spare a kind thought for those around you. They very likely feel the same way you do. This advice has been given by many great Qigong masters in history. Because our universe is intricately and organically interconnected, being kind and generous to others will result in kindness and generosity flowing back to you.
Hey, I just noticed that’s 8 Super tips!
Bye for now
Marcus James Santer
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
As usually a very extraordinary list of advise for the flu season.
Thank you for all you do !
Thanks for sharing. Very good reminders of what to do during this festive season. Many of us have not read this post before.
What good, practical, timely advice…Thanks!
Thanks Valerie for your comment. I never cease to be amazed at our ability to not see a cause and effect link between the festive season and an increase in coughs, colds and sneezes in January =)
And as always Homer, thank you for your comment.
Let’s hope that readers apply them =)