Remember the Flower Planter
After the Formation of Yin and Seed
(2024)/04/04
Chinese Traditional Festival
GRAIN RAIN
QINGMING
SEASON
The Qingming season brings warmer weather and lush vegetation, making it an excellent time for outings and connecting with nature. During this time, people often pay respects to their ancestors through tomb-sweeping and memorial ceremonies. However, many may feel sadness due to missing loved ones, and excessive grief can impact physical health. This is especially true for those with hypertension or coronary heart disease, who should learn to manage their emotions to prevent the recurrence of old ailments.
Spring is also a peak season for various mental health issues, and the tomb-sweeping during Qingming can easily lead to feelings of depression and sadness, triggering mental disorders. Therefore, it is essential to maintain stable emotions and a cheerful mood around the Qingming period.The 24 Solar Terms Guiding Method is one of the exercises that can help everyone maintain a pleasant mood. According to the solar terms, one should practice the “Qingming Bow and Arrow Pose” at this time. This movement combines softness and firmness, symmetry from left to right, and balance from top to bottom, involving bending and stretching, loosening and tightening, and turning, all interconnected to guide, regulate, and promote the circulation of Qi and blood within the body, ensuring smooth flow, thereby achieving the effects of soothing the liver, benefiting the gallbladder, and nourishing the lungs, while also harmonizing emotions and relieving stagnation, in accordance with the principles of spring health preservation.
Qingming Bow and Arrow Pose
The upper limbs pull apart symmetrically, resembling the action of drawing a bow and shooting an arrow, where the arrow represents the internal energy generated by the bow’s tension, ready to be released. In this pose, the hands are divided into the bow hand and the arrow hand, with the bow hand forming a tiger claw, and the arrow hand forming a palm, with the two palms bending and stretching, and the arms retracting and returning, corresponding to the opening and closing of the internal Qi mechanism.
One
Assume a seated or standing position, with both hands naturally resting on the knees, mind calm, and the whole body relaxed.
Two
Use the middle finger to lead both arms to stretch out to the sides, raising them to shoulder level while gradually turning the palms forward, focusing the intention on the tip of the middle finger.
Three
Continue to stretch both arms upward to above the head, crossing the wrists, with the left hand in front (palm facing right) and the right hand behind (palm facing left), then lift the head to look at the hands.
Four
Bend the elbows and lower the arms, bringing the palms to the chest while simultaneously rotating the arms outward, turning the palms inward, and returning the head to a neutral position, looking forward.
Five
Extend the fingers of the right hand forcefully, then bend them into a tiger claw, stretching horizontally to the right; simultaneously, the left palm turns palm down, leading from the little finger side to push horizontally to the left, gradually turning the palm to the left and the fingertips forward, while the head and neck turn left, looking at the left palm, resembling the action of drawing a bow and shooting an arrow, pausing slightly.
Six
Rotate the left arm outward, extending the left palm starting from the little finger, sequentially stretching (anciently referred to as “correctly tracing Tai Chi”), with the palm facing forward and the fingertips to the left; simultaneously, the right hand extends from the little finger, sequentially stretching (anciently referred to as “reverse tracing Tai Chi”), with the palm facing inward and the fingertips to the left, both arms pulling apart, resembling the action of drawing a bow and shooting an arrow, with fingers spread wide, force reaching the fingertips.
Seven
Extend the right arm downward and to the right side, forming a “one” shape with both arms, with both palms facing forward, then return the head and neck to a neutral position, looking forward.
Eight
Repeat steps 3 to 7, reversing the left and right directions, drawing the bow and shooting the arrow to the right.
Nine
Perform the above actions once on each side for one round, completing a total of 3 rounds.
END
