Qigong with Cris Caivano: March 24 - 30, 2025
Liver Qi and the Energy of Springtime
The world is Tao’s own vessel
It is perfection manifest…
…Allow your life to unfold naturally.
Know that it too is a vessel of perfection.
Verse 29 Tao Te Ching, Jonathan Star trans.
It can be hard to accept things as they are. Often, we are driven to change, hurry along, or completely ignore what’s we’re experiencing. This resistance to what is, is one way to define stress. Stress is at the root of many if not most illnesses, as we are only too aware. Springtime is a great time to learn how to transform stress into the healing, revitalizing energy we call qi.
In Chinese medicine, the season of spring is associated with the liver and the energy it holds to promote our resilience, flexibility, kindness, and creative vision. Our liver is responsible for the smooth flow of qi within us, just like sap rising and circulating through trees this time of year. Liver qi stagnation ---when the liver’s energy is blocked or stagnant--- leads to a host of issues including irritability, headache, muscle tension, insomnia; in other words, many of the symptoms of stress!
Back to the Tao Te Ching quote above: what if we train ourselves to trust what we’re feeling, and examine where we are pushing against what “is”? What if we “allowed our life to unfold naturally”? The concept that life is always moving toward balance and wholeness is a big one to grasp, but that’s what “going with the flow” means. When we stop the flow of energy, movement, change, adjustment, accommodation, or growth, well, that’s exactly when we run into problems. But the spring season is a great time to identify where things have gotten out of balance, and begun to create stress, irritability, pain, or frustration in our lives.
If this is happening in your life, here are some ways to help melt stress and promote healing, flowing qi within you:
Take time out to breathe and be in the moment. Repeat as often as necessary. :~)
Each day do something that you find relaxing.
MOVE! Walk, dance, play, get outside in the fresh air. Liver moves qi, and qi moves the blood, aka circulation.
Work acupressure points esp. Liver 3, Large Intestine 4, and Gallbladder 34.
And (of course!) use the creative envisioning energy of springtime to plan time to join our Qigong classes all week, all month, or whenever you can.
Schedule Notes:
Next free, live, in-person/ Zoom Qigong at Millbrook Library: Friday March 28, 10-11 AM. Open to all, and beginner friendly! Please contact millbrooklibrary.org to register and receive the link if you are joining on Zoom. Once you register, you will receive biweekly email reminders for future classes, too.
Free, in-person “Qi Gong for Spring” workshop: Saturday, April 5, 10:30-12 at the Hotchkiss Library, Sharon CT. Space is limited, so please register early by calling the library: (860) 364-5041