following the Dao in winter

[Vero]

Hello to all,

I wonder, it would be wise to practice exercise in winter to protect from cold? Or the person should keep his energy in order to follow the Dao? or this will depend on what kind of exercise the persons practice?

Did the Masters of the past continue they practices normally (chi kung, kung fu, etc) during this time of the year ? or did they focus in something special in order to follow the Dao ?

Thanks in advance

Vero

[Ish]

Its definitely possible to use your inner energy to protect from cold.
Here's a somewhat extreme example in Wim Hof, he uses Tummo and cold conditioning methods to achieve the superhuman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N_9HZRVl-g

In his book he states how cold showers can improve your health and help making the cold your friend instead of an enemy.
His book is called "Becoming the Ice Man"

[Zach]

Chi Kung is excellent for greater resilience to the cold.

In my own experience, practicing outside is excellent for keeping warmer during the winter.

[Dorit]

It's a good idea to practice outside - but you should feel comfortable and not get cold at the extremities, neck and lower back. If you are wearing sports clothing , socks and shoes, a light cap and gloves, and maybe a shawl ("buff") you are fine outside.
If you feel cold: practice inside, and open a window.

My first two winters I could hardly practice outside - last winter I was outside till 0°C, and sometimes below (but without any wind).

[Zach]

Absolutely! Make sure you are warm before practicing outside in the cold, and yes, wear warm clothes. I have a slightly large down jacket that is very warm and feels almost like I'm wearing no jacket.

And I'll stress again that this is just MY experience...practicing outside in the cold seems like a great topic to ask questions of your Sifu.

A story: in 2009 I had the honor of hosting Sifu in Alaska. We travelled North with my sihing Anthony S. to a town where it was as cold as -20°C (a little below O° F) with strong winds at times. The locals were complaining of the cold, and yet Sifu appeared to be comfortable at all times. It was so cold that when we went to a coffee shop they gave us our orders of ice cream for free!

[Steve Clarke]

Hi Vero,

To practice chi flow all year round is following the Dao.

Your energy is flowing as well as keeping you warm, while preserving your energy, all at the same time.

Best Wishes,
Steve.

[Vero]

Thank you all for taking the time to answer my question

Best wishes to all

[Andrea]

Dear Vero

If I remember correctly you have done an Intensive Course with Sigung (Grandmaster Wong), thus just follow the Three Golden Rules to get the best benefits:

1. Don't worry
2. Don't intellectualize
3. Enjoy your practice

As the Chi Kung you are practicing is high-level Chi Kung, you enhance your Chi when practicing Chi Kung. Thus of course you should practice daily, independently of the season.
It would be different if you asked about physical exercise - such as jogging or going to the gym. For somebody who is already weak, these activities might not be the best choice. But when practicing high-level Chi Kung, as we are lucky to do, we can afford those activities even in winter, if we enjoy them.

As for training outside in winter - the 3 golden rules apply as well. If you enjoy training outside, then why not. I love to practice stance training from time to time outside - looking at a snowy landscape, glittering in the sun. But it's also nice to be inside with just a window open and I feel no need to go outside when the weather is not friendly. So go with the flow ...

As a side note. I used to feel really cold as soon as the weather went bellow 20°C and suffer when it went down bellow 13°C. Since practicing Chi Kung I actually do not feel cold anymore in winter, even when the temperature drops bellow 0°C... so to all the women out there who suffer from the cold in winter: Practice high-level Chi Kung .

Andrea