Solway Shiatsu & Qigong

21/12/2025

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🌑 WINTER SOLSTICE - 21 DECEMBER❄️
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On December 21, we enter Dongzhi 冬至, the Winter Solstice — the longest night of the year. In Taoist philosophy, this moment is a profound energetic turning point. While the outer world rests in darkness, the inner world begins its quiet renewal 🌙
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At Dongzhi, Yin energy reaches its deepest stillness, and from this stillness Yang is reborn — gently and invisibly, from within.
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Ancient Taoist masters taught that this day marks the true beginning of the inner year, when life force returns not from the sky, but from the body itself — from the kidneys, the heart, and the deep reservoirs of Chi.
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As Master Mantak Chia teaches: “At the Winter Solstice, life force turns inward to renew itself. This is where true cultivation begins.” 💬
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☯️ Winter Solstice Taoist Practice
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Small Heavenly Orbit (Microcosmic Orbit)
This classic Taoist meditation is traditionally practiced during Dongzhi to support energy circulation, warm the internal organs, and awaken inner light ✨
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Begin by sitting comfortably with an upright spine. Gently touch the tongue to the upper palate to connect the energy circuit. Smile inward.
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Place both palms over the navel and breathe slowly into the lower abdomen, feeling warmth gather in the Lower Tan Tien, the primary center of Chi.
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With each inhalation, guide the energy upward along the spine — from the perineum through the sacrum to the crown.
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With each exhalation, allow the energy to flow down the front of the body, passing the throat, heart, and solar plexus, returning to the navel.
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Move slowly and without force, as if riding a soft wave of light 🌊
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After 6–9 rounds, rest your awareness in stillness and feel the quiet rebirth of Yang within Yin 🌕
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☯️ Continue Your Winter Cultivation with Master Chia
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If you feel called to deepen your Taoist practice during this powerful season, you are warmly invited to continue your journey at Master Chia’s Winter Classes on January 8 - February 3, 2026
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🌐Online LIVE with replay or in Tao Garden Resort, Thailand 🇹🇭
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Join Live Online👉🏻 https://www.mantakchia.com/event/winter-retreat-2026-online/?utm_source=facebook
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🔥Join in Thailand 👉🏻 https://www.mantakchia.com/event/winter-retreat-2026-taogarden/?utm_source=facebook
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May this Winter Solstice return light to your body, warmth to your heart, and clarity to your path🙏

18/12/2025

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Every December, the world praises Santa Claus for his remarkable productivity, impeccable logistics, and supernatural endurance. Children imagine a jolly man riding through the midnight sky, but few realize the truth: none of this would be possible without Qigong. Yes, the same gentle, flowing practice often found in quiet parks at dawn has been steadily powering the North Pole for centuries.

According to those familiar with the operation (mainly elves who cannot keep a secret), the workshop begins each morning with a group Qigong session. Long before toy production starts, the entire crew gathers between the peppermint-striped support beams for what Santa calls "reverse-aging warm-ups." The elves take this very seriously. With their tiny frames and astonishing output quotas, smooth qi flow is nonnegotiable.

Santa leads the session in full traditional attire—minus the hat, which he removes respectfully before practice. His beard, seasoned by centuries of winter wind, lifts slightly with each inhale. Observers say that when he sinks into standing postures, his belly settles like a peaceful red mountain, radiating warmth powerful enough to keep frost off the windows.

The real magic, though, is in the holiday variations the North Pole team has invented. There is Opening the Holiday Spirit, Snowflake Floating Down, and a crowd favorite, Reindeer Tail Shakes to Dispel Stress. Santa practices Belly-Laugh Breathing daily, a technique that produces the deep "Ho Ho Ho" resonance children worldwide know so well.

Mrs. Claus joins whenever she can slip away from the confectionery department. Her role is essential. Candy cane production, she explains, is delicate work requiring the steadiness of mind cultivated through Qigong. "If your qi gets tangled, your stripes get crooked," she says. She often leads the meditation portion, encouraging everyone to visualize a calm winter night, a gentle snowfall, and a workshop where no one misplaces a hammer or accidentally builds a dollhouse upside-down again.

The benefits are undeniable. Elves report fewer workplace mishaps, smoother teamwork, and dramatically less cookie-related burnout. Reindeer handlers say the animals respond especially well after Qigong mornings, displaying improved focus and fewer mid-air loop-the-loops during training. Even Rudolph's nose glows more evenly when his qi is balanced.

Most impressively, Santa claims that Qigong is what keeps him spry enough to complete his global mission in a single night. "It's not magic," he insists. "It's breath, intention, and a lifetime of not skipping practice."

So the next time Santa's sleigh streaks across the winter sky, remember: behind the twinkling lights and cheerful laughter lies a disciplined Qigong routine shared by the most unlikely wellness community on earth. And if Santa can make time for it, perhaps we can too—without needing to dodge reindeer on the way to class. 🙂

01/12/2025

Are you feeling under the weather ?
This might help!

The points used in Shiatsu, Acupressure and Acupuncture exist among a network of meridians, which are basically the highways on which Qi flows throughout the body.
Sometimes pressure is needed at these points to clear up blockages and help ensure a healthy, balanced and harmonious flow of energy through the meridians.

12/10/2025

**** New places available in Allonby Class ***
Wanting to take better care of your health but looking for a more gentle, low impact exercise? Then Qigong might be just what you've been looking for.
Qigong ( similar to Tai Chi with slow moves and gentle breathing, like a moving meditation) but by using the body's own resistance it builds strength, especially in the legs and core, improves balance and calms the mind.

Allonby Village Hall Tuesday 6-7pm
Thursday mornings 9.30 - 10.30 am.
Drop in £5

Most of the moves can be adapted to a chair based routine if standing for an hour is too challenging.
Drop me a comment if you are interested.

12/10/2025

Shiatsu available in Allonby! A deeply relaxing massage that uses acupressure and lovely stretches, works the same way as acupuncture but without needles and encourages a healing response from your own body. In a lovely garden room, equipped with a thick, comfy heated futon to lay on, you are fully clothed and tucked up under a blanket. In Winter, evening appointments are all done by magical candlelight.
I've been giving Shiatsu now for 10 years, I completed 3 years of training and over 1000 hours of practice to gain my Diploma with the extra assurance that I have to take part in regular training to remain a part of the Shiatsu Society UK .
Look me up on Solway Shiatsu & Qigong and see what people have to say about how Shiatsu has helped their injuries, chronic conditions and mental/physical wellbeing.

Shiatsu Society UK Video: Get in Touch with ShiatsuThis video introduces Shiatsu and demonstrates the extraordinary power of nurturing touch. Use this valuab...

05/08/2025

Your legs are literally training your brain.

Researchers followed 324 identical twins for 10 years and discovered the twins with stronger legs consistently had better brain function a decade later, despite sharing identical DNA.

The stronger twin had more gray matter, larger brain volume, and significantly less cognitive decline. Just a 40-watt increase in leg power led to an 18% improvement in brain performance, equivalent to being 3.3 years younger cognitively.

Here’s why this matters: your legs contain your largest muscle groups and demand the most oxygen. When you strengthen them, you force increased blood flow and growth factors directly to your brain.

Simple activities like walking, taking stairs, or bodyweight squats triggered these brain-protective effects. Your legs are actively preventing brain atrophy and promoting new neuron growth.

While you can’t change your genes, you can change your leg strength. Start simple!! Your neurons are counting on it.

DOI: 10.1159/000441029

24/07/2025

10/07/2025

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Another article in our "organ" series:
The Large Intestine in Chinese Medicine: More Than Elimination

In Western medicine, the large intestine is a well-defined anatomical structure called the colon. Its role is largely mechanical. TCM views the Large Intestine as more than a tube for waste, as it shares a deeper symbolic and functional relationship with the lungs.

See article at: www.qi-journal.com/3427

05/07/2025

Guess what? It's Tai Chi/Qigong!
https://www.cmu.fr/en/neither-walking-nor-running-harvards-top-recommended-activity-to-keep-people-over-60-fit-10981/

14/06/2025

The Three Treasures of Qigong are Jing (essence), Qi (energy), and Shen (spirit). They are considered to be the essential energies that sustain human life and well-being.

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Jing is the foundational energy that is passed down from our parents and ancestors. It is the source of our physical strength, vitality, and reproductive health.

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Qi is the vital energy that flows through our bodies and powers all of our bodily functions. It is also the energy that we use to move, think, and feel.

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Shen is the spirit or consciousness that animates us. It is the source of our creativity, intuition, and wisdom.

The Three Treasures are interconnected and interdependent. When all three are in balance, we experience optimal health and well-being. However, when one or more of the Treasures is depleted or imbalanced, we may experience physical, emotional, or spiritual problems.