Jeanne Hampshire Life Spheres

Jeanne Hampshire Life Spheres Taoist Practices & Ceremony, Meditation, Qigong, Art, Music, Healing Sound, Soundscapes & Astrology

* 'Sacred Journeys' - Season-themed weekend courses which harmonise the energy pathways of the body in beautiful landscapes and sacred sites of the South West.
* Health & Well-being and Early Intervention tailored courses for individual pupils/groups in schools, families, carers, community groups and self-help groups.
* Artwork and music for sale

Thank you again, Tao Blog - and it’s been so inspiring to see the small group of Buddhist monks in their ‘Walk for Peace...
01/02/2026

Thank you again, Tao Blog - and it’s been so inspiring to see the small group of Buddhist monks in their ‘Walk for Peace’ moving with calm strength and resilience through various places in the US - really underlines that a person or small group of dedicated people have the capacity to spread love, inspiration and peace by their very presence…###

Let Your Heart Be at Peace

“Let your heart be at peace.
Watch the turmoil of beings
But contemplate their return.

“If you don’t realize the source,
You stumble in confusion and sorrow.
When you realize where you come from,
You naturally become tolerant,
disinterested, amused,
kindhearted as a grandmother,
dignified as a king.

“Immersed in the wonder of the Tao,
You can deal with whatever life brings you,
And when death comes, you are ready.”

-Taoist Philosopher, Chuang Tzu
.
Beautiful Buddhist temple on the hills of Macau.
Tin Hau Temple, Macau
Published on May 13, 2020
Canon, EOS M50
Free to use under the Unsplash License

Definitely! Come and practise Qi meditation, healing sounds and qigong movement  ‘4 Qi Mondays’ 4 sessions in Jan and Fe...
21/12/2025

Definitely! Come and practise Qi meditation, healing sounds and qigong movement ‘4 Qi Mondays’ 4 sessions in Jan and Feb 2026 and replenish energies…see event link for details…###

Winter as a Time of Conservation

Classical Taoist medicine associates winter with the kidneys, the element of water, and the quality of essence, or jing. Jing represents foundational vitality, the deep reserves that support long-term health, resilience, and aging. Winter is the season to protect and replenish this essence.

From this perspective, many modern habits run directly against seasonal wisdom. Constant stimulation, chronic sleep deprivation, excessive social engagement, and relentless productivity drain jing at the very time it should be conserved. The solstice offers an opportunity to reverse this pattern.

Healthy winter habits, viewed through a Taoist lens, emphasize conservation rather than optimization. Sleep becomes a form of nourishment, not a negotiable inconvenience. Quiet evenings are not wasted time, but restorative space. Warm foods, slower meals, and gentle rhythms support the body’s natural inward turn.

Movement in winter does not disappear, but it changes character. Instead of intense exertion, Taoist practices favor slow, continuous movement that warms without depleting. Walking, standing practices, gentle chi kung, and seated meditation align with the season’s energy. These practices cultivate internal warmth while preserving reserves.

The solstice marks the deepest point of this inward arc. It is an ideal moment to assess where energy has been leaking unnecessarily and where boundaries can be strengthened. Taoism does not frame this as self-denial, but as intelligent stewardship of life force.

TheTaoBlog.com

Lovely!! ###
18/12/2025

Lovely!! ###

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. 🙂

Yes - thank you! ###
09/11/2025

Yes - thank you! ###

Qigong... builds from the inside out.

Particularly relevant to be aware of these connections in the kidney season of winter…in your practice nourish the kidne...
06/11/2025

Particularly relevant to be aware of these connections in the kidney season of winter…in your practice nourish the kidneys and keep them warm…###

Brain Health Beyond the Brain: A TCM Perspective
In TCM, the brain is referred to as the "Sea of Marrow" (髓海, suǐ hǎi), nourished by Kidney Essence (精, jīng). Unlike Western anatomy, which considers the brain self-contained, TCM sees it as a reflection of systemic vitality. The Kidneys (腎, shèn) produce marrow, which fills the brain and spinal cord. When jīng is depleted, either from aging, chronic stress, or illness, cognitive functions like memory and concentration may suffer.
See our article at www.qi-journal.com/3478

Yes, powerful and ‘deceptively simple’ - thank you Qi…###
17/10/2025

Yes, powerful and ‘deceptively simple’ - thank you Qi…###

Zhàn zhuāng (站樁), commonly translated as "standing post," is a fundamental training method found in many traditional Chinese martial arts and qigong systems. At first glance, the practice may appear deceptively simple: the practitioner stands motionless, often in a posture resembling the embrace of a tree. Yet within this apparent stillness lies a deeply transformative method of cultivating internal strength, structural integrity, and mental focus.

New article at: www.qi-journal.com/3413

Softness is strength, be like water…###
26/09/2025

Softness is strength, be like water…###

以柔克刚:The Power of Softness in Taijiquan

In the world of Chinese internal martial arts, few expressions resonate as deeply as the idiom 以柔克刚 (yǐ róu kè gāng)—"to overcome hardness with softness." This simple phrase encapsulates not only the tactical essence of taijiquan but also a profound philosophical worldview that has shaped Chinese culture for millennia.

The roots of this popular idiom can be traced back to Daoist philosophy, particularly the classic text "Daodejing (Tao De Ching)" by Laozi. In Chapter 78, he observes:

天下莫柔弱于水,而攻坚强者莫之能胜。"Nothing in the world is softer and weaker than water, yet for attacking the hard and strong, nothing can surpass it."

Water is yielding, formless, and gentle, yet it can erode rock, shape landscapes, and overcome rigid structures through persistence and adaptability. This metaphor is not only poetic; it serves as a foundation for the Daoist ideal of wuwei (无为), or effortless action.

Read more at www.qi-journal.com/3469

Well described article, thank you…###
01/09/2025

Well described article, thank you…###

"Feeling Qi in Zhangzhuang"
When a practitioner stands in zhànzhuāng (站桩), the simple yet demanding exercise often described as "standing like a tree" or "post standing", unexpected sensations often arise. We have a new article on this feeling at www.qi-journal.com/3462

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