Thursday, December 21 marks the official start of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere with the Winter Solstice. This astronomical event brings the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year. Tomorrow, areas near the North Pole will no longer have winter sunlight, while areas near the South Pole will no longer have summer darkness.
The winter solstice is often called the shortest day of the year because it has the shortest period of daylight. However, it is also the longest sunny day of the year. Around the solstices, the solar days are slightly longer than the 24-hour average that our clocks use to keep time. In the Eastern Time Zone, solar noon on December 21 to solar noon on December 22 will be 29.8 seconds longer than our usual 24-hour day. What are you going to do with this extra time?
On a normal day, a time block of almost 30 seconds doesn’t mean much. We sit at our desks and type for much more than 30 seconds without blinking. But have you ever thought about the number of times your heart beats (about 36), the number of thoughts that go through your head (about 25) and the number of red blood cells your body produces (about 72 million) in this “insignificant” amount of time?
Every moment in time is an opportunity. If you think nothing important can happen in 29.8 seconds, just watch the end of a tied basketball game, or observe a cheetah. In nature’s time, 29.8 seconds can mean the difference between a hiking trail and a snow-covered embankment. So now that you have an extra 29.8 seconds per day, how are you going to spend it? A little Qigong practice would be a good start!
Join our Nierharmonie Winterboost 2024!
Grandmaster Lu hosts four seasonal programs throughout the year to help you transition (body, mind and spirit) into the coming season. Register for our warming, Qi-enhancing journey from January 14-21, 2024.
Check out our events calendar and find out what else there is to do in the new year! Start 2024 well and make every moment count!