The second lunar month of the year belongs to mao, fourth in the twelve earthly branches, and in addition corresponds to the Large In-testine Channel of Hand-Yangming in the jingluo system and dazhuang in the sixty-four hexagrams. What you have to hear in mind in this month is that qi arises at 1 a.m. and you'd better face northeast in practice. Be sure to keep yourself calm, avoid both cold and heat and nourish shen and qi in practice.
(1) Jingzhe (the Waking of Insects)
The time between 1 and 5 a.m. every day in this month is good for the following exercise. Sit cross-legged on bed with clenched hands obliquely above knees. Try to push elbows backward as much as possible and thrust them 30 times. Then twist neck to the left and right and click teeth 36 times before inhaling and exhaling and swallowing saliva.
This exercise is effective for pathogens in the lower back, spine, lungs and stomach as well as the yellow discoloration of the sclera, dry mouth, edema in the face, hoarseness, blurred vision and sores.
(2) Chunfen (Spring Equinox)
The time between 1 and 5 a. m o every day in this month is also good for the following exercise. Sitting cross-legged on bed, raise hands and push them forward, and in the meantime turn head from the left to look far into the distance. Return to the starting position and repeat the above movements 42 times on each side. Then, sitting upright and facing for-ward, click teeth 36 times before inhaling and exhaling and swallowing saliva in nine gulps.
This exercise is good for fullness in the chest, pain in the shoulder, general debility of the jingluo system, toothache caused by' pathogens, swollen neck, deafness, tinnitus and cutaneous pruritus.
