The second set of Qi Nodes (15 day periods) of the year takes us from Spring Equinox to right before the Summer Solstice.
| Qi Node: | Character: | Phonetic: | Date: |
| Spring Equinox | 春分 | Chun Fen | March 20th |
| Clear Bright | 清明 | Qing Ming | April 4th |
| Grain Rains | 穀雨 | Gu Yu | April 20th |
March 20th marks Spring Equinox and the fourth segment of the year in the Asian Almanac as well as the beginning of Spring in the Western calendar. Hopefully, you’ve noticed that all the “Spring” thus far has been hidden from view — subtle and underneath the ground. All this has been in preparation for this 15-day period, where the warmth (yang) of the season and the cold (yin) are about equal, and things are beginning to grow.
The true signs of Spring will now be evident. Where the grass was brown, we now see hints of green coming from underneath. The buds of the trees and bushes are bursting forth. The chirping of birds can be heard in the morning. Nature is awakening to this tipping point and the evidence is now in plain view.
As we have mentioned in previous newsletters, the awakening you feel in your own life — be it towards health, a personal goal, or just cleaning the clutter out of your house — now begins in earnest. This is the time to start taking small, but strong, steps.
The yang in the outside world is supporting your body’s own energy source. Start small. Use nature as your example. Just because Spring has sprung doesn’t mean a seed will wake up tomorrow as a fully grown tomato plant.
Be gentle with yourself. Celebrate the small bits of growth that happen gradually over time.
Just as things that bloom too fast will be stunted when those late spring frosts surprise us, you want to be mindful to nurture your root system as much as, if not more than, the outward growth.
As always, we would love to support you in this endeavor. For those of you who have been seen regularly, this is a great time to pop in for an appointment. For those of you who may not have completed the process, or who have a new onset medical condition, this is a wonderful time to help your body restore its ability to heal.
Stir-fry: Shrimp, Walnuts and Greens (serves 4)
20 medium shrimp
1 cup walnut halves
1 cup celery stalks, sliced
2 green onions
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 lb. fresh young spinach
4 quail eggs (or substitute 3 chicken eggs)
2 Tablespoons Chinese rice wine or sake
fine sea salt
3 Tablespoons light sesame oil
1 Tablespoon coconut sugar
2 Tablespoons water, fish or vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon arrowroot starch
To prep: Rinse walnuts in cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. In a heavy skillet, toast the nuts until they are hot to the touch and look a bit oily. (This may also be done on a baking sheet in the oven.)
Let them cool briefly; while they are still warm, rub them with your fingers to remove as much of the papery skin as you can. (This skin has a Hot nature.) Toss the still warm nuts with fine sea salt and a pinch of coconut sugar. Set the nuts aside.
Peel and de-vein the shrimp and cut in half along the spine. Brine in cold, salted water (acidified by the Chinese rice wine) to cover until your prep is done.
Put the eggs in cold water and bring to a boil slowly; cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Rinse in cold water, peel, cut in half and set aside.
Wash and slice the celery into one-inch diagonal pieces. Trim off the roots (and discard) of the green onion and cut the white sections into 1-inch diagonal pieces. Finely slice the green tops of the onions on a diagonal for garnish.
Mince garlic or crush in a press. Wash, spin and dry the young spinach.
Drain the shrimp and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of arrowroot starch.
To cook: In a wok, heat 1 Tablespoon of the light sesame oil almost to the smoke point. Add the whites of the green onion and the celery and stir. Add the shrimp and stir until the shrimp changes color. Remove all the ingredients and set them aside.
Add another Tablespoon of the light sesame oil to the wok and stir fry the walnuts. Sprinkle with sea salt and coconut sugar and let them caramelize a bit. (The nuts will glaze slightly.) Remove the nuts from the wok and set aside.
Clean out the wok and add the last of the light sesame oil. Add the minced garlic, then the spinach and stir constantly. Add all the remaining ingredients back into wok and stir for a few moments. Use water or stock if needed. Add salt to taste. (Note: soy sauce makes the whole dish brown — we don’t want that!)
To serve: Pile the stir fried food on a warm plate and garnish with green onion and quail egg halves. Serve with fresh rice.
**** The recipe is from David’s teacher Liu Ming who was both Japanese and French Classically trained in culinary.
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