Jieqi and Zhongqi for 2004

In his talks on Taoist neigong Wang Laoshi especially recommends sitting for 20 minutes before and after the times the sun enters a new 15 degree ecliptic, called Jieqi (minor or sectional term) and Zhonqi (major or principal term).

"The meeting of heaven and earth
There are places where spiritual atmosphere remains such as rivers with clear water and the springs in the mountains. If there are no moss or other plants and no creatures on a stone, the stone is not shrouded in spiritual atmosphere. A place having tall trees with luxuriant branches and leaves is replete with spiritual atmosphere. A place with spiritual atmosphere usually has water, mountains and clean air. In such a place, auspicious light comes down from heaven. You know there is convection of atmosphere between heaven and earth to produce atmospheric pressure and wind. According to the lunar calendar, there are two days marking the beginning of solar terms in each month (solar term or Jiéqi: one of the 24 periods, of approximately 15 days each, into which the lunar year is divided, corresponding to the day on which the sun enters the 1st or 15th degree of one of the 12 zodiacal signs; each period being given an appropriate name indicating the obvious changes in nature at the time it comes round). On these two days in each month, the meeting or convection of the atmosphere of heaven and earth is most obvious. Meditation practitioners like to sit meditation on those days because the effect of meditation is especially strong then. But those who do not practice meditation, particularly older people or sick people, are more vulnerable on those days than on the other days. It is because at the meeting of atmospheres, the qi in nature is withdrawn in a flash. As a result, the qi outside our body is stronger than that within our body and the qi outside thus draws the qi inside away. If you practice meditation and know the way of breathing, the qi inside your body will be stronger than the qi outside. Moreover, you can make use of the spiritual atmosphere of heaven and earth to nourish
your body."¹

¹ http://www.uta.edu/student_orgs/zen/J/J_4.htm