Deep Yin Time of Winter, The Element of Water. ~ A TCM Perspective

We are days away from winter Solstice, the darkest night of the year before we once again turn towards the light. We are in the winter season and, like nature, our body is transforming through the cycles of the seasons. With summer being the peak of yang energy, an outward, joyous, wild fire like, expansive energy, we are entering the peak of yin energy, a deep inward, reflective, quiet, womb like energy. How do we honour the seasonal transformations and recognize we are living beings in constant transformation and to acknowledge our alignment with the seasons so we may flourish appropriately in each of them

The reason I was so drawn to TCM was because it provides a holistic understanding of how to live in harmony with nature, because we are nature! In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the season of winter is represented by the element of water, the depths below the surface. The meridian system pair that is highlighted in the season of winter is the Kidney and Bladder meridian lines (energetic pathways that carry the qi or life force of our being in this body). According to The Neijing Suwen (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine) The Kidneys and Bladder correspond to water and come alive in the winter, so it is the best time to nourish and treat these two organ meridians. The emotion that reflects an imbalance in the Kidney meridian system is fear (which can develop into deep anxiety), lack of willpower, insecurity or isolation. When this emotion is more balanced it shows up as will power, a sense of awe and flow with life.

To nourish the kidneys, physically Qi Gong or Tai Ji are excellent for nourishing, building qi and calming a restless mind. It benefits us to use winter as an opportunity to go deep internally, to see what can be cleared and seeded, becoming intimate with that which resonates with your most aligned self, meaning spend some soul time excavating your inner world, what are you ready to understand and transform on a deeper level. Do you have subtle fears that you could look at, create a gratitude for the safety they brought you till now and grow into your adult perspective of taking responsibility for your security), Thich Nhat Hanh has a beautiful book Reconciliation: healing the child within, that really helps one to address long, deep fears or imbalances that we have not yet transformed in our adult life. A wonderful and free tool to use at YearCompass.com offers a free reflection tool to review the year you just moved through and what you would like to focus on in the year coming. This is a great way to see your intentions nourished through the unique strengths of each season until it comes to full fruition.

Make sure your stay warm, keep your kidneys warm, wear slippers (the first Kidney meridian point is on the base of your foot!) If you have been isolating yourself too much from community, find some cozy community situations to tap into and be nourished by, if you have been too social and not taking time to be in yin time, to nourish your depths, maybe use this coming January as a time to go inward, journal, dream, sort. We are at the end of a decade, what a great time to review the past 10 years, how have we grown, transformed, how have our lives changed, what is working, what is not, what small steps can we plan for in the coming year to nourish those changes into being. Stress, overwork and an imbalanced lifestyle will weaken the Kidney qi. So look to where you can bring more balance to your life. Look at the different areas ( work, relationships, creative, spiritual, physical, family, friends, learning, relaxing) mark them on a scale to see which ones are in balance, excess, or deficiency in your life, this will help you to see where and let you start engaging with in a more balanced way.What support and self care do we want to call in to doula us through our next phase. I love supporting my clients through their life transformations, the effects of acupuncture, lifestyle transformation support, dietary guidance, can help transform physical, spirit and emotional imbalances that leaves individuals with the energy and space to move through their transformation with ease and grace and a sense that someone has your back, hold you gently accountable and celebrate your metamorphosis.

Spending time outside, daily if possible, is also vital to fully bringing the rosiness to your cheeks and the fresh air and atmosphere into your lungs and helps you climatize to the season. Of course dressing appropriately helps this be an enjoyable journey. Winter can bring such a transient beauty and awe when the trees catch the snow fall and fill the night sky with a warm glow, or fill the branches with crystals that sparkle in the sunlight. Crisp and beautiful. Observe all the different types of snow, how they feel and weigh, walk, snowshoe , cross country ski in nature and live the full experience of where you live, there is awe and magic in it.

Let Food Be Thy Medicine!

Foods that support the Kidney meridian, water element, are often black, think seasme seeds, seaweeds (arame, dulse, Irish moss, kelp, hijiki, nori, wakame, kombu, spirulina), black tahini, aduki beans, black beans, black lentils, beets, burdock, barley, buckwheat, black rice, chestnuts, walnuts, goji berries, mulberries, celery, asparagus, rye, oats, quinoa, amaranth, teas like chicory, horsetail and burdock root. salty foods like Miso, braggs soy sauce, umiboshi plum vinegar, millet, barely.replace table salt with sea salt, as salt helps draw energy inward, hearty warm soups, whole grains, and roasted nuts, nourish the spirit on a cold winter day, If you are excessively cold, add warming spices like cloves (a nice chai tea) fenugreek, fennel, anise star, black pepper, giner, cinnamon, walnuts, black beans, onions and garlic. try a black bean seaweed soup. Incorporate Reishi, cordysceps and schisandra berries into your teas. When it comes to winter foods, think cosy, long cooked like soups and stews and warming teas.

Well a little bit to start you thinking about tuning into the season, so that your can nourish the water element so that you are optimizing your whole self for moving through the creation cycle of the 5 phases (seasons, elements).

Solstice Blessings to you all,

Sonja