Winter self-care and stillness
Hello friends,
Checking in. Every year, I try to enter Winter with ease and determination to let go and go inward. And every year, by mid-February, I think NOPE.
If you’re drained and tired right now, you are not alone. February is one of the hardest months of the year. This year in particular seems to be on a different level for just about everyone. There are illnesses up the wazoo, and the world is seeming a bit like a Dali painting. Taking the time to help ourselves right now is no small feat. But this is the time of year it’s most important to do so. We need to warm up, both physically and metaphysically. When we rest and recover during the darkest time of year, we give ourselves the energy for when the sun is shining again.
Winter is all about stillness. When we slow down during this season, we help conserve the qi that can then burst through when we reach Spring, and be in full effect when we reach Summer. Winter is the time to focus on supporting the kidney qi, which above all loves rest and warmth.
How do we do this? Acupuncture helps. We focus on warming the kidney meridian. With almost every treatment, I add moxibustion and a heat lamp to sessions. Moxa is a stick that contains mugwort, an herb that is potent for boosting qi and blood and nourishing our bodies. I describe it as an internal blanket. We hold the stick over the points and stimulate the benefits. There’s no off season for moxa, but that being said it feels extra wonderful during Winter.
Find yourself a local infrared sauna place. (I love N’lighten in the Rivertowns.) TCM isn’t one for encouraging copious physical activity that makes you sweat, as sweat itself is seen as being a yin substance. The act of moving the sweat out of the body exerts yang qi. Therefore sweating excessively over long periods of time can really deplete the body. That being said, short infrared sauna sessions during the coldest time of year are a wonderful way to remember what warmth feels like. Use it as an excuse to keep your phone in your bag, do some deep breathing or gua sha, and rest.