In the heart of winter
January and February are the heart of winter. Going out is sometimes more difficult for us even if winter sports or good invigorating walks can bring us the greatest good. After this breath of fresh air, the comfort of our home seems even more welcoming. In Chinese Medicine, Winter is the most Yin season (as opposed to Summer's Yang) and is associated with the Kidney.*. Yin is what nourishes, strengthens to give birth and maintain vitality for the coming seasons which will be more exuberant (think of the long summer days and all the activities that then follow one after the other ). To conserve our precious resources, at this time of year, we need to spare ourselves a little… for example:
- By balancing our work:rest ratio; by resting more and slowing down our pace of life a little if it is frantic;
- by keeping warm, outside as well as inside, particularly at the level of the feet and the lower back, without forgetting the head and the neck which are like windows open on the outside... and we don't want heat the outside;
- By avoiding frozen drinks and foods that will require a lot of our energy to make them more digestible;
- Including dark/black colored foods (according to Chinese dietetics); we think of kidney beans or black beans, black sesame, wild rice, chestnuts, certain berries (blueberries and blackberries), seaweed, etc. This will benefit the Kidneys*, an essential organ and the basis of our health.
- By avoiding strong or disturbing emotions, as much as possible, which drain our energy;
- By trying to get rid of our injuries that block good circulation and thus promote a more restful sleep.
And if you feel like it, come and meet me for an acupuncture session that will allow you to better harmonize with winter. It's a good way to give yourself a break or to try to alleviate, if not resolve, certain injuries and blockages. Your sleep could be greatly improved and your days energized.
Sincerely,
Sophie Laverdière, Ac., M.Sc.A.
Acupunctureophielaverdiere.com
514-704-1730 or at the Kinesis Center 450-672-4114 or Gorendezvous
* The Kidney with a capital letter corresponds, in Chinese medicine, to a complex system comprising its anatomical reality (the kidney) but which is in energetic relation with various other components potentially observable on a daily basis. Thus, and it is very important to understand this, a problem related to the Kidney sphere does not automatically correspond to a kidney disorder.
