If we follow nature’s way, living in harmony with the season, and take a Winter rest, we will emerge in the Spring with restored energy, clear vision, and a sense of purpose. Here’s a refresher on how to “yin it up” during these dark, cold months.

To really lean into the season…

  • Get more rest.
    This is nature’s season for rest, repair, and regeneration—a phase important for our next cycle of growth. The Nei Ching, oldest-known document of Chinese medicine, advises: “[In Winter], people should retire early at night and rise late in the morning, and they should wait for the rising of the sun.” Seven to eight hours should do it.
  • Schedule more time for your inner life.
    Use the energy of the season to discover more about yourself through reflection, reading literature that “restores the spirit,” writing, being more aware of your senses, paying attention to your dreams. The Winter season is an especially good time to begin the practice of meditation and energy producing exercise like yoga, qi gong and tai chi.
  • Choose more “warming” foods.
    As the weather cools and the body needs to generate more warmth, include more cooked foods and complex carbohydrates in your meals. Try dishes, soups and stews made with whole grains, squashes, beans, peas, and root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and garlic, as well as ginger, walnuts, fish and dark, leafy greens. Foods cooked at low temperature for a longer cooking time is ideal.
  • “Gather around the hearth” with people who mean the most to you.
    Winter evenings are an especially good time to rejuvenate and deepen relationships with those closest to you. Keep gatherings simple and relaxed.
  • Let the light in.
    Open your curtains during the winter to bring more light indoors. This helps provides support against depression and moodiness. It also encourages movement and blood circulation.
  • Good hydration.
    Drink water at room temperature so your body doesn’t have to work so hard to warm up ice cold water.
  • Acupuncture, of course.
    Getting regular acupuncture treatments can produce more energy and generate more heat to warm the body.

Wintertime can be hard for some people, which is absolutely understandable. However, as nature’s time for rest and respite, it’s actually quite a gift. We encourage you to lean in and embrace its energetics for deeper nourishment, so that you can feel and be your absolute best come Spring. It’s just around the corner!

Sources:

Neil Gumenick’s The Season of Water

Future Life Now’s Winter Warmth and Happiness Tips from Chinese Medicine