Excerpt by Emma Suttie, D.Ac, AP at Chinese Medicine Living
When Chinese Medicine was being developed thousands of years ago, people were living in a state of complete harmony with nature. They rose with the sun and ate what grew in each season. There was an acute awareness of the natural environment and its direct effect on every aspect of life. This alignment helped people stay healthy throughout the year, giving them the tools to strengthen their immune systems and organs so that they could ward off disease.
Winter in Chinese Medicine
Winter represents the most Yin aspect in Chinese Medicine. Yin is the dark, cold, slow, inward energy. This is in contrast to the Yang of Summer whose energy represents light, hot, quick, expansive qualities. The Summer weather is warm, the days are longer and people are out being active. In TCM we believe that the diet and activities in Winter should be adapted to enriching yin and subduing yang.
Winter, in TCM, is associated with the Kidneys which hold our body’s most basic and fundamental energy. It is believed that by harmonizing oneself with the seasons you can stay healthier and prevent disease, so Winter is a good time to strengthen the kidneys. Rest is important for revitalizing the kidneys, which is why some animals hibernate in Winter. It is also a good time to look inward, reflecting on ourselves with meditation, writing, or other inward practices such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong. These practices help us connect to our inner selves and support kidney energy. They are very helpful to relax the mind, calm our emotions and raise the spirit.
The sense organ associated with the kidneys is the ears, and our ability to hear clearly is related to kidney health. The quiet and stillness of Winter allows us to hear more of the world than the buzzing activities of Summer. This forces us to slow down, rest and relax.
The body part associated with the kidneys are the bones, so it is important to pay close attention to the bones in the Winter months making sure to tonify and heal any problems in this area. This is also why Winter is a time when Chinese Medicine prescribes bone broths as nutritional therapy, as they are warming, nourishing and especially good for the bones.
Winter’s Associations in Chinese Medicine
Element – Water
Yin Organ – Kidney
Yang Organ – Bladder
Sense Organ – Ears
Emotion – Fear
Flavor – Salty, bitter
Color – Black
Activities in Winter
Activities should represent the season with a turn inwards, with more self-reflection, quiet time writing, meditating, reading and other soul-nourishing activities. Winter is a time to slow down and feed ourselves both physically and spiritually. Internal martial arts and meditative practices are particularly helpful at this time of year. One should go to bed earlier and sleep later to receive the full healing effects that sleep has to offer.
Many people love Winter. They feel energized with the coming cold and love to be out snowboarding, skiing and going for walks in the snow. For others, Winter causes them to retract, stay inside and can cause some to feel sad or even depressed because of the lack of light and reduced physical activity. The good news is that Winter can be enjoyed by everyone if we live, eat and exercise according to the season and pay attention to our bodies preferences.
Final Thoughts
Winter is about storing up potential and using our resources (qi, money, abilities, gifts) wisely (discernment, boundaries). The classic texts say that to use your qi wisely is to expend it only on activities that align with your heart – who you are and your reason for being – not to fritter it away or waste it with things that don’t connect to YOU. Such thinking asks us to consider all the way that we are spending our qi. A timely question around the holidays, when it feels like our hands are most tied around where our energy goes, who we spend time with, the things that we purchase, etc.
