Winter Medicine for Deep Replenishment

Winter - the deep part of the seasonal cycle, the dark part, the yin phase - is here. Nature has gone in and so have we. If you haven’t already, take this opportunity to actively go inward; rest & restore so your qi is strong for the rest of the cycle. Before I share a few tips to support you, let’s take a moment to see why replenishment is important during winter.

This season is associated with the Water element which resonates with the Kidney/Bladder systems in Chinese Medicine. The Kidneys are the root & foundation of life and play a role in storing your life force energy inherited from your parents & ancestors.

Physically the Kidneys are located in the lower back & cuddle what is known as the gate of life (Mingmen) - making up a power area of the body. This power house, stores your jing (life force energy) and is the root of all yin & yang; guiding birth, growth, development and maturation. They rule the bone & marrow (including the brain & spinal cord); are related to your power, will or Zhi. They have the power to turn fear into wisdom yet are weakened by too much fear. This power area is injured by cold.

Jing, life force energy, naturally depletes over time with our lifestyle choices guiding how fast the process happens. We each receive a different amount of jing based on our parents’ gift and thus will react to certain lifestyles differently. Habits like – burning the candle at both ends, drug abuse, having too much sex (esp for men since they release jing substance that creates life), working past our fatigue (you may be tapping into jing when that “2nd wind” kicks in), not providing yourself energy from food & drink (without food sourced energy, the body taps into your deep reservoirs to keep you going), letting cold enter you body (esp thru the back) – can all be depleting.

Some signs that some aspect of the water element (Kidney/Bladder) is imbalanced: difficulty staying sleep, knee/back pain, low libido, difficulty conceiving, low sperm count, urinary issues, tinnitus, deep fatigue, hot flashes, menstrual imbalances, poor memory, difficulty staying focused, nervousness, being overly fearful or lacking healthy fear. Aging is a normal process. Supporting your Kidney qi throughout life can make the transition smoother.

Atop the Kidneys are the adrenal glands. Often people with unresolved trauma (including trans-generational) exhibit nervous system tense signs & have difficulty settling. This 5000 year old pre-grey’s anatomy medicine corresponded the nervous system with the Bladder, the Kidneys’ yang pair. Working with water element or water points in any element can calm and allow deep healing to occur.

Here are ways to support yourself during the winter. Take what serves, leave the rest:

Reduce screen time

Eat hearty stews & soups

Drink your water (not cold)

Head to bed earlier, rise later

Mediate (tap into your depth)

Rest, Rest and Rest some more

Nap or lay horizontal for 15 mins midday

Moxa & Massage Kidney Acupoints (Moxa Video)

Consume organic sea weeds & root vegetables

Keep your lower back, feet, ankles, neck warm

Practice a Yin exercise like Taichi, Qigong, or Yin Yoga

Sip bone broth or use bone broth as the base for soups

Sip fresh ginger root tea (esp if your digestion is funky or you’re often cold to the bone)