Living for the cooler months with Traditional Chinese Medicine
As we move through the end of autumn and towards the beginning of winter, you may naturally feel a need to slow down and turn inwards a little. The days are drawing in and shortening, the temperature and light is dropping, and you may want to get cosy and stay indoors a little more than you did in the summer and spring.
Every season has a direction that the energy moves in – for autumn the direction is downwards (observe the leaves falling from the deciduous trees, the sun moving at a lower angle); and in winter the energy moves inwards to the deepest level (trees pull their energy down into their roots, animals hibernate in their dens, the rain falls and the water runs to the lowest point it can rest in).
As a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner, I teach ways to match your energy to the energy of each season. This enables us to be in synch with the phases of the natural world around us, and to optimise our health, immunity and energy throughout the year.
The cooler months are a time to really rest and nurture ourselves so that we can generate and store more energy for the busier months ahead. Think about ways that you can draw your energy in now - more inward activities like reading, contemplation, meditation, or journalling can be deeply nurturing at this time of year. This is a great time of year to go deep, reflect and embrace your inner wisdom.
The classic text, The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine states that in winter you should “Go to rest early and rise late. You must wait for the sun to shine.” It can certainly be more difficult to get up this time of year, so readjust your day if possible to get up a little later, or go to bed earlier. Of course you should still incorporate some activity into the cooler months, but exercise should be gentler and more fluid at this time of year. TCM teaches that when exercising in winter we should not do so to the point of sweating as we will leak out vital energy at this time of year and become exhausted.
Foods to support you in the cooler months are warming. Move towards stewing fruit, slow cooking vegetables, and adding warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, chilli, or paprika to warm you and improve blood circulation. Increasing protein and dark coloured fruit and vegetables is recommended in winter according to TCM dietary therapy.
Keep your body warm - particularly make sure to keep your kidney and lower back area tucked in and covered, and throw a scarf over your neck when you are outside. These parts are vulnerable to the cold and need to be protected in the cooler months to avoid tension and pain developing. Keep your feet warm with woolly socks and ugg boots, or an evening foot soak in warm water with some Epsom salts, sliced ginger or cinnamon sticks.
The cooler months of the year are the perfect time to give yourself permission to do less and take things slower. Enjoy this time of year to replenish your energy and nourish your spirit.
Dr Amanda Cox-Edwards, our TCM Practitioner at Rest & Restore.