At this time of year, water freezes, and plants store energy in their roots. Winter is considered a time of reflection, deep receptivity, and building potency. The season of winter asks us to slow down and store up.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, this season is related to the water element and Kidney energy. Kidney energy can become depleted with stress, overstimulation, and overwork. So during this time of year, it’s especially important to rest, rejuvenate, and nourish new seeds of potential. This is also a wonderful time of year to focus on internal practices like meditation and contemplation.
Watch the video to learn how you can change your diet and lifestyle this time of year to align with this natural seasonal cycle.
Food for Winter
Our diet this time of year should be more warming and building. Include more oily, moistening, and fatty foods. Use foods like hearty soups, stews, steamed winter greens, and one-pot meals to nourish and warm the body. This is also the best time of year to increase your intake of animal protein.
Continue to stay hydrated. Sip warm water throughout the day. Cold water and iced smoothies will slow down your digestion. If you absolutely can’t skip your morning smoothie, consider adding warming spices, drinking it warm, or replacing it with warm broth or a blended soup.
Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Winter, and the Water Element
There are slight differences in the flavours suggested for this time of year by Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, but you’ll definitely want to increase the natural flavours of sweet, a little salty, and sour. Use foods like root veggies, squash, seaweeds, and miso soup. Warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg are great, but avoid super-spicy foods, as they’ll make you sweat and actually cool you down. Think of foods and spices that warm your core.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, this season is related to the water element and Kidney energy. The Kidneys store our deepest Qi.
Traditionally, the Kidneys are visually represented as a pot over an open flame. The water in the pot represents the yin of the body, and the fire represents the yang. The fire basically steams the water, or the Qi, up into the body, where it contributes to all of our bodily functions.
Kidney energy is used during times of illness or change, which can make aging more likely. This type of Qi gets depleted with stress, overstimulation, and overwork.
To protect and nurture the Kidney Qi, this is the time of year to move slowly, rest, rejuvenate, and nourish new seeds of potential that are germinating. Especially in our fast-paced culture, it’s essential to sleep longer this time of year. If you’re having trouble sleeping, make sure to check out some of the other sleep resources I have.
The winter asks that we quiet the mind and heart, so that we can listen to the calling of our soul. This is a time when receptivity and reflection reach their furthest extreme. This is a wonderful time of year to focus on our internal world and on practices such as meditation and contemplation.
Heaviness, Cleansing and Self Care in the Winter
If you feel overly sluggish and have a hard time staying motivated this time of year, or if you have a kapha constitution or even depression, make sure to set up a schedule that keeps you active and engaged throughout the winter.
If you’d like to do a cleanse or detox, it’s generally not advised to do a juice fast or anything with a lot of raw food. Instead, use broths and teas to give your body a break from digestion. You can do a simple diet of steamed vegetables, grains, miso soup, and seaweeds. Especially if you live in a cold place, use saunas, steam, and get a massage for extra support.
Learn more about cleansing and diet changes with my program, Calm and Renew.
Finally, this is an excellent time of year to use natural oils on your skin to support the immune system and create a natural barrier between you and the outer elements. Check out the post about self-massage for more info on which oils to use for your body type.
Happy winter, and I hope you enjoy this deep and rich time of year!
