Achieving Root Wellness in Winter
Winter approaches. We’re all looking towards the next few months with anticipation; making plans with family and friends to celebrate to season. Getting there can be a little overwhelming. And the stress along the way can leave us taxed to the point where immunity suffers, and we get sick. And now the season is just a time to ‘get through’. It doesn’t have to be like that. Wouldn’t it be great to just, slow down, enjoy every day, share warm moments and great food and travel, and savor the season? Maybe enjoy winter this year?
The movement from one season can be tough. Adjusting to the earlier darkness and the colder mornings sometimes feels like a burden. Leaving work now feels a little scary-rush hour when it’s dark. We just want to be warm at home. It seems like fall was so short, after the long heat of the summer. And the natural cycle of summer into fall was so sudden this year; it took a storm to finally make it cooler. Halloween and Homecomings and tailgating get us in celebration mode. Fall can feel like such a transition, so brief, it’s good we have events to enjoy outside before it gets too cold. But Winter is worth enjoying. Winter can bring moments where we deepen, we build strength, and get rooted to who we really are.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine-TCM, theory says that Winter brings a time which represents the deepest part of who we are-the strength we are born with, our endurance and stamina. Every season is represented by a specific organ system, and in Chinese medicine, Kidney energy is at its strongest in winter. There are acupuncture points on the body that strengthen the Kidney power, and these are best stimulated in winter. The ‘Dan Tian’ is an area of the lower abdomen, just below the navel-it is the seat of our power, our essence. Acupuncture points that represent the Kidney are stimulated here to strengthen that power. Winter is the season of the Will-TCM. What is will? It is the ability to focus and direct energy towards achieving a goal. Stimulating Kidney energy and the power of the ’Dan Tian’ with acupuncture builds and balances will. Will brings the energy to ‘get things done’. But there is the danger of too much will. Excess of will is pathological. We can create unrealistic goals for ourselves and shove aside anyone in our path in order to achieve our goals. This is ‘controlling the material world’ at any cost. This can have a very real effect on our health. If we’re so driven to control in order to achieve our goals, any obstacle brings with it great fear of losing direction, losing gain. Burst of adrenalin stimulate the flight or fight response which can attack the heart. Feeling this constantly can stress the adrenal glands; they sit on top of the Kidneys, which over time become so constricted low back pain and Bladder and Kidney infections become common. Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenals during times of stress. The benefits of cortisol are anti-inflammatory; thus, corticosteroids are sometimes administered for pain and systemic inflammation. But constant secretion of cortisol because of stress and the adrenaline surge over time, can greatly weaken the immune system. Healing slows. Studies show that excess cortisol secretion due to stress can creates fat accumulations around the abdomen region, and the lack of circulation in that area can lead to strain on the heart. The constant flight-or fight response can bring about anxiety. TCM states that anxiety is a manifestation of excess heart energy not grounded. Kidneys and the Heart have a relationship of mutual balance. If the kidneys are strong, they prevent the heart from flaring into excess. If the heart is strong it brings warmth and circulation of oxygen, along with the lungs, to the ‘Dan Tian’, strengthening that area, our ‘root’. We feel grounded, connected with the planet we stand upon, and the people around us. We feel confident in who we are, unafraid, and have a balanced ‘will’. Breathing exercises can benefit the relationship between the heart, lungs and Kidney. Spending a few minutes a few times a day breathing in, focusing the breath from the nose, to heart to diaphragm, and settle in the navel area before exhaling from the mouth, acts to settle and ground, while increasing will and endurance. TCM states that the Kidneys bring warmth and fire to the body, increasing the circulatory power of all the organ systems. They work better if this root energy of the Kidneys work. A regular walking practice powers the energy of the kidneys. Any mindful exercise will go deep. Eating winter foods also builds this energy. Foods like kidney beans and root vegetables, all help to benefit the root warmth of the body. Try roasting root vegetables with olive oil, sage, and rosemary! Cook a pot of kidney beans with a bay leaf, add a little chicken or pork, or make a bean and kale stew. Keeping warm and grounded in winter with seasonal food can help to strengthen the will of the kidneys and calm the heart. Take the time to pace and mono-task, slow down, cook slow, and breathe. The benefits of Kidney energy ground us as we plan with pleasure and anticipation the celebrations of the season. We can enjoy; moments are savored and treasured.
Holly Carr is NC licensed acupuncturist with 20 years of clinic experience. She holds certification by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. For appointments contact the Center for Holistic Healing at 336-841-4307. Location: 3929 Tinsley Drive Suite 104, High Point, NC 27265. Email: [email protected]
The movement from one season can be tough. Adjusting to the earlier darkness and the colder mornings sometimes feels like a burden. Leaving work now feels a little scary-rush hour when it’s dark. We just want to be warm at home. It seems like fall was so short, after the long heat of the summer. And the natural cycle of summer into fall was so sudden this year; it took a storm to finally make it cooler. Halloween and Homecomings and tailgating get us in celebration mode. Fall can feel like such a transition, so brief, it’s good we have events to enjoy outside before it gets too cold. But Winter is worth enjoying. Winter can bring moments where we deepen, we build strength, and get rooted to who we really are.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine-TCM, theory says that Winter brings a time which represents the deepest part of who we are-the strength we are born with, our endurance and stamina. Every season is represented by a specific organ system, and in Chinese medicine, Kidney energy is at its strongest in winter. There are acupuncture points on the body that strengthen the Kidney power, and these are best stimulated in winter. The ‘Dan Tian’ is an area of the lower abdomen, just below the navel-it is the seat of our power, our essence. Acupuncture points that represent the Kidney are stimulated here to strengthen that power. Winter is the season of the Will-TCM. What is will? It is the ability to focus and direct energy towards achieving a goal. Stimulating Kidney energy and the power of the ’Dan Tian’ with acupuncture builds and balances will. Will brings the energy to ‘get things done’. But there is the danger of too much will. Excess of will is pathological. We can create unrealistic goals for ourselves and shove aside anyone in our path in order to achieve our goals. This is ‘controlling the material world’ at any cost. This can have a very real effect on our health. If we’re so driven to control in order to achieve our goals, any obstacle brings with it great fear of losing direction, losing gain. Burst of adrenalin stimulate the flight or fight response which can attack the heart. Feeling this constantly can stress the adrenal glands; they sit on top of the Kidneys, which over time become so constricted low back pain and Bladder and Kidney infections become common. Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenals during times of stress. The benefits of cortisol are anti-inflammatory; thus, corticosteroids are sometimes administered for pain and systemic inflammation. But constant secretion of cortisol because of stress and the adrenaline surge over time, can greatly weaken the immune system. Healing slows. Studies show that excess cortisol secretion due to stress can creates fat accumulations around the abdomen region, and the lack of circulation in that area can lead to strain on the heart. The constant flight-or fight response can bring about anxiety. TCM states that anxiety is a manifestation of excess heart energy not grounded. Kidneys and the Heart have a relationship of mutual balance. If the kidneys are strong, they prevent the heart from flaring into excess. If the heart is strong it brings warmth and circulation of oxygen, along with the lungs, to the ‘Dan Tian’, strengthening that area, our ‘root’. We feel grounded, connected with the planet we stand upon, and the people around us. We feel confident in who we are, unafraid, and have a balanced ‘will’. Breathing exercises can benefit the relationship between the heart, lungs and Kidney. Spending a few minutes a few times a day breathing in, focusing the breath from the nose, to heart to diaphragm, and settle in the navel area before exhaling from the mouth, acts to settle and ground, while increasing will and endurance. TCM states that the Kidneys bring warmth and fire to the body, increasing the circulatory power of all the organ systems. They work better if this root energy of the Kidneys work. A regular walking practice powers the energy of the kidneys. Any mindful exercise will go deep. Eating winter foods also builds this energy. Foods like kidney beans and root vegetables, all help to benefit the root warmth of the body. Try roasting root vegetables with olive oil, sage, and rosemary! Cook a pot of kidney beans with a bay leaf, add a little chicken or pork, or make a bean and kale stew. Keeping warm and grounded in winter with seasonal food can help to strengthen the will of the kidneys and calm the heart. Take the time to pace and mono-task, slow down, cook slow, and breathe. The benefits of Kidney energy ground us as we plan with pleasure and anticipation the celebrations of the season. We can enjoy; moments are savored and treasured.
Holly Carr is NC licensed acupuncturist with 20 years of clinic experience. She holds certification by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. For appointments contact the Center for Holistic Healing at 336-841-4307. Location: 3929 Tinsley Drive Suite 104, High Point, NC 27265. Email: [email protected]
For more information or to schedule an appointment please call 336-841-4307