The Crazy Wisdom Community Journal • January - April 2015 • Page 36
Sustainable Health
Chinese Medicine and Winter Wisdom The organ which is said to be most nourished and affected by this time of year is the kidney. The kidneys are the root of our vitality in Chinese Medicine, and they anchor the yin aspect of our beings. We need them to be supported so that we can sustain the energy of our growth and expansion in the spring, and stay cool and moistened internally during the hot summer months. Like good roots, we need them to help anchor and ground us energetically. Without this grounding we suffer. We have fatigue, we have restlessness, anxiety, poor sleep, and a host of other discomforts associated with weak kidneys. In Chinese medicine, the emotional energies are recognized as very powerful forces affecting our health. Emotionally, the kidneys are most affected by fear. During this time, in particular, we ought to try to embrace our deep personal work, turning inwards more and facing those fears which are deep within us all.
By Brodie Burris
H
ow does one maintain health and well-being? This is an age-old question, and it's been deeply considered by people for the last 5,000 years. As an acupuncturist. I am heavily influenced by the ancient Chinese philosophy known as Taoism. Taoists focus their attention on trying to understand change and transformation, the rhythms of the natural world, and they came to feel that the secret to health and longevity lay in going along with the energy of the universe, the Tao. As we look around us now, we see the energy of the world withdrawing and turning inwards. To follow the Tao, we would follow suit. The energy of the winter months is the utmost yin in the cycle of the seasons. Yin is embodied by the qualities of the earth itself. It is cool or cold, it is nourishing to the material/ physical aspect, it is moistening, it is downwards, it is inwards, it is feminine, it is expressed in plants by the roots. In this Yin time, we should return to and nourish our roots. This means that we ought to behave in ways that are not contrary to the energy of the natural world around us. We should be more sedentary actually. Look at the animals. They often go so far as to literally hibernate. For us, this means that we should go to bed earlier, be more limited in our exercise and sexual activity. Be quieter, less social, less ambitiously hustle bustling about. The trees are not trying to grow and expand right now, because that is not the energy of this season. You feel like you just want to curl up with a book? That’s because you should.
We should be more sedentary actually. Look at the animals. They often go so far as to literally hibernate... Be quieter, less social, less ambitiously hustle bustling about... You feel like you just want to curl up with a book? That’s because you should. At the same time, it is important to nurture the yang in us as well at this time of year. If yin energy is embodied by the earth, then yang energy is embodied by the sun. It is warming and expansive and active. It is expressed in plants by the tips of the shoots, by the top of the tree reaching skyward. We should be eating more cooked, hot and hearty foods to counteract and balance the cold yin of the season. Meats and root vegetables, winter squash and potatoes, for example, would be excellent. Using warming spices like cinnamon and clove are also very appropriate. There is a good reason that these things are already a part of the diet of the winter season. It is because we instinctively feel the desire for balancing with these foods, and because they are naturally and seasonally available. Too much raw or cold food at this time of year can be hard on the system, and can lead to cold disorders of the digestion, and other organ systems.
The organ which is said to be most nourished and affected by this time of year is the kidney. The kidneys are the root of our vitality in Chinese Medicine, and they anchor the yin aspect of our beings.
Turn inwards and bring your attention to your feelings. It is not easy. No one really likes it. But if we can bring love and acceptance to our fears and injuries, we can do some wonderful healing. We may find that we feel more depressed or emotionally exhausted. This could be due to a myriad of factors of course, including the sedate energy of the season, the lack of sunlight, the isolation inherent in the difficulty of getting out and about. This may also be due to the resistance we have to doing our work. The hard work of feeling, of going inwards and witnessing our injuries and giving them the love and attention they need to heal. Turn inwards and bring your attention to your feelings. It is not easy. No one really likes it. But if we can bring love and acceptance to our fears and injuries, we can do some wonderful healing. The work has its own rewards; a healthier emotional foundation upon which to build and grow, when the season of our lives turns once more toward spring. So try to embrace this season. Allow the energy of winter to be what it is and try not to resist it. This is what I tell myself. “Come on Brodie, don’t fight it, use this time wisely to nurture that within you which is nourished by this energy. Do your work and go with the Tao of life.” Brodie Burris graduated from the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco. He has been practicing and studying Acupuncture and Chinese medicine in Ann Arbor since 1998. He recently finished his second term as president of the Michigan Association of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, and he is the clinical director of the Lotus Center of Ann Arbor. For more information, go to tlcaa.com or call the Center at 734-975-2745.