Winter Wellness

Posted by:  Yiska Obadia, L.Ac.
Tuesday, December 16th 2008.

schedule callalert call

Taking in the gifts of winter, such as slowing down and restoration can be a challenge living in our current culture. It gets dark early, but the lights stay on. Our energy levels may dip, but we’ve got Starbucks to keep us going. Truly experiencing winter is what replenishes us so we have the energy reserves we need when springtime arrives. In other words, we all need wintertime in our lives, not only during this time of year, but all year round. The need and urgency simply increases during this season. And all seasonally attuned wellness resources will recommend honoring the natural inclination of the season to slow down, sleep and rest more, eat warm foods, avoid exposure to the cold and all of this is common sense, however much we may ignore it these days.    

Let me draw your attention beyond this wisdom, to another lesson of the Chinese medicinal tradition. Most people recognize the taiji symbol of balance representing yin and yang. It is a circle divided into black and white each with a spot of the opposite color in its respective half of the swirl. This image represents the nature of life whereby all polarities; light and shadow, emptiness and fullness, masculine and feminine, night and day, each complete and complement each other, each representing essential aspects of the whole. 

Regarding the seasons, winter could be represented by the dark swirl of this circle. It would be filled with all aspects of the season marked by greater darkness and other yin qualities such as storage, conservation of energy reserves, slowing down, and hibernation. This symbol also begs the question of what in our lives would represent the white spot in the center. This light in the darkness might be expressed by our celebration of the winter holidays. It might be the way we naturally seek warmth in the midst of winter’s coldness, both physically and emotionally. But even when the holidays pass we are still left with lots of winter to bear.

It is essential that we remember to bring this point of balance into a time of year when it can be so easy to feel depressed and alone. Even to seek comfort and warmth from overeating and overdrinking. We need to reach out to our friends and the loved ones who fill our hearts with joy and love, warming away the chill of winter. While we may be inclined to isolate ourselves, this is exactly when we need to invite a good friend over for tea or prepare a romantic candlelit dinner for our partners. And when we don’t feel like going out into the cold at night, use our time to call friends and family who are living far away. Warmth even travels over cellular waves! While we may feel down as we criticize ourselves for experiencing dips in energy levels related to the nature of the season, we might offer ourselves the warmth of human compassion and use the negative feelings as a spring board to be especially kind to ourselves. This might look like the gift of a warm bath, getting a massage, a new inspirational book to read, enjoying a favorite home-cooked meal, or trying out a restorative yoga dvd.

This season, take the time to come up with your own perfect ideas for how to put this wisdom into practice. Look for ways to bring the nutrients of warmth, joy, lightness, love, and compassion into your life as you honor the natural inclination of the season to slow down. Imagine the difference it would make if every time you went to the refrigerator for a late night snack this winter you came up with a way to feed yourself human compassion or friendship instead. Imagine if you called a friend instead of your ex! This practice will only support you in maintaining your wellness and weight this season and set you off on a balanced start to the year. And may the lasting impressions of your holidays continue to warm and nourish you, filling you with health and joy in the New Year.

Yiska Obadia, licensed acupuncturist and holistic wellness coach