Snow is right on time today with Nov. 7th being the first day of winter in the solar calendar (winter solstice marks the half way point). Autumn ending in-sync with the lunar eclipse at 3am Nov 8th.
I’ve been feeling energy shifts in pulses and abdomens for the past few weeks. Pulses are sinking, kidneys and adrenals are asking for attention. Listening into cranio rythms, there is more unwinding in stillness than in movement. People are dropping in deeper on the table, some fall asleep in my hands.
I like to think of snow as a blanket. Tucking in the plants for winter. Energy descends into the roots of trees, mirroring our natural desire to turn inwards in the colder months.
The organs ruling the season of winter are the kidneys and bladder. So by extension deeper levels of the nervous system; the brain, spinal chord, bones and adrenals should be tended to. We can help our bodies attune to the seasonal shift by slowing down enough to hear our own internal voice. A feat in itself for most of us surviving capitalism!
Some symptoms you might notice flair during the winter months are fatigue, anxiety marked by fear, or anxiety from depletion/running on empty, frequency in urination, sore low back or knees, insomnia, night sweats, hot flashes, constipation and tinnitus to name a few. As always a TCM practitioner can help support you, but I think it’s nice to lean into accessible self care practices that remind us to pay attention to what’s happening within and see how that’s reflected around us.
Self care for winter Kidneys & bladder:
Epsom salt foot baths - salt is the flavour associated with the season + organ systems of winter. The start of the kidney channel is on the bottom of the foot, when we warm out feet we are helping circulation of energy in the whole body.
Warm cooked meals, soups and stews along with dark coloured foods such as black sesame, blueberry, black fungus, seaweeds, walnut, flax, black beans, black rice & wild rice, goji berry
Keep your feet and low back warm, using hot water bottles on your back and/or foot baths while resting at the end of your days. At home moxa and moxa heat packs are helpful.
Slow resourcing exercise like tai chi & Qi gong + stillness practices like meditation. Cut back on high intensity activities if possible.
Herbs to warm the kidneys: goji, cinnamon, and ginger.
Gentle adaptogens for the nervous system like tulsi and ashwaghanda + supportive nervines like milky oat seed, skullcap, passionflower.
Herbs that support the brain like gotu kola, ginko leaf, and lions mane.