Winter Warmth to Support your Kidneys
As the days get shorter and darker and we transition into winter, the season invites us to get cozy, go inward and create deep nourishment for ourselves.
I welcome you to slow down, get warm and cozy, honor simplicity, and find magic in the ordinary this winter. Winter is the season of “Yin”- the ultimate downtime and replenishment of energy and resources. Nature invites us to go dormant and be still this season, allowing this replenishment and introspection to birth new ideas and beginnings in the Spring.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine winter is the season of the Water element and the Kidneys and is associated with the emotion of fear. By strengthening the Kidneys, we replenish vitality and discover the ways that our bodies and souls feel nourished. Small intentional acts can help us stay grounded and honor the darkness when it feels all-encompassing.
When we follow the rhythm of the seasons, we are engaging in preventative health. We are part of nature and can honor the changing energies around us nudging us to slow down this time of year to ensure optimal vitality now and in the years to come.
Seasonal Focus: Water Element and Kidneys
The Water element symbolizes fluidity and introspection and taps into our creativity. The Kidneys store our life essence called “Jing” and govern vitality, willpower and deep reserves. Our Kidney energy naturally decreases as we age, so it is important to take care now to ensure vitality into our older years. Nourished Kidneys make us feel grounded, calm and full of energy. When the Kidneys are weakened, feelings of anxiety and fear can come up which leaves us exhausted, depleted and unbalanced. Below I have included some seasonal wellness tips on how to keep your Kidneys vital and healthy this season.
Seasonal Wellness Tips
Sleep and rest more. With the short days and long nights it feels more natural to go to bed early and sleep in this time of year. Remember that rest isn’t an interruption to growth, it’s a part of the rhythm that makes everything else possible.
Keep warm. The kidneys are the store-houses for the fire that lights up the rest of our bodies, staying warm is vital this time of year. The kidneys reside in the lower back, and the kidney channel starts at the bottom of the feet, so keeping these areas warm is especially helpful. Break out the cozy slippers and warm woolly sweaters.
Focus on nourishment. Include nutrient dense foods and foods that are dark in color to your diet. Bone broth, Liver, black sesame seeds, black beans, miso soup, walnuts and goji berries are a few ideas. Avoid raw vegetables or cold smoothies, and try to drink water at room temperature rather than adding ice. Do the things in your life that truly make you feel nourished, calm, relaxed and fulfilled.
Work with the water element. Engage in creativity and do something with your hands to activate the water element. If this dark season feels like a particularly tough time, balance out the water element by inviting some fire into your life. Connect with loved ones, host a small potluck supper, do some decorating. Focus on the things that light you up and bring more energy rather than leave you depleted.
Gentle movement and acupressure. Qi gong, yoga and stretching support kidney energy as mobilizing the spine helps the water element flow. Even just a few minutes a day can make a big difference.
Kidney 1 is a great acupressure point to strengthen the Kidneys and help you feel more grounded. This point is on the sole of the foot in the middle, roughly one third from the toes to the base of the heel, where the ball of the foot meets the arch. Press firmly for 30 seconds to one minute up to several times a day.
Nourishment Support: Bone Broth Hot Chocolate
This is the perfect recipe to boost nutrients and incorporate more protein, minerals and collagen to your diet while also having a sweet creamy treat!
Ingredients:
2/3 cup bone broth
1 1/2 cups milk (coconut or regular milk)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2-3 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
Instructions:
1. Heat: in a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the bone broth to a light simmer
2. Mix: add the milk, maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to the saucepan and whisk until creamy and smooth.
3. Serve: pour the hot chocolate into two separate mugs. If desired, use a milk frother to make it nice and foamy. Serve with mini marshmallows or whipped cream on top (optional).
** If you use coconut milk, use 1 cup and 1/2 cup of water or it will be very thick. Coconut milk masks the flavor of bone broth better than other nut or oat milks.
How Acupuncture Helps This Season
Winter acupuncture treatments focus on strengthening Kidney energy, helping you feeling revitalized, restored and replenished both mentally and physically. An acupuncture tune-up can help you feel calm and focused amidst the possible holiday chaos. In addition to boosting the immune system and boosting blood flow to create warmth in the body, acupuncture can help balance and accept emotions like anxiety and fear and lift the heaviness that sometimes accompanies the short, dark days.
Another therapy I love to use this time of year is moxibustion. It is a heat therapy that involves burning processed mugwort which releases infrared heat to warm the body, organs and meridians. It increases blood circulation and does wonders for increasing energy, reducing inflammation and prompting deep relaxation.
If you’ve been feeling emotionally and/ or physically low, this is an ideal time for a treatment. Acupuncture gently supports both the physical and emotional transitions of the season — helping you feel calm, revitalized, and more balanced within yourself.
Reflect and Find Your Stillness
As nature becomes still, give yourself permission to rest, be warm, and nourish yourself. Supporting your Kidneys now will allow for resilience throughout the winter and the energy for new projects and ideas to emerge in the spring.
Book your winter acupuncture session now.