Winter Tips
As we enter the days of short light & long shadows, there are many healthful things we can do to stay warm & brighten our surroundings. Living in harmony with nature’s rhythms keeps us well & balanced. Nature is drawing energy in- the trees are drawing in sap to the core, the earth is drawing roots, shoots and tubers in deep. Everything appears dead & dying, yet under the cold withering exterior, life is happening, gathering vital energy for spring’s revival. Below 10 feet (3 meters), the ground is consistently 55 degrees F, drawing heat from the Earth’s core generated by decay of minerals & solar energy absorbed from the Sun. In nature nothing goes to waste.
Living in harmony with nature requires mindfulness. If we’ve been too busy to live well, this is the time of year for assessing our priorities, identifying what’s working in our lives, and what’s not, and determining the course of action that best serves our highest good. As nature does, it’s time to take what is no longer needed (decaying minerals), mix it with the good we’ve been blessed with (solar power) & use it to sustain us through the bleak, shortest days of the year. This becomes the nurturing energy (preparing the soil) needed for a vibrant, healthy spring.
Other remedies for feeling “chilled to the bone”
1. Wear layers of clothing-scarves around the neck, gloves & a hat. Keep the wind out. Most heat escapes from the head & extremities.
2. Eat warm soups, broths, stews & vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish & poultry. Drink warm beverages to bring the heat inside. Avoid icy or cold drinks. Adding ginger to foods warms the body. Cinnamon, cloves, chives, coconut, garlic, coriander, ginseng, nutmeg, squash, sunflower seeds, sweet basil, chestnuts, & walnuts are all warming foods.
3. Take warmer showers. Stand in the steam, allowing the skin to absorb the hot water
4. If available, try a sauna. It helps sweat out toxins & absorbing steam makes us more flexible for stretching.
5. Warm organic oil (olive or sesame) on the stove. Give yourself a massage. Wrap in pajamas & go directly to bed. The oils will be absorbed by the skin restoring moisture. Or, better yet, schedule a massage on a heated table with soft, cozy flannel sheets. Call in advance to arrange for warm stones added to your massage at no extra charge.
6. Seek inner warmth as well as physical warmth. Spend more time with family & friends.
7. Light candles to add a warm glow to the early darkness.
Water is the element of the Winter season in TCM. Water is very fluid & adaptable taking the shape of whatever container and changing form from vapor, liquid, or ice with changes of temperature. The Earth & the human body both contain about 70-80 percent water. Sea water is almost identical to blood plasma. Like blood, water circulates on the Earth as snow on mountaintops then melts into streams & rivers and eventually evaporates into clouds to fall back to Earth as rain. The same amount of water has existed on Earth since the beginning.
In our bodies water carries nourishment to tissues in our blood and removes waste & provides immunity in lymph. Winter is a time to conserve energy and not be wasteful with our active energy. We need special care in the form of nutrition, warmth & rest. It is important to stay warm & dry, move slowly & mindfully, stretch regularly, get plenty of rest, & practice relaxation & meditation techniques. This is in direct opposition to the hectic holidays. The water element is related to the emotions (water energy is deep), and an imbalance may be manifest as fear- phobias, anxiety, or negativity.
Water is a receptive element so listening & being receptive to positive energy is essential for winter health & harmony. The deep inner listening of meditation is very beneficial for balance and collecting inner resources for year round health. For more tips about adding regular stretching & meditation practice to your daily routine, we can discuss your specific concerns at your next appointment. When we say we don’t have time to meditate & stretch, that’s when we need it most. Taking care of ourselves must be our number one priority if we are to remain vital into advanced age.
BREAST HEALTH INFORMATION
For a great article in the Huffington Post by Dr. Christine Northrup about breast cancer screening, go to:
And for more information about Thermography offered in the Towson/Lutherville area go to:
The President’s Cancer Panel recommends reducing cancer risk by choosing foods produced without pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics and growth hormones .As we move to more indoor living in the winter months, it’s time to evaluate our exposure to chemicals in our homes- cleaning solvents, pesticides, detergents, air “fresheners”, and personal grooming & beauty products. These products contain hundreds of chemical ingredients most of which have not been tested for safety by the FDA. “Natural” does not mean “Organic”. But “Organic” always means “Natural”. Neurological diseases identified as “chemical- induced” such as Lupus have been identified in the last few years and the remedy can be as simple as stopping exposure to certain chemicals found in cosmetics & hair care products. Synergism, simultaneous action of separate agents which together have greater total effect than the sum of their individual effects has been identified as the cause of Gulf War Syndrome, as well as other inflammatory diseases. Symptoms caused by chronic or low level chemical exposures include fatigue, dizziness, rashes, chronic infections, depression, memory loss, immune complaints, vomiting, asthma-like symptoms, conjunctivitis, & numbness in extremities. Over- exposure results in death.
There are a number of “natural” cleaning products available and information online about using common household ingredients such as baking soda, vinegar & lemon juice for safe household cleaning to limit exposure to toxic chemicals. ”The prevailing view that chemicals are safe until proven otherwise is no longer valid” Synergistic Activation of Estrogen Receptor with Combinations of Environmental Chemicals” 272 Science 1489-1492, June 7, 1996.
REDUCE STRESS- IMPROVE POSTURE- INCREASE FLEXIBILITY
RELIEVE PAIN-RESTORE MOVEMENT-RENEW ENERGY
REVITALIZE YOUR LIFE
CONNECT MIND/BODY/SPIRIT
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EXERCISE HAS LASTING BENEFITS FOR OLDER WOMEN
Just 20 minutes of at-home exercise daily over five years helped increase older women’s gait stability and cut their risk of fracture by 32%, according to researchers at Oulu Deaconess Institute in Finland. The regular exercise also helped participants improve their balance & walking speed which protected them from fractures and even extended their lives. Not only were benefits achieved during the exercise period but the exercisers were at lower risk of sustaining hip fractures or dying two years after the program ended. Women who had engaged in moderate physical activity throughout their lives were 78 percent less likely to sustain a fracture. Regular exercise helped women, concluded the researchers, to prevent a loss of independence and future fractures.