Dear Wise Women,
Tonight we dug into the depths of the earth and pulled up her fertile energy into our bodies through a very yin and earth focused session of Qigong. We connected to the darkness and honoured the power of the Winter Solstice, a time when the yin energy is at its maximum and is just on the cusp of transforming back into the light (the yang). As we discussed, our modern society doesn’t always encourage or appreciate the acts of cocooning, resting, and “ introverting”. In fact, we tend to be “rewarded” for the opposite behaviours of busy-ness, productivity and extroverting. For some of us, it is all too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the festive season which can lead to exhaustion, depression and anxiety. Today’s class was a reminder and an invitation for us to do what this season is really asking of us, which is to slow down and reflect, connect and rest!
Ladies, thank-you for sharing tonight with me. I wish you all a peaceful holiday, however you may celebrate this season!
Extra blessings to our fellow wise women, Colleen, as she undergoes a hip replacement surgery tomorrow. Colleen we all sent you extra love in our closing circle today! ❤️
“Be the melting snow. Wash yourself of yourself” - Rumi
“A WORLD SO still you swear you can hear her breathe. Snow glitters with points of light flung like stars across a universe of white. Not even birds breach the air, and there rises within you the notion that stillness is more enriching than motion, listening is more empowering than distraction and slow, measured steps feel more graceful than speed. Ah, I’m growing old, you say - then marvel at how young and new and invigorated it makes you feel.
I AM NOT created or re-created by the noise and clatter of my life, by the rush and scurry, the relentless chase or the presumption that more gets more. No, I am created and re-created by moments of stillness and quiet. I am struck richer by a pure solitude that allows me to feel the world around me and lean into my place in it. I am not the rush of words in my life’s narrative. I am its punctuation. Its pauses and stops. I am my ongoing recharge: in this silence I am reborn.
IN THE DEEP snow moons of winter, there are stories hovering around us. The are whispered by the voices of our ancestors, told in ancient tongues, told in the hop that we will hear them. Listen, in the drape of moonbeams across a canvas of snow, the life of birdsong, the crackle of a fire, the smell of smudge and the echo of the heartbeats of those around us, our ancestors speak to us, call to us, summon us to the great abiding truth of stories: that simple stories, well told, are the heartbeat of the people. Past. Present. Future. ”
Womb of Winter: Kidneys, Water
“As the days shorten and darken, and we descend into winter, the time of Kidneys, element of Water, it is a time for deep nourishment and strengthening of that which is most basic, essential, the foundation of our innermost selves. A time for returning to the womb of the dark nothingness, the fertile earth, in order to call forth our own unique spark of light, the miracle of life and light returning in cycle. Kidneys are associated both with Water, Winter, and the color Black, as well as with with our essential Life Gate Fire. Holding this paradox, they are the foundation for our entire body.
Kidneys are the root of Yin and Yang for all other systems in the body, and house our body’s Essence, an interesting concept which includes Qi, Fluids, Yin, Yang, and relates with growth and development, marrow, and brain, as well as the aging process. Kidneys are connected with our genetic heritage, our pre-natal (or “pre-heaven”) Qi, thus providing a link to our ancestry and our world pre-birth; the qi that we come in with (rather than what we gather while we are here). When we are strong and balanced in this deepest area of our body, we are protected and nourished from inside out.
Also corresponding with the Kidney system are bones, inhalation, back, feet, ears, hair, water metabolism, reproductive health, development and growth, the direction North, energy and stamina, Fear, and Will. The Kidneys taste is salty, its sound is groaning.
The aspect of soul/spirit related to Kidneys is Will, or Zhi. Will relates to instinctual power and life force. The Yang aspect of Will is resolution, active effort, volition, life-force, drive. The Yin aspect is deeper and paradoxical: the will that can’t be willed, a direction to an end that is not known until it is reached, which is only understood after manifestation— this aspect of Will is related to destiny and fate, and embodies the mystery of life. Wisdom is the virtue of Will— learning to have relationship with what is unknown and unknowable, trust developed over the course of a lifetime. When this soul aspect is weak, Fear and despair dominate. The Zhi can become exhausted through overwork and overstimulation, through trauma, childbirth, chronic disease, addiction. Healing the Zhi requires trusting in the wisdom of the body and heart, the mysteries of life, using the strength of our will to realign in service with Life’s purpose for us.
This is a time to go inward and rest. The spirit animal associated with the Kidneys is the Black Tortoise, who has the power to store. This is a time to go slow, decrease outward activity, simplify, be still, reflect, consolidate. A time to meditate, practice gratitude, practice not knowing, and honor our ancestors. In Jewish tradition, the healing or repair work we are given to do in this lunar month is to sleep and to dream. Calming physical exercise such as qi gong, tai ji, yoga, can benefit the Kidneys. At the end of the exercise, swallow your saliva down to your Kidneys (Taoists teach that the saliva gathered during meditation and energy work is a healing elixir), and rub your lower back in the area of the Kidneys (in TCM this is around L2, waistline) to nourish them. This is a good time to spend time with water, learn from water. We can massage the bottoms of our feet— Kidney channel begins here at a point called Bubbling Spring, just under the ballpads about a third of the way down the cole of the foot. This point is our umbilicus to the earth.
Nutritional ways to replenish and balance our Kidneys include mushrooms (especially shiitake), bone broths, high quality cod liver oil, vitamin D (found in organ meats, sunlight and D3 from good quality natural supplements, among other sources— most adults and children at this latitude probably need to supplement, often between 1000 and 5000 IUs a day, depending on the individual), root vegetables (turnips, carrots, rutabaga, parsnips, yams), winter squash and pumpkin, seaweed, unrefined sea salt (in food or drink), miso, grilled or slow-cooked meats (such as lamb, chicken, beef, pork), cabbage, kale, daikon, dandelion greens, beans, barley, millet, garlic, nettles, raspberry leaf, rose hips, schizandra berry, cranberry, walnuts, quinoa, ginger, cinnamon, onions… and more! Many of these are also helpful for immunity. In the winter we can cook foods slowly, for a longer time, focusing on soups and stews. Hearty meals cooked at higher heat are also beneficial.
Some people wear an extra layer wrapped around their lower back at this time of year to keep the kidneys warm and protected. A scarf around the neck and a hat on the head are recommended at this time of year to protect the back of the neck (home to the Kidneys partner, the Urinary Bladder), where colds are thought find entrance. Keep those feet warm— also Kidney territory. Moxa at this time of year is very important to protect, warm, and nourish the Kidneys as well.
This time of year is of course the most yin time, the darkest time at least at this latitude. Many holidays at this time are about recognizing and honoring that amazing spark of yang inherent in the darkest yin, the sun returning, the light that is within all of us and ever present. In our culture, it is sometimes forgotten to also honor the nourishment and regeneration that takes place in the dark, the womb, underground. These elements are part and parcel of each other, irrevocably intertwined. We need them both, the dark which gives birth to the light. (I remind again, because I know that I myself need reminding so often.) So even as we find and share the everpresent light and miracle shining within each one of us, let us also remember to take our time to rest, to breathe, go in.”
Staying Healthy During Winter
“The final few months of the year often find us in a frantic state of shopping, decorating, traveling, and other high-energy activity. Yet instead of having fun, we often end up feeling ill, anxious, or depressed. The reason, according to Taoist philosophy and traditional Chinese medicine, is that the action-packed schedules we keep at this time of year fall out of sync with the earth’s natural cycles.
”We naturally have less energy to burn during the winter,” explains acupuncturist Carolyn Cohen, L.Ac., who teaches at Yo San University, a college of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Santa Monica, California. “So when we engage in behaviors more appropriate for summer—staying up late and dashing around town—it’s no wonder that the forced cheer of the holiday season can wear a bit thin.”
Taoist philosophy conceptualizes universal balance in terms of yin and yang, complementary forces that govern the universe. Yin characteristics are cool, wet, slow, feminine, and quiet, whereas yang is the opposite: warm, dry, fast, masculine, extroverted. Winter, the yin season, is a time for storing and conserving energy in the way a bear retains fat by hibernating, or a farmer stores food for the cold months ahead.
In agrarian cultures, people spend the shortest, darkest days indoors by the fire, eating warm, slow-cooked, nourishing food and sharing stories with their families. The incongruity between winter’s restful, introspective, yin nature and the frenetic way many Americans spend their holidays can contribute to seasonal affective disorder, depression, exhaustion, and other manifestations of what is known in TCM as shen (or spiritual) disharmony.
”Winter solstice, just three or four days before Christmas, is the darkest, most yin day of the year,” says Cohen. “Instead of turning inward, we’re celebrating with excess and yang activity. This artificiality creates stress, and many people dread the season as a result.”
To stay balanced during winter, suggests Cohen, conserve your yang energy. Restorative yoga, tai chi, qigong, and walking are best suited for yin season, as they safeguard your energy reserves. “Think of these practices as an investment of your ‘energy paycheck,’” says Cohen. “Don’t use up what little winter energy you have with overactivity and added stress.”
Eating cooked, spicy yang foods provides another good way to replenish energy. Prepare yang-strengthening soups, slow-simmered stews, beans, roasted root vegetables, and warm drinks. Add yang spices such as garlic, ginger, black pepper, cloves, and basil to increase the warming effect. Minimize your intake of yin foods such as raw vegetables, salad greens, and cold drinks.”
Deep gratitude and wishes of hope, peace, joy and love to you and your families!
xo
Patti