If you’ve ever had an acupuncture treatment, you may have already heard your practitioner urge the importance of eating warm, cooked foods. If not, did you know excessive consumption of raw, cold foods can lead to slow and disrupted digestion?

Before I expand upon this concept, let’s talk about Winter. Winter gets a bad reputation, especially here in Maine, but I think it’s time we reframe our thoughts surrounding this season. 

Some of the most common phrases I hear from my patients this time of year are: “I’m feeling more tired lately” or “I’ve been going to bed much earlier.” Most of the time, this is not pathological. I remind my patients this is the time of year we NEED to sleep and rest more often. It’s difficult for people to understand this since we live in a very “yang” society with a focus on productivity. What if I told you that resting and sleeping more this time of year IS productive?

Winter is the time of storage, receding, recharging, introspection… you get the picture. Spring follows Winter, and Spring is the time for rebirth, renewal, awakening, etc. Without properly restoring ourselves in the winter, we won’t be able to properly awaken in the spring. So, embracing the yin (rest) of the winter months allows us to reemerge in the spring with more yang (vibrance). 

What are some ways we can embrace the yin and benefit from the energy of winter?

Eat warm, cooked foods

In Chinese Medicine, we compare the digestive system to a pot of boiling water that needs to cook any food or drink we ingest before transporting the nutrients to our cells or transforming it to waste. If we’re consistently eating cold or raw food, especially during the winter months, this weakens the digestive fire’s ability to cook the food before transforming and transporting it.

With unlimited access to fresh produce year round, we tend to forget what’s actually “in-season.” If you go to your local farm stand in early winter, you’ll mostly see root vegetables such as potatoes, beets, winter squash, parsnips, carrots etc. These vegetables are really tough to eat raw, and need a good amount of boiling, steaming or roasting. Eating food that is seasonally available is one of the easiest ways to satisfy our digestive system.

Stay active, but don’t overdo it

Our bodies are meant to move so we should stay active year round. Our level of activity, though, can also fluctuate with the seasons. Through the winter months, place more emphasis on activities that don’t produce a vigorous sweat; such as yoga, walking, qi gong, tai chi, moderate weight lifting, etc. When we’re dripping sweat after exercise everyday, we’re exhausting our energy while we need to be prioritizing more rest.  

Go to sleep early, rise with the sun

Another common phrase I hear this time of year is “it’s dark so early now.” Even the earth is telling us to sleep and rest more! Listen to your body, wind down earlier in the night, sleep-in until the sun rises, and find deep rest without guilt. 

A passage from the Huangdi Neijing that sums up the energy of winter is below. The Huangdi Neijing is traditional Chinese medicine’s oldest text, dating back 2,200+ years ago. Thank you to 8 Branches Acupuncture for highlighting this passage in a recent blog post.

THE THREE MONTHS OF WINTER

THEY DENOTE SECURING AND STORING.

THE WATER IS FROZEN AND THE EARTH BREAKS OPEN.

DO NOT DISTURB THE YANG [QI].

GO TO REST EARLY AND RISE LATE.

YOU MUST WAIT FOR THE SUN TO SHINE.

LET THE MIND ENTER A STATE AS IF HIDDEN, {AS IF SHUT IN} AS IF YOU HAD SECRET INTENTIONS; AS IF YOU ALREADY HAD MADE GAINS.

AVOID COLD AND SEEK WARMTH AND DO NOT [ALLOW SWEAT] TO FLOW AWAY THROUGH THE SKIN. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE QI TO BE CARRIED AWAY QUICKLY.

THIS IS CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE QI OF WINTER AND IT IS THE WAY OF NOURISHING STORAGE. OPPOSING IT HARMS THE KIDNEYS.

IN SPRING THIS CAUSES LIMPNESS WITH RECEDING [QI],AND THERE IS LITTLE TO SUPPORT GENERATION.

—SUWEN 2-11-1, Unschuld