Blog Index

Taking care of yourself through the Winter

Unless you are fairly young, you may be familiar with such mother’s and grandmothers advice as ‘don’t sit on cold walls’, ‘dress up well in cold weather’, ‘keep your head warm’, ‘don’t wear damp clothes’ etc

Years ago, most people were not mollycoddled with cosy, centrally heated homes. Food was often inadequate and in short supply, clothing sparse and homes were often cold, drafty and damp. To keep as well as possible, , people learnt how to look after themselves and this was often from lore which was handed down from one generation to another.

The ancient Chinese (and many other races too) understood that in Winter, you slowed your pace to the season, rising at dawn, sleeping at nightfall, minimising effort whilst conserving and recharging energy. They dressed warmly, ate warm food and drank warm fluid.

In our 24/7 modern Western world, I often see people walking inadequately dressed, often just wearing a shirt, when the temperature is below freezing. Whilst some people feel the cold more than others and we do all have varying levels of constitutional and protective energy, if any person is exposed to climatic extremes for long enough, the quality of their health will be effected.

Whilst many will argue that the common cold is not caused by being cold or wet (though acknowledging that these factors can weaken the immune system), but rather by members of the rhinovirus family, you might like to consider other views.
Practitioners of Traditional Chinese medicine are taught that the human body is frequently effected by internal and external factors, which are known as pathogenic factors. In the UK, the main external pathogenic factors are wind, cold and damp,

You may remember playing in the snow as a child and how after a little while your hands and feet would first go numb and then start to hurt. When you eventually went indoors and warmed up, but to begin with, they hurt even more!
This is a classic example of cold invading the extremities, all be it for just a short while. Cold stagnates blood and energy and fortunately when the exposure is brief, the body is quickly able to overcome the effect and all is well.
When the exposure is more prolonged or the intensity of the cold more severe, then the cold can invade more profoundly and be far more difficult to shake off. For example if a body joint is subjected in this way, then it may become very painful and have restricted mobility. A Chinese medical practitioner would recognise the condition in a patient and part of the treatment would involve expelling cold and probably applying warmth the the joint and adjacent areas.

Similarly, it is possible to be invaded by damp (or you might call it wet)
I remember some years ago treating a client who, having lived abroad in good health came to live in a damp cottage on the Somerset levels. After a while he found that a number of his joints became sore and stiff and were further worsened when the weather was wet or humid. Treatment included helping his body to expel some of the damp as well as strengthening his core energy.

It is common sense as well as Chinese medical thinking that you can take a little more care of yourself during the Winter months. Rest more and get earlier nights. To counteract the cold and help build up your energy, eat nourishing soups and stews and take warm drinks.
Wear adequate warm and dry clothing and when you do become exposed to the extremes of the weather- cold, wind or damp, have a good soak in the bath as quickly as possible and then keep warm and dry.

I hope that you enjoy a healthy and happy Winter.

This year we seem have undergone an instant transition from Winter to Spring. Particularly when the sun is shining and the skies are blue, you can already feel the dynamic energy of the new season.

In Chinese medicine, Spring is linked to the wood element.
Spring is the season for both the birth of the new and the regeneration of the old. Green shoots and buds burst forth and newborn lambs bound about noisily.

The energy within ourselves responds to the Spring season too. It is a time for planning and making decisions about the future, not just on a day to day level, but for the whole year ahead.
Well made plans and decisions are both exciting and satisfying. Sometimes things go awry and our plans and hopes are thwarted, which may leave us feeing frustrated and irritable, headachey and even depressed.

As warmth is to Summer, wind is to Spring. We can be like a graceful tree that bends in the wind and going with the flow, so to speak, rather than being stubbornly inflexible and snapping.
In Chinese medicine, wind is seen as the spearhead of disease and can carry both the wind itself and often cold too, into the unprotected body. Wind can invade the body, either because the defence system is weak or through prolonged exposure.
It often targets the head, neck and back and can lead to aches and pains which wander around the joints and muscles, as well perhaps as creating symptoms of influenza.
Having diagnosed the cause of distress, the practitioner of Chinese medicine will use acupuncture points to eliminate the wind and cold, remove obstructions from the energy channels and perhaps use moxa, a warming herb, to also counteract the cold.

Remember the old saying of keeping appropriately clothed until May is out (there are arguments as to whether this means May the season, or May blossom!) As long as you take adequate care, you can enjoy the season and keep well, whatever the climate throws at us.

When you think of Summer, you may well think about the increase in heat and light, the intensity and vibrancy of colours, sounds and smells, spending more time outdoors, perhaps meeting up with friends…

You will not be surprised that in the Chinese classics, the Summer as a season is linked to the fire element, which not only resonates with plant and animal life, but our own energies too.

We may respond to the external fire with a sense of lightness, freedom, enthusiasm and a pleasure in the warmth. On an internal level, the fire element gives us a sense of joy and fun as well as warmth and love towards others in our relationships with partners, friends and family.

Sometimes the fire within us becomes excessive and can burn out of control. We might exhibit such signs as being overheated, overexcited, restless and even hysterical. Conversely, when the fire becomes depleted we may feel cold, tired, dispirited, vulnerable and withdrawn.

As with many things, balance lies with the middle path.

I hope that your Summer is a pleasant one.

Welcome to my blog.