Aug2012_Winter Reflections
Our internal organs and body systems resonate with every seasonal energy. During each season, the organs present themselves for an annual service of internal cleansing and healing.
Exercises that move, massage, stimulate and stretch the organs and their associated meridian channels have a deeply tonifying effect, and with regular practice, can help us to sustain a more balanced and harmonious state of health throughout the year.
The focus for winter is on stillness, depth and flow. The intention is on the inward journey and this is supported through meditation, breathing techniques and deep relaxation.
Winter is the season when Yin is at its peak or, more accurately, when it is most condensed. Winter is the season when most things in nature reach the end of their cycle and return to the earth. It is a time for stillness and reflection.
Water is the TCM element associated with Winter and expresses yin in its ultimate forms: cold, blue, dense, heavy and moving downwards. Water is a formidable force — it has the power to destroy life but is essential to sustain it. Yin is the substance and structure that generates yang and allows it to function. In TCM, winter is a necessary and important part of the yin yang seasonal cycle. This is the time of year when the kidneys need most care and when TCM practitioners believe we need to accumulate enough yin for yang to burn in the spring and summer.
In TCM thinking, the kidneys are vital to our function and existence, holding the key to our Chi, or “life force”. According to Eastern philosophy, at the time of our conception, the heavens gift us with ‘pre natal Chi’, which is stored in our kidneys and is the source of our essence, original Chi, and the root of all yin and yang within the body.
In order to maintain our original Chi and essence we need to top it up with energy from the food we eat, the air we breathe and the way we live our lives. Chi serves us in its functions within the body to transform, transport, hold, raise, protect, and warm.
So, how do we build yin and support the kidneys in the winters of today’s hectic world?
In an ideal world, during winter we would be in bed not long after sunset and wake at sunrise. Our working day would be short and slow paced and we would eat whatever nutritious foods we wanted, without counting calories. However, in today’s fast paced and demanding times, we unfortunately barely even stop to take a breath in the winter.
Winter is the season for staying warm and rested, eating hot, cooked food, practicing gentle breathing techniques whilst cultivating silence and stillness. In this way we take care of our energy keeping it supple and so find ourselves refreshed when spring arrives. It is important to guard against energy expenditure by cultivating quietness and contemplation during the season of the Water Element; the time of cold yin energy. This is the time of year to give yourself permission for a lie in and to encourage yourself to go to bed early! Allow yourself to stop focusing so much on outer affairs and make your home the centre of your activities – a place to rest and regenerate.
The cold winter months often lead to a reduction of water intake resulting in dehydration. The kidneys govern and regulate the water in your body and maintain the electrolyte balance. Keep a bottle of water with you throughout the day and take a sip every 15 minutes. Avoid drinking cold water. Drink warming herbal teas instead if you prefer.
Avoid long gruelling exercise workouts. A brisk walk every day is all you need in the winter. Mindful practices such as Winter ChiBall, Chi Gong, Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates and Feldenkrais are also excellent for building and balancing yin & yang.
Treat yourself to massage – Book yourself in to have a rejuvenating massage. This is the best way to get Chi and blood moving without exertion. It helps balance and regulate the wholistic body and helps us to maintain good health. Reflexology is also excellent this time of year because of the connection of the kidneys to the feet.
Winter Seasonal ChiBall Class focuses on building a gentle healing heat, building internally around the kidneys and flowing throughout the whole body. The class will be slow but intense as you move fluidly from activity to stillness. The emphasis is on Breathing, deep relaxation and meditation, Therefore the movements will be flowing and hypnotic (a moving meditation) bringing you to a place of deep inner peace. The ChiBall Method™ liberates blocked Chi (energy), improves breathing and lung capacity, improves circulation and vitality, releases tension and stiffness, and enhances concentration, balance and co-ordination overall.
Find a ChiBall class by searching on www.chiball.com or join Su Tindall for regular classes at Samford, Dayboro or Warner every week. Most instructors are also happy to do trial or demonstration sessions for corporate or social groups, seminars and retreats if contacted.
Stay well, warm & keep moving!
Su Tindall www.wellnessonthemove.com.au 0409 637 082
The focus for winter is on stillness, depth and flow. The intention is on the inward journey and this is supported through meditation, breathing techniques and deep relaxation.
Winter is the season when Yin is at its peak or, more accurately, when it is most condensed. Winter is the season when most things in nature reach the end of their cycle and return to the earth. It is a time for stillness and reflection.
Water is the TCM element associated with Winter and expresses yin in its ultimate forms: cold, blue, dense, heavy and moving downwards. Water is a formidable force — it has the power to destroy life but is essential to sustain it. Yin is the substance and structure that generates yang and allows it to function. In TCM, winter is a necessary and important part of the yin yang seasonal cycle. This is the time of year when the kidneys need most care and when TCM practitioners believe we need to accumulate enough yin for yang to burn in the spring and summer.
In TCM thinking, the kidneys are vital to our function and existence, holding the key to our Chi, or “life force”. According to Eastern philosophy, at the time of our conception, the heavens gift us with ‘pre natal Chi’, which is stored in our kidneys and is the source of our essence, original Chi, and the root of all yin and yang within the body.
In order to maintain our original Chi and essence we need to top it up with energy from the food we eat, the air we breathe and the way we live our lives. Chi serves us in its functions within the body to transform, transport, hold, raise, protect, and warm.
So, how do we build yin and support the kidneys in the winters of today’s hectic world?
In an ideal world, during winter we would be in bed not long after sunset and wake at sunrise. Our working day would be short and slow paced and we would eat whatever nutritious foods we wanted, without counting calories. However, in today’s fast paced and demanding times, we unfortunately barely even stop to take a breath in the winter.
Winter is the season for staying warm and rested, eating hot, cooked food, practicing gentle breathing techniques whilst cultivating silence and stillness. In this way we take care of our energy keeping it supple and so find ourselves refreshed when spring arrives. It is important to guard against energy expenditure by cultivating quietness and contemplation during the season of the Water Element; the time of cold yin energy. This is the time of year to give yourself permission for a lie in and to encourage yourself to go to bed early! Allow yourself to stop focusing so much on outer affairs and make your home the centre of your activities – a place to rest and regenerate.
The cold winter months often lead to a reduction of water intake resulting in dehydration. The kidneys govern and regulate the water in your body and maintain the electrolyte balance. Keep a bottle of water with you throughout the day and take a sip every 15 minutes. Avoid drinking cold water. Drink warming herbal teas instead if you prefer.
Avoid long gruelling exercise workouts. A brisk walk every day is all you need in the winter. Mindful practices such as Winter ChiBall, Chi Gong, Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates and Feldenkrais are also excellent for building and balancing yin & yang.
Treat yourself to massage – Book yourself in to have a rejuvenating massage. This is the best way to get Chi and blood moving without exertion. It helps balance and regulate the wholistic body and helps us to maintain good health. Reflexology is also excellent this time of year because of the connection of the kidneys to the feet.
Winter Seasonal ChiBall Class focuses on building a gentle healing heat, building internally around the kidneys and flowing throughout the whole body. The class will be slow but intense as you move fluidly from activity to stillness. The emphasis is on Breathing, deep relaxation and meditation, Therefore the movements will be flowing and hypnotic (a moving meditation) bringing you to a place of deep inner peace. The ChiBall Method™ liberates blocked Chi (energy), improves breathing and lung capacity, improves circulation and vitality, releases tension and stiffness, and enhances concentration, balance and co-ordination overall.
Find a ChiBall class by searching on www.chiball.com or join Su Tindall for regular classes at Samford, Dayboro or Warner every week. Most instructors are also happy to do trial or demonstration sessions for corporate or social groups, seminars and retreats if contacted.
Stay well, warm & keep moving!
Su Tindall www.wellnessonthemove.com.au 0409 637 082
