Good day Healthy Trekkers,
I hope this finds you in the season of winter finding spaces that warms you inside. Internally in our bodies we seek warmth seek from the cold. What does internal warmth look like? How can we create this warmth with food? With our environment? What can we warm our souls with to support our spirits and come into gentleness of the season?
Here are a few tips on winter warming energy: body and soul.
1. Warming Foods: Warming foods for winter that bring chi energy flow and the jing in the kidney area. Winter is often when fear and worry are held in the kidney areas and we hold on to this energy. Foods prepared longer with less water in cooking methods like pressure cooked rice and beans can be a great staple. Stews with burdock root, round vegetables like turnips and dark greens with less salt rather miso and tamari. Starting the day with a nice bowl of warm oats in the morning sprinkled with some toasted sesame or pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of flax-seed. The bladder is the other organ in need of our care adding good amounts of warm water throughout the day can support the bladder to function and keep us in a comfortable temperature.
2. Yoga and other Meditation: Yoga is a wonderful way to begin the day and warm the body and spirit create greater bodily and mind awareness. Gentle and calming to the spirit I like the greeting of the sun salutation as I look out my window each time I rise up. Pranayama breathing exercises deepen my lungs capacity and slow down my thoughts that rattle around to come center. Each session of the breathing, I find the inhale and exhale breath in a rhythm of gentle movement that opens up the chest. When we are stressed and highly concentrated our mental processes become our center stage and our breathing becomes shallow. Our system thrives when we are able to provide oxygen to every part of the body. Our bellies are often the first place neglected to this fresh prana energy/chi energy flow. Taking time to bring in this energy intentionally, each morning, awaken your body, soften your mind, create space can help support this flow. Yoga is to me a meditation practices as are sitting and walking, eating any way we can bring stillness, mindfulness, a ritual, a source of spiritual communication into our daily life practices can feed the warmth of spirit. As the days get darker and we nestle into our homes we can create sanctuaries found in the stillness of observation and quiet contemplation that can be our place to call us to restful spaces.
3. Saunas: Saunas are a great way to get the lymphatic system moving and the energy flow to warm your body. Detox can bring warmth to the body and release what is stored in the blood system. Our skin act as a filter for both absorption and elimination. Infrared saunas are especially nice because they go deep into the system. However, if a wet/dry sauna at your local gym is feasible don’t pass up the opportunity. I also find saunas relieve tension and stress, and help to slow down and soften our breathing.
May these tips create opportunities for warming you to this season.
In health,
Safara
