Winter…It’s not just for breakfast anymore

As we set the clocks back to reality, and delve into another season of cold and darkness, our energies draw further inward. Inward like the sap of a tree, like the critters that let go into their annual hibernation. However, while the bears are being and the bees are catching zzz’s, we’re hanging up lights by the billions and dusting off our full spectrum lamps. Unfortunately for us, we haven’t the luxury of a few months of deep slumber. We therefore seek out our own coping mechanisms. No doubt, we’ve created little worlds dependant upon our busy-ness. We get by on as little sleep as possible rushing here and there, scraping the ice from the windshields of our fast machines all for the sake of the maintenance of our lifestyles, and for our dreams of inner peace and creature comfort. Even though some of us can’t hibernate our winters away, or even sleep in on occasion, we can still find ways to help us draw inward to more closely match the energies that are so perfectly reflected in all the rest of nature during the wintertime.

Nature is at a point of absolute energetic decline during the cold months. It’s in the quiet, deep and still part of its annual cycle. When we practice being still, even if for a few moments here and there, then like nature we are deepening our reserves and empowering our potential. The effect of this is what earned “Siesta” such high regard in so many cultures on the planet. As busy as our lives can be at times, it’s not always possible to take a short nap in the afternoon. However, even closing our eyes and becoming aware of the breath for a minute or two at least once a day will rejuvenate and promote a renewed sense of clarity – like a little springtime. Every little bit helps. Many folks who rediscover rest find that they become far more productive in the rest their lives. When we become accustomed to the idea of conscious down-time, we might just feel more at home, and more comfortable in our skins when the scary dark winters come about. When we practice going deep by resting, our reservoirs fill up and we experience more energy, more potential, and more of the courage it takes to make it through.

Acupuncture treatment can make a huge difference in the quality, quantity and propriety of our experience of energy. When we’re tired, it’s not that we have “no energy”, which is often the complaint. It might be that the energy we have is not being made available to us, or that we’re in deficit and our body has thrown the tired switch in order to help us understand that we need to slow down, rest and renew. Acupuncture is effective in dealing with these kinds of issues, especially if supported by regular sleep and some conscious down time at various points during the rest of the week. Another benefit of acupuncture is that it actually helps bolster our capacity for down time. We become more settled, more still, more potent, and more able to spring into action when the time is right.

Happy Holidays, Dave

Want to know more about Acupuncture, Tui Na, and Oriental Philosophy? Visit “Informational Articles by Dave” at the “Traditional Acupuncture and Oriental Bodywork” section of the Living Well website. Scroll down and click on the link.