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We are now in the midst of Winter<\/strong>.\u00a0 The season is cold, dark, and quiet.\u00a0 Winter is for us, as for all of nature, a time on internal work: meditation, containment, concentration, and storing our energy.\u00a0 We use this season for rest, and for the replenishing of our reserves, gathering strength for the year ahead.\u00a0 Like the seed that cannot sprout until it has gathered sufficient strength, our ideas and plans cannot manifest if our energy is dispersed or drained.<\/p>\n In Chinese medicine, the element associated with Winter is Water<\/strong>.\u00a0 Let us talk a little about water and its associations.\u00a0 Water can take on many different qualities in nature.\u00a0 It can take the form of a stagnant pond, or powerful rapids.\u00a0 It can be a smooth flowing stream, or water raging out of control.\u00a0 The water element can show up like this in all of us.\u00a0 When our water energy is balanced, we are a calm lake or stream.\u00a0 Our energy is moving, neither stagnant or overflowing.\u00a0 When we are out of balance, we may become a flooding river, or when immobilized with fear, a frozen creek.<\/p>\n The organs associated with winter are the kidney and bladder.\u00a0 <\/strong>In Chinese medicine, when we talk about organs, we are talking about the energetic aspects of the organ in an individual, not about Western anatomy and physiology.\u00a0 The kidney, in Chinese medicine, are the root of the life force energy or Qi.\u00a0 The kidneys create the fire and warmth to sustain bodily functions and to provide energy to the other organs.\u00a0 The bladder controls the expenditure of energy.\u00a0 You can look at the kidney as being the the bank account, and the bladder as the ATM machine.\u00a0 The acupuncture points along these pathways of energy can be used to fill the reserves and awaken that place within us where our real strength, courage and wisdom lie.<\/p>\n Abundant reserves within us give us the courage and strength of will<\/strong>.\u00a0 When we lack these reserves, we may feel fearful.\u00a0 In Chinese medicine, the emotion of fear <\/strong>is associated with the element of water and the season of winter.\u00a0 The emotion of a distressed water element is fear of not having enough of what it takes to meet the challenges that lie ahead, fear of being unable to complete what we have envisioned, or fear of not being prepared for what we might have to face.\u00a0 It is as if we do not have enough stored away to survive the winter.<\/p>\n How does an imbalanced water<\/strong> element show up in an individual?\u00a0 In Chinese medicine, the individual is viewed on levels of the body, mind, and spirit.\u00a0 Dis-ease often manifests on more than one level.\u00a0 On a physical level, one may feel fatigued, lacking energy (the energetic bank account or ATM depleted).\u00a0 Water also lubricates the body.\u00a0 We are, after all, 85% water!\u00a0 With lack of lubrication comes stiffness.\u00a0 Do your bones or joints hurt more in winter?\u00a0 Are you more anxious?\u00a0 Thoughts, ideas, muscles and joints move easier when they are lubricated.<\/p>\n In terms of the mind and spirit, do you feel like you want to do things but you simply cannot?\u00a0 That you seem to be stuck <\/strong>on the sofa with your mind saying \u201cI should do this, or I should do that\u201d, but you simply cannot get up enough energy to get it going?\u00a0 Or maybe you seem to be going all the time\u2014frantically moving from one thing to another \u2013always running about but never truly getting much accomplished.<\/p>\n Within the energy of water lies our will, our ability to keep on keeping on<\/strong>.\u00a0 So what can you do?\u00a0 My number one advice is to remember to take time to relax completely for at least 30 minutes during the day.\u00a0 This means to kick back, listen to music perhaps, but definitely relax your body and mind.<\/p>\n Acupuncture is not just for pain.\u00a0 It addresses the underlying condition and is used to balance the whole person.\u00a0 You cannot separate the body and the mind\u2014balance one and you balance the other.<\/strong>\u00a0 Emotional blocks can be moved and physical symptoms can be cleared as a person is brought back into healthy balance.\u00a0 Just some of the areas that acupuncture addresses; the digestive, reproductive, immune and respiratory symptoms, anxiety, depression, that annoying \u201cstuck\u201d feeling and, of course, physical discomfort.<\/p>\n To maintain the fire of the kidney, a winter diet ideally would be warming<\/strong> and substantial with more whole grains, less fruit, and lots of steamed or baked vegetables, especially root vegetables.\u00a0 Soup is a great addition to the diet during winter as it is easy on the digestive system and keeps our inner fire warm.\u00a0 Warming herbs and spices like ginger, chili peppers and cinnamon are wonderful additions to your diet this time of year.<\/p>\n Exercise<\/strong> such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong are very good for inner balance, as they build strength, improve immune function and cultivate Qi (energy) through breathing, meditation and slow movements.\u00a0 If you have lower back pain, you may find that rest, warm foods, and activities that support that support your inner balance may supplement your water energy and diminish your symptoms.\u00a0 Remember, the kidneys and bladder are governed by water.\u00a0 Give them all the help you can by drinking more water.<\/p>\n