Winter Reset

As the sunlight fades and the cold sets in, we naturally want to curl up indoors and look for a cozy activity to tide us through winter. Temperatures drop, blood circulation slows, and our extremities become an afterthought in the transit network of arteries and veins. The joints can ache and we bundle up more to stay warm. This is the time of year to improve blood flow, boost our internal furnace, and make an assessment of internal needs and wants. Here are some things you can do to thrive during this cold spell.

• Give yourself time for not only rest, but inactivity. Clearing the brain can help declutter the excesses of the past year and prepare for a fresh start. Take a 10 minute break to look outside the window, doodle on a blank sheet of paper, close your eyes and listen to your surroundings, or take a nap.
• Drink warm beverages. Herbal teas like ginger, or cinnamon, or anise seed tea can help warm you from the core. Ginger and anise seed are also helpful for digestive upset. Avoid adding ice to your drinks. Putting out the internal flame of your core will make it difficult when it's time to wake up from the winter break.
• Give yourself a warm foot bath. Soaking the feet can help improve blood circulation and warm the core. Practice some breathing exercises, like box breathing, to calm the nervous system and root the body back into itself. For those with a menstrual cycle, mugwort can be added to the water to ease cramping or pain. Epsom salt is also a good option for achy joints.
• Write down an intention, not necessarily a goal, for the season. Winter creates a contraction of activity, but it also means a distillation of will and intention. Now is the time to think about your needs, not just wants, and set the intention for fulfilling or accessing that need. Find ways to support that intention and plant the seed for the next season.

Tanya Zhu, LAc - To Tanya, health is about the intersection of mind, body and spirit. She strives to provide the best Traditional Chinese Medicine to patients, incorporating acupuncture, herbs, Asian massage and qigong as a means to balance both the physical and emotional aspects of health. When not working, Tanya enjoys the bounty of the Pacific Northwest, whether it's bathing in the sounds of nature, sampling the gastronomic abundance of the city, or connecting with family and friends.