Wishing you joyful holiday spirits and much happiness in the New Year!

Winter is ruled by the Water element, which is associated with the kidneys, bladder and adrenal glands. According to the philosophy of Chinese medicine, the kidneys are considered the source of all energy or “Qi” within the body.  They store all of the reserve Qi in the body so that it can be used in times of stress and change, or to heal, prevent illness, and age gracefully.

During the winter months it is important to nurture and nourish our kidney Qi.  It is the time where this energy can be most easily depleted. Our bodies are instinctively expressing the fundamental principles of winter – rest, reflection, conservation and storage.
In this time of darkness, the ultimate yin, we travel into the world of the water element. Like the trees that have shed their leaves and stand bare against the horizon, it is in this deep, dark mysterious place where we let go of the things that need to die, in order to hold and contain the potential for new life to surge forward in the spring.

The Kidneys are a very important organ because they are the root of both the yin and yang energies of the body. They store our essence (called Jing in TCM) which our parents gifted us at the moment of conception and contain the seat of our vitality. They imbue us with the desire to grow, flourish and age gracefully. Their virtue is wisdom and self understanding and the emotion associated is fear.

Water is a shape shifter and is able to adapt to the hardness of what lies in its path by yielding. The power of water gives us the flexibility and fluidity for movement.
It is our bones and joints that are nourished and lubricated by the Water element.

Cultivating the spirit of Water we need to learn to let go of the struggle and practice yielding to the natural flow of life. To develop a deeper sense of who we are, we must be willing to plunge into the darkness of the unknown and patiently wait for the potential of a new way of being to come to life. It is in the yin wisdom of the waters where we begin to understand who we are with a deeper sense of clarity and purpose.

Let the long wintery nights ahead remind you that it is in the void of the darkness where potential unfolds, life begins, healing takes place and where dreams come to life. The shimmering lights of the holiday season are a mere reminder that even in the darkness (yin) there is always some light (yang) to guide you on your way.