Winter & the Water Element...Face your Fear & Survive Winter
"The forces of winter create cold in Heaven & water on Earth. They create the kidney organ and the bones within the body...the emotion fear, and the ability to make a groaning sound." - Inner Classic One of the many reasons that I love winter is that it is time to step back, to "hibernate", take stock & reset your visions for the following year.
Winter (can be) is truly a wonderful time, to reset and sow the seeds so that you may reap the crop of of the life that you really want in the warmer months. So, pop on those ugg boots, grab your visioning board & hunker down to some well-deserved nurture time.
As an Acupuncturist & Yoga Therapist I assist a lot of people complaining about their poor sore back, and Australia has one of the highest incidences of knee replacement (total reconstruction) in the world. Traditional Chinese medicine recommend practices to support the Urinary Bladder & Kidney incidentally travel through the back & knees are the organs to most nurture during this season.
Water in Balance
*Calm *Clever *Articulate * Introspective *Deep thinker *Resilient *Constant
When everything is harmonious "Water" types are wonderful to hang out with. They are so calm that everyone around them calms down. They are lucid, clear thinking and can be mature beyond their chronological age. We are fortunate here at Cabarita Beach Yoga to have a "Water" type as a therapist. A few years ago, when I was looking for the perfect fit for my clients I interviewed multiple therapists, Rosie was a stand out. Her clarity, depth of knowledge, compassion & dedication to her practice shone. Whilst she was much younger than the other potential therapists, she had a worldly wisdom that belied her age and focus necessary to be a truly great therapist.
Over the years, she has proved to have the other water traits of constancy & resilience.
Out of Balance
Sometimes things go wrong... If the Water Element is out of balance, or is blocked from fully expressing itself, you may lack the qualities above, or have lost them over time as the imbalance has grown more severe. Cleverness turns to absentmindedness; evasiveness turns to isolation; introspection turns to phobic fears; calmness turns to detachment; lucidity turns to catatonic despondency; resilience turns to exhaustion; integrity turns to rigid belief patterns.
Do you have a "Water" Imbalance?
Signs may include
Unfounded fear (NB: it's normal to be afraid if someone is attacking you!).
Premature Greying: impotence, urinary signs (ie: night-time trips to the loo), lower back & or knee pain, adrenal exhaustion
Do you need coffee or stimulants to keep your energy flowing?
How to Heal Your Water Element
As we age unfortunately the kidney Qi naturally declines. Nevertheless, since the ancient Chinese Emperors were literally
obsessed with longevity their healers were encouraged to explore it at great length. Warm hearty soups are a universal favourite at this time of year. Nevertheless the "cold" person may be still feeling cold if there is not enough yang. (check your tongue...if it is pale & larger than usual & you always need to pee its a good sign you have internal cold! Paul Pitchford suggests adding dried ginger, onions &
fennel seeds to a black bean-seaweed soup. The seaweed will help protect the kidney yin. If you are suffering from Kidney yin Qi Xu you might be feeling agitated, insecure and have a "fever" & red tongue. Try this quick miso tofu recipe: https://www.soscuisine.com/recipe/miso-broth-seaweed-tofu
I would love you to share your tips to help keep balanced this winter
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