Yin and Yang

To understand the vision of this traditional medicine, it is important to know that it divides everything that exists into two great forces that are essential and complementary: Yin and Yang. The Earth is more yin, with its colder, nurturing, material, and stabilizing energy, continuing a cosmic dance essential to life, with the Sun, which is more yang in its heat, dynamism, and more subtle aspect.

The Theory of the Five Elements

From these two divisions, the theory of the Five Elements was born. Everything we know (emotions, flavors, organs, climates, personality, direction…) can be categorized by the similarity of characteristics inherent to the five elements: Wood (expansion), Fire (movement/elevation), Earth (giving/reception), Water (gestation), Metal (condensation). These are in a perpetual dynamic of control and generation. For example, fire controls metal by melting it, while wood serves as fuel and generates fire. In nature, this elemental cycle can be observed through the seasons: wood in spring, fire in summer, metal in autumn, water in winter, and earth as the fifth season related to the summer monsoon in some countries.

Humans, the Bridge Between Heaven and Earth

For Chinese medicine, the human being is a bridge between Heaven and Earth, and is not detached from it; they are a microcosm (their body) within a macrocosm (the environment). Apparently, from autumn onwards, energy returns to the earth and becomes denser. We only need to think of the leaf that falls, decomposes, and mixes with the soil to enrich it. Then winter, like the movement of water probing the depths of caves and soil, everything internalizes, slows down, deepens, and especially rests. The same goes for our entire being. Winter brings its share of cold, meaning yin, and the proportion of yang, warmth, decreases. It is less surprising, then, to see more fatigue and depression resurface, especially in individuals who rarely take time to rest.

Winter, the Season of the Water Element and the Kidneys

In our body, the organ linked to the Water element and winter is the Kidney, as it represents our basic reserves, innate gifts, the inheritance we receive, the limited oil for our lamp… which can be burned out excessively or preserved by good hygiene of life. It is also in the territory of the Kidney—the lower back and the abdomen below the navel—that the “hara” is located, a well-known spot in martial arts as our “energy ocean,” where vital “chi” can be stored. The Kidney is also associated with the emotion of fear, willpower, the salty taste, and the color black.

Useful Tips for Our Bitterly Cold Winters

This is where acupuncture gives you a wink, helping you become aware of following the natural rhythm of the seasons to which your body resonates equally. You will only be energized, your “energy” reserves better protected to enjoy more expansive seasons like spring (the Liver season) and summer (the Heart). It is also a time for slowing down, personal introspection, to clearly aim your life goals and build momentum for a new year. For regeneration purposes, athletes will also use the winter period to vary their sport, reduce frequency, and intensity of their activities.

To Preserve Your Energy and Keep Warm

Practically, Chinese dietetics suggests adding more warming foods (soups, broths, stews), but also foods of “warm and mild nature,” meaning not necessarily hot to the touch but creating a warming effect inside the body. The following foods will help support the inner fire of your “lamp”: garlic, onion, date, lychee, ginger, clove, shallot, pumpkin, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, black pepper, squash, shrimp, nuts, fennel, mussel, egg yolk, dill, cinnamon, coriander. Choose fresh and quality foods.

Respect your rhythm and the nature of the Water element, and spend a winter more revitalized and warmed. A visit to the acupuncturist can help maintain balance, prevent psychological and physical imbalances, and support your immune system.

Caroline Théberge, Acupuncturist B.Sc. Kinesiology