Traditionally, the Winter season marks a time for our soul to experience the quiet peace of inner healing and stillness. It is a chapter to receive meaningful insight, and nurture our being with rest and introspection.
In TCM, the Winter season is ruled by the Kidneys; two bean-shaped, Yin organs dedicated to the rebuilding of our body’s blood supply as our vital life essence, also called “Qi”. The specific life-essence of the Kidneys is called “Jing”. Our Jing is something we are born with. Largely determined by the health of our parents during the time of our conception and throughout our growth in utero, once we are born, the effects of life start to pull from this wellspring of energy. Even small, daily stresses can start to compound into burnout and fatigue if we do not allow our systems to rest.
Without the grounding and nurturing sense of hibernation during Winter, our systems get thrown off-balance by the overstimulation of our energy. The relationship between Winter and Kidneys connects us to our root chakra, the life-giving element of water, and the emotion of fear… Even year-round, the constant striving to “do, do, do” and “go, go, go” pushes us towards our “fight or flight” reflex, initiated by our sympathetic nervous system. Our SNS is designed to keep us safe from perceived threats and dangerous situations, but many times, with our modern ways, we press override; pushing our physical body and sensitive mind beyond what is safe and emotionally healthy.
Over time, our patterned and conditioned responses to fear and negative emotions begin to weaken our Kidney Qi, as the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol deplete our adrenal glands. If our valuable energy stores are not replenished through significant moments of rest, the Kidneys then start to to strain and dampen the creative fire and spirit of our heart, affecting our vibrancy and passion for life. Thankfully, we can recognize when we have reached a state of Kidney Qi imbalance, and focus on combatting the loss of our Jing with the knowledge and wisdom of nature.
We all function better after a good night’s rest, we can think of Winter as the deep healing sleep that we need in order to prosper into the revitalizing energy of Spring.
We can rebalance weakened Kidney Qi by understanding that slowing down and feeling our life is just as important as working hard to create it. Strengthening our parasympathetic nervous system, and taking care of our internal nourishment by eating more Yin-building and blood-building foods gives us a more solid foundation to handle the stresses of life. We must learn how to embrace the season of nestling-in to the cold and dark. The snowy climate may feel stark, but it is also serene.
Practicing deep-breathing exercises that promote the relaxation of our diaphragm and experiencing every Yoga posture with more of an inward focus helps us make the connection between rest and release. We can lean-in to the darker palette of the winter season, and wear more black, grey, and deeper color. We can savor the delightful textures of our knits and woolen fabrics. We can drink more tea.
Winter allows us the freedom to devote more of our time to learning, reading, knitting, cooking, baking, drawing, playing our favorite instruments and games, and enjoying more time indoors with our loved ones. There are also plenty of exciting winter sports to try out too; cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, ice-skating, ice-fishing, kite-surfing on the frozen lake, snowshoeing… but sometimes, even just a comforting Winter walk, all bundled up, in solitude or with a furry friend, can make the beauty of this season appear all the more obvious.
As the rest of life transforms, so does our Yoga practice…
Kidney-strengthening recipes include more beans, seaweeds, dark leafy greens, and tofu. Stews and soups draw the energy of our nourishment down and in. We want to cook our foods on a lower temperature, for longer periods of time, and use a little more salt and spice than in the summertime. Spices that help warm us from the inside-out, like cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne, help keep our digestive fire bright.
Our Asana practice also follows this wisdom, building gentle heat from our energy, like a well-sustained fire. Postures that root and still us like a Winter tree, postures that keep us close to the ground, and sequences that offer longer periods of time in meditation and savasana. The Kidney Yin energy is a very grounding and supportive place that we can access to help us tune to the wintertime.
The Kidney Meridian Pathway starts at the sole of the foot, and travels up the inside of each leg, crossing over at the groin. From there, it travels up the torso until just below the collarbones, at point 27. There are several important acupressure and moxibustion points along this channel to work on incorporating into our asana practice.
Beginning on the bottom of the foot, Kidney 1 can be accessed by putting pressure on the ball of our foot, between the first and second toes. Connect here in postures such as Hasta Padanghustasana (hand to foot pose), Ashta Chandrasana (High Lunge pose with heels high) and Vrksasana Ardha Padmasana (Tree Pose with Lotus Leg variation).
Traveling up the inner arch of the foot to the ankle, K3 and K6 are important points for nurturing the connection between the Kidney and Spleen meridians. K3 is just inside the notch between the achilles tendon and the ankle bone. Pressing or “pinching” here in poses such as Prasarita Padotonassana (wide-legged forward fold) encourages the inner Yin seam of the legs to release. K6 is just beneath K3, on the lower side of the ankle bone, in a tendinous depression between the ankle and the arch of the foot. Massaging here helps to relieve stagnation, and is a great opening point to press during Uttanasana (forward fold).
In the winter months especially, we can practice complimenting energizing Vinyasa classes and vigorous exercise with more Yin Yoga and other restorative activities. We can also explore making gradual dietary shifts and setting energetic boundaries that help us feel more connected with nature. There is a Zen saying,
Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.
If you realize that you have enough,
you are truly rich.
If you stay in the center
and embrace death with your whole heart,
you will endure forever.
Now, this is not to say that we have to be worried about dying tomorrow or anything (unless we happen have a lot of Pluto energy going on in our birth chart rn, then it might seem like it!), but for real, the energy of transformation cannot happen without the cycles of death, rebirth; flourish and fade. Like the cycles of the moon, we are ever-changing. Nature is the greatest marker of time...
Let’s enjoy the earlier sunset and roll out our mats after a long day, just to unwind. Let our mind follow how we feel, and then let our intuition guide where to explore deepening with some gentle stretches from there. The inner legs include not only the Kidney Yin Meridians, but also the Yin Meridian organ pathways of the Liver and Spleen as well. Wintertime is the most crucial season for taking care of our circulation, as well as being more careful with our bones. The colder season tightens our tendons and weakens the malleability of our joints and hinges. To combat the cold, we can practice Moxa along the Kidney acupressure points in our feet, before gently warming and opening our body to go deeper into postures such as Lotus, where our knee may be more vulnerable.
Another way to encourage warming and grounding in forward-folds is to elevate our seat on a blanket or a block, helping to encourage the path of circulation down through each leg. Yin Yoga asanas such as Mandukasana (Frog), Upavistha Konasana (straddle forward-fold), and Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose) all address the Kidney Yin Meridian, and can be held for longer periods of time. The arm positioning in Gomukhasana highlights the connection between our Kidneys and our Heart, and offers us a beautiful opportunity to shine a little more light on who we are.
There is so much beauty to be found in the regenerative energy of another Winter. Just as the cycles of nature influence how we feel, so does our body clock. The Kidney’s evening time is from 5-7pm, a wonderful time to practice stillness before the fiery time of the Pericardium, which can help aid in the process of digestion, and is a good time to have dinner. During the Winter months especially, it is beneficial to structure our routine into a sacred ritual that we know and love. Eating meals with intention, slowing down, cooking a pot of beans all day… When we eat supportive foods that balance our body within the season, and truly start to take care of precious selves, all the troubles that weigh in on our mind are set free. Most importantly, when we align with the course of nature, we feel happier, lighter, and more at ease. May all beings feel this way. Namaste.