There is a point, for most of us I think, where winter starts to lose its luster. For me in New York, it’s around about now in February where there’s been one snow storm after another—and it’s been so cold and dry between snows that the snow becomes ice and turns black, so then there’s more snow on top of that old ice and you decide to stay home forever or maybe migrate to Barbados. When I lived in England, it was winter’s relentless grey skies—months and months of them—that gave me that same sinking feeling. I remember driving to the airport with my mum a few winters back and her cheerfully saying, “Oh look! It’s the sun!” And pointing to the most sickly looking patch of light in the sky. Again, that winter sinking feeling.
So it was with something of a wry chuckle that I recently remembered the sound that winter is associated with in the Traditional Chinese Medicine system, namely, groaning. All the seasons in TCM are linked to the elements: water, wood, fire, earth and metal. And these elements are linked to particular organs, which in turn are associated with different emotions and sounds. In TCM, the spring (wood) is linked to the liver, which in turn is linked to rising energy and the sound of shouting. In the summer, we look to the heart (fire) and the sound of laughter. Late summer (earth) is the spleen and singing. And in the fall (metal), the lungs come into focus with a sense of letting go and grief and the sound of crying.
Winter is tied to the water element, and the organs that tend to need special love and care at this time of year are the kidneys. In TCM, the kidneys are really the mission control of our whole body, governing all its water-related processes (urination, cooling and so on), our reproductive systems, and both the yin and yang aspects of our body; hence, the kidneys are described in TCM as “the palace of Fire and Water”. They’re closely connected with the adrenal glands, which sit right on top of them, affecting proper kidney functioning.
When there is imbalance in the kidneys at any time of year, the kinds of physical symptoms you might notice are bone problems (particularly knees and low back), hearing troubles and dizziness, hair issues, urinary and reproductive imbalances, disorders of the nervous system, and premature ageing. The emotion associated with kidney imbalance is fear. It’s a pretty serious list, right?
And the kidneys come into focus in the winter is because that is when they’re especially vulnerable—now is the time of year when you’re most likely to experience the symptoms listed above. The good news is that there are many, many lifestyle attunements that you can make to strengthen your kidneys. Eating optimally is really important, and I highly recommend Paul Pitchford’s excellent book Healing With Whole Foods for a full outline of dietary recommendations. Whole grains are great (millet, quinoa, wild rice), yams and dried foods like seaweed and fruit are also good, as are berries, nuts, seeds and beans (especially dark beans). If you choose to eat meat, organically-sourced bone broth is absolutely packed with kidney-loving minerals. You’ll also want to make sure you’re eating nice, warm foods (so save the iced-latte for summer).
You know what else is good for your kidneys? In fact, essential? Rest. And lots of it. It can be really hard to follow this kind of advice when you live in a city and have a day job. There are few organizations which are likely to say, “Hey, it’s winter—come in an hour later every day, go home a little early”. Slogging through the snow to get to your office can be tiring, too. So it’s even more important to give your adrenals a break. Try going out less, and giving yourself an earlier bedtime when you can; with its quiet, reflective qualities, winter is a good time for paying attention to your dreams. Listening more and speaking less is also recommended.
Last winter I experienced ringing in my ears for about two weeks, so I stopped listening to my walkman on the train, and started using earplugs on the subway (a strong look, I assure you). The ringing passed after a few weeks and I felt more peaceful. Listening to music at home and chanting can be deeply soothing in the winter though—there’s something supremely special about listening to a much-loved piece of music in the coziness of your own home while the wind blows outside. Your kidneys will give you a thumbs-up for this.
Any activities that encourage a grounding quality are helpful; so, restorative yoga, pranayama (working with the breath) and meditation. Your kidneys are seen in TCM as your body’s root and foundation, after all (and it’s certainly a productive way to work with that winter sinking feeling!). The kidney meridian runs along your inner legline and up through the midline and chest, and the bladder meridian runs from the top of your head all the way down the spine and the backs of the legs. Restorative yoga poses which help open up these energetic channels include supported shoulderstand, supported plough pose, forward fold with a bolster for the head to rest on, supported bridge pose, and supported bound angle pose.
My personal favorite kidney-booster, though, is this partner exercise. Find child’s pose on the ground and breathe deeply; breathe into every part of you that’s in contact with the ground, releasing tension as you exhale. As you inhale, start to feel your back-body opening up. When you’re ready, you’re going to start groaning—as loudly as you like! And at the same time, your partner is going to rub enthusiastically on your kidneys; so that’s your lower back, a little above where your belly button is on your front. This always makes me laugh at first, and then you settle into the groaning and the rubbing, and it feels great. You can do it on your own, too, any time.
I know that winter can feel very bleak, especially when we’re on the home stretch and we’re tired. But that’s exactly why it’s such a precious time to rest, and such a sweet gesture to try to give that to yourself. May this next month be a peaceful time for you, groans and all.
So it was with something of a wry chuckle that I recently remembered the sound that winter is associated with in the Traditional Chinese Medicine system, namely, groaning. All the seasons in TCM are linked to the elements: water, wood, fire, earth and metal. And these elements are linked to particular organs, which in turn are associated with different emotions and sounds. In TCM, the spring (wood) is linked to the liver, which in turn is linked to rising energy and the sound of shouting. In the summer, we look to the heart (fire) and the sound of laughter. Late summer (earth) is the spleen and singing. And in the fall (metal), the lungs come into focus with a sense of letting go and grief and the sound of crying.
Winter is tied to the water element, and the organs that tend to need special love and care at this time of year are the kidneys. In TCM, the kidneys are really the mission control of our whole body, governing all its water-related processes (urination, cooling and so on), our reproductive systems, and both the yin and yang aspects of our body; hence, the kidneys are described in TCM as “the palace of Fire and Water”. They’re closely connected with the adrenal glands, which sit right on top of them, affecting proper kidney functioning.
When there is imbalance in the kidneys at any time of year, the kinds of physical symptoms you might notice are bone problems (particularly knees and low back), hearing troubles and dizziness, hair issues, urinary and reproductive imbalances, disorders of the nervous system, and premature ageing. The emotion associated with kidney imbalance is fear. It’s a pretty serious list, right?
And the kidneys come into focus in the winter is because that is when they’re especially vulnerable—now is the time of year when you’re most likely to experience the symptoms listed above. The good news is that there are many, many lifestyle attunements that you can make to strengthen your kidneys. Eating optimally is really important, and I highly recommend Paul Pitchford’s excellent book Healing With Whole Foods for a full outline of dietary recommendations. Whole grains are great (millet, quinoa, wild rice), yams and dried foods like seaweed and fruit are also good, as are berries, nuts, seeds and beans (especially dark beans). If you choose to eat meat, organically-sourced bone broth is absolutely packed with kidney-loving minerals. You’ll also want to make sure you’re eating nice, warm foods (so save the iced-latte for summer).
You know what else is good for your kidneys? In fact, essential? Rest. And lots of it. It can be really hard to follow this kind of advice when you live in a city and have a day job. There are few organizations which are likely to say, “Hey, it’s winter—come in an hour later every day, go home a little early”. Slogging through the snow to get to your office can be tiring, too. So it’s even more important to give your adrenals a break. Try going out less, and giving yourself an earlier bedtime when you can; with its quiet, reflective qualities, winter is a good time for paying attention to your dreams. Listening more and speaking less is also recommended.
Last winter I experienced ringing in my ears for about two weeks, so I stopped listening to my walkman on the train, and started using earplugs on the subway (a strong look, I assure you). The ringing passed after a few weeks and I felt more peaceful. Listening to music at home and chanting can be deeply soothing in the winter though—there’s something supremely special about listening to a much-loved piece of music in the coziness of your own home while the wind blows outside. Your kidneys will give you a thumbs-up for this.
Any activities that encourage a grounding quality are helpful; so, restorative yoga, pranayama (working with the breath) and meditation. Your kidneys are seen in TCM as your body’s root and foundation, after all (and it’s certainly a productive way to work with that winter sinking feeling!). The kidney meridian runs along your inner legline and up through the midline and chest, and the bladder meridian runs from the top of your head all the way down the spine and the backs of the legs. Restorative yoga poses which help open up these energetic channels include supported shoulderstand, supported plough pose, forward fold with a bolster for the head to rest on, supported bridge pose, and supported bound angle pose.
My personal favorite kidney-booster, though, is this partner exercise. Find child’s pose on the ground and breathe deeply; breathe into every part of you that’s in contact with the ground, releasing tension as you exhale. As you inhale, start to feel your back-body opening up. When you’re ready, you’re going to start groaning—as loudly as you like! And at the same time, your partner is going to rub enthusiastically on your kidneys; so that’s your lower back, a little above where your belly button is on your front. This always makes me laugh at first, and then you settle into the groaning and the rubbing, and it feels great. You can do it on your own, too, any time.
I know that winter can feel very bleak, especially when we’re on the home stretch and we’re tired. But that’s exactly why it’s such a precious time to rest, and such a sweet gesture to try to give that to yourself. May this next month be a peaceful time for you, groans and all.
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