Our Friend Winter

For some time now nature has been slowing down and preparing for the “big Yin” of the year, winter. We are in the time of hibernation.

Everything that is destined to reproduce life takes refuge inside the earth to regain its strength in quietness, rest and sleep. The bulbs and seeds, sheltered in the darkness, store up the energy and vitality they need to grow again in the spring.

The Water element associated with winter ensures it’s fertilization by penetrating the depths of things, thanks to its will, its constant movement, its capacity to adapt to all forms and its relentless insistence.

Winter confronts us with the constant fact that eternal growth is not possible and that we must pause for a moment. Salvation lies in the Yin, in the quiet of the source.

In our bodies, this work of regeneration, preservation and fertilization is attributed to the energy of the kidneys. The essence of the kidneys is the foundation of the being, the place of storage of the quintessence. The kidneys occupy the lower part of the body, where fluids naturally flow, like rivers flowing to the ocean. This is the time of year when we should take the time to do nothing, to slow down, to meditate, to go to bed early, following the example of nature.

In our minds, the energy of the kidneys translates into the ability to direct our gaze and attention inward. It gives us the wisdom to focus on what is essential, in depth, to use our instincts to distinguish between superficial desires and true needs. It is linked to the innate Jing, the heritage of the family line. It is the kidneys that store the innate quintessence and the surplus of acquired Jing.

The depth associated with the kidneys also finds expression in the constitution of the skeleton, the spinal cord, the brain and the bone marrow. Strength and mobility are given to the bones by the fluid and thick juice of the marrow.

The Energy of the kidneys gives us the strength of character we need to carry out our projects and the discipline to implement them at the right time, after reflection and maturation. Cold freezes and slows down in order to conserve heat and Energy.

When kidney Energy is optimal:

• It increases our clarity of mind to conceive, the strength to act.
• It sharpens our intellectual and physical capacities by refocusing us on ourselves.
• It roots us within ourselves and strengthens the axis that guides our action.
• It helps to remove blockages that hinder our power to act when the time is right.
• Thanks to it, we face calculated risks when it is necessary to advance towards the unknown, without letting ourselves be held back by an excess of fear.
• Thanks to it, our libido finds the right balance and our sexuality is harmonious.
• If, on the other hand, an overactive year or an incorrect diet has drained the Kidneys of their energy, feelings of fear and insecurity set in. Fatigue, sleep disorders and backache follow. The lower back becomes weakened. Pain and stiffness can occur.

The outward expression of the kidneys is revealed in our body through the ears. Hearing is linked to the depths of ourselves. Listening and being listened to are closely linked to the Kidneys. Listening to beautiful things makes our innermost core vibrate, Mozart for example, recharges the Kidney Energy! Listening to reassuring things is even better, let’s put the right vibration in our depth.

This Energy is like the deep, dark, silent, and opaque waters, it arouses fear. The end of the year’s cycle is visible in nature, life is difficult to see underground. Towards the end of life, fear and hope join hands. The need to procreate is linked to a vital movement to ward off death and restart the wheel of life…

For the body, it is the salty flavor that ensures this setting in motion. It must ensure a harmonious circulation of liquids, accompanying a downward movement favoring transit and evacuation, among others by the Bladder, the ally of the Kidneys. It softens abnormally hard accumulations in the body such as goiters, nodosities, cysts… The Kidneys are nourished by this harmoniously dosed flavor.

Our heart also needs the salty taste.

In our modern lifestyle, salt is far too present and instead of stimulating circulation and evacuation, it harms the kidneys, weakens the bones, and endangers the heart and digestive functions by drying out the stomach.

As winter is associated with the North and the cold, the recipes we have to invite into our kitchens for the winter season should warm you up and help you avoid losing that North!

We will be suggesting some of them to you in the coming days and weeks!

Take good care of yourself! Winter is a precious friend!

Isabella