Seasonal Node : The Beginning of Winter
Photo by @cactuspix
Despite the rather drastic differences in temperatures we have experienced in the past week, November 7th is the Classic Seasonal Node - the Beginning of Winter. We in the Western World think of Winter Solstice as the beginning of Winter, however in Asia the seasons are calculated by the balance of Yin and Yang in the natural environment. Winter Solstice is the darkest time of the year and is the apex of Yin, and so Mid-winter. So the early part of November is the beginnng on Winter, the time of the darkest and most Yin. Winter is a time of closing and storage. It is the season of hibernation and represents the death phase. We need to enter the phase of ultimate silence and stillness, this being a representation of the death phase, so that the Yang - Life can be reborn again. The organ associated with the Winter is the Kidney and the phase or element is Water. Keeping this in mind will help us to understand the basic health recommendations of this seasonal node. The three Material Manifestations that make up Beginning of Winter are Water Begins to Freeze, Earth Begins to Harden, and Pheasants Dive into the Watery Abyss to Become Giant Clams. All moving deep to a hidden and quiet place. The main environmental manifestion of Winter is cold, and Chinese medicine teaches that cold creates hardness and stagnation. Suggestions for this seasonal node are:
Nourish Yang to protect the warmth of the body.
Dress for the cooler and fluctuating temperatures.
Food should be cooked or warmed for eating.
Not a time for large amounts of raw foods or chilled juices or liquids. Think soups and stews!
Natural movement for Winter is Inward and Downward, in order to close and store.
Eating warm well cooked foods allows the body to harness the Energy that warm vitality brings for the seasons to come afterward.
Excellent time for the consumption of tonics, herbal formulas that have an overall strengthening effect on the body.
Safeguard the Kidney and the Jing essence - three things that excessively deplete Kidney Essence are excessive sex, staying up late and getting too little sleep, and losing ones temper.
Keep in mind Winter is the time of year for simple colds, flu and allergies conditions. It is a natural way the body cleanses and also the exterior layers of the body are being challenged.
There are specific acupressure points on the body such as Feng Chi GB-20 and Ying Xiang Li-20 to help tremendously. Massaging these points on a daily basis can help ward of colds and relax stiffness of the neck and back.
Focus on foods that are nourishing and for some this will mean more animal products to ground and supplement the Kidney. Some suggestions are lamb, beef, chicken, soybeans, sesame, wood ear mushrooms, peanuts, sweet potato, and persimmon. Warm spices such as ginger or cinnamon, and for some cow or goat milk. One Chinese favorite this time of year is Dumplings!! There are many recipes - one classic is lamb and scallion others are primarily vegetables with just a tiny bit of chicken or duck (oilier foods are good for winter). And again i cannot go without mention of Congees. The traditional Beginning of Winter Congee is Ginseng Congee - rice cooked with Ginseng root which builds the blood and strenthens the Liver and Kidney.
We end today with a famous Legend……The Legend of Dumplings:
According to popular Chinese legend, one of the most famous historical doctors Zhang Zhong Jing, was the inventor of the dumpling. The year he retired he did so around the Beginning of Winter seasonal node. On his travels back to his hometown he came across many people who had suffered frostbite, and as a result had lost parts of their ears. This touched Zhang deeply as he felt sorrow for the suffering of those poor folk.
Once home he found his hometown suffering from an infectious epidemic. The people were starving from lack of food, and also suffering from frostbite. To remedy this he had his assistants set up a large pot on a public square to cook up a remedy. The formula he decided on was a combination of mutton with a number of very warm cold expelling herbs known as Qu Han Jiao Er Tang – Delicate Ears Expelling the Cold Decoction. After cooking, the meat was chopped up and wrapped in small wheat flour skins in the shape of ears, and then cooked more and served to the people together with some of the soup. And thus the dumpling was born, as well as the tradition of eating them around the Beginning of Winter!