Ray Pawlett

Winter Harmony

If we take a look at the natural world – of which we are obviously a part – then we see harmony. It’s only when humans, with their predispositions and tendencies, get involved that we see disharmony.

This is never truer than at Christmas time. The natural world is winding down for the winter so what do we do? We ramp it up with parties, shopping trips, feasts, going out visiting and whatever.

In the language of Oriental medicine things like stress, toxins, working too hard, caffeine, alcohol, damp weather and many others cause the liver to ‘overheat’. When this happens, your kidneys try to balance the heat and become cooler – which weakens them.

Depleted kidney energy does not necessarily mean that you have kidney disease. Long before such symptoms manifest, weakened kidney energy will cause shyness, anxiety, tiredness, fearfulness, lower back pain and even cold feet! Wintertime is seen by practitioners of Oriental medicine as the time of Water Energy. Water Energy looks after the kidneys amongst other things. The wisdom here is that wintertime is the most challenging time of the year for the kidney so it’s a good idea to support your Water Energy. It’s not just modern people who get out of sync with the seasons!

Interventions such as Tai Chi, meditation, Qigong and Shiatsu treatments will help you to harmonise your overall energy, helping you to achieve better harmony.

If you can’t get to anything like that simply reducing the things mentioned earlier that cause the liver to overheat will help, as will getting a little extra rest.

Water/kidney Energy is also depleted if we are dehydrated. So drink a little more water.

Kidney Energy does not like being cold. The lower back and the feet are especially vulnerable to this. Put the crop top away until the summer and get some good socks! Here’s something else to try, a little boost for your kidney Energy. Next time you are feeling nervous or edgy about something, rub your hands together and get them really warm. Then just place your hands on your kidneys and close your eyes. Imagine the warmth from your hands penetrating your kidneys and straighten your spine. Say to yourself, ‘It’s OK to feel nervous/shy/edgy but it’s not going to stop me from doing this.’

I am co-running a special ‘Winter Solstice Meditation Session’, on Monday 19th December at the Rosewell Centre, Castle Bytham. You are most welcome to come! That will certainly boost your water energy!

Ring me on 07413 620344 or take a look at the web site https://www.ki-ways.com/where you can sign up for the newsletter and take a read through the new blog which contains similar articles to this one.