While winter can be a magical season, it can also be a time when the darker days, colder temperatures, and end-of-year stress take a toll on your health.
If you don’t already have a solid self-care routine (or your current habits need some updating), now is the time to make a plan for your winter well-being.
Oriental medicine is rooted in preventative practices like self-care. Let’s explore how these ancient principles can make your winter wellness routine more intentional and effective.
Winter Self-Care = Preventative Medicine
In Oriental medicine, self-care isn’t meant to be a pick-me-up or a luxury; it’s a daily practice to prevent illness and promote longevity. Prevention is at the heart of this medicine. By maintaining balance in your body, mind, and spirit, you avoid the unnecessary stress and imbalances that lead to more serious issues.
Think of your body like a garden. Care for it regularly – water it, feed it, protect it from the cold – and it will thrive. Neglect it, and problems can creep in (often requiring more effort to fix later).
Dr. Ko gives some great perspective on this:
“Our body is balanced with the left, right, top and bottom, Six Zang and Six Fu are facing each other. When this balance is broken, illness occurs. Our body has the ability to maintain immunity. Acupuncture can increase our body’s immunity by maximizing our body’s resistance.
“If your resistance is high, you will not get sick easily. For this reason, regular acupuncture is good for preventing disease. Additionally, herbal medicine is recommended. What is lacking in our body must be filled by coming into the body from outside. Acupuncture can increase your ability to fight, and any deficiencies can be filled with herbal medicine.
“For example, in Asia, including Korea, ‘tonics (補藥)’ are taken twice a year, in spring and fall. Tonics supplement what my body lacks. It can protect the body and improve immunity. Also, as a preventive measure, it is good to get acupuncture treatment once a week or two for your health, like going to the gym and exercising.”
Winter self-care, when guided by these Oriental medicine principles, is a way to replenish your “garden” through the colder months, prepare for the seasons ahead, and keep you feeling resilient and strong.
7 TCM-Inspired Winter Self-Care Tips
Curious about how you can boost your winter wellness by weaving simple self-care habits into your daily routine? Here are six easy ways to get started:
1. Eat Warming and Nourishing Foods
In Oriental medicine, winter is associated with the Water element and the kidneys. These are the source of your body’s vitality. To support them, we need to balance out the shift to colder winter weather (even in California!).
How? Focus on warm, cooked foods. Soups, stews, and roasted vegetables are your best friends. Add warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to enhance digestion and circulation. Avoid too many raw or cold foods, these can weaken your energy.
2. Practice Seasonal Mindfulness
Winter is a time for rest and reflection, much like nature slows down and prepares for the year ahead in colder months. Take time to pause, meditate, or journal. Reflect on the past year and set intentions for the next. Incorporate practices like deep breathing or winter qi gong to calm your mind and boost your energy without exhausting yourself.
3. Keep Your Feet Warm and Protected
In TCM, the feet are considered the gateway to the rest of the body. Keeping them warm prevents cold from entering and disrupting your internal balance. Wear cozy socks, invest in warm slippers, and treat yourself to a foot soak with Epsom salts and a few drops of warming essential oils like ginger or clove.
4. Hydrate, Even When It’s Cold
Hydration doesn’t stop when summer ends. In winter, the air can dry out your skin and respiratory passages. Warm beverages like herbal teas or lemon water keep you hydrated while also supporting digestion. Try teas with herbs like astragalus or goji berries for added immune support.
5. Embrace the Power of Rest
Preventative medicine is often about aligning with nature’s rhythms, and winter is a time to conserve energy. During this “yin” time of year, we can benefit from slowing down. Allow yourself to sleep more, nap when needed, and avoid overcommitting. This isn’t laziness; it’s vital for replenishing your body’s resources. Think of it as recharging your internal battery for the seasons ahead.
6. Embrace Routine
Having a set routine is simple, but can do profound things for your health. And it’s not just about working in healthy habits – a routine can take the added stress of decision fatigue off your plate by pre-planning your day.
As Dr. Ko suggests, “It is important to follow a daily routine such as cleaning or walking every day. If I can not do one thing in my daily routine, my balance is broken somewhere in my body. Then, you can maintain your body’s balance by finding and treating the broken area.” So, how can you upgrade your winter routine, or find ways to stick to it better this winter?
7. Schedule Regular Acupuncture Visits
Acupuncture is one of the best winter self-care practices you can adopt. It boosts your immune system, regulates energy, and addresses imbalances before they become bigger issues. Regular treatments help you manage stress, improve sleep, and even reduce winter aches and pains. And the best thing about acupuncture? You don’t have to “do” anything – show up, relax, and let your treatment do the work.
Your Winter Wellness Routine Starts Here
Practicing winter self-care isn’t about pampering yourself – it’s about giving yourself what you need now so you can avoid health issues later.
With a little intention and support from Oriental medicine practices, you can create a winter self-care practice that keeps you balanced, healthy, and thriving all winter long.
Ready to make acupuncture a part of your winter wellness plan? Book your consultation with 120 Acupuncture Clinic in Studio City, Los Angeles or call us at 1-818-980-7979 to take the next step toward feeling your best this season.
