Boosting Energy in the Cold Months: The Role of Acupuncture and Pilates in Winter Wellness
By: Angela Clifford, L.AC
As March comes, we will be transitioning from the cold months and the sap in the trees will have turned and begun to flow again. People will be feeling the agitation of waking from hibernation. While the hibernation is mythical, the agitation of early spring is real. In like a lion, out like a lamb, they say. March is the birth month of the wood element, in Chinese Medicine. While we don’t see the new sprouts in Minnesota yet, the shells of the seeds deep underground have softened and are hatching. The energy of the wood element is up and out. Our bodies can feel it too. We get fidgety, excited, irritable, anxious, and if not balanced, rage and anger come out. Shouting is the sound of the wood element. This is the non-negotiable energy of the season, so how do we work with it?
1. Move your body!! The wood energy NEEDS to move. It NEEDS to BECOME. If it does not move, our bodies will find another way to use that energy and it usually isn’t productive or very nice.
I’m not saying you have to run a marathon, although some bouncing around can be very helpful, you really just have to get the kinks out. Flexibility (mentally and physically) is key for all the challenges that happen at this time of year. If you think about a plant making its way through a half thawed earth, it needs to bend and turn to get around obstacles to eventually part the earth’s surface and scream “I’m Here!”. Without the ability to stretch and bend, change directions, and see different ways to do things, the wood element suffers greatly.
2. Breathe! Breath keeps the wood element soft and supple. We draw moisture in with our breath that nourishes the wood, slows it down so it doesn’t get ahead of itself. Keeps its movement in line with its most efficient path. The breath pushes wood’s roots deeper so that it can become strong and viable.
3. Look up at the sky. The colors of the wood element are blue and green. In Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, we say, that the act of “seeing” blues and greens calms the dragon. When you feel like you are losing your grip, on the verge of panic, or just about to POP, look at the sky. The wood element is ruled by our Liver and opens to our eyes. Seeing and taking in these colors with our eyes, soothes the liver, and harmonizes the wood energy.
4. Eat lemons. The flavor of the wood element and the flavor that cleanses and nourishes our liver is sour. Start your day with it and notice the change in your ability to go with the flow. A great tonic for this time of year is:
1 whole lemon
1 apple (peeled)
1 cup of water
1/2 tsp of cinnamon all blended up.
Pilates and Acupuncture are also great services to help with your early spring re-emergence. Pilates can help with the physical movement, breathwork, and focus. Acupuncture can help with getting your sap (Qi) flowing with ease, releasing excess tension that can build up and can help keep your spirit tethered to your body’s actions.
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