Winter Wonder Yin

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Winter Wonder Yin

By Laurel Kallenbach

 

http://www.yogajournal.com/health/101_1.cfm

http://www.yogajournal.com/health/101_1.cfm?ctsrc=nlv131

 

The final few months of the year often find us in a frantic state of

shopping, decorating, traveling, and other high-energy activity. Yet

instead of having fun, we often end up feeling ill, anxious, or

depressed. The reason, according to Taoist philosophy and traditional

Chinese medicine, is that the action-packed schedules we keep at this

time of year fall out of sync with the earth's natural cycles.

 

" We naturally have less energy to burn during the winter, " explains

acupuncturist Carolyn Cohen, L.Ac., who teaches at Yo San University,

a college of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Santa Monica,

California. " So when we engage in behaviors more appropriate for

summer—staying up late and dashing around town—it's no wonder that

the forced cheer of the holiday season can wear a bit thin. "

 

Taoist philosophy conceptualizes universal balance in terms of yin

and yang, complementary forces that govern the universe. Yin

characteristics are cool, wet, slow, feminine, and quiet, whereas

yang is the opposite: warm, dry, fast, masculine, extroverted.

Winter, the yin season, is a time for storing and conserving energy

in the way a bear retains fat by hibernating, or a farmer stores food

for the cold months ahead.

 

In agrarian cultures, people spend the shortest, darkest days indoors

by the fire, eating warm, slow-cooked, nourishing food and sharing

stories with their families. The incongruity between winter's

restful, introspective, yin nature and the frenetic way many

Americans spend their holidays can contribute to seasonal affective

disorder, depression, exhaustion, and other manifestations of what is

known in TCM as shen (or spiritual) disharmony.

 

" Winter solstice, just three or four days before Christmas, is the

darkest, most yin day of the year, " says Cohen. " Instead of turning

inward, we're celebrating with excess and yang activity. This

artificiality creates stress, and many people dread the season as a

result. "

 

To stay balanced during winter, suggests Cohen, conserve your yang

energy. Restorative yoga, tai chi, qigong, and walking are best

suited for yin season, as they safeguard your energy reserves. " Think

of these practices as an investment of your 'energy paycheck,' " says

Cohen. " Don't use up what little winter energy you have with

overactivity and added stress. "

 

Eating cooked, spicy yang foods provides another good way to

replenish energy. Prepare yang-strengthening soups, slow-simmered

stews, beans, roasted root vegetables, and warm drinks. Add yang

spices such as garlic, ginger, black pepper, cloves, and basil to

increase the warming effect.

 

Minimize your intake of yin foods such as raw vegetables, salad

greens, and cold drinks.

 

If you find quiet, more modest ways to celebrate the holidays, you'll

stay in tune with the season and feel less need to release tension by

overeating or rampant spending. You'll also have more time and energy

to connect with close friends and family. If you're out of sync with

the mall mobs with maxed-out credit cards, chances are you'll find

yourself in step with the quiet, nurturing yin nature of winter.

 

November/December 1999

 

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