After Minor Snow, the weather becomes cold and dry. Do you feel that your hands and feet are easily cold, and you tend to eat and sleep more? This is actually a signal that the human body is entering the "storage" mode following the natural rhythm. At this time, if not properly cared for, cold and damp pathogens are more likely to take advantage of the weakness. How can we follow nature, nourish yang and benefit the kidneys, conserve energy, and lay a solid foundation for health?
In winter, the body's manifestation of "internal convergence of yang qi"
1. In terms of perceived temperature,Many people may feel that their hands and feet are cold while their body remains warm. If the hands and feet are slightly cold but the body does not feel chilly, this is often the body's normal "energy-saving mode." However, if the entire body feels cold and is accompanied by fatigue and weakness, it may indicate "insufficient power"—that is, a deficiency of yang energy, which requires caution.
2. Mental StateThe human body naturally tends towards "quietness and introversion." In summer, with yang energy on the outside, the body is in a "high-performance mode." After entering winter, the body automatically switches to a "power-saving mode." Some people prefer to stay quietly, which is a manifestation of the body undergoing adjustment.
3. Daily Activities and SleepDuring winter, with longer nighttime sleep, people may feel lazy and sleepy, and the body tends to prefer relatively gentle activities. This is actually the body's way of storing essence, nurturing yang energy, and regulating the balance of yin and yang.
4. Digestive system,Many people have a good appetite and a tendency to gain weight, so it is important to avoid eating too greasy food, which can add more burden to the stomach and intestines. Eating too cold food may also affect the function of the spleen and stomach, leading to loose stools.
In addition, the consolidation and containment function of kidney yang may also be affected, leading to an increase in urine output. Elderly individuals may experience frequent urination or increased urine volume, which is a manifestation of the body's reduced sweating, decreased water evaporation, and efforts to preserve body fluids.
Winter health preservation focuses on "nourishing yang, benefiting the kidneys, and storing essence"”
Nourishing Yang:Prevent the dissipation of yang qi and pay attention to keeping warm and guarding against cold. After Minor Snow, both humans and nature enter a "storage mode," where the body's yang qi converges inward, making it susceptible to invasion by cold. Once exposed to cold, "yang qi is damaged," which can easily lead to symptoms such as colds, headaches, and joint discomfort.
Benefiting the kidney and storing essence:Storing essence involves nourishing kidney yin to store nutrients; benefiting the kidney fundamentally harmonizes yin and yang, achieving "seeking yang within yin." In the winter season of "closure and storage," people should also store their essence in the kidneys. The kidneys are referred to as the "foundation of innate constitution" in traditional Chinese medicine. They house primordial yin and primordial yang, containing both the "primordial yin" that nourishes the body and the "primordial yang" that provides warmth. Both are indispensable.
Winter Avoidance Guide: 7 Habits That Easily Attract Cold and Dampness
1. Sleeping with wet hair:Cold and dampness can take advantage of weakness to invade the body, easily causing dizziness, heaviness in the head, migraines, and even colds. It is recommended to blow dry immediately after washing.
2. Cold Shower at NightAt night, yang qi converges inward, and the body's defensive capacity decreases. Taking a cold shower at this time can easily allow cold and dampness to invade, leading to symptoms such as joint soreness, heaviness, and skin itching. It is recommended to take a hot shower and thoroughly dry off.
3. Excessive consumption of raw and cold foods:Weaken the function of the spleen and stomach, leading to internal stagnation of dampness. It is recommended for the elderly to consume fruits steamed and heated, and add ginger slices to beverages.
4. Wearing too little clothing:Exposing ankles, waist, and abdomen allows cold and dampness to directly affect key acupoints in the meridians, potentially leading to dysmenorrhea and diarrhea. It is recommended to dress warmly, with particular attention to protecting the ankles, waist, and abdomen.
5. Staying up late without sleeping:From 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., the body's yang energy is at its weakest. Staying up late during this time severely depletes the body, leading to the retention of cold and dampness, which can cause symptoms such as eyelid swelling. It is recommended to fall asleep by 11 p.m. at the latest.
6. Sedentary lifestyle:It leads to spleen deficiency and qi stagnation, poor nourishment of muscles, and impaired water-dampness metabolism, making it easy for dampness to accumulate and generate cold. It is recommended to get up and move regularly and take moderate walks.
7. Excessive Exercise:Profuse sweating can lead to the loss of body fluids, and as fluids are depleted, qi is also lost, which in turn depletes both qi and blood. It is recommended to choose gentle exercises such as Tai Chi, aiming for light sweating as the appropriate level.
Winter Mood: 4 Keys to Regulating Body and Mind
1. Morning Massage:In the morning while sunbathing, massage Taichong point (soothes liver and relieves depression), Neiguan point (alleviates palpitations, improves insomnia), Baihui point (raises yang and lifts prolapse), Yinlingquan point (removes dampness and unblocks meridians).
2. Sunbathing at Noon:For those with kidney yang deficiency, wear dark-colored clothing and expose the back to sunlight, soak Yongquan and Taixi acupoints with mugwort leaves, ginger, and cinnamon; friends with kidney yin deficiency should go to bed early and wake up late, aligning with the winter's nature of closure and storage, and avoid staying up late.
3. Floral Tea Aroma:Brewing Rose and Tangerine Peel Tea (6 roses + 3g tangerine peel steeped in water) releases an aroma and medicinal effects that can soothe liver qi and alleviate emotions.
4. Foot Rolling Stick:Rolling a rolling pin back and forth under bare feet stimulates the Yongquan acupoint on the soles, which benefits the kidneys.
