Change with the Seasons

As the seasons change externally, it is wise to guide our bodies into this transition internally. There is a qi and way to each season. In autumn it is a time to take in and find balance, whereas in winter it is a time to secure and store.*

From late summer to fall and into winter, in the northwest it’s hard to anticipate the scope of daily fluctuations in temperature and precipitation. Wearing multiple layers is a great idea to be prepared but there is more to consider.

As it gets colder, allow your body to experience this transition gradually. In other words, don’t rush to grab your thickest jacket just because you wake up feeling cold. Instead, add layer by layer until you are just comfortable enough. Allowing your body to feel some of the cold will bring an internal awareness beyond your perception of what is being witnessed by your other senses. This fosters a deeper capacity for adaptation and cultivation of your thermal regulation. The opposite is true for the arrival of spring or summer. Introducing the heat of your environment gradually by keeping light layers on, especially in the spring with unpredictable wind and transient sunshine.

* Concepts inspired by the Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen, Chapter 2.

If you like your home nice and warm during the holidays, with the fire ablaze or a space heater ready to go, why not do the same for your body? You can generate warmth from within. If you engage in practices and good habits that warm your core body temperature, your peripheral temperature (limbs) will follow.

This can be accomplished through what we consume and how we move throughout the day…

Diet

This is the time of year to eat foods that are warm and nourishing instead of cold or raw. Eat foods the elicit the comfort of grandma’s homemade chicken soup.

For breakfast try adding extra cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange peels to your favorite oatmeal.

For lunch, instead of salads and cold sandwiches, switch to broths and soups. Even adding teas throughout the day that have more warming and aromatic herbs is useful and easy, such as those with clove, cardamom, and black pepper.

For dinners consider including ingredients that warm and promote circulation such as…

• Onion or Shallots
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Szechuan or Cayenne pepper

Movement

Upon waking, reaching for that cup of coffee is tempting, but how about doing just 5 minutes of your favorite yoga or qigong sequence?

A significant portion of our vasculature (ie veins & venules) move blood when the muscles around them are contracting and promoting blood flow back to the heart, so give a helping hand! When the blood flows, qi flows, which means warmth.

Throughout the day, shortly after meals, consider doing a simple exercise that can be done anywhere, like squats or wall push-ups. It doesn’t have to be demanding of your body, just something to keep the blood moving and send a signal that the food you just consumed may be used for energy sooner than expected. This will prompt your metabolism to perk up and is especially useful before that afternoon cortisol drop.

Dr. Jonathan Nadal, ND, LAc