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Shiatsu Blog: Relieve tiredness in the winter the natural way


woman playing with dogs in winter forest


We’re not that far removed from our furry friends who want to curl up and sleep through the winter time it’s just we now live lives that don’t embrace a type of hibernation. Even trees hibernate; they’ve shed their leaves in the Autumn and they don’t start growing again until the Spring. We’ve lost touch with nature and how we should allow ourselves to slow down and use the darker months to rest and allow our bodies to heal from within. Although we can’t literally hibernate, we can take the essence of terms like Wintering and Hygge and apply them to the hours that are our own! This month I explore how your energetics link to winter and what you can do to replenish and be ready for Spring with my Shiatsu blog: Relieve tiredness in the winter the natural way.


 

Relieve tiredness in the winter the natural way


Your body not only has a daily cycle it has a yearly cycle too and it’s only since I’ve been self-employed and walked the dog daily that I see this in nature and now  tap into it in myself. In Chinese medicine the organ in your body that links to winter is the Kidney’s. They are the root source of the energy that keeps you going; not only daily but for life.


Winter energy really kicks in just before Christmas so you may not notice it until all of the festivities die down; then you’re likely to be heading back to work. This tends to interrupt an important process in your body’s yearly cycle as it has started to wind down; to really allow you to relax (i.e. de-stress). Once your body feels safe enough it will switch into a healing state and you will sleep more THIS is then when rejuvenation starts. This needs to take place but our lifestyle doesn’t necessarily allow.


If you were able to take this time out every year then you would go through the important physiological process that your body wants to do at this time. If you could take this time to rest up to the point of sleeping as much as you need your body would then repair all of the parts within that have stacked up over the year! This would deal with stress that has built up plus inflammation; these together area lot of the root causes of ill health. Your immunity would be strengthened and your mind a lot clearer; then there are the emotional connections too.

 

The Kidneys in TCM govern emotional resilience which includes self-confidence, self-worth, anxiety and fearfulness. In the Winter time the cold causes muscles to contract more anyway but along with the loss of robust emotional strength this combination can cause fear to run riot in the muscles of the lower back hamstrings and knees. This means it is a time of the year as you come into the New Year and think about your future that you may feel more fearful and the classic your back goes can happen. To keep you emotionally strong and ready for what’s in the coming year, resting now will help you rejuvenate and be ready.


I know a lot of people dislike January for various reasons but I hope to reframe that here today because I love January, it’s the perfect excuse for earlier nights and going at a slower pace before the exerting Spring energy pops up around mid-February onwards and keeps us pushing forwards until May.

 


kidney one acu point on feet

How Kidney energy governs the body in Chinese medicine


The Kidney meridian runs down the back of your body and around your coccyx and down your legs to the soles of your feet, ending at a point known as Bubbling Spring. A spring is a point of water emerging from the earth -  this is energy and your Kidneys are the Water energy whose characteristics are strength, healthy resilience and stillness. This energy enters your body through your feet and gushes up your body to be stored in your own aquifer of life force- Ming Mein (in your lower back). Positioned in your back, behind your belly button this translates as your Gate of Life and I always think of it as my reservoir of energy! To have a healthy Ming Mein means you have physical strength, health, immunity and a clear brain with robust emotional core. Whether you think about yourself in terms of energetics or your physical health you can always work on maintaining a healthy level in your reservoir; and at this time of the year it’s running low and would love replenishment.


In TCM the Kidneys govern your brain marrow; it’s a super highway via the spine. Around 3pm in the afternoon your kidneys take some down time for daily repairing and this can be felt as you having that slump in the middle of the afternoon and maybe your brain getting foggy too? It may also be the cause of Sundowning in those with dementia as the brain doesn’t function so clearly at time of day (3 till 7pm). 


If you don’t sleep well this will affect your energetic Kidney  function too as the opposing time of day is 3 until 7am so if you lie awake during this time of the morning your nervous system (also linked in TCM) doesn’t get that time to replenish during deep sleep and means you’ll be more tired and anxious through the day.


If you have an accident and your body has to go into a deeply healing state this also takes its toll and you may notice symptoms like flushes as your body loses the ability to temperature regulate. Something has to give as your kidneys  govern so many functions in your body that they switch off the non-essential processes (like temperature control) to enable energy to be given to healing your body as efficiently as possible.


Menopause is the time of life for women that challenges the Kidney  energy at its most as Kidney  energy is a governor of the hormone system. Kidney  energy splits into two – Yin and Yang. When Yang is lost women feel cold, tired and anxious and when Yin dwindles this is the heat stage of menopause and hot flushes are a sign that your Kidney  energy is extremely affected.


If you have lived with trauma from either childhood or later in life this takes a deep toll on your Kidney  energy and you would benefit more than anyone else from having Shiatsu which gently helps your body release from a safe space so that it doesn’t expend precious energy holding onto the trauma deep within your body.


 


woman and dog sunset


What Kidney  energy likes you to do in the Winter


If you think of your Kidneys as your batteries – they store your energy and release it when it is needed; and all batteries need to be recharged 😊

Your Kidneys like warmth. When your Kidneys are warm enough (but not too warm – they’re like Goldilocks it’s got to be just right!) they function at their best. However, if something happens to your body to cool you down, from not wearing enough clothes to drinking/eating straight from the fridge your kidneys then have to exert themselves to warm you up. If they are doing this they are not working on something else critical in the body – like your brain.


There are many natural ways to introduce warmth into your body in the way that is receptive to your Kidney  energy. These are:

 

Keeping the soles of your feet warm

This is a source point in your body and it governs your temperature controlling. If the point Bubbling Spring in the soles of your feet is cold you will cool down and vice versa; keep them warm to stay warm.

 

Keeping your lower back naturally warm

Trapping your own body heat around your lower back is beneficial for the health of your muscles (your back won’t just go!). Your kidneys appreciate this natural warmth to allow you to temperature regulate as well as keeping them at a temperature that enables them to function well; being the energetic resource to the rest of your body. This means you’ll feel less tired and more alert.

 

Eating your food/drink at room temperature or warmer

Each time you eat cold and damp foods your body has to heat it up. If you eat raw food this is very draining on your energetic resources as your body has to cook it in your stomach before transforming it into useable energy for your intestines. If you’re feeling tired, eat and drink warm – this is a golden rule for life anyway!

 

Nutritious food is Food Qi

Sugar and processed foods don’t add beneficial energy to your batteries – you use and burn this energy quickly (or store as fat). Nutrients should always come from food where possible but so many of us are in such a depleted state due to stress. To alleviate this deficit you’ll need plant-based supplements. I have an extensive free guide here to help you.



supplements for optimal health

Including gentle spices in your food

Another way of warming you up is to put gentle spicing in your foods; think how we add spices in naturally as the weather gets colder. We all know that ginger warms you up but also cinnamon and vanilla and a blend of Garam Masala for stews and soups. Along with the foods of the season like root vegetables, spices are included in a diet that supports overcoming adrenal/chronic fatigue.

 

Walking in nature - forest bathing or sea strolling

When you tap into nature and you’re outdoors you’re doing so many good things for your body’s physiology. Firstly, fresh air – this is Lung Qi and is drawn down by the Kidney s to replenish your aquifer  of life force. Lung Qi along with Food Qi, hydration and sleep are the natural Doctors of the body.


Walking amongst the trees or along a beach near the sea these all have proven to tap into your senses whether it’s sound or scent and lower blood pressure; switching your body back into the parasympathetic system and allowing your body to heal.


We spend far longer in a stressed state (fight of flight) that our bodies are designed to be in. The more you tap into nature to switch you back into the healing state the healthier you will become. Being divorced from nature is not natural for human beings and is where a lot of ill health stems from.


Yin Yoga


This is a deeply restorative yoga that helps you relax into positions and hold for minutes to trigger healing change. Very beneficial for menopause and fatigue.


Help concentration whilst working

A blend of essential oils like Rosemary (for concentration) with some uplifting citrus notes plus a grounded wood like sandalwood (strengthens kidney energy). There are many brands around creating such blends  - I like this one Focus Blend from Oshadhi


Listening to music that includes frequencies for concentration like this one I played whilst writing this blog on You tube 

 

Reduce sugar,  meat and alcohol

These foods along with processed are fatiguing for the kidneys. When you feel you have that 3pm slump and you’re looking for something to munch, a handful of slightly salted nuts are a great pick-me-up. Salt is the substance associated with Kidneys and a lot of people have a low salt diet and need a bit more. Nuts like walnuts have the oils and nutrients in that are great for kidneys and the brain.

 


2 pairs of feet in front of open fire

Have you tried Wintering?


Wintering is a form of hibernation for people that still have to work! It’s a planned time of rest and recouperation; however that may be for you. It can encompass Hygge which is to create a cosy environment that increases your sense of wellbeing by creating rejuvenating rest. I think embracing Wintering gives you a chance to alleviate yourself of guilt. Guilt is a self-imposed emotion that we place on ourselves to do more; I should be doing this or I feel guilty that I’m not doing that


Guilt actually imposes more stress on your body too so you’re creating your own stress!


Winter is a time in the natural cycle of the year to take it easier. Before the invention of electricity and unlimited light; humans still adhered to this. Now though we’ve gotten stuck in this Western 24/7 way of living that is unnatural AND leads to ill health. There is never a time in the year where you allow yourself to rest and recuperate at the times when this is what your body really needs.


The two main times are January and August – the months that your body naturally wants to rest before the energetic changing times of Spring and Autumn. If you rest up in these months and let yourself off the hook by removing your self-imposed guilt, your body has the chance to replenish and get through the following seasons with less ill health.

 

 

How shiatsu helps reduce winter tiredness


The first thing that shiatsu does in a treatment is calm you down; it taps into your nervous system and enables you to switch off and relax in a way that you can’t necessarily accomplish yourself. Funnily enough this is done by working the Water (or Winter) meridians – Bladder and Kidney; down your back. You quickly let go and sink into a deeper state of relaxation than you’re used to; this enables your body to switch into a healing state. The rest of the treatment is dedicated to enhancing this and resolving any symptoms that you’ve arrived with whether it’s releasing shoulder tension or relieving knee pain. Shiatsu is truly holistic so the whole body and mind benefits from any treatment.


I always suggest that you don’t rush back into life after your treatment but book it at a time that allows you to have a quiet afternoon/ evening to allow your body to sink into this pleasurable experience and allow you to process the changes that following; to get the best out of your treatment. There’s no point enjoying such an experience only to wipe it out by returning to western franticness straight afterwards. Reward yourself for booking a shiatsu by embracing the experience in the hours afterwards as you would if you went to a spa for the day!


If you would like to experience shiatsu for deep relaxation without having any specific medical concerns then Shiatsu for Wellness is right for you. If you have health issues that you would like to discuss book Shiatsu for Health, and if you’re in any stage of the menopause and would like beneficial support I specialise in this with Shiatsu for Menopause.

 


Your mind and body deserve more...

YOU deserve Shiatsu

 




Man relaxing with head massage

About Andrea at Shiatsu Bodyworks Cheltenham


Andrea is a qualified zen shiatsu and Chinese medicine practitioner with over 20 years immersed in holistic therapies and the energetics of mind and body. Based in Cheltenham, UK she offers in house clinic and online shiatsu sessions to help people with midlife health issues and also offers online consultations for helping you resolve health issues and regain your vitality. She is a menopause specialist too, find out more at cotswoldmenopause.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

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