Seasonal Living for Winter Wellness

Winter has arrived in the Pacific Northwest and unless you are new to town or have already left for Mexico, you know that means we are in for many months of dreary, darker skies. During this time of year, we buffer the isolation and depression by turning on the holiday lights, shopping in brightly lit stores, staying up late to watch holiday movies, and upholding a busy holiday party schedule where we tend to overindulge on things that might not be part of our normal diet. However, while we are busy keeping up with the holiday bustle, the natural world around us is deep in hibernation and we often miss some of the biggest health benefits available to us during these winter months: rest, nervous system and adrenal healing, cellular rejuvenation and improved emotional development. 

In Chinese Medicine and many other holistic healing traditions, the simplest path to health is learning to live in alignment with the seasons. This alignment can be understood by observing the seasonal processes occurring in the natural world around us. The winter holds the place of complete stillness, deep nourishment, and infinite potential. The seeds of the next year’s blossoms are firmly planted beneath the earth, resting in the dreams of the flowers they will become and the fruit they will bear. Moving through this winter process of deep rest and stillness is absolutely essential for the spring to rise anew from a place of well-being and vitality.

Without the deep rest and quietude of winter, the vitality of spring is reduced and the potential for the entire year ahead is diminished. American culture emphasizes ‘perpetual summer’ through its endless pressure to maintain a similar pace of life and work year round, and we all inhibit ourselves from embracing adequate rest and “down time” during the winter months. This yearly depletion pattern repeats and leads to a drastic reduction of energy and vitality, including a weakened immune system.

Suppose we choose to live in alignment with the energy of the winter season around us? In Chinese Medicine deep rest during winter is essential for the replenishment of our core vitality. 

Just like plants in nature, moving through this winter process of deep rest and stillness is absolutely essential for us to rise anew in the spring from a place of well-being and vitality. It is completely natural to need and desire more rest at this time of year, even if responsibilities at work and home do not accommodate this. Replenishing our vitality through deep rest requires sometimes going against the societal tendencies to always do more, and instead relax into opportunities to do less and find stillness. 

Additionally this time of year is not just about physical rejuvenation, but also emotional restoration. The slower pace, darkness and reduced distractions can also expose challenging emotions and personal difficulties that we may have been previously ignoring. Just as the energy of the tree leaves the branches and descends deep into the roots in winter, we too can utilize the inward and slower energy the winter season offers as the perfect energetic support to also take time for personal reflection and doing the “inner work” on ourselves.  Without the extra distractions in our external world, this winter season offers us an invitation to possibly journal and become more attentive to our inner landscape and reflect on this past year.

So take advantage of the cozy, rainy days to do just what nature is asking you to do: take on less, dim the lights a little, go to bed earlier, drink warm liquids, eat nourishing foods, meditate, journal and focus on nourishing the soil you will be planting your seeds in come spring.

Tips For a Replenishing Winter: 

• Prioritize nourishing, slow cooked, nutrient dense foods
• Drink warm water with lemon, herbal teas, hot cider. Avoid cold drinks.
• Create extra time for sleep and honor your commitment to your health. 
• Turn off electronic devices one hour before bedtime, avoid the news and anything disruptive.
• Get outside for a walk every day
• Use soft, warmer lighting in the home after sundown.
• Make daily time for mindfulness and relaxation.
• Set boundaries to honor your new winter lifestyle.

Written by Jeff Pufnock, MSOM L.Ac Ph.D

Jeff Pufnock, MSOM L.Ac Ph.D is an Oregon licensed practitioner of acupuncture and herbal medicine. Many years ago Jeff transitioned from a career in cancer research into Eastern Medicine to help people more directly and follow his passion for exploring holistic modalities for addressing complex health conditions. Jeff is passionate about blending the physical modalities of acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, and myofascial release together with energy healing, guided self-inquiry, and herbal formulas to address imbalances within the physical, mental and subtle energetic levels of the body. His approach helps those with symptoms of digestive and sleep difficulties, anxiety, depression, autoimmunity, complex health conditions, trauma and cancer. Jeff’s life-long commitment to personal growth and cultivation allows him to offer a truly unique and safely held container to support his patients on their journey of healing. 

When he is not in the clinic, Jeff spends time cultivating his tea meditation practice, fly fishing, climbing or just being out connecting with nature in the Pacific Northwest.