healingways ‘Tis the Season
to Be Wise A Prime Time to Rejuvenate and Birth Creativity
by Lane Vail F
or California acupuncturist Dan- iela Freda, counseling patients that grapple with low energy during winter is routine. “They’re often con- cerned something is wrong, since our society expects us to feel the same way year-round,” says Freda, who maintains a private practice in San Francisco. “But in fact,” she adds, “everything is right.” According to a study published in Psychiatry Research, only 4 to 6 percent of Americans suffer from seasonal affec- tive disorder (SAD), characterized by a predictable seasonal pattern of major depressive or bipolar disorder. For the vast majority of the population, a slight seasonal variance in mood and behav- ior is normal, confirms Kathryn Roeck- lein, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and prominent SAD researcher at Pennsyl- vania’s University of Pittsburg. Practitioners of Traditional Chi- nese Medicine (TCM), like Freda, view decreased energy in nature’s winter- time as a reflection of the season’s energy. In this philosophy, rising (yang) and falling (yin) energies cycle as the seasons turn. Winter is governed by quiet, slow, introspective and creative yin energy. As winter yields to spring, the bright, fast, expansive and extro- verted yang energy gains momentum to peak in summer.
“Nature expresses universal ener- gies in a big way,” says research psychol-
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ogist and mind-body medicine expert Jo- seph Cardillo, Ph.D., author of The Five Seasons. Who can ignore a blossoming spring or an abundant autumn? “Those same energetic cycles,” says Cardillo, “are mirrored in the microcosmic human body and human experience.”
Chill Out
Although the December 21 winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year, temperatures in most of the U.S. continue to fall through February. Cardillo advises embracing winter’s chill because it diverts our attention from daily activities so that we pause to consider what’s important. “The effect is similar to splashing cold water on our face,” he remarks.
As the cold draws animals into hibernation and plants into dormancy, it also beckons us to enjoy extra sleep, notes Freda, as we follow the sun’s path: Earlier to bed; later to rise. She encourages her clients to incorporate restorative activities into daily routines. “Intentionally set aside time to connect with the breath and quiet the mind,” she counsels. Try gentle yoga or t’ai chi, listen to relaxing music, curl up with a cozy book or take nature walks, flush with fresh sensory experiences. Cardillo explains that slowing down naturally creates space for the contem- plative and creative qualities of yin en-
Spring is a time for new beginnings, summer a time for growth, autumn for gathering abundance and winter for introspection. ~Joseph Cardillo
ergy to rise. Meditating, visualizing and journaling promote access to one’s inner wisdom. “Winter is a perfect time to examine the myriad ideas you’ve dreamt up and assemble them into a new you,” says Cardillo. “Now you are prepared to use the robust energy of spring to scatter those ideas abroad.”
Reflect on Water In TCM, the element of water, symboliz- ing focus and purity, is closely associat- ed with winter. Highly adaptable, water can be solid, liquid or formless vapor; it can flow over, under, around or through obstacles with ease; and it can be still and contained. Contemplating the power of water in any of its forms can help synchronize one’s consciousness with the season’s gifts.
“When your mind is unstuck and flowing like water, your dreams start becoming real to you, simply because you’re in the flow, the present moment,” observes Cardillo, who also authored Be Like Water. He suggests looking to water for guidance in creating solutions, sharpening focus or moving effortlessly on to the next step.
Find Balance
Freda points out that within the strong yin energy of winter, “There are yang moments, celebratory moments, to keep us going.” An imbalance can occur when the slowness of winter is com- pletely counteracted by too much high- energy socializing, working or rushing through the day. “An excess of yang during the winter,” counsels Freda, “rather than a glimpse of it, can deplete us,” contributing to stress, fatigue and depression.
Conversely, for those with an already predominantly yin personal- ity (quiet, introverted, low energy) that
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