Winter is the season to slow down and conserve our energy. It is cooler and the days are darker and this invites us into a meditative space and beckons us to rest and reflect.  We could say that winter is a time to hibernate…I like snuggling up on the couch with a cup of one of my favourite herbal teas.  During winter it is a good idea to take some time to replenish your ‘Self’. So that you have energy that you can use throughout the rest of the year.

Typically, winter is not the time to start something new. It is the time to rest and replenish. It is a good time to stay warm, move less, eat noursihing foods, and find ways to conserve our energy.

With winter comes some seasonal challenges such as colds and  flus, tiredness, seasonal depression, and winter weight gain. I think that many of these challenges arise because we try to keep moving and doing as we do in all other seasons. This seems to me to be going against nature and our natural inclination to slow down at this time of year. Slow down, take time to tune in to your natural rhythms. Listen to your body-mind…be ok with being less productive during the winter. Pushing ourself durning this time can tend to burn us out and bring on the winer blues, weight gain and fatigue.

Here I share with you my tips to stay healthy and balanced during winter.

1.  SLOW DOWN

Winter energy is deep and restorative…if we let it be! Learn to rest at this time of year. This gives our body the space to do this inside work of restoring our energy reserves. Winter is a Yin time and it builds the energy we need to burst into spring with renewed vision and purpose.

This is the time of year where I tend to slow down and take time to rest. It is my time to quieten down, self-reflect, and to come back to basics and to the simple pleasures in life. Like, connecting over a cuppa with a friend.

What can wait till you have some more energy?

Winter is the time to prioritise rest and rejuvenation.

The colder winter months, according to the teachings and practices of Chinese Medicine, are when we can support our body, mind and spirit. We can turn our focus to strengthening the water element’s organ system pair, the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder. We can do this by slowing down and practicing stillness and conservation.  

Ensure you are getting good sleep. Make your room cozy but not hot. Sleep in natural fibre bed sheets if you can. It is colder and darker and winter is the time to sleep a little longer if we need it.  If you are feeling a bit down, or your energy is a little low, or perhaps you are feeling as if you just can’t sleep well or wake up unrefreshed – these are all signs to take some time to rest. It really is one of the best things you can do for your body and mind. A good night’s sleep can help your mood and immunity. 

2. VITAMIN D

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin found in:

• oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel
• red meat
• liver
• egg yolks
• fortified foods such as fat spreads and breakfast cereals – which I usually do not recommend

And…we make it in our body from exposure to the sun. When the sun’s ultraviolet rays (UVB) hit our skin, it activates our tissues to make vitamin D, and then stores it in our fat cells to use as needed.

Many Australian’s are low in Vitmin D. I often suggest a blood test to check levels, especially if my client’s are struggling with immune health and chronic infections. I usually find that their levels are not optimal. So, a few times a week we can take a dose of Vitamin D to improve our levels. I find that most people do very well on a quality vitamin D supplement. I recommend practitioner only products and Vitamin D is a relatively cheap vitamin that is effective.

If  you think you might be low BOOK a Naturopathic appointment and I can write a request for you to find out.

I like the Vitamin D sprays by MediHerb, BioMedica, Eagle, and Design’s For Health Liposomal Vitamin D3.  I also recommend a quality Cod Liver Oil such as Nordic Naturals for a supply of Vitmain D.

I find that Vitamin D can support my immunity, help me get more restful sleep, and keep my mood balanced.

3. WINTER HERBS

We are so blessed to have a variety of herbal plant medicines to support us during winter. A cheap and effective way to get some benefits of herbal medicine is to have them as teas. They can warm us up and have therapeutic actions to support us that have been revered for centuries.

When the immune system gets a bit suppressed by being indoors during cold weather, and not getting enough sun…not paying attention to the call to slow down…we may get a bit run down, during this time there are two herbal actions that are useful:

Anti-viral Action: this therapeutic action helps us to have a health immune response to viruses and strengthens our ability to ward off illness.

Immunomodulating Action: this action can help regulate our immune system. These herbs work to gently support our immune system, especially when it is under active.  They can also help calm our immune system down when it is over active (like in auto-immune conditions).

Here are some herbs I often recommend at this time of year:

• Echinacea – a good tincture will make your tongue ‘zing
• Garlic – add to cooking or get a quality practitioner product
• Elderberry – I often make a mix with a hint of Ginger
• Elderflowers – as a warming, strong tea for fevers and immune support
• Medicinal Mushrooms – I personally love BetaMax by BioMedica – ask me for a quick consult to confirm if this one is right for you

4. KEEP MOVING

Not too much…not too little…just enough.

Winter is time to slow down…but not to stop till spring creeps over our window sill!

This is time to engage in some lovely slower yogasana (posture) practice. Delve into your breath and practice some slow and gentle breathwork. Holding poses longer – settle into them with your breath. Poses that nurture the bladder and kidney meridians are good at this time of year.

We need to gently encourage our lymphatic system with correct yogic functional breathing practices. A one-on-one yoga therapy session with me can assist you with determining what optimal breathing is for you. Gentle movement with proper breathing supports our lymphatic system and circulation.

To sum up…

If you want to some personaised advice and support to get your own winter wellness protocol then BOOK a time with me for a naturopathic appointment.

If you’d like a personalised yoga therapy practice for winter BOOK a yoga therapy session.

Try out some of the herbal teas for winter wellness and ask me about specific herbal medicines and practitioner quality supplements to suit you.

Rest and rejuvenate this winter to arrive at spring fortified with good health and energy to meet the new season.