Winter: A Season of Essence

Thank you for joining me for another wonderful Chinese Medicine discussion of the 5 Elements of Nature. Today, on behalf of the Winter Solstice, December 21, we will go in depth of the Water Element and how we can observe it in nature, as well as its association with our physical body.

A quick review from the previous blog post of the 5 Elements of Nature: Water is Yin and is represented by the organs of the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder, the color black, the emotions of will (Zhi) and fear, the direction of North, and the season of Winter.

We can observe the Water Element in nature and see that at the deepest depths, Water is the color black. The season of Winter is governed by the element of Water because it is a period of rest, introspection, and conservation of energy. In our physical body, our Kidneys store our Jing Essence and consolidates Qi. Our Jing Essence is what we inherit from our parents and is the most concentrated form of Yin. Yin is the material substance and Yang is active movement.

As we leave the season of Autumn, represented by the Metal Element and the shedding of leaves, we step into the period of the Winter Solstice, a time of reflection of who we are at our core essence. Like the shedding of leaves, we must shed old beliefs, limiting thoughts, negative patterns of behavior, toxic relationships, and anything that no longer aligns with us and our personal growth. As we let go of who we no longer are, we give space to allow ourselves to be like Water and go inward and discover our true divine essence. Let this Winter Solstice be a symbolic time for you in recognizing that you are in harmony with nature and that it is your natural time to rest, reflect, and discover who you really are inside as a divine spiritual being.