The Magic of Winter
I don’t want to be writing a newsletter.
Right now, I’d love to be sitting on my sofa reading a book. Or maybe watching a cheesy holiday movie with my kids. I want to be drinking hot tea or laying on a warm table, receiving acupuncture.
What about you? Can you feel the pull of yin season as we move toward the solstice? Deepening. Quiet. Still. Inward-Focused. Receiving.
With holiday shopping, get-togethers and trying to finish work projects, we can stay stuck in yang overdrive and miss out on these opportunities for deep rest and healing. When we honor our inner cues and align with nature, we can really receive the magic of this season.
Maybe you’re feeling less motivated than normal, or, like me, a deep desire to sit around a fire and be warm and still. This isn’t (only) a result of holiday movie brainwashing - these impulses have biological intelligence driving them.
In nature, winter is when roots grow deeper. This provides stability, nourishment, and the strength to grow as the light returns. Humans aren’t so different. When we allow ourselves to slow down, repair, and receive nourishment in various forms, we’re building the deeper reserves that make spring feel expansive and joyous instead of depleting and exhausting.
So how do we receive the gifts of this season amid holidays, work, and family responsibilities? Here are some simple, nourishing winter invitations:
Rest. A lot more. Sleep longer. Go to bed earlier. Spacious nights. Be still. Lay on your sofa, doing nothing (I know, that’s a big list. Try bed by 10pm tonight.)
Get regular acupuncture. Winter is the season when the body is already oriented toward rest, repair, and conservation, which makes acupuncture especially supportive right now. Rather than pushing or fixing, treatments in winter help the nervous system soften, circulation gently open, and energy rebuild at a deep level. I personally commit to consistent acupuncture during this season because it works with the body’s natural rhythm and helps me feel more resourced and grounded as the days are cold and dark.
Stay warm. Eat warm, cooked foods. Bone broth, roasted veggies, slow-cooked meats. Put moxabustion packs like these over your low abdomen or low back frequently. Wear a scarf on windy or cold days.
If you’ve been feeling the pull to slow down, rest more, or tend to your body in a deeper way, winter is a beautiful season to begin.
This winter, I invite you to join me in doing less, and receiving more.
Warmly,