The Winter Solstice is the 22nd of the twenty-four solar terms in a year and the fourth solar term in Winter. Its arrival symbolizes that the relative position of the sun and the earth has reached a new extreme: the sun shines directly on the Tropic of Capricorn, and the northern hemisphere receives the least light in the year. At this point, the "short days and long nights" in the northern hemisphere have reached the extreme (the most Yin time of the year, and the seed of Yang starts).
The Winter Solstice is the corresponding Fu hexagram in I-ching, representing revival and renewal. If we look at the hexagram, there are five yin lines on top of one Yang line, showing the extreme Yin turning into Yang. That's why we usually feel the New Year's energy kicking in around the Winter Solstice. But still, it's the end of peak Yin and old year. So, the key is helping ourselves make the transition smooth. An old saying is, "The ancient mortal retreated on the solstice, and people should rest. Otherwise, people won't be able to have good health later." So, what is the connection between the winter solstice and rest?
Let us look back at the hexagram. The upper part is earth, which represents calmness and collection, and is the yin part. The lower part is thunder, with only a little bit of sunshine, buried deep in the ground, waiting for the arrival of spring and a blockbuster. This tells us that, just like animals that want to hibernate, only by resting well in Winter and accumulating enough strength can Yang Qi break through the cold and cold in the second spring and start a new round of the "growth cycle."
"Spring sprouts, summer grows, autumn harvests and winter stores" is the order of the four seasons of heaven and earth, also called "constancy." If it is abnormal, "heaven and earth will be blocked," and problems will arise. Winter governs storage, so Yang energy needs to be preserved for these three months, and the winter solstice is the key to rest and storing energy since it reaches the extreme of Yin and starts moving into Yang. You may have noticed that the climate has been abnormal in recent years. This has caused the Qi and blood in the human body to adapt to the cold and dive into the deep layers that float in the chest, causing acid reflux, indigestion, bloating, and upset heart. Heat, constipation, insomnia, or a sudden decline with the sudden temperature dropping cause weak immunity, prone to colds, edema, diarrhea, waist and knee pain, joint pain, sciatica aggravation, and even harder to conceive. It looks like different symptoms, but they all share the exact environmental cause.
The environmental energy in the Winter of 2024 overlaps with multiple waters, aggravating Yang Qi's obstruction. Therefore, it is imperative to rest and recuperate until next year's Spring Equinox. With a good rest, the body can be sufficiently nourished.
People should recharge and store energy by eating foods that warm and nourish qi and blood and strengthen the kidney qi and essence. For example, Lamb can warm the spleen and stomach, nourish kidney qi, and treat fatigue and cold extremities. You may cook lamb with different herbs according to your body constitution. For example, people with blood deficiency who are prone to cold hands and feet can cook with angelica root and ginger to nourish and move blood; those who are suffering from fatigue, simultaneously sweating, and quickly catching colds can cook lamb with astragalus and Ginseng to replenish qi and strengthen the surface; People with soreness and weakness in the waist and knees, dry eyes can use Goji berry and yam to nourish the liver and kidneys.
If people eat too many health products and tonic foods and do not exercise accordingly, it will lead to food stagnation and phlegm production, depression, and heat. Therefore, people should pay attention to the balance of food and not overtake supplements. If people eat a lot of greasy food, it should be followed by more vegetables such as cabbage, white radish, bean sprouts, etc., that can reduce phlegm, regulate qi, clear away heat, and generate clear fluid.
Wintertime exercise requires people to warm up longer and avoid strenuous exercise and heavy sweating to avoid dissipation of Yang Qi. If you sweat, wipe it off in time, wear a jacket, and cover your shoulders and neck to prevent the invasion of wind and cold. Proper exposure to the sun is also a good way to warm the Yang Qi and dispel cold. People with chronic conditions, elder, and weak immune systems, especially those with cardiovascular disease, should try to arrange exercise after the sun rises and the temperature gets warm. People with a cold/flu/lung condition should not exercise at high intensity. It is recommended that you fully recover before starting exercise. Meanwhile, the frequency of sexual life should also be reduced to protect Kidney Qi and essence.
The key to a year's rest is at the winter solstice, and the key to a day's rest is from 11 PM to 2 AM. Therefore, in addition to remembering "retreat" on the annual solstice, we must also implement "retreat" every day: sleep before 11 PM every day. During the winter months, if you go to bed early and get up slightly later with the sun rising, the skin and muscles will be firm, preventing the disease from invading and Qi, Blood, and essence from leaking.
Please practice the guidance together, sleep deeply, and feel the rest and nourishment of the winter solstice!
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