water
Winter is the most Yin time of year. It is the time that metal is done letting go and everything in nature is down to it’s bare essentials. There is a starkness/barrenness of winter. This is who I am in essence. The energy this time of year is internal and conserving. Tree sap is in roots, everything inward is working at it’s optimum. Bare essential essence: things are not dead, just resting from within and conserving. Holding energy from within to preserve and store.
In winter, we tend to spend more time indoors and more time doing quiet/internal activities. It is a good time for rest and reflection.
Our bodies are made up of 80% water and everything in nature is made up of water as well. We can go without food for a long period of time, but not without water. We may become scared if we do not have water to quench our thirsts.
Water does not have a shape of it’s own. It needs something to contain it or give it shape; therefore, it is very adaptable. It can take many different forms (vapor/steam/ice) and is very changeable. Water can be very cleansing. When we bathe we are left with bare essentials that we need (baptism, spiritual cleansing, cleanse the mind/body/spirit). The nature of water is to be continuous with it’s flowing, if left in one place it can become stagnant. Water is also colorless and takes on whatever color the light is reflecting. Self reflection in a pool of water, self hibernation-all help us to see our true identity/for us to discover what is really inside, our true essence. A good time for reflective meditation/concentration. Most people go to bed early and sleep later due to less light during the daytime. It is a good time for men especially to conserve sexual energy. Water carries the seed of life in sperm/egg/amniotic fluid, which provides new growth in the spring.
Our Jing Qi is stored in our kidneys; it can be supplemented but not replaced. The moon has a strong influence on menses.
Winter is a time for great trust. Trust that Spring will come and bring new growth. It is a time of internal wills, strength, courage, and determination if we have the necessary built in reserves.
Fluids in the body: blood, mucous, lymph, urine, sweat, saliva, digestive fluids, hormones, synovial fluid, spinal fluid, bile, breast milk, amniotic fluid, sexual secretions.
Qualities of Water: Purifying/Cleansing; Refreshing (inward/outward); Invigorating (cold); Quieting/Calming (warm/hot water & sounds of water); scary (when it looses its boundaries-floods, pee in pants); Reflecting