What happens when you take the rainiest fall on record, combine it with record snowfall and add a very rainy spring? You have too much yin and not enough yang. How do you know? If you’re experiencing the following:
- Tired
- Depressed, feeling dark and negative
- Foggy Mind
- Prefer to stay indoors
- Quiet
- Cold body, limbs and feet
These are all yin type symptoms – remember Yin is the opposite of Yang – see below of a quick comparison.
Yin Energy versus Yang Energy
Water Fire
Darkness Light
Cold Hot
Moon Sun
Quiet Loud
This is why we get soo excited when the sun shines or we lie in the sun. We’re getting all that amazing yang energy – we feel “up”, warm, lighter, sunnier. Yang energy is good for us. We need it. It keeps us warm and gives us energy to do things.
So how do we combat three seasons in a row of extreme yin – cold, rainy and dark weather?
- Exercise – generates yang energy in your body:
- walk, bike, run, yoga, dance, Qi Gong, Tai Chi
- Turn up the heat in your body by eating “hot foods”
- red meats like beef and lamb, chai lattes with: cardamon, black pepper, cinnamon, clove and sugar all hot spices, chocolate and wine
- Stay in the light – get up with the sun and go to bed with the sun. This is especially important in the summertime. Staying up late in the fall and winter causes you to feel “wired but tired.”
- Balance your body’s energy through acupuncture – I use needles to tonify yang energy – think of these needles as little energetic lightening rods. They attract the energy your body needs and get rid of the energy it doesn’t. Needling the top of your head Du 20 can raise your yang energy and is especially important if you suffer from depression.
- Chinese Herbs to restore your yang energy
- If you’re body is really out of wack, Chinese Herbs can help restore your yang energy.
If you’re curious and want to know more about how acupuncture can help lift your mood and get you through this epic rainy season, please come see me at Qi.
Namaste,
Julie
