Wellbeing

Emma Cannon: Winter Wellbeing

Our columnist helps us create strength and resilience by turning our energy inward

We are human beings, yet we spend a lot of our lives being human doings. One of the problems of modern life is that we don’t know how to rest. To many, rest looks like collapsing in front of the TV to watch a box set with a large glass of something to inebriate – to numb.

Now don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with either of those activities – but they are still activities. They can often become numbing activities to prevent us from feeling or attending to our inner landscape.

The invitation of the winter months is to focus our attention on the interior, to move back into our homes, to get cosy and relaxed and to continue the process of inner relfelction and exploration.

In terms of Chinese Medicine, this time of year is governed by the element of Water; the associated organs are the kidneys and the bladder. The kidney energy is often seen as being associated with cleverness and internal energy; these qualities are strengthened through deep relaxation and reflection.

This gives rise to inner wisdom, knowledge and intuition. Spending time in reflective or relaxing practices such as journaling and meditation are ideal for the winter months.

On the shadow side, fear is the predominant shadow of the Water element; this includes lack of faith and being drawn to negative dialogue. It is very important to protect yourself from external dialogues that may pull you into a fear state and deplete your energy.

Be discerning about what you ‘let in’, what you expose yourself to. You would never go out in a snowstorm without a cosy outer layer, so protect yourself from outside influences with a cosy mental layer of protection.

Face your inner fear

When we begin to move our attention inwards, we may come face-to-face with our inner critic.

The underpinning dynamic of the inner critic is a cycle of feelings of inferiority/ superiority. They see the world through the assessment of situations and people, critically.

Of course, underneath this is the fear of being criticised, so there may be a reluctance to put yourself out there for fear of being judged. Notice when you, yourself, are critical. What is the fear behind that criticism? Once you focus on criticism you will notice when you are critical. Take a breath and stop yourself. Know your own worth and don’t base that on comparisons with others. Accept; send compassion and love.

Nourish for wellbeing

Our diet can play a huge role in how we feel, try adopting these simple tips to help keep yourself feeling great.

• Make sure the majority of your foods are cooked and warm.
• Eat less fruit and increase your wholegrains.
• Bake vegetables with warming spices, add warmth to the body and draw the energy inwards.
• Replace drinking large amounts of water with warming herbal teas such as liquorice, ginger and comfrey.
• Save alcohol for ‘high days and holidays.
• Drink alcohol in moderation to celebrate and rejoice.

Avoid using it as an everyday means of relaxing.