Finding the Soul of Winter

soul-of-winterWhen we use the word blues, we conjure music, soul stirring music, that often tells stories of love gone wrong, betrayals, and heartaches.

For many people, winter is a lonely time, so much so, that the lords of diagnosis have coined a term for it, SAD, or seasonal affective disorder.

In Chinese medicine, SAD is not a diagnosis, but a flow of energy from the external to the internal. Hibernation is upon us as we approach the shortest day of the year, the solstice of December 21.

Winter can teach us how to see in the dark, and asks us to look within, to follow the movement of introspection, and to return to the roots and sources of soul, of the deep-hidden inner nourishments of our lives.

Beating the winter blues is not to try and make a spring-time of winter, it is to know the time we are in and move accordingly. What is nature doing as the days grow shorter and colder? Cultivating stillness and quiet as a source of strength builds and charges our reserves.

Soul of Winter

So as winter builds, ask yourself some questions: If you are depressed ask that the gift of that depression be revealed to you. Thinking of depression as a necessary stage in the composting process of the soul is very helpful. Out of depression, beauty will eventually arise, the soil of a heavy heart is sometimes necessary for the plants of joy to return.

Staying home, keeping warm, and cooking warm nourishing soups….while remembering the arts and creative process that feeds our lives helps to keep natural depression from turning into something chronic.

When the new year comes and the days begin to get longer, we will participate in our annual 3 week detox program to purify our bodies and minds, and to make way for the vitality and creativity of the spring.

To pre-order your 3 week detox kit, just click here or let me know by email if you want to join us. People lose an average of 10-15 pounds and enjoy starting the year with a healthy change in mind and body.

About The Author

James Whittle M.S., L.Ac. is an acupuncturist and a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). He has visited China more than 8 times to work in hospitals and conduct research. James has also consulted for the BBC on an acupuncture documentary and appeared on NBC news. In 2016, NBC called James “an expert in Chinese medicine.” He is the founder and owner of the Blue Ridge Clinic in Asheville, North Carolina, founded in 2003. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with honors, he completed his masters in acupuncture at Bastyr University in 2001. He is licensed to practice acupuncture in North Carolina and holds license #238. You can reach James at (828) 254-4405.