Winter Rest + JOMO

✨Happy Winter Solstice ✨

Chinese Medicine is rooted in nature. In the winter, nature slows down, hibernates. From the trees to the bears and birds, everything enters a dormant state. We must take the hint from nature and realize that we, too, must slow down. With modern conveniences and society today, we are pushed to run ourselves as hard as we do when it is the most yang and bustling time of year, summer. However, this quickly leads to burn out and illness.

Winter, the most yin time of year, gives us the chance to slow down, turn inwards, be introspective, and heal ourselves by nourishing with deep rest, food and meditation. It is okay to be more tired in the winter when the sun is setting earlier. Listen to what your body is telling you you need. The spring and summer seasons are when we burst with life: we are the busiest and have more energy with which the sun and warmth fills us. However, if we don’t take the time to recharge in the winter, we will end up being just as slow in the summer and more prone to illness as we didn’t give our bodies time to repair.

This deep rest isn’t only for our bodies to benefit from but our minds as well. This is a time to be the most introverted, focusing on self-improvement, and build solid foundations of self-care. It is okay to not want to socialize as much, and to stay home working on projects that nourish your soul.

Have you heard of JOMO – Joy of Missing Out? JOMO focuses on doing what you truly want to do, listening to your inner voice to meet your own needs, enjoying your time alone and lavishing yourself with some serious self-care.

This season, learn to shift your mindset from what you "should" be doing and what you feel is expected of you, to doing what you actually need to do to transform your self-care.