Winter began on Saturday, November 7 with the Solar Term Li Dong. Li Dong means "the establishment of winter." It is the first of the six solar terms of winter, and it is the point where the Water phase takes over from Metal.
Water is the element of winter. Its organs are the Kidneys and Bladder. It governs the bones, the marrow, the ears, the hair of the head, and the lower back and knees. Its climate is cold, its emotion is fear, and its movement is downward and inward. Water also stores. The classical texts describe winter as the season of closing and storing, and that describes what the body is meant to do now.
In practice, this means lowering your output to match your input. The days are shorter, and there are fewer hours of sunlight. The body is not built to run at summer pace in these dark months. Now, this does not mean doing nothing. It means doing less, resting more, and spending your energy on what matters.
My Water Path online course follows winter through its six solar terms, beginning with Li Dong. Each term has its own focus for the body, the food, and the daily habits that support the Kidneys.
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