kidney

Four weeks ago we had a snow storm. Two weeks ago we had a 70 degree Saturday. But now we’re finally turning back towards winter weather. I know that it can be disappointing for those of you who don’t like winter or cold weather, but just like the heat of summer is necessary to grow food, the cold of winter is necessary for the world to rest. The last two week marked the Beginning of Winter and now we can build off the work we’ve done to support our kidneys as we move into the Lesser Snow seasonal node. Photo by Travis Rupert via Pexels

Easing into winter with the Lesser Snow seasonal node

Four weeks ago we had a snow storm.

Two weeks ago we had a 70 degree Saturday.

But now we’re finally turning back towards winter weather.

I know that it can be disappointing for those of you who don’t like winter or cold weather, but just like the heat of summer is necessary to grow food, the cold of winter is necessary for the world to rest.

The last two week marked the Beginning of Winter and now we can build off the work we’ve done to support our kidneys as we move into the Lesser Snow seasonal node.

Four weeks ago we had a snow storm. Two weeks ago we had a 70 degree Saturday. But now we’re finally turning back towards winter weather. I know that it can be disappointing for those of you who don’t like winter or cold weather, but just like the heat of summer is necessary to grow food, the cold of winter is necessary for the world to rest. The last two week marked the Beginning of Winter and now we can build off the work we’ve done to support our kidneys as we move into the Lesser Snow seasonal node. Photo by Travis Rupert via Pexels
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By Jessica Gustafson, ago
As I write this, it is currently 70 degrees out. We have a projected high of 72 today. In Minnesota. I mean, yeah, we got eight inches of snow in the cities two weeks ago but that’s all gone now. We’re even planning on going on a hike after the intern wakes up. It does not look like winter outside. But the snow predicted for Tuesday will (hopefully) change that. I’m here to break the news to you that winter has officially begun. How can that be when the Winter Solstice is 6 weeks away? Well, because it’s the Beginning of Winter seasonal node, my friend. Photo by Eberhard Grossgasteiger

Bracing for the Beginning of Winter

As I write this, it is currently 70 degrees out. We have a projected high of 72 today. In Minnesota.

I mean, yeah, we got eight inches of snow in the cities two weeks ago but that’s all gone now. We’re even planning on going on a hike after the intern wakes up.

It does not look like winter outside. But the snow predicted for Tuesday will (hopefully) change that.

I’m here to break the news to you that winter has officially begun. How can that be when the Winter Solstice is 6 weeks away?

Well, because it’s the Beginning of Winter seasonal node, my friend.

(more…)
By Jessica Gustafson, ago
Yesterday’s deep dive into kidney disorders focused on kidney yin disharmonies. Kidney yin disorders have a lot of hot signs – hot flashes, night sweats, dry throat, etc – because the kidney yin can’t cool the body. It’s a lot like not having enough coolant in your car’s engine. Kidney yang disorders are cold in comparison. Lacking kidney yang means the starter isn’t working. And that’s what we’re going to cover today. Featured image and cover photo by Adonyi Gábor from Pexels

Kidney Yang Disharmonies: The Other Half

Yesterday’s deep dive into kidney disorders focused on kidney yin disorders. Kidney yin disorders have a lot of hot signs – hot flashes, night sweats, dry throat, etc – because the kidney yin can’t cool the body. It’s a lot like not having enough coolant in your car’s engine. Kidney yang disorders are cold in comparison. Lacking kidney yang means the starter isn’t working. And that’s what we’re going to cover today.

By Jessica Gustafson, ago
Kidney disharmonies and imbalances are the heart of many people’s fertility struggles. The kidneys, when combined with the liver, form the root of how hormones are developed and move throughout the body. The kidneys themselves govern our growth and development as well as our reproductive potential. And the kidneys are also one of the only systems that have a predictable pattern of change throughout our lifetimes. Understanding kidney disharmonies isn’t about preventing them like it is with liver and lung disharmonies. It’s about balancing changes to make the process of aging more comfortable and preventing that change from negatively impacting other organ systems. Because the kidney system is literally the foundation of our bodies and all of our yin and yang, I’ve divided it into two parts. Today we will discuss kidney yin deficiencies and imbalances and tomorrow’s post will discuss kidney yang disharmonies. Featured image and cover photo by Irina Iriser from Pexels

Kidney Disharmonies: Foundations of Yin

Kidney disharmonies and imbalances are the heart of many people’s fertility struggles. The kidneys, when combined with the liver, form the root of how hormones are developed and move throughout the body. The kidneys themselves govern our growth and development as well as our reproductive potential. And the kidneys are also one of the only systems that have a predictable pattern of change throughout our lifetimes.

By Jessica Gustafson, ago
The ancient Chinese referred to Winter as the "season of shutting and storing". TCM has so much wisdom about living seasonally, and Winter is just the start

Winter: Season of Stillness

When we think of the big picture of the year, there is the cold season and the warm season. Winter and summer. Yin and yang.

Of course, the year can be broken down further, into the four seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn or even further, into the eight weather terms.

When we look at the seasons on the wheel and think about them in the context of the eight weather terms we can see how the most yin part of the year – the winter solstice – is the middle of winter. And that the winter solstice, being the depth of yin contains within it the seed of yang.

By Jessica Gustafson, ago