Staying Healthy

An Approach to Winter

   In the page "More About Natural Living", I mentioned writing about how the season affect us. Some of it will be observations and experiences through my own research, but also articles and the concept of the seasons through Chinese medicine. The references to Chinese medicine will include things such as the element associated with the season, as well as body organs, climate, taste, emotion, foods to include or avoid. These references are helpful and informative, however in addition to that, at some point I would like to have additional articles on how things like light and color and emotions and stress also affect us. Diet and nutrition are also important topics. So here at least is a beginning.

Winter

   The days were growing noticeably shorter even in late Aug

Gardiner's Bay and Gardiner's Island

ust. But August found us in our cycle called Later Summer (in Chinese medicine and lore), and blending into Autumn. Now in December we should be in winter, with the Winter Solstice about to occur, even though mild temperatures here make us wonder if it is truly winter.
   Despite the temperatures, yes darkness comes earlier, and our energy retreats towards winter patterns. The rain and cold remind us that it is leaning more towards Winter, or when a storm approaches with high winds and a sharper chill to the air, we know freezing temperatures may soon be the norm.
   According to Chinese medicine, Winter is governed by the element of Water. We become introspective in Winter, and things go more dormant for a period of rest, in order to emerge again in the Spring. The trees have shed their leaves, plants wither and die and go to see, waiting for the next cycle.
   Water is essential to life. In our body, fluids like blood flowing are important, as well as the fluids in the lymph system, which help to process and eliminate waste so you can fight infections. There is also fluids like saliva, perspiration, tears and urine. Everything is flowing, and should be flowing. Water is part of the circulation system, perhaps like the oceans for the earth.

   The body organs that dominate in the Winter cycle are the bladder and kidneys. The climate associated with Winter and Water is cold, and the compass direction for Winter is the North.
   I have read that the kidneys are nourished by cold, but extreme cold and or wetness can weaken the kidneys. I think of the few times I have been in desert areas of the world, with such a compelling dryness, and remember what a different feeling when compared to humidity. I remember being in Colorado as well, in higher altitudes, and having the skin on my hands cracking from the dry air, which I was not used to, and coming home to breathe in moist air for my lungs. In Israel it is hot during the day, and then cold at night, and also dry. The wind also takes moisture out of your body there, so you must drink a great deal of water especially if you are outdoors. It was a harsh environment it seemed, which would put stress on our bodies and systems if we are not used to it, but we can always adapt. I know recently while visiting the local mountains, the Catskill area, it was 64 degrees in November, but there was a damp and biting wind and no sun and I was indeed chilled to the bone. You can think back to your own experiences with temperatures and conditions and remember how it felt, or be more conscious of this in the future.

   The taste that is associated with Winter is salt. Interestingly most water has salt in it, as well as our blood, and also of course the oceans. If you crave salt or dislike salt you may have a Water imbalance. If you eat too much salt, it creates a craving for water and can weaken the kidneys. Salt can also cause water retention and toxins to be held, so we can become easily toxic. Salt intake is also linked to high blood pressure. There will most likely be another whole article on salt, but best not to add it to food, and if you must use salt in cooking, use something more natural like sea salt, as table salt has alot of chemicals and additives, in addition to being bleached.

   The emotion of Winter is fear, whether it be anxiety, stress or any other emotion. Trembling is actually a water imbalance and is a release of fearful energy and tension. Think of the expression "paralyzed with fear" - fear can be a very powerful emotion, and can create blockages. Fear in some ways blocks many things, because it numbs you.

   The sound of Winter is groaning. Have you ever heard trees that grown in the wind during a storm? Their branches creak and groan. For people, the sound of a groan comes from deep within.

Some Considerations

   So what can you do to fortify yourself or flow with the ways of the Winter season?

   Well first think about Water and emotions. Water can be calm, still or gentle, or stormy, and hard to contain. How do you feel when you become too emotional? We may feel drained, and we can easily become exhausted and run down. We also need to remember that our kidneys are a filter for the blood systems and also ridding the body of toxic waste and heavy metals. So we can eat well and cleanse, although Spring is technically the time for deep cleansing.

   Negativity can also be harmful, and must be eliminated from the body, believed to be processed out through the bladder. So it is important to be positive and have a good attitude, and using positive affirmations on a daily basis.

   Other suggestions that might help in the Winter season include things like massage, where it will work on the meridians associated with the kidney, for example, along the spine. Massage also helps to relieve tension and toxins. Yoga is also excellent, providing stretching, relaxation and reducing stress.

   With diet and nutrition, you would want to eat foods that provide a little more heat, eat a little heavier, but not too heavy. Everything should be in moderation. When you over eat at Thanksgiving you often feel heavy and bloated.
   Your diet for winter should include hot soups with plenty of fresh vegetables, and spices that warm like ginger, garlic and cayenne pepper. Small amounts of whole grains are good fuel in winter, like millet, buckwheat, brown rice with red or black beans or lentils. Remember do not add salt to your food, because there is already some salt in your food, and we do need some salt. Sea salt is the most natural. If you bathe in the ocean or take a mineral bath, the stored salts and toxins will be drawn out. Food will taste like real food without adding alot of salt. I gave up adding salt to my food, sometimes substituting with garlic or onion instead.

   It is also important to keep warm in the winter - sitting by the fire, or with a blanket and a hot herbal tea or soup. Eating more cooked warm foods as opposed to cold or raw in winter. 

   Before long the days will get longer and the sunshine brighter, bringing about another whole new cycle of rebirth to look forward to.

Stay warm,
Maery

(remember to always follow the advice of your health care professional when it comes to health, diet and exercise)

More About Natural Living

   Since natural living is the basic premise of this blog, I wanted to write a bit more a

The Creek 

bout the concept and also give some basic principles that I feel relate to living a more natural life. Certainly it can mean different things to different people, so take what you can from this research and incorporate things into your own life as you see fit.

   About 15 years ago, I read a book about a woman whose marriage was ending. In the process, she moved into a summer cottage the couple owned and lived on her own for awhile until the divorce was finalized. her life became a process of coming to terms with her current life situation, but also how to survive on her own. She became aware of the tides, the seasons, cycles of the moon, and began to actually live according to those cycles and patterns in order to harvest clams at low tide, catch fish at the full moon, pick berries in summer as they became ripe, and in doing so she began to live a life ordered more by natural cycles rather than the tradition 9-5 life in an industrial society.

The Woods

   It really caught me because when my sister and my brothers and I were growing up, we did the same thing in our summers at the East End of Long Island in New York - clamming, fishing, picking berries, collecting rocks for our rock wall - which still stands today. The beach, the creek, the woods, the fields, were all our playground.

   So although we can't necessarily leave our current lives or jobs to go rough it in a cottage by the sea, we can be more aware of seasons, cycles and things in nature and how they affect us and use products that are more natural, foods that are organic if possible and not prepackaged or full of artificial dyes and colorings.

   Then again it is for each person to decide what might work for them, so this blog simply seeks to inform and educate, and to share experiences that might be helpful to others.

   My 3 basic principles are:

1. Achieving balances

2. Everything in moderation

3. Learning to go with the flow

   There is so much more to say in upcoming articles and stories. But next I will look at how the season of winter can affect us and to incorporate some of this information to assist us in our daily lives.

   Do remember never to stop seeing your own healthcare professional at any time - always seek medical advice and care from a licensed doctor or hospital.

   The information presented on this blog is for your information and to enlighten and inspire!

   So I hope you will enjoy.

Maery

Our Little House

An Unexpected Visitor - The Hawk

   This summer I began my experimentation with photography of animals, as a way to get closer to animals and nature, to be part of the natural worlds and to relieve stress from the hectic world. I got out my camera and went to sit in the yard, where I have a chair between the garden and the pool, surrounded by beautiful trees and blue sky. Within five minutes this lovely hawk landed in the shallow end of the pool on top of the pool cover!

   He was majestic and commanded a presence like nothing I've ever witnessed before. Proud, alert, his eyes scanning the yard. I was able to watch him as he turned his head, preened his feathers, dipped his tail and tummy into the puddles of water that had collected on the pool cover.

   His visit lasted for approximately 15 minutes. He had to have known I was there, for I was no further than 30 feet away at the deep end of the pool. He was not intimidated.

   These shots are a series, some capturing the slightest movements or turn of the head. I was honored by his presence.

Arrival

A cool drink

Taking a Bath.......

And goodbye to a beautiful creature

And Still the Visit Continued......

   Still I was able to shoot, and I did not have a tripod, my arms were getting tired, but I could not miss this opportunity to observe my friend and pay tribute to him by capturing his beauty on film, as much as he would allow me.

More Reflections of the Hawk

   These pictures were all shot in sequence, live. First the proud stance, then scanning, then a drink of cool water, then eventually a bath.

   I am in awe of this wonderful creature.

A December Day........

   I took a walk in the morning at Crab Meadow in Northport, New York, amazed at the quality of light through the trees on the shore beyond, at a place called Makamah. It is part of a vast nature preserve, acres upon acres of marshland and grasses and home to wildlife including geese, ospreys and many local songbirds. The light can be different on any given day, depending on the time, the season, the weather. So on this particular morning I walked and was caught by this scene in the trees with my camera and wanted to share it with you all, because it gave me a sense of peace and serenity, which hopefully you will sense as well.

   At the tip of Makamah and Crab Meadow is a small peninsula where the waters rush to meet the Long Island Sound, with views of the Connecticut shore beyond. And so too the water changes every day, in color, vibrancy, currents and tides, as though King Neptune was displaying his moods, in combination with the winds. At this spot is where the seagulls usually gather on warm days in the summer, usually moving a bit more inland to be protected from the prevailing northwest winds of winter.

   This little fellow looks like he is about to put his foot in the water, as though testing the waters, but of course my camera just happened to catch him in midair. The water flowing into the preserve from the Long Island Sound is rarely this color blue, usually more greenish and neutral. There was something special about this day.

   A small sandy beach leads down to the water, and across is the beginnings of the vast marshes. Often protected from the winds here, it provides a quiet sanctuary.

   
   And not far from Crab Meadow, on the way to Asharoken, one can see The Twins and Little Fawn, a small family of deer that live in the woods where Chief Asharoken once lived in his Indian Village in the 1600's. Each week they grow bigger. Hopefully they will survive the winter.

   I hope you have enjoyed spending this day with me.

Maery
December 2015