Chinese Medicine encourages us to live in harmony with the cycles of nature for maintaining robust health of body, mind and spirit. Winter is the most yin time of the year, directly opposed to summer, the most yang time of the cycle. Winter is still, cold, and dark in nature as contrasted to summer, which is active, warm, and bright.

Wintertime beckons us to find the stillness and to look inward, embracing the darkness and seeking deeper self-reflection.

Water is the element associated with winter, the very essence of life, the beginning of all things. Water is a feminine element, the element of subconscious, purification, intuition and mysteries of the self. We can learn from the essence of water by awakening our own divine wisdom and awareness.  This can be a time of truth seeking and finding the deeper meaning of life.  Water is love – life giving, and is flexible, adaptable, powerful and gentle.

“Always be like water. Float in the times of pain or dance like waves along the wind which touches it’s surface”- Santosh Kalwar

The yin of winter is an ideal time for inner reflexion, purification, and revitalizing your qi (life force). These are a few ways to build your yin and life force during the winter months:

• Mediate, enjoy deep breath work, and try restorative exercise like qi gong, yoga, and tai qi — which can all help to build and restore your “health bank account.”
• Rest more and sleep earlier and longer to reinvigorate your qi.
• Eat warming foods like stews, root vegetables, and roasted nuts, and add warming herbs such as ginger, turmeric, garlic, and black sesame seeds to your meals.
• Get acupuncture treatments to boost immunity and strengthen your constitution.
• Incorporate super foods into your diet such as goji berries, chai seeds, medicinal mushrooms, and adaptogen herbs such as; panax ginseng, astragalus, nettles to restore energy and stamina.

Benefits of Goji Berries

• Provides high levels of antioxidants and nutrients
• Improves immune function
• Promotes healthy glowing skin
• Helps stabilize blood sugar
• Detoxifies  the liver
• Increases energy and uplifts mood
• Enhances fertility

 

I would like to recommend these two easy warming Gogi Berry recipes and Chinese Herb Chicken Soup to boost the immune system.

Enjoy!

 

Boost your constitution with Nettle + Goji Berry Tea Infusion Recipe 

• Fill an 8 oz jar with:
• 4 tablespoons of nettle leaf (or 2 tea bags)
• 4 tablespoons of red Raspberry leaf (or 2 tea bags)
• 2 tablespoons of Goji Berries
• Pour boiling water over herbs in the jar.
• Cover the jar and steep for 4 hours.
• Strain and enjoy 1-2 cups a day.

I like “Traditional Medicinal Tea” brand which is organic.

 

Warm yourself with medicinal Goji Berry Infused  Vodka Recipe 

• 3 cups organic Vodka
• 1 cup organic goji berries
• Soak in air tight mason jar for 1-2 weeks
• Strain and decant in a glass bottle

Chinese Herbal Soup for Immunity

You can shop at Kamwo on Grand St in Chinatown to purchase these immune and digestive enhancing herbs. Kamwo also sells the herbal soup prepackaged if you don’t want to shop for the herbs
This Chinese herbal chicken soup recipe is good for overall well-being; improving immune and digestive function.

Slow Cooked Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Organic pasture raised chicken cut into quarters.
• Astragalus Root (Běi Qí) – 20 g   Enhances immune system
• Codonopsis Root (Dǎng shēn) – 20 g   Enhances digestive function
• Soloman’s Seal (Yù Zhú) – 20 g   Enhances lung function
• Chinese Angelica Root (Dāng Guī) – 10 g  Enhances immune system and activates circulation
• Dried Chinese Yam (Huái Shān) – 20g   Enhances digestive function
• Dried wolfberries – 15 g   Improves immune function and increases energy
• Dried Figs – 4   Improves digestive function
• Dried Red Dates – 8  Improves digestive function
• Rhizoma Ligustici (Chuan Xiong) – 5 pieces
• 6 to 8 cups water or broth (enough liquid to cover the chicken and herbs).  A quarter cut whole chicken with the bones is best for this recipe.
• Salt – to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse all the dried herbs (then put all herbs into a cheesecloth sachet) to be discarded after cooking. Put the dried herbs and water into a clay or stainless- steel pot and bring to a boil.
2.  Once the water starts boiling, add the chicken parts.
3. Lower the heat and simmer for at least 1.5 hours or 2 hours. The chicken should be tender but not falling apart.
4. Season with salt before serving.
5. To make a vegetarian herbal soup add firm organic sprouted tofu and root vegetables instead of chicken after the herbs have simmered for 45 mins and then cook until vegetable are tender.

Winter Specials

Immune Boost Sweat Therapy

– Renew and Regenerate in our PW 55 min session   –
$100 for the month of February and March. ($50 savings)

 

The session begins with;

•  A full body dry skin brush to stimulate lymphatic drainage
• Followed by lymphatic massage with organic massage oil to stimulate and enhance circulation
•  Gentle cupping using soft silicone cups to move lymph and release tight fascia, to couture and tone the legs and buttocks.
• Your body is now prepared  for the optimal sweat experience.
• You are then enveloped in our infrared body wrap for 55mins of relaxation and inner reflection.
• After the sweat you will be soothed with a hot towel and massaged with La Bonne Paris creams to increase circulation and lymphatic drainage.
• 32 oz immune boosting herbal tea + electrolyte drink

 PW Organic Facial + Gentle Peel

– 55min session -$125 for the month of February and March -($50 savings)