Lean into the energy of Winter for glowing skin by Spring
Winter; the season of recovering and rejuvenating
This is the season for less ‘doing’ and more ‘being’. Finish up projects, plan some time off, switch your emails to ‘out of office’ mode, and look at your phone a little less. For those of us who are driven to be productive and achievement-focused, it’s important to know that resting and taking a step back from constant productivity is vital for every aspect of our wellbeing, and can have a very positive impact on what we’re able to produce when Spring arrives. If we push ourselves to be in a constant state of ‘doing’, ‘producing’ and generally ticking boxes and completing to-do lists, this can be incredibly fatiguing, and eventually makes us less imaginative.
How to adopt Winter Yin energy
Giving yourself more time to just ‘be’ - whether it’s going for walks in nature without your headphones, reading fiction, playing a musical instrument, painting or engaging in an activity that relaxes you and shifts you into the ‘flow’ state – helps rejuvenate the mind and enhances creativity. When we’re in a relaxed state of flow, or we allow our minds to daydream and wonder, this is often when the more creative, imaginative innovative ideas come to us, and it’s also when our minds are better able to come up with solutions to nagging problems.
Tips for adopting ‘yin’ energy
Putting a lot less on your to-do list
Scheduling less throughout the week
Saying ‘no’ to demands or invitations you’d rather not accept
Purposefully living life at a slower pace
One of the biggest causes of chronic stress and burnout I see is caused by living life in constant ‘yang’ Summer-mode, so if you can make these practices part of your life, you’ll be making a huge impact on your overall wellbeing, and are more likely to navigate the next seasonal cycle with more balance.
Winter is also the time to balance our movement and rest, with an emphasis on the rest. As opposed to Summer’s long hours of daylight which encouraged long hours of movement and activity, Winter’s shorter days and increased darkness encourages us to change how we exercise.
Winter is also about building strength, especially around the joints, which support injury prevention when we jump back into outdoor adventures in Spring and Summer.
Tips for adapting your workouts to support Winter energy
Think of your Winter workout as a short strength-building yoga class, followed by slow stretches and a long Savasana (see the class below)
Find balance by planning a 30 minute strength-training session with weights a few times a week
Swap your run or spin class for a restorative yoga class instead
Nourishment through connection
When it comes to socialising, even though you might be planning Christmas parties, try to spend the majority of the time nourishing your closest relationships. I recently read an article which highlighted how whilst our Summer ancestors would have travelled, met new people, and explored new lands; our Winter selves have evolved to spend much more time closer to home with family and dear friends.
Of course there is also lots of fun and joy to be had with Christmas parties and celebrations, you don't have to go into total hibernation mode! But if you have anxieties about upcoming parties and what they might mean to your health then give yourself time to think about how you want to connect with loved ones and what boundaries you want to put in place around alcohol, food and late nights? This isn't about denying yourself things in the pursuit of doing things 'perfectly', but about living life intentionally.
We can also spend the Winter months nourishing the closest relationship we have; the one with ourselves. Use Winter as a time to get to know yourself again. Reflect upon how the year has been, what you’d like to change, and whether the direction you’re heading in is the right one for you.
Spend more time
journaling
dreaming
meditating
taking good care of yourself with practices like self massage
Supporting melatonin production in Winter
Modern living doesn’t necessarily foster the potential for nourishment in long winter evenings as we are distracted with Netflix and screens. These activities can drive us further out of balance as they negatively impact circadian rhythm and our ability to rest and sleep. Many evening activities like TV and screens stimulate the brain, body and nervous system, lowering or ceasing production of the vital sleep neurotransmitter melatonin.
Melatonin doesn’t simply allow us to fall asleep and control our sleep-wake cycle, it is known to have many actions fundamental to health during our waking hours. In the immune system, it works as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cancer protective agent. It also protects the energy production within each of our cells, within their power stations the mitochondria, protecting against diseases like Alzheimer’s and metabolic syndrome.
How can we support melatonin?
Yoga
A study of thirty healthy men aged 25-35 years (J Altern Complement Med, 2004;10(2):261-8) who practised yoga for three months showed a rise in plasma melatonin, with the maximum night-time levels correlating with highest general wellbeing scores. So moving away from screens as early as possible and latest 9pm offers us the time to create a regular evening yoga practice that has the opposite, sleep and health promoting effect.
Composition and timing of meals can also have a significant impact on circadian rhythm and human health. Whilst the research is still ongoing we can support our circadian rhythm by:
Consume lots of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, especially those rich in polyphenols
Do not eat late at night, and aim to have the last meal 3-4 hours before bedtime
Eat the biggest meals early in the day
Follow a regular meal schedule within a restricted period (10 hours or less)
Limit caffeine, which has been shown to shift circadian rhythms
Aim for sunlight exposure during the day
Minimize light exposure at night; or, wear blue-light-blocking glasses if exposed to bright electric light
Create an evening ritual with yoga to support the bodies shift to rest mode in the evening - a Winter yoga class will be dropped later this week.
Tips to create an evening ritual with yoga
Create a warm, safe space to practice with no interruption, so you feel able to drop down into deeper and more relaxed brainwaves and body state. Do what you need to do in order to minimise interruptions from family members. Give yourself this time.
Have blankets handy to cover yourself (where appropriate) to feel both cocooned and that you won’t be stimulated by a sudden drop in temperature.
Be ready for bed as much as possible, with teeth cleaned and technology (including wi-fi) turned off and minimal lighting. You might want to try lighting a candle or switching lights with blue light blocking bulbs, I love BlockBlueLight available from Amrita Nutrition with your discount code.
Try to start this ritual at the same time each evening, our bodies (+ skin) find safety in consistency and routine.
I sometimes like to start or end my evening ritual wearing my LED face mask.
I hope you find these tips helpful, remember winter is with us until end of February so lean into this energy for as much as you can until then to support you energy and skin by Spring.
