Winter aromatherapy

by Camille Comet - Docteur en pharmacie
Published on 29, November 2023

A global approach to the winter season

December 21 is the time of the winter solstice. This is the time of year when daylight is at its shortest. After this date, daylight hours gradually increase.

In our Western society, which has gradually lost touch with the rhythms of nature, we consider the winter solstice to mark the beginning of the winter season.

And yet, if we were to follow nature’s cycles and take a closer look at how it works and the elements around us, we could see that winter begins long before December 21.

This is also the case in Traditional Chinese Medicine, where the date of entry into the winter season fluctuates around November 10. The winter solstice on December 21 can be considered the mid-point of the winter season.

For the older generations, who worked to the rhythm of the seasons, they didn’t have all the comforts of home, such as electricity and artificial light. Winter was a well-deserved rest after a year of hard work.

What is Nature doing outside? Resting and regenerating

These days, in our ultra-connected, hyperactive and busy lives, we no longer know how to slow down during this essential time. We’ve lost touch with the seasons and their deepest interests. We insist on responding to all the demands that come our way in the same way and at the same pace as at other times of the year. We struggle, winter after winter, not to lose this infernal tempo imposed on us by today’s society. Some succeed, others don’t. And it’s all at the cost of a considerable outlay of energy, often accompanied by intense stress.

These two factors will have consequences in the following year, with bouts of fatigue and, as they accumulate from winter to winter, depression and other disturbances to our physical and mental balance. There’s no point in fighting the seasons, or you’ll end up exhausted.

How many people hear us say as early as November, or sometimes much earlier, “I’m tired right now”, “I can’t get out of bed”, “I’m just sleeping”, etc.? It’s normal, it’s winter ! What’s Nature doing outside? Resting and regenerating.

In traditional Chinese medicine, winter is the season of the Kidney.

In traditional Chinese medicine, winter is the season of the Kidney, which can also be linked to the bladder, adrenal glands and sexual organs. The element of the season is water. The energetic Kidney is our foundation of health, our water reserve, our battery of sorts. Here, to keep things simple, we’re talking about a single energetic kidney, a single battery.

In reality, we can distinguish two: our innate energy, which is unique to each of us and passed on by our parents, is non-rechargeable, and our daily energy, which is common to all individuals and can be recharged. When we’re young, our kidney energy is virtually inexhaustible, but little by little, with age and the hazards of life, our kidney tires and can no longer maintain the balance in our body.

Stress, anxiety, lack of rest, poor sleep and poor diet are all factors that exhaust our kidneys. As autumn arrives, can’t you feel the onset of “sluggishness”, a little less vigour and fatigue? Sometimes, even for those who didn’t rest properly during the previous winter, this fatigue arrives as soon as summer ends.

Some will say that, despite a few minor bouts of fatigue, they are resilient and capable of recharging their batteries very quickly. This is probably not true. The Kidney is our water reserve. When energy is depleted, it means that our water reserve is at its lowest. The Kidney’s energy is a perfect balance between fire (the energy released) and our water reserve, which tempers this fire. If the water reserve is empty, fire takes over, and despite our apparent energy, we are in the process of draining our battery completely, or even drawing on our innate energy. This feeling translates into hyperactivity, poor sleep, physical and mental agitation and confused ideas. This fire is only an appearance, because deep down we’re exhausted. At the slightest annoyance, we quickly become overwhelmed, irritated and irascible. We lose our patience very quickly and can throw a fit very quickly. This shows an imbalance and exhaustion of our energetic Kidney.

Fortunately, winter is here to recharge our Kidneys

Fortunately, winter is here to recharge our Kidneys. The better we do this, the better shape we’ll be in for the year ahead. To recharge our Kidneys, the first thing to do is to slow down our pace. Sleep well and for long enough. Eat a healthy, seasonal diet. Breathe fresh, invigorating, unpolluted air during daily walks.

We’ll look below at plants and essential oils for recharging the Kidney.

If we were to mark the seasons on a 24-hour day, winter would be night, the time when we sleep.

If we were to mark the seasons on a 24-hour day, winter would be night, the time when we sleep. The winter solstice would be the middle of our night’s sleep. Winter is of crucial importance. It’s a gift from nature that we must accept and make the most of. It’s the season of rest!

On the scale of a lifetime, winter would be our last moments, the last age, advanced old age and then death. It’s therefore logical, or not, that the emotion linked to this season is fear. Fatigue and overwork are conducive to inner fears. We no longer know how to cope, and gradually lose our footing. It’s a vicious circle: stress and fatigue create fears, which drain our energy kidneys, creating even more fatigue, and therefore even more fears, and so on. Energy is depleted on all sides without being put to good use. Trust, on the other hand, is the emotion that nourishes our Kidney. So let’s trust ourselves as a wise man would at the end of his life. A wise man is not afraid of death; he observes it with confidence as a passage to something else.

Our tips for a good winter, recharging your energetic Kidney and preparing for the coming year:

– Put your feet up, rest and recharge your batteries. No “strenuous” activities at this time.

– Sleep longer and earlier. Try to fall asleep at 10 p.m., as it’s between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. that the Energetic Kidney is best recharged.

– The sense linked to winter is hearing. Noise drains the Kidney, so tired people can’t stand noise.

– Give yourself moments of calm, meditation and stillness while listening to soft music that speaks to your ears. There’s no better way to recharge your batteries. Winter is the season for introspection and analysis, in preparation for the year ahead.

– Take a walk in nature and breathe pure, fresh, invigorating air. Dress warmly and keep your loins, feet and head warm so as not to squander your inner fire. Eat warm and salt a little more than usual. The taste of winter is salty. Salt makes your kidneys work harder.

– Winter and the energetic Kidney is a fragile but perfect balance between fire and water.

– And above all, cultivate confidence – spring is on its way!