Each season has a specific energetic movement, as well as gifts and qualities that are inherent to its nature. These gifts are openly available to us to guide us gently back into the rythym of the earth and to uncover and nourish specific aspects of our being if we can take the time to listen, see, feel, and sync up with this subtle movement.

As the snow falls and covers the land, animals retreat for rest and hibernation, the movement of Winter encourages us too to move inward. The Kidneys and Bladder, in Chinese Medicine, are the organs associated with Winter time. The Kidneys house our ancestral, original qi. The blue print of who we are in this world. By going inwards we can reconnect to this qi and gain a powerful perspective as to our unique qualities and gifts we have within to nurture, grow, and use to create our path. The spirit of the Kidneys is called Zhi. This has been translated as our drive, will, willpower, ambition, the tendency toward something; that which pushes the organism into actualizing its’ potential.

A balanced Kidney Zhi with healthy qi enables a person to naturally have this will and capability to move forward through life’s challenges and changes with little need for pushing. The Kidneys take care of smoothly moving the body, mind, and spirit through all of the cycles and changes that the person is going through.

If our Kidney qi is off balance this may show up as not experiencing an ease and flow in our will, resulting in either having little or no drive at all to move forward through challenges and obstacles. Or on the other hand, pushing extremely hard to move through any type of challenge whether big or small may always seem like massive mountains with no easy pathway up.

The Acupuncture point that rests between our two Kidneys on our lower backs is called Gate of Life. This powerful point connects us with our ancestral qi, our destiny that we came into this life with. Its stimulation can aide us in reaching our full potential, uplifting our spirits, and giving us the courage to carry out that which we are meant to do with ease and grace.

Let the inward movement of the Winter resonate in our bodies, allowing us to connect with that source of peace, strength, and our unique calling, deep within.