As the flurry of activity around the holidays is now a memory you may be finding yourself feeling tired.  Maybe you’re tapped out, lethargic or just plain exhausted.  The beginning of the year is said to be the most YIN time, according to Chinese medicine.   YIN energy is the softer, deeper, slower part of life.  Its job is to nurture, restore and counterbalance the expansive, accelerating nature of Yang.  These two energies do a great job of supporting one another.  Imagine if you just kept going, going, going at full throttle through life all the time with no rest…  In our 24/7 advanced world that has become the expectation- GO, GO, GO.  Not that activity and productivity aren’t important.  They are, of course.  What is equally important is the counterbalance to it.  That is the purpose of YIN energy.  To slow us down, go within, find closure and rest.  Think of the last time you got a really good night’s sleep, how much better could you function that next morning?  That is the harmony of YIN and YANG.  Here are three things you can do to better harmonize YIN and YANG for this winter season-

1. Adjust your sleep – Like it or not you may be feeling that urge to turn in earlier than usual for the night.  Go with it.  Just like bears instinctively store up their energy by taking that long slumber in winter, we’re not so different.  Going to bed even as little as an extra 30 minutes can be the difference between feeling refreshed and still feeling tired when the alarm goes off.
2. Eat warming, nourishing foods – YIN energy is by nature colder, deeper and slower.  In Chinese medicine our digestion is said to be aided by Stomach Fire.  When we’re not getting this heat as much from our environment and within our bodies we can get it with hearty soups, root vegetables and stews.  The warm aspect of these foods will actually aid digestion and provide much needed sustenance.  If you are maintaining moderate exercise throughout the week, your body will accommodate the extra calories.  Ginger root (try Ginger tea!) is also an excellent bet for stimulating internal heat.
3. Add some restful activity to your routine – Reading, writing for pleasure (as in journaling, free writing) and meditation are all great YIN activities in that they pull our deeper, quieter self into being.  Going within to reflect, delve into a favorite subject or just be present gives YIN energy the time to restore you so you have more energy to draw on for those more yang, active pursuits.  ZenMoves is offering a winter introductory workshopon January 28th that will show you just how you can maximize your balance from going within.Click here to Tweet and Share this article