Winter is the end of the season cycle \u2013 the pause before the birth of a whole new cycle.\u00a0 It is the time of metaphoric death and renewal \u2013 the stillness (yin) just before expression (yang).\u00a0 Everything in nature appears to be lifeless & to have stopped growing.\u00a0 Today\u2019s Winter Solstice (in the Southern Hemisphere), signifies the shortest day and the longest, darkest night.\u00a0 This day and this season signify a time to turn inward to the stillness and darkness as a path to find the spark of light that leads us on the path back to the light and warmth as the sun\u2019s warmth starts to grow again.\u00a0 Surrendering to the stillness on the winter months allows for the potent gestation of the seeds of renewal & to new beginnings.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be in tune with the winter months we must become more introspective and storage-oriented; one cools the surface of the body and warms the inner core. \u00a0It is time to rest, to meditate deeply, refine our spiritual essence, and store physical energy \u2013 in the form of a little added weight for the cold season. \u00a0But we must also remember to stay active enough to keep the spine and joints flexible\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our energy tends to become stagnant in the colder weather. Gentle stretching can help to keep the energy moving through our bodies and is a key element of staying balanced and boosting our immunity during the winter months.\u00a0 Perhaps join a yoga or pilates class or indulge in a few gentle stretches before bed and first thing in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snuggle\u00a0under the quilt (even if it is on the couch) and indulge in some fabulous guilt-free rest! \u00a0Like the bears in their caves, take a tip from nature and take some time out to hibernate. \u00a0Conserving our energy when it\u2019s cold outside helps our body to rest & repair and build energy for the warmer months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During winter it is important to keep the chest and lungs warm and relatively dry. \u00a0Vegetables that resemble the shape of the lungs are particularly nourishing for them \u2013 such as cauliflower, broccoli & broccolini. \u00a0Warm hearty soups, whole grains, roasted nuts and steamed wintergreens are also great for boosting your immune system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flowing on from the slowing of Autumn, the stillness of the coldest months gives us a chance to turn inward and reflect on our wants and needs. \u00a0Take regular moments to embrace the silence and listen to your inner wisdom.\u00a0 Ask yourself where are you heading?\u00a0 Does your course need correction?\u00a0 W<\/em>hat do you need?\u00a0 What can you give?\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Element: \u00a0Water
Organs: Bladder\/Kidney
Emotion: \u00a0Fear
Colour: \u00a0Blue
Sense-organ: \u00a0Ears
Taste: \u00a0Salty
Sound: \u00a0Groaning
Cultivation: \u00a0Store<\/p>\n\n\n\n

lumbar pain, hearing difficulties, fluid retention, urinary infections, exhaustion, joint ache\/pain<\/p>\n\n\n\n

warming spices (cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, ginger, mustard seed), vegetables that resemble the structure of the lungs \u2013 cauliflower, broccoli, broccolini. \u00a0Grounding vegetables like carrot, radish, fennel and beetroot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
I invite you to turn inward this Winter Solstice \u2013 to surrender to deep contemplation and travel deeply inward, listen to the whispers from the silence within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
$\"\"$ <\/figure>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Winter is the end of the season cycle \u2013 the pause before the birth of a whole new cycle.\u00a0 It is the time of metaphoric death and renewal \u2013 the stillness (yin) just before expression (yang).\u00a0 Everything in nature appears to be lifeless & to have stopped growing.\u00a0 Today\u2019s Winter Solstice (in the Southern Hemisphere), signifies the shortest day and the longest, darkest night.\u00a0 This day and this season signify a time to turn inward to the stillness and darkness as a path to find the spark of light that leads us on the path back to the light and warmth as the sun\u2019s warmth starts to grow again.\u00a0 Surrendering to the stillness on the winter months allows for the potent gestation of the seeds of renewal & to new beginnings.\u00a0 To be in tune with the winter months we must become more introspective and storage-oriented; one cools the surface of the body and warms the inner core. \u00a0It is time to rest, to meditate deeply, refine our spiritual essence, and store physical energy \u2013 in the form of a little added weight for the cold season. \u00a0But we must also remember to stay active enough to keep the spine […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,14,12,9],"tags":[32,24,59,30,61,62,63,26,60,23,39,29,27,28,22,31,21],"class_list":["post-278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nutrition-nourishment","category-relationship-connection","category-values-intention","category-wisdom-love","tag-kinesiology","tag-love","tag-love-infused-living","tag-meditation","tag-reflect","tag-rest","tag-restore","tag-sharna-pearce","tag-slow-down","tag-solstice","tag-tcm","tag-turning-inward","tag-water","tag-water-element","tag-winter","tag-winter-foods","tag-winter-solstice"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.loveinfusedliving.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Winter-Solstice_Ice-ball.jpg?fit=4133%2C2755&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.loveinfusedliving.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.loveinfusedliving.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.loveinfusedliving.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.loveinfusedliving.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.loveinfusedliving.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=278"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.loveinfusedliving.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":561,"href":"https:\/\/www.loveinfusedliving.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278\/revisions\/561"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.loveinfusedliving.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.loveinfusedliving.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.loveinfusedliving.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.loveinfusedliving.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}