The underlying idea of Chinese medicine is the creative cycle, called the Sheng cycle. The cycle is universal and continuous, like the seasons, each phase giving rise to the next. The same movement that happens in the world outside our windows happens in our bodies, our lives, and in everything we do: spring and summer, harvest, fall, and winter.

Winter is the time of "closing and storing." Water is the associated element, connected with stillness and potential movement, like a frozen lake. In winter, we need to hold our reserves deep inside to gather the powers we will need for the upward push of spring.

It is hard to remember that winter is the time to rest and restore given the frenzy of activity which overtakes our culture between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day! According to Chinese medicine, it is important to pay attention to what is happening in the natural world and to be in harmony with that movement. We risk sickness in the following season if we move counter to the movement of the season we are in. If we are too active in the winter and do not rest sufficiently, we will not have the energy needed for growth and new beginnings in the spring.

adapted from Elsie Hancock, "Cycles of Our Lives," Meridians Special Issue, 1999

How to make the most of your Winter/Water energy

* Stay warm. Like your grandmother, the ancient Chinese knew it is bad to get drafts on the back of your neck. Several major channels of Qi (life energy) move through your neck on the way to your head, so keep your neck warm. Wear your scarf!

* "Do not rush to early ripening," the Chinese said, noticing that an apple tree that blooms in a February thaw will lose its fruit. Be patient in winter. Wait.

* Leave things be. Winter is a time to drowse over garden catalogues, not to plant. Think—this is possible, that is possible, and so is something else. At some point, winter will naturally give rise to spring, and one possibility will emerge as clearly best, even inevitable—often not the one you would have earlier thought.

* Emulate the quiet of winter- listen. Listen to your own heart, and listen to others. And as you listen, leave empty spaces.

* Nourish yourself well. Eat mostly warm foods. Consider your daily life. The people you know, the events you attend, the crafts and reading and TV that occupy your time—all are foods for your mind and spirit. Pay attention. Ask yourself, Does what I am doing provide nourishment in some way? If not, why am I doing it?

adapted from Elsie Hancock, "Winter: the Empty Time that Replenishes," Meridians, Winter 2001