Fall/Winter Wellness Guide

As we transition to Fall and Winter our wellness needs begin to shift. It is a time to go more internal, to warm our bodies and minds, and connect to our roots. This is similar to the shifts we see with other mammals in winter and is a spiritual as well as physical process. 

In this guide I will outline some key practices you can begin integrating into your routines to keep a well body, mind, and spirit through the colder months. 

Staying Connected to Community

While it is a reflective time of year it is important to stay connected to friends and family. Naturally there are less gatherings than the warmer months when we are able to be light and easy, often meeting outdoors. We have the holidays, but for many people the holidays are bittersweet - they are a fun and nostalgic, while also sometimes being an emotionally triggering time of year. For this reason it is important to stay close to loved ones throughout the months outside of the holidays. This can take pressure of the holidays and also help you to feel more supported and connected in general during this time of year. There are support groups you can join, in addition to simply tending to the connections you already have. I offer weekly online classes that you can check out at onekinhealing.com/classes. These classes are meant to be supportive, expressive classes helping us to feel connected in these colder months while being able to be inside and more protected from the harsher outer elements of Fall and Winter. 

Warming Foods and Herbs

Taking care of physical health during this time of year is vitally important as well. Focusing on warming and nourishing foods and herbs is an excellent place to start. Most of us are familiar with the traditionally warming spices of Fall, but did you know these also serve a medicinal purpose in order to protect us from winter ales and fortify our immune systems? Drinking warming broths filled with spices onion, garlic, and veggies will strengthen our systems to stay well and balanced throughout the colder months. Spices like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg all have anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and immune boosting and warming properties. Drinking chai tea is an excellent way to stay warm and well throughout the Fall and Winter, while feeling charming and festive.

Here is a list of herbs and foods to help keep you nourished and healthy in the colder months: 

Culinary herbs: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, turmeric, cayenne, black pepper

Herbal support: ashwagandha, hawthorne berries, elderberries, angelica root, elecampane, astragalus root, echinacea, and marshmallow root.

Foods: citrus, sweet potato and/or yam, steamed/cooked cruciferous veggies like broccoli, kale, and brussel spouts, sustainable organic fish and meat, rice, broth, onion, garlic, mushrooms, beans, organic corn

*Please note each person is unique with which foods and herbs work best. Please do your research and/or get additional guidance before trying any new foods and herbs. If you are seeking additional support for which herbs and foods may suit you may reach out for a holistic health consultation. 

Contrary to how many people think of health in the modern western world, health and being well is as much of an art as anything else. We need to feel well physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. What moves us to feel so much as art? This takes me to our next tip.

Creative Outlets 

The colder months are an excellent time to work with our emotions by pouring energy into creative outlets. This could be an any project, trade, or endeavor you feel drawn to and are excited about. It could be redecorating your home, painting a landscape, or building something by hand. There are so many ways to channel our creative energy. Take some time to sit with yourself and reflect on your natural energies and tendencies. What have you always been drawn to? What are you curious to explore? After reflecting on a creative outlet of your choosing I would carve out some time each day or each week to devote to this project. It is not only therapeutic to move through energy by channeling it into creative projects, but it also builds confidence and self-esteem through having a regular practice of something. It demonstrates to your conscious and subconscious mind that you can trust yourself and that you follow through with what you say you will do. It also shows you that patience and follow through will guide you to building skills and adding self-value by building your self-worth. Also you may be learning a new marketable skill if you choose to go that route. In my opinion, it is always worthwhile to devote yourself to a craft and hone your skills. If you need support in understanding what this may be for you I invite you to join a class or inquire about mentorship for additional guidance and support.

I hope this guideline supports your wellness, nourishment, and development during the colder months. 

With warmth,

Morgan