Many factors contribute to our mental health, change of season being one of them.  Winter is a time when many people can feel a drop in mood and energy levels.  There can be biological reasons for this, which can be seen in the example of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which effects our ‘biological internal clocks’ or circadian rhythms, due partly to changes in sunlight patterns.  SAD can be diagnosed by a medical professional and treatments can include light therapy, spending more time outdoors as well as supplements and medication if necessary (Source: My MVC).

As a Shamanic practitioner I love to be aware of the various spinning Wheels of Life Cycles both personally and collectively.  

Understanding life cycles have helped me to acknowledge and therefore accept where I am at, what I am feeling, thinking and being and how best to go with the flow rather than resist what is going to happen anyway.  

Welcome to Surviving Winter at Nadja’s Family Acupuncture🙏🏻

My name is Claire Jayne Sawyer and I have a gift for you...

Some feel the cold more than others and some get sick more easily. 

Have you ever wondered why?

And how you can support your immune system more, besides having nutritious food, hot herbal teas, the right supplements and plenty of rest and sleep? (These are definitely foundational for a rock solid immune system!) 

First of all, there are different constitutional types, which vary from strong constitution/less receptive to weak constitution/very receptive. This doesn’t just take your health and pathogens into account, but also your emotional state and how much you perceive (and feel) of others. 

In Chinese medicine Winter is related to the Kidney meridian and linked with Yin aspects  - the dark, slow, inward energy intrinsically connected to the element of water. In terms of physiological connection, water is linked most closely to our kidneys, which also hold our body's most basic essential and fundamental energy.

If you’ve ever lived in a cold country, you’ll know that it takes a lot of resilience to get that body of yours out the door in rain, hail or snow, because let’s be honest,  adding an additional ten layers of clothing can be quite a workout!

However, it takes a certain level of strength and choice, to get moving and venture out into the refreshing and invigorating -10 degrees temperatures. The alternative is to turn into a gorgeous, cuddly, warm hibernating bear and while it may be appealing to ‘sleep’ through the winter, there is fun to be had on this fabulous planet!

Do you also have days where the external environment may influence your internal? Like it keeps you indoors? Do your thoughts about work, money, relationship, family stress influence how you feel throughout the day? Because let’s face it, we all experience emotional stress at some point! However, those strong, intense winds need not blow us over or break our branches!

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees F. Pierce your sweets a few times with a fork. Place them in a baking pan and then set on a rack in the middle of your oven. Roast until you can pierce with a fork, about 30-40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

From a holistic approach to healing, Chinese medicine is closely linked to the impacts of earthly cycles such as seasonality.  For example, Autumn corresponds closely to the lung meridian. The elements of Autumn tap into the vast energy of our lungs as a device to facilitate "letting go".

Creating Nadjas Family Acupuncture and Natural Therapies has opened me up to new
opportunities. The clinic now has two acupuncturists, a Bowen therapist, Emotional Stress Expert,
Reflexologist who also provide business mentoring, a Shamanic Practitioner and a Kahuna
Pregnancy and Postnatal Body Worker.