by Susan Weiser Mason & George Mason,
Here in Damariscotta Mills the lake is frozen solid and expansion cracks groan in the frigid night air. The wind is bitter, and if I to stay out too long I could put my life at risk.
In the world of Five Element Acupuncture every season has an energetic texture that presents opportunities and tasks. What does winter invite, or demand?
When days are short, I secure the evening with a fire, a book, a bath, and going to bed early. There is little excess activity, but then my children have grown. When it gets dark, I’m not inclined to leave the nest. For me, surrendering to the constraint of this season is both comforting and nourishing. As I understand it, winter calls us all to replenish our reserves, and that requires rest and selfcare.
It is during this dark time that, drip by drip, somehow my reservoir starts to get filled up again. I remind myself that I must permit this to occur, knowing winter is foundational to the entire cycle of the seasons. I need patience, for changing gears is not without some resistance, but in the end, I appreciate winter’s embrace and the opportunity to take refuge.
Summer expansion is a well-known phenomenon and not a problem for me. My difficulty arises when I try to live the entire year as though it were summer. To insist on being productive all the time, and filling up every void and silent place is exhausting, especially in January. Depletion need not be the norm. We require adequate reserves. We need gas in the tank! The rest of the year depends on the reservoir we each build up in winter.
Consider the dormancy of trees! What looks like sleep is far more mysterious. It’s closer to a caterpillar’s chrysalis undergoing a wondrous transformation. Something powerful is at work here that’s not immediately apparent, and it’s at work in us, too!
In time, the tree will be coiled and ready for the exuberant surge of Spring. How about us?
Susan Weiser Mason and Traditional Acupuncture are located in Damariscotta Mills/Nobleboro, Maine. She has been practicing since 1986. www.susanacupuncture.com
George Mason, a licensed Five Element Acupuncturist, has a visual arts studio and gallery. www.georgemasonart.com
