Three Ways to Fortify Wei Qi and Immune Function This Winter
What is Acupuncture?
One central tenet of Traditional Chinese Medicine is harmonizing your health with the seasons, honoring the way our bodies change as they shift and flow through our lifetime. Just as the seasons change, so do our mental, physical, and spiritual needs throughout the year. Winter is naturally Yin, and the cold and dark of winter urges us to slow down. We have a natural inclination to draw inward; it’s a time of introspection, rest, letting go, and conservation. This contraction helps us prepare for the burst of energy and life that will come in the spring.
Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes that our bodies have an innate intelligence to heal and perform complex bodily functions without our conscious awareness. Working with this energy, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners can see what areas have stagnation or blockages and need to be treated by an acupuncturist using acupuncture points along the meridians of our bodies and other healing modalities.
Wei Qi (pronounced way-chee) is one subtype of Qi energy and is one of our immune system’s primary defense lines, second to the skin. Focusing on keeping this part of ourselves healthy and balanced is one of the best ways to ward off illness in the winter months.
What is Wei Qi?
One central tenet of Traditional Chinese Medicine is harmonizing your health with the seasons, honoring the way our bodies change as they shift and flow through our lifetime. Just as the seasons change, so do our mental, physical, and spiritual needs throughout the year.
Winter is naturally Yin, and the cold and dark of winter urges us to slow down. We have a natural inclination to draw inward; it’s a time of introspection, rest, letting go, and conservation. This contraction helps us prepare for the burst of energy and life that will come in the spring.
Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes that our bodies have an innate intelligence to heal and perform complex bodily functions without our conscious awareness. Working with this energy, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners can see what areas have stagnation or blockages and need to be treated by an mental, physical, and spiritual needs acupuncturist using acupuncture points along the meridians of our bodies and other healing modalities.
Wei Qi (pronounced way-chee) is one subtype of Qi energy and is one of our immune system’s primary defense lines, second to the skin. Focusing on keeping this part of ourselves healthy and balanced is one of the best ways to ward off illness in the winter months.
Three Ways To Support Wei Qi This Winter
1. Food
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, eating with the seasons is an essential pillar in maintaining overall health and preventing illness. In TCM, food is seen as medicine from how you prepare your food, what you eat, and how you eat it all impact your body.
In the winter, eating warming foods and avoiding raw and cold foods will help warm the body’s core and keep it nourished. Try to opt for room temperature or warm beverages, and use heat-based cooking methods like stewing and baking.
Try to find recipes that inculde warming ingredients like sweet potato, onion, cayenne pepper, and chili powder. Find recipes to make a big batch and meal prep, freezing the leftovers into individual portions for healthy, convenient meals later on. Some warming foods and herbs are:
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Sweet Potato
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Pumpkin
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Celery
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Carrots
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Ginger
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Lentils
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Cardamom
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Walnuts
2. Emotional Regulation
Our emotions have a substantial impact on our physical health. The mind-body connection is at the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and it is starting to become more widely accepted in Western medicine.
One of the most substantial parts of healthy Wei Qi is emotional wellness, specifically emotional processing and regulation. Emotions are energy that need to be processed in a healthy way. If we are unable to process those emotions, imbalances and blockages are created.
Some things that help to begin or strengthen emotional processing and regulation are:
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Establishing routines – Creating a morning and evening routine will be grounding and help decrease stress.
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Activities like meditation, quiet reflection and journaling can help process emotions. Using a free app like Insight Timer can help make meditation fun!
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Try to limit news and social media consumption, especially during stressful times, by setting a usage timer or checking only at specific times of the day. Stay informed but keep healthy boundaries.
3. Sleep Hygiene
Your routines for emotional regulation will benefit your sleep, as well. Morning and evening routines help regulate your internal clock, signaling to your body when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake up. Falling asleep and waking up at the same time will help you fall asleep, stay asleep, and sleep more soundly.
Try this bedtime routine to see what feels useful to you:
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Unplug from technology one hour before bed
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Prepare things for the next day – clothing, food, look at the upcoming schedule, etc.
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Personal hygiene ritual – brush your teeth, wash your face, and whatever other personal care practices you follow
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Process your thoughts – set a timer for 5-10 minutes and journal about what’s on your mind
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Practice meditation – get grounded before climbing into bed for a restful night’s sleep
Takeaways
There is no one answer or cure to health and wellness; our routines are as unique as we are, and what works well for one person might not work well for another. Try out one or more of these tips to start, and see how it feels to actively support your Wei qi, body, and immune system. As you feel ready, add in one new thing at a time. Every supportive activity counts!
If you are interested in diving deeper into how Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture can support you, call Rachel at (801) 903-3905 to ask questions and set up an appointment.
Disclaimer: This guide is not a replacement for regular medical care; it is meant to support in addition to your standard wellness checkups with your doctor. If you are experiencing persistent and or life-threatening symptoms, contact your doctor right away or dial 9-1-1.
