Winter is a very important season for health maintenance, so how to maintain your health during the Winter Solstice?
Acupuncture and Moxibustion to Unblock Acupoints
The Winter Solstice is the natural transformation of Yin and Qi. During this time of交接, moxibustion on the Shenque acupoint is the best time to stimulate the body's Yang energy.
In the nine days around the Winter Solstice, including the day of the solstice, you can maintain your health by using moxa sticks to moxibustion the Shenque acupoint. After lighting the moxa stick, hold it over the navel and gently warm the area around it. Be careful not to burn the skin; a feeling of warmth is sufficient. Once a day, for 15-20 minutes each time.
The Shenque acupoint is the foundation of the five zang-organs and six fu-organs, the pathway of the Conception Vessel and Thoroughfare Vessel, the root where original Qi is stored, and a key point connecting the body's innate and acquired constitution. Moxibustion on Shenque can supplement Qi and Yang, warm the kidneys and strengthen the spleen, expel wind and dampness, rescue from collapse with warm Yang, unblock the meridians, and harmonize Qi and blood. It is extremely beneficial to the body and can even reduce illness for the entire following year.
Lifestyle Do's and Don'ts
The Winter Solstice is the most important solar term in health maintenance, mainly because "one Yang is born at the Winter Solstice." From the Winter Solstice to the Lesser Cold and Great Cold periods is the coldest season of the year. People with heart disease and high blood pressure often see their condition worsen, and there is an increase in cases of "stroke." The cold weather also easily causes frostbite. Therefore, for patients with high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, and coronary heart disease, it is crucial to be especially vigilant, prevent attacks, and take the following preventive measures:
1. Pay attention to cold prevention and warmth. When the temperature drops below 0°C, add clothing promptly. Your clothes should not only be warm but also soft and loose. Avoid wearing tight clothing to allow for smooth blood circulation.
2. Regulate your diet and lifestyle reasonably. Do not drink excessively, smoke, or overexert yourself.
3. Maintain a good mood. Your emotions should be stable and happy; avoid anger, impatience, and mental depression.
4. Engage in appropriate cold-adaptation exercises, such as consistently washing your face with cold water, to improve the body's adaptability and tolerance to cold.
5. Always observe and pay attention to changes in your condition, have regular check-ups at the hospital, take necessary medication, control the progression of the disease, and prevent problems before they arise.
During the severe winter, also be aware of hypothermia in the elderly. Hypothermia is defined by a body temperature below 35°C. Because the elderly may not feel any discomfort or pain when their body temperature drops, it is often easily overlooked. The onset of hypothermia in elderly patients is usually slow, and there may be no obvious symptoms even when it becomes life-threatening. These patients generally do not experience shivering, but without timely treatment, they can become confused, have slurred speech, and then fall into a coma, with their body temperature dropping below 30°C. At this point, the patient's pulse and breathing become very weak, blood pressure drops sharply, the face swells, muscles become stiff, and the skin feels cold. Therefore, in the cold winter, the elderly person's living quarters should be protected from the cold.