ACUPUNCTURE AND WINTER: THE SEASON OF STILLNESS: THE ELEMENT OF WATER
ACUPUNCTURE AND WINTER: THE SEASON OF STILLNESS: THE ELEMENT OF WATER DR. SCOTT GREENAPPLE In winter, nature seems to be at rest. In traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the element associated with winter is water and the two meridians and organs related to the water element are the kidneys and the bladder. The kidneys and the bladder control water metabolism and maintain homeostasis. Earth is made up of 75% water, and approximately 60% of our body weight is water. With aging, we tend to lose water. Our bodies become less flexible. Our skin loses its elasticity, and bones become more brittle as does our hair, even our minds become less flexible. With TCM, we have many physical, mental and nutritional tools to help restore and replenish the water we...