Time emerges from the changing seasons and changing seasons result from the 23.5 degree tilt of the earth, the north pole always facing the north star in its orbit around the sun. This tilt of the axis causes different areas of the earth to receive sunlight for different lengths of time. In the winter, those of us in the northern hemisphere are faced away from the sun giving us colder temperatures and fewer hours of daylight. In the summer we are faced toward the sun giving us warmer temperatures and more hours of daylight. The winter solstice is the day when the darkest night of winter awakens to daylight, followed by increasingly longer and brighter days.
To understand more deeply the significance of the winter solstice we can learn from those that observed the stars and planets over 3,000 years ago. What did they discover and record?
In Daoist thought which infuses Chinese Medicine, Yin and Yang guide all phenomena through their changes in time and space. They describe the complementary, interconnected, and interdependent forces and cycles within the natural world and demonstrate how they interr
elate with one another.
As I look out my window I see the moisture of the earth transforming into steam, rising in the heat of the morning sun and forming clouds, evidence of Yang. The intermingling of the clouds and cooler air create condensation and the heavy raindrops fall to the receptive earth, showing me Yin. A beautiful and tangible demonstration of the intertwining dance of the relationship between Yin and Yang in nature and in my own body. Yang indicates the process of emerging and releasing while yin indicates the process of receiving and storing. The Spring and Summer are Yang while Autumn and Winter are Yin.
In the natural world with the arrival of spring, periods of daylight grow progressively longer, the temperature gradually increases, and we have the sense that Yang expands without interruption. The growth of this energy cannot grow without an end, however. Liu Lihong in his book Classical Chinese Medicine explains this principle through the metaphor of a boxer’s punch. “When a boxer throws a punch, he has to bring his fist back before he can throw another. The yang qi of nature is like this: It cannot constantly induce growth, and cannot be unceasingly released into the world.” Winter is the retreat of the fist. The natural world slows down, becomes quieter, and conserves its resources. It is a time when we can follow the rhythms of nature and replenish our resources and gather strength so that when the light of Spring comes we are prepared for the time of growth ahead.
The three months of winter are called closing and storing.
Water freezes earth cracks. Do not disturb the yang at all.
Early to bed, late to rise. (One) must await the daylight.
Make that which is of the heart/mind as though hidden,
as though concealed, as though (one) has a secret intention,
already obtained. Leave the cold, seek warmth.
Do not leak the skin (sweat). Urgently hold onto the qi.
This is the winter compliance of qi and the cultivation of the Tao of storage.
Neijing Su Wen (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic on Medicine)
According to the Neijing, a classic text of Chinese Medicine, taking care of our health during the winter months requires that we go to sleep early and wake later in the morning; exercise and work less, meditate and do qi gong more; eat less cold and raw foods and eat more warm and tonifying foods such as soups, stews, and porridge; sip on teas made with angelica, ginger, and cinnamon. In this way, we can avoid exhaustion, depression, and weakened immunity and feel at peace, balanced, and well-rested throughout the year.
The Return: A Return of Darkness Has Come to a Close
The “I Ching” or Book of Changes, one of the oldest manuscripts ever written, shows us how these shifts in the cosmos, the macrocosm intersect with us, the microcosm.
Hexagram 24, Renewal or Return, one of the 64 hexagrams listed in the I Ching, contains one Yang line beneath 5 Yin lines symbolizing the rebirth of Yang. It is thunder beginning to rumble from the innermost depths of the earth. Wilhelm says “The time of darkness is past. The winter solstice brings the victory of light.” It represents the time when the sun begins its journey back toward summer. We can sense that even though days continue to feel cold and dark through January and February, the very first sprouting of renewing light though unseen is now vibrating right beneath our feet. The yang seems to be absent but it is at this moment when yang is reborn and begins its return.
In harmony with the cycle of nature is the cycle of human affairs in society and the cycles and rhythms occurring within the body. During the winter solstice in ancient China, rulers ordered the gates shut, closed off the roads. Merchants stayed home, taking a rest from work. Officials ceased their travels. I imagine families warming up near a fire sharing stories and celebrations. To refrain from outside activities allowed everyone to slow down and review the past cycle before a new one began. The solstice was a time to pause.
It is wise for us to pause, to synchronize our rhythms with that of nature. When we bring awareness to the path we are on and the environment in which we are walking, the cycles of nature begin to work in our favor. Instead of a meaningless array of various and random events, one’s life takes on structure and purpose and inner progress becomes palpable.
The hexagram of Return advises us to turn away from the confusion of external distractions and turn back to one’s inner light. By turning our gaze inward in silence, we can better know ourselves and our relationship to the living and changing cosmic forces.
Brian Walker in his translation of this hexagram says, “The greatest adversity is past, and the light is beginning to return. Nonetheless, one cannot force the completion of the change, and it is wise to rest. Act only when you can move gently and innocently, and all will be well.”
Rest is being advised during the winter solstice before a new year begins. For good health into the next turn around the sun, sense what would feel right to leave behind. Pause in this pivotal time of transition and allow yourself to be guided by what emerges.
Resources:
Lihong, Liu, Classic Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University Press, 2019
Wilhelm/Baynes, The I Ching, Bollingen Foundation, 1990
Walker, Brian Browne, The I Ching, A Guide to Life’s Turning Points, St Martin’s Press, 1992
