Thrive in Winter

by: James Pask

So winter is upon us, and it is a beautiful time to rug up, enjoy your winter woollies and some nice soups and slow cooker meals! Energetically it can be a beautiful time to reflect, to hibernate a little, and focus on your internal world whilst indoors a bit more. Winter is often a time when people get a cold or the dreaded flu which for some can lead to chest infections and asthma. So it is worth mentioning here how to prevent getting the cold or flu in the first place, but also if you do succumb, how to treat it both physically and energetically (in other words the message your body is trying to give you).

A little look at exactly what is going on in the body helps put some perspective on things. It is fascinating when you look at the language we use to describe things. Take for example the word “flu”. A word that describes a pipe that takes out unwanted toxic air from our houses to keep us healthy and safe inside or a way of “venting” the house to get rid of toxins. Now if you look at the human body as your house in which your spirit (you) lives in this lifetime when you get sick with stuff trying to come out (toxins), your body is venting (snot, mucus, sweats, sneezing, coughing, etc.) to keep you safe on the inside and we call it the flu.

The flu is your body (house) venting all the toxins it has accumulated, letting it out to attempt to heal itself. We will get the flu if we have not done enough pre-vent-ion or preventative medicine or self-care, leading up to and during the winter months. The reason the colds and flu come in the winter is that we stop doing a lot of the prevention or pre-venting which comes more natural and is easier in the warmer months. We have the windows open more and are outside in the sun, we tend to drink more water and eat salads and fruits and lighter (more raw whole foods). We tend to be more active.

So how do we prevent our house (body) so our body doesn’t need to get the flu and do it for us in such an intense way? If you do happen to need a good clear out or flu this winter (it’s not necessarily a bad thing) as it just means you need some venting and to let all the crap out (toxins, negative thoughts, etc).

HERE ARE SOME TIPS:

1. Lots of fresh circulating air. Even in winter have the window open a crack to let fresh air circulate either at home or in the car if no windows at work have a mini desk fan.

2. Get out in the sunshine on your lunch break at work (in winter it can be dark. when we are leaving for work and dark before we get home.)

3. Make an effort to drink plenty of water and add some pink Himalayan sea salt and lemon juice to your water (just a tiny bit so as not to affect the taste too much!)

4. Before leaving the house rub some eucalyptus oil (test on skin and dilute with a carrier oil if needed) on your neck/throat area covering the lymph nodes as seen on the picture far below. To help strengthen your immune system, a dab under your nose throughout the day (especially if you catch public transport) or are in an office where you are likely to be exposed to people with colds/flu.

5. Consume plenty of fresh berries to help vaccinate you for winter. The word “vaccinate” came of the Latin word vaccinium which means berries, so eat up a mix of berries each day.

6. Add some fresh raw honey to your diet on a daily basis (nature’s antibiotic) and lots of garlic and ginger(do not have ginger if you are coughing up coloured mucus as this means you have heat in your lungs and the ginger will exacerbate this).

7. The other thing to do is take Olive Leaf extract during winter months to strengthen your immunity and or consider asking your naturopath for a herbal blend for winter.

8. Stay active and do exercises and plenty of good sleep.

9. Make an effort to add fresh raw foods to your winter menu, some fresh fruit with your porridge, a side salad with your meals, etc. It’s easy to always go for the hot stodgy comfort foods in winter so create some balance where you can.

10. Meditate or have some 'time out for you to quiet your mind and reflect inwards. 

Do all of the above for preventing plus,

Physically…

a. Stop consuming solid foods and do a liquathon or liquid diet until you’re better (animals do this naturally in nature when sick). Your body converts the 70% or so energy it uses to digest solid food towards your healing and cleaning out (venting). Consume plenty of fresh juices, homemade vegetable soups (blended) and drink loads of hot water with lemon and honey.

b. Lay down and rest as much as possible (your body naturally goes into healing and repair mode when laying horizontal) and resist the temptation or pressure to stop the bodies venting out of the Flu by taking coldral medicine or Sudafed so you can soldier on!

c. Get a bowl of boiling water and put 3 drops of peppermint, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil in the bowl and position your head over the bowl with a large towel covering you and the bowl. It’s like a mini sweat lodge! Spend 10 mins taking some deep breaths. Do this several times a day.

d. Get a colonic to help your body clear out.

e. Take an Olive Extract and or get some herbs from your naturopath.

ENERGETICALLY...

• Take some time out for you to heal and repair. Use your sick days to practice some self-love and self-care. That is what they are designed for!
  
  
• Consider what your body is trying to tell you! Reflect on some areas of your life, are you trying to please others too much? Are you saying what you want to say? Are you thinking things about yourself or others that go against your inner peace? What ways can you love yourself and see the good in yourself and others more? In what ways can you follow your feelings and not your intellect more? Take control of your own life and be you, not what you think others want you to be. Clean out old unwanted thoughts. Vent your ideas.

LIVING SPIRIT PROGRAM WITH JAMES PASK

Apart from mindfully taking care of your physical and emotional health, how do you also stay spiritually fit? Take the power back into your own hands by mastering the keys to your Metaphysical health. Read more here