As the seasons change so do our bodies. In spite of our belief that humanity functions independent of our natural world, we are intimately tied to mother earth’s rhythms. Take for example when we go from late summer to fall to winter in Washington, DC. As the days get shorter and the temperatures fall, the ground beneath us stays cooler for longer periods of time than it stays warm. The leaves change colors and as winter approaches they fall from the trees. Once winter arrives with it’s limited hours of sunshine, the earth remains cold and lifeless. Our bodies also change along with the earth’s seasonal change. As fall approaches we start to lose our summer tans, and our skin does not look as vital. Once winter arrives our skin becomes dryer, ashen, and requires moisturizer. Our external changes are perhaps more obvious but we also have internal changes. We drink much less water because it doesn’t warm us and the warm drinks we consume often dehydrate us more in our no-humidity-heated-forced-air homes. This along with the lack of sunshine and warmth can affect our mood, flexibility, digestion and sleep.
So how do we transition more effectively? Awareness is the first step. We then must eat with the season, drink adequate amounts of water (warm water is fine), humidify our sleeping spaces, use full spectrum lighting in our homes and workplaces and make sure your vitamin D level is at least 50. These are the first steps we can each take to make the seasonal transition easier and healthier.
