My retired neighbors are November birds: they leave for Florida in late October and come back in December for the snow. Most people, if given the choice, would probably take this month off the calendar altogether, or, like my neighbors, spend it somewhere warmer and more pleasant. As for myself, I have to admit to strange tastes: I quite like the barren, brown beauty of a forest that has shed its leaves, much as I enjoy the spring and summer shades of green, the fall exuberance of yellows, oranges and reds, and the pristine whiteness of winter. And since I find myself in the midst of menopausal hot flushes, I positively cherish the continuing drop in temperature!
But let’s face it: even if there are some things we can appreciate about the month of November, it tends to be a challenging part of the year. The days keep getting shorter and darker, and the ever damper and colder weather takes its toll on our energy and wellbeing. Our bodies become tired and sluggish, and we are more susceptible to falling ill. Aches and pains that had improved during the summer may start reasserting themselves. At the emotional and mental level, too, whether we’re dealing with a mild case of November blues or with a more severe one of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), we’re all affected in some way by these conditions.
But let’s face it: even if there are some things we can appreciate about the month of November, it tends to be a challenging part of the year. The days keep getting shorter and darker, and the ever damper and colder weather takes its toll on our energy and wellbeing. Our bodies become tired and sluggish, and we are more susceptible to falling ill. Aches and pains that had improved during the summer may start reasserting themselves. At the emotional and mental level, too, whether we’re dealing with a mild case of November blues or with a more severe one of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), we’re all affected in some way by these conditions.
November blues is a good way of describing the energy of this month: the color blue is cold, and it suggests dampness and wetness. In Chinese medicine, whose earthy wisdom and plain common sense is always worth consulting, the response to any form of imbalance is to try to even it out by emphasizing its opposite. So the appropriate way of dealing with too much cold and damp would be to increase warmth and dryness. In other words, if you’re suffering from the seasonal blues, bring on the reds!
Actually, we don’t even need to know Chinese medicine, as we tend to do this quite naturally: at this time of the year, we start making fires or turn up the heating, we use more lights, and we switch from crunching cooling salads and fruits to sipping warming soups and stews. There is nothing like the element of fire – red hot! – to help us balance out the effects of this season. Achy joints and shivery colds improve with hot baths, hot drinks, and heating salves. SAD is treated herbally with St. John’s wort (whose oil and tincture are, wouldn’t you know it, bright red) and with full spectrum light, which imitates the light of the sun. The sun, of course, is our most important source of fire energy, produced by continual and massive explosions and fires in the very centre of our solar system. It can get too hot in the summer, but oh how relieved and grateful we are when it breaks through the heavy, bleak November clouds.
So this month, when the blues hit you, find yourself some reds. Wear warm colors, eat red or orange food. Bake a pumpkin pie and invite friends or family over to share it with. Make a fire or turn the heat up, light some candles, and take time to let this fiery energy warm every cell of your body and every fiber of your heart. Find the first red poinsettias, put up your Christmas lights early. Treat yourself to something red (dollar stores are excellent sources of cheap and silly red things that will bring a smile to our faces). Let yourself play and be silly until your cheeks turn red and your heart glows… and let me know which reds saved you from the dreaded November blues.
Actually, we don’t even need to know Chinese medicine, as we tend to do this quite naturally: at this time of the year, we start making fires or turn up the heating, we use more lights, and we switch from crunching cooling salads and fruits to sipping warming soups and stews. There is nothing like the element of fire – red hot! – to help us balance out the effects of this season. Achy joints and shivery colds improve with hot baths, hot drinks, and heating salves. SAD is treated herbally with St. John’s wort (whose oil and tincture are, wouldn’t you know it, bright red) and with full spectrum light, which imitates the light of the sun. The sun, of course, is our most important source of fire energy, produced by continual and massive explosions and fires in the very centre of our solar system. It can get too hot in the summer, but oh how relieved and grateful we are when it breaks through the heavy, bleak November clouds.
So this month, when the blues hit you, find yourself some reds. Wear warm colors, eat red or orange food. Bake a pumpkin pie and invite friends or family over to share it with. Make a fire or turn the heat up, light some candles, and take time to let this fiery energy warm every cell of your body and every fiber of your heart. Find the first red poinsettias, put up your Christmas lights early. Treat yourself to something red (dollar stores are excellent sources of cheap and silly red things that will bring a smile to our faces). Let yourself play and be silly until your cheeks turn red and your heart glows… and let me know which reds saved you from the dreaded November blues.
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