The Gifts of Winter

Greetings from Future Medicine Now!

Deep winter contains two powerful gifts for each of us. The pivot of Winter Solstice marks the profound shift between the two.

Prior to the solstice, we are pulled inward as the year’s energy declines into contraction, darkness, cold, and death. For those who find value in the entire annual cycle, the quiet and solitude of this time encourage reflection on what has gone before — the changes which have transpired in our lives and how we have responded to them. It is a time of thankfulness for the growth and lessons, the triumphs and the catastrophes. And the more deeply we contemplate these events, the greater the perceived value of the gift.

By the time Winter Solstice arrives, the changing energy has slowed to a stillness in which movement is nearly imperceptible. Yet the shift is felt deeply. Our gaze is drawn upward. Reflection transforms into creation. By New Year’s Day, the glacial shift is gaining enough incremental momentum that we find inspiring visions emerging from within. Our attention is magically focused on possibilities, goals, and dreams. Rebirth is upon us: the desire to reinvent ourselves!

Our own health is often a subject of these awakenings. We have been shown the consequences of neglecting our body’s needs, and resolutions to improve ourselves now emerge. Oriental Medicine is firmly based in the realities of these cycles, and it recognizes that even an individual in perfect health benefits greatly from acupuncture treatment at each of the four shifts in the annual cycle — winter solstice, spring equinox, summer solstice, and autumnal equinox. And how many of us are in perfect health?

For those of you who are experiencing a desire to improve wellbeing — physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual — please know that this endeavor is our focus at Future Medicine Now, and that I am here to provide assistance in attaining your goals.

Likewise, I want to express my deepest gratitude to those of you who share your constant pursuit of optimal health with me. The gift of experiencing your journey, as well as my own, is a treasure indeed!

So, drink deeply from the wellspring of creativity while it’s being offered so abundantly! Eventually, we come to see its presence in each moment of our lives.

Much Love,
Dr. Larry Horton