Winter to Spring transition 2025-The Wellness of Balance newsletter from Red Tree Wellness Inc

The Wellness of Balance 

Winter to Spring transition 2025 News and Tips

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Winter to Spring transition
• Favourite of the season
• Seasonal Health tips

Hello,

I’ve been enjoying the longer nights and sleep time in the Winter, have you? I truly feel like the hibernating, rejuvenation and slowdown is needed. Yet now, I feel the change in light and temperature, and feel the spring energy beginning. Can you sense it too? The change in light as we transition to a new phase. It’s January, another Earth month in the Chinese lunisolar calendar, which is a transition month between Seasons. Earth months are times to be aware of how the past couple months of that season has gone, and what changes you’d like to make for the next seasonal months. What are you appreciative of over the past season of Water and Winter, and how would you like to journey over the next season of Wood and Spring?

On February 4th, the season of Wood & Spring will begin in the Chinese lunisolar calendar. This also signifies the official astrological start of the Wood Serpent/Snake year! The Lunar start date begins on January 29, 2025. This solar node marker of the Start of Spring is an increased light and warmer temperature trend and also means it is a time of growth, new life, and movement and. Nature starts to pick up its pace, so should we. Start to rise earlier when you have the choice, in sync with the light. I’ve noticed this light trend already, and you’ll notice the budding of the trees begin in February, to reach its apex in March, the Spring Equinox. The equinox symbolises the midpoint of the Spring trend, not the start of the Spring (life giving) trend in Chinese culture. For me, this makes sense since by the time the Spring Equinox arrives, the flowers are blooming and have reached its apex of growth.

Pick up your activities, find what may inspire you to gently move your Qi and Blood more. It’s time to use some of the stores of the Winter, to give us new life and growth in the coming year. Notice how that feels when you synchronise your activities more to natural laws rhythms.

The next in my series of favourite travel items for health, is something you likely would not have but can easily get, a Gua Sha tool. This is more than light grazing on your face that you see trending on the internet. Gua Sha, when used in a more therapeutic way, can help us release stagnant circulation, which then allows space for new and more vital life to get to an area, and thrive. This may be in an area that releases the immune system, or maybe it is related to some emotion that is stuck.

Your next step is to use the Gua Sha tool and rub with moderate pressure (except on the face) on the area of tension or congestion with a little light oil on the skin. Moderate is important, because you want the tissue to be rubbed enough to stir up or break up the stangnacy, flow away, and thereby make room for new life. This can be a simple treatment for muscular tightness, or even a bit more functionally, such as digestion and nausea. In the nausea example, rubbing downard over your stomach toward your umbilicus (not up), helps direct the Qi back down and settle, and avoid vomiting. Rub until a light pink or light red. Sometimes there are red spots too. I use this as an example, because I had to do this once on vacation for a family member! 

If you are feeling like you are getting sick or coming down with something, get someone to rub the Gua Sha on your back, parallel to the spin, in the direction of top to bottom, from the shoulders to the low back, as well as from near the spine to away from the spine. This tool is also really great to use across your upper traps, from the neck to the shoulder. Oh those shoulders that get tight fast from holding our both physical and emotional load!

Do make sure this area is covered and warm after you Gua Sha until the redness or red spots are all gone, to protect the Vital Qi in the area that you’ve recently opened up. 

Don’t have a Gua Sha tool? A Chinese rounded spoon works well, or a rounded jar lid.

Suzanne Williams and Dr. Kathleen Dang have created some videos of Gua Sha techniques that are on our YouTube channel. Check them out here and here.

Seasonal Health Tips

Tips from Suzanne Williams, RAc, RTCMP

Qigong for a Healthy Spring Wood Season

Happy Luni-solar New Year! I often think of this transition from Winter Water to Spring Wood season as an opportunity to do a first quarter reset, and to re-up my intentions for the coming year. You may have heard of Qigong – an ancient practice of aligning breath, movement, and focused attention for healing and meditation. Its roots are in Chinese medicine, martial arts, and philosophy. Qigong is a wonderful way to reinforce the movement goals you may have set at the beginning of 2025. It is a gentle and easily accessible approach that may also support your cardiovascular system, help you maintain or improve your balance and promote healthy aging. Try this Qigong set that is specifically designed to help support your health through the Spring Wood season. This video includes a brief overview of Qigong to get you started on your path to cultivating Qi for good health. Check it out here.

May your Qi flow smoothly through this season of renewal and rebirth!

Final Clinic FYI’s:

• Remember to check out our NEW talk seris “Golden Tree Talk” on our YouTube Channel for seasonal tips ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/c/RedTreeWellnessCa
• We have Bee Propolis Throat Spray in stock for your immunity health. This is one of the easiest and quickest ways to enhance your defensive barrier, just like the bees do! 
• We have in stock our redesigned version of our cold virus throat spray for cold & flu treatments and prevention. We call it the Wei Qi Wind Quell (Defensive Qi Wind Quell). This is best used once you know you are sick and fighting the pathogen and PHLEGM! It may help get rid of the phlegm quicker and help you feel better sooner! If you loved the (now discontinued) Cold-Q, ask for this formula next time you are in.
• We have decided to close our online eShop due to the labour time and availability to fulfill orders. If you wish to have anything shipped out, please reach out to us by email or phone, and we can arrange it personally. 

Wishing you a gentle start to Spring and a happy Wood Serpent/Snake year!

Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái – Happiness to you+Abundance 恭喜发财 / 恭喜發財! Happy Year of the Yǐ Sì 乙巳 Wood Serpent/Snake 🍃🐍! This looks to be a year of flow, creativity, movement, generation, entrepreneurship, industry inspiration and change! If you want forward movement, creative + inspirational change? Check! ✅

Yours in good health,

Dr. Sonia F. Tan, DAOM (DAOM degree), RTCMP, and the Red Tree Wellness team of Dr. Kathleen Dang, ND, RAc & Suzanne Williams, BA, MBA, RTCMP