“Cold to the Bone?” – A Warm Look at Winter, Kidneys, and Why Socks Might Save Your Life

misunwahyafoundati
Jun 20
2 min read

Snowing!!?? Maybe not! It sure feels like it when the southerly-winds pick up.

Ah, winter. The time of year when you start questioning your life choices every time your bare feet hit a tiled floor. If you’ve ever said, “I just can’t get warm,” you’re not alone. According to absolutely no surprise, a 2015 "ridiculously boring survey" found that a significant population of Australians feel physically worse in winter—cue the cold toes, stiff backs, sluggish minds, and inexplicable urge to eat an entire lasagne.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), winter is ruled by the Water element, and its power organs are the kidneys and bladder. Think of the kidneys as your internal hot water system and the bladder as the pipes. If the heater’s busted and the pipes are cold, guess what? You’re going to feel like a human ice cube.

TCM isn’t just poetic—it’s practical. When we lose internal warmth (think exhaustion, low back pain, frequent urination, and mood flatness), acupuncture steps in to restore flow. Stimulating key points along the kidney and bladder meridians helps your body recalibrate and warm up from within. Add in some moxibustion (a fancy way of saying “strategic herbal smoke signals”), and we’ve got your metaphorical campfire burning again.

Western medicine sees this too—although with less fire and more mitochondria. Low body temp, fatigue, and sluggish digestion are all markers of slow metabolism, thyroid issues, or adrenal fatigue. Translation? Whether you’re team East or West, being cold all the time means your body’s engine is idling too low.

So, what to do when your bones feel like they’ve been cryogenically frozen?

Five Ways to Warm Your Water Element (Without Booking a Trip to Bali):

Eat like your grandmother told you: Warm, cooked meals—stews, soups, broths—are kidney gold.
Drink your medicine: Try ginger, cinnamon, or clove tea. These herbs are easy to find and have actual thermogenic properties (meaning they literally heat you up).
Protect your feet and back: Socks and a warm lower back are your new best friends. In TCM, cold may enter through the feet and lodge in the lumbar. Equally important is wearing a scarf, especially in windy conditions!
Acupuncture weekly: Especially in winter. The frequency keeps your system primed, not playing catch-up.
Sleep. For real. The Kidneys restore while you sleep, so don’t sabotage your own heater by staying up doom-scrolling at 1am.

At the Misun Wahya Foundation in Toowoomba City, Dr. Ash Dean, Doctor of East Asian Medicine, blends acupuncture, TCM diagnostics, Western metabolic insights, and a healthy respect for wool socks. We help you stay warm, regulated, and functional—even when the weather says otherwise.

Cold is a season, yes—but in TCM, it’s also a condition. And the good news?

You don’t have to accept feeling like a half-defrosted lasagne as your winter baseline.

Book your warm-up session. Your kidneys will thank you.