With the sudden drop in winter temperatures, many people experience cold hands and feet, which can affect sleep quality. Dr. Wu Hung-Chien, director of Yi Sheng TCM Clinic, told The Epoch Times that soaking your feet before bed not only warms and relaxes the body from stress, but from a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) perspective, also nourishes the five internal organs and stabilizes the autonomic nervous system. He also shared proper ways to perform a foot massage after soaking to enhance health benefits.
TCM holds that “cold enters via the feet.” Because the feet are at the far ends of the body, poor circulation can slow the flow of blood and qi (vital energy), thereby affecting the body’s overall function. TCM considers the body’s “meridian” system to be the channels through which energy (qi) and blood flow throughout the body. Qi is the energy or power that constitutes human life and TCM broadly refers to substances that replenish nutrients in the body, such as blood.
