Do you find yourself reaching for another layer when others seem perfectly comfortable? Does the damp, coastal chill of Nanaimo seem to seep into your bones, leaving you feeling chronically cold, stiff, and fatigued long after you’ve come indoors?
You’ve tried warmer clothes, heaters, and maybe even dietary changes, but the deep-seated chill remains. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this isn’t just a nuisance—it’s a clear signal. It likely means your body’s vital warming energy, known as Yang Qi, is depleted.
Nanaimo’s climate doesn’t just test your comfort; it can actively drain this energy, making winter joint stiffness, low immunity, and persistent fatigue common companions.
But what if the coldest time of year held the key to finally feeling warm and vibrant again?
Western medicine might check your thyroid or iron levels. But in TCM, the diagnosis often points to “Yang Deficiency” or “Internal Cold.”
Think of your Yang Qi as your body’s furnace and circulatory system combined. When it’s strong, warmth and energy circulate freely. When it’s weak—often exacerbated by age, stress, or chronic illness—coldness stagnates.
External Cold & Damp: The pervasive wet cold is a “pathogen” that invades and settles in muscles and joints.
Internal Depletion: Your body exhausts its Yang energy trying to combat the constant external chill, leading to a deeper deficit.
This is why simply adding external heat (like a hot bath) offers only temporary relief. The solution isn’t to warm the room around you, but to repair and fuel your internal furnace.
Ancient TCM practitioners identified the 27 coldest days after the winter solstice—the Three Nine Period (Sanjiu)—as a critical time for health. Counter-intuitively, this is when your body is most receptive to treatments that fortify Yang and expel Cold.
It’s the optimal time to “seed” warmth and resilience for the coming year.
Pre-Winter Prep (Dec 12 – 20, 2025): Prime your system. Build a foundation of warmth before the deepest cold.
First Nine (Dec 21 – 29): Anchor Yang Qi. Focus on core energy centers.
Second Nine (Dec 30 – Jan 7, 2026): Deepen support. Strengthen kidneys, your root of vitality.
Third Nine (Jan 8 – 16, 2026): Peak reinforcement. Fortify defenses at winter’s climax.
Consolidation Phase (Jan 9 – 25, 2026): Solidify gains. Ensure lasting benefits.
While acupuncture excellently unblocks pathways for energy to flow, it is therapeutic moxibustion that provides the essential fuel of warmth. Burning dried mugwort (moxa) near specific points delivers a deep, penetrating heat that is unparalleled for:
Directly warming the meridians and expels entrenched cold.
Revitalizing your Yang Qi at its source.
Easing stiffness and pain in joints that worsen with cold, damp weather.
The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic states this method “warms the meridians, dispels cold, and revives the flow of Yang energy.” For someone who always feels cold, this combination is transformative—it addresses the root cause, not just the sensation.
This principle of using moxibustion for lifelong vitality is legendary. The great physician Sun Simiao (c. 581–682 AD), who was frail as a child, credited his lifelong use of moxibustion for his extraordinary health. He routinely applied it to strengthen his Yang energy, maintaining his vigor to write medical texts well past 100.
His story is a profound testament to the long-term health-preserving power of moxibustion for a warm, resilient constitution.
This winter, choose to understand and replenish your body, rather than just endure the season. Our program is a targeted, natural protocol designed for Nanaimo residents tired of feeling cold.
Spaces for our Pre-Winter Prep phase are limited, as personalized treatment plans require an initial consultation.
Q: I’ve never had TCM before. Is this for me?
A: Absolutely. We welcome those new to TCM. Your first consultation is a comprehensive assessment where we explain your TCM diagnosis and proposed plan in clear terms.
Q: How many sessions will I need?
A: For lasting impact on Yang deficiency, we recommend a course of treatments aligned with the Three Nine schedule, typically 4-8 sessions. This cumulative approach ensures we build and consolidate your warmth effectively.
Q: Is the moxa smoke overwhelming?
A: We use premium, refined smokeless moxa for a comfortable, relaxing experience. Most clients describe the sensation as a deeply soothing, radiant warmth.
Ready to feel genuinely warm from within? Contact us today to start your journey toward a more resilient, vibrant you.
To learn more about how acupuncture can specifically help with Rheumatoid arthritis pain in Nanaimo, visit our dedicated service page
The British Acupuncture Council on research into acupuncture for pain management and circulation.
A research article on PubMed Central exploring the effects of moxibustion on immunomodulation and energy metabolism.
You’ve learned why you might always feel cold, how Nanaimo’s climate affects you, and the powerful, time-tested solution we offer. The next step is simple.
Spaces in our personalized Winter Wellness Program are limited. Secure your consultation today to claim your spot and start your journey toward lasting warmth and vitality.
Excellent, only 3 and 4 treatments, me and my wife fully recovered.
Great tea! I feel like a new human today. Thank you very much for my heart still beating.
I've been seeing Shirley to help me with eczema rashes that I have been struggling with for many years and I have already been seeing noticeable improvements from her personalized tea, treatments, and advice. Shirley is very good at locating which areas in the body are needing attention. I highly recommend booking with Shirley!
这是一种神奇的疗术,为我消除了身心的伤痛;一次偶然的机会,在纳耐莫认识了五行养生堂的梁女士,刚开始的一个疗程,是以抱着试试看的态度进行了以艾灸为主的理疗,使我消除了长期腰疼的苦痛;在我坚持做完第二个疗程后,两腋下出现了很多就像杂质的体液,同时全身变得有力,更大的是心情不断好了起来;我做完第三个疗程后,全身无比的轻松,让我真正感触到了身体机能的正常是多么开心的事情;本来我想连续做上几个疗程,但是,因为工作出差原因不得不暂停;我为遇到一种神奇的中国传统疗术而欣慰,我更为遇到梁女士的传统疗法而开心;希望中国传统疗法驱除民众的苦痛!愿此神奇的中国传统疗术康复更多的世间广众! Sunray Heating Ltd 总经理:孙小锋 2022年12月15日
I would highly recommend booking a consultation with Shirley. I met with Shirley in September and on that day she was able to assess my pulse with precision and identify where improvements could be made to support balancing my body. During my initial consultation, Shirley designed a three month treatment plan for me. At each appointment Shirley thoroughly assessed my progress as we worked in partnership to bring my body into balance. Shirley excels at Moxibustion and Tui Na, two therapies that I experienced during my treatment plan and I also followed all of the “homework” that she assigned me. I am very happy with the positive results that I experienced and again I would highly recommended booking a consultation with Shirley.
Shirley helped me with my health issues and is a very knowledgable and caring human being. Her services and products are fantastic!
Shirley at One More Cup of Tea provides supportive herbal teas and tools to maintain health. She is an important part of my team of health providers.
Shirley is great and recommending treatments
I started seeing Shirley in September 2024 when I knew I needed to do more to support my health. Shirley is so knowledgeable and is able to pinpoint things that need attention. Things Western Medicine misses. I am happy to report my blood pressure is down and stabilizing from her treatments and tea. I highly recommend Shirley!
Shirley has helped me a great deal in improving my health. Being a Chinese from Hong Kong, I always trust TCM. Although I knew about moxa since I was a kid, I had never tried moxibustion before, until I met Shirley. I had encountered a medical issue in the past few years that none of my doctors and specialists could explain (or in their words "never heard of"). I had also tried cupping, Chinese massage and acupuncture. However, only after I started to have moxibustion and Shirley's five elements tea and herbal teas, I have experienced a huge improvement. As a matter of fact, many of the herbal teas that Shirley prescribes are actually very traditional recipes from the ancient Chinese medical records since thousands of years ago, which are commonly accessible online or on hard copies. However, to feel the pulse, check the body condition and then apply the right recipe for the treatment is utmost crucial and Shirley is proved to be able to do so. And I was told today that the official name of the clinic of "One More Cup of Tea" is "SLB Traditional Chinese Therapies" and there are a lot of information under that page. I am going to leave the exact same review under that name so nobody should miss it. Thank you Shirley.
One More Cup Of Tea and Shirley helped me so much with my skin condition. I would recommend her highly.
My opinion is that the teas available at this store are the best natural medicine available in BC. I was amazed at the age of 75 how energized I felt after using Shirley's teas.
Prior to treatment I had chronic pain from spinal stenosis however, after a couple weeks of taking the tea that was specifically made for me I was in far less pain and discomfort. The results of the treatment were far greater than expected. I highly recommend!!
The amazing Shirley Brown goes the extra mile to help you to heal. Her initial assessment and history taking is incredibly thorough. Not only does she assess your medical and surgical history but also goes into indepth assessment of your usual diet .eating .sleeping patterns and your exercise routines . Shirley then can treat and heal you so much more profoundly . My first treatment with Shirley was with Moxinustion . Shirley used this to heal imbalances and to restore my energy system and then could prescribe what was needed to make me heal. I went for my first appointment feeling that I could not be healed or would have to wait months if not years to see a specialist. After seeing Shirley I left feeling lighter stronger and with definitely less pain and actual optimism and knew that I had been really cared for . I have been going to see Shirley for special teas she makes depending on what organ in my body needs the most attention . Shirley is a truly gifted healer and her knowledge of Chinese medicine is profound . Shirley truly excels in her profession.