Spring Has Sprung
Spring has finally arrived! This season in Chinese medicine is a time of creation and development. A phase to asses where you are at in your life. A perfect opportunity to make a plan that is more aligned and connected to who you are now. Because, it is easy to forget that every day your cells are changing. Desires, needs and goals change with each seasonal turn. Spring is a time when the dreams we cultivated in winter begin to bloom. It is okay if you are not feeling that spark of new life in your body yet. Depending on how your winter went and the robustness of your Kidney Qi, you may need to move a little slower with your Liver energy expansion. Take it softer and easy to be mindful not deplete your reserves. Honor the needs of your body, not what society or others tell you.
Spring is Wood and Liver/Gallbladder season, represented by the bamboo plant, that sways flexibly in the wind but is not broken or cracked because of the it’s roots and nourishment from the Water element. The Liver opens to eyes allowing us to see clearly and let go of what is not supporting a growth oriented path. The color is green, so get in to the woods and grass to connect. Just like seeds rising from the earth, so are we. The emotion is anger and all its associated expressions including irritation, frustration, impatience, and rigidity. The balancing energy to this expression is compassion for self and others. This soft energy is shown through Quan Yin, the Chinese goddess who is said to be the one who sees and hears the cry from the human world. She helps us be in our heart and slow down to feel the genuine kindness within. The tissues of the body govern this season. It is a great time to take care of the tendons and ligaments through yoga and stretching and get into a routine before summer. Eye and nail dis-harmonies may show up right now, so take extra attention to care for these areas of your body.
Be kind to your Liver, it is the great filter and laboratory in the body. It stores blood and breaks down materials for elimination. You can support your liver with diet therapy (Shi Liao) and the flavor sour with warm lemon water in the morning. Organic peppermint tea can be enjoyed throughout the day or when you are getting hot and bothered over the small stuff. Get your daily leafy greens, especially nettles and dandelion greens that are growing wild this time of year. In general take the load off this season by decreasing intake or completely eliminating sugar, all processed foods, alcohol, and caffeine. Tap in to the natural energy of nature that is growing daily.
Yang Shen (life preserving practices) include Yoga poses of the side bending and hip opening nature, like pigeon pose and gate pose along with standing half moon pose are wonderful for opening the Liver and Gallbladder meridians. Yin Yoga targets the connective tissue (fascia) which is beneficial to the nervous system and Wood element.
Wishing you a focused and free flowing spring season.
