In springtime we think about growth, creativity, vision, movement, & expression. We most often visualize the wood element of springtime as green sprouts pushing upwards or branches reaching toward the sky. But the wood element also lives in the roots, which pursue water & nutrient just as relentlessly as leaves move toward the light.
Remember your inner processes that no one sees or knows about, the secret underground tree of roots, connection, nourishment, & quiet that supports the above ground tree of deeds & words out in the world.
In the spring the body begins to cleanse itself of fats, the heavy salty foods of winter, food residues, as well as built-up stagnant emotions—processing both physical and emotional toxins. Spring is associated with the wood element, the liver, & the emotion of anger. This “anger” can be interpreted as the energy that clears obstacles and is a wake-up call to truth. Anger can be useful. It can also be translated as “the qi that accompanies the growth of plants.”
When anger becomes habitual or the liver organ accumulates too many toxins (either from emotions or from things we ingest), we start to see disharmonies. Liver disharmony first shows up in emotional difficulties: impatience, rudeness, resentment, edginess, arrogance, & impulsive or explosive personalities. Liver imbalance can later look like migraines, muscle cramps, PMS, painful periods, or depression, as well as more serious health conditions that result from inadequate processing of toxins.
In springtime, we remember to be lively & creative, but stay flexible when plans change. We pursue our vision but remember that others have their own dreams and ideas too. We release the heaviness of winter & grow beyond our grudges. We dive down for the sweet water & minerals deep in the earth & within ourselves, and we reach up & out toward the sun and one another.
“In the spring, the metaphorical membrane over the eyes and mind disappears and vision becomes clearer. Things are seen in new ways.” -Paul Pitchford.
Spring is a good time to reassess situations and start making concrete plans. The time of stasis is over and winter dreams may now be birthed into reality. Allow your energy to mimic the buoyant, ascending energy of spring. Plant life pushes upwards after winter slumber. Reintroduce movement to creaky winter muscles & bones. This is the season for reinvigoration & circulation.
A few notes on springtime…
-Time to switch your cooking spices from the yellow, orange, and red spices of fall & winter (like ginger, cinnamon, paprika, etc.) to the green cooking herbs: basil, fennel, rosemary, dill, cilantro, parsley, thyme…
-If you have spring allergies, acupuncture can help. We also carry herbs and supplements that we can recommend, specific to your symptoms.
-Food prep is simpler in spring: lighter, fresher, more raw, more green, more sprouted – quick, energetic, outward activity.
Please note ~ raw food consumption should increase in people with warmer constitutions, in times of increased physical activity, & in hot climates. Raw food should decrease in people who feel cold often or have digestive troubles. (If you’re wondering about tuning your nutrition to your particular body instead of fads or trends, we can always do nutritional consults within your acupuncture or Functional Medicine sessions.)
-Dandelion greens, nettle tea, & mint are excellent springtime herbal allies
