Spring Awakens
Welcome Spring Growth
Tulips forecasting a beautiful Spring!
The long-awaited transition from Winter to Spring is upon us. There is a sense of renewal and rebirth all around. Trees are sprouting, flowers have begun to bloom, and the sun warms the earth with longer days. It is a time of rebirth and abundant growth.
The arrival of Spring invites us to address the health of our minds and bodies. While Winter is a time to reduce activity and conserve energy, spring brings regeneration and renewal. As the days grow longer and warmer, it’s a time to nourish your spirit and cleanse your body.
The energy of Spring, bringing irrepressible growth, is represented by the Wood element in Chinese Medicine. Yin, representing conservation and storage, is at its height in the darkness and quiet of Winter. In Spring, the Wood element demonstrates the fullest stirring of New Yang energy: Life-affirming sap emerges from the tree’s core, buds form and eventually burst into leaves and flowers. Wood energy is about movement, growth, and creativity.
The Liver & Gallbladder
Learn more from your local acupuncturist
Spring is also represented by the Liver and its complementary organ, the Gallbladder. In tandem, they are essential for our ability to process physically and emotionally—to detoxify and to engage in clear thinking. The Liver is associated with planning for the future, and the ability to bring goals and aspirations to life. The Gallbladder, represents clarity and willpower.
Functionally, the Liver is responsible for over 500 metabolic processes in the body, aiding digestion and purifying the blood. The Gallbladder supports this function by storing bile, and releasing it to help digest a heavy meal.
In Chinese Medicine, the Liver ensures smooth movement of energy through the body: When this energy is flowing optimally, we are in a state of health. The Gallbladder is responsible for nourishing the tendons, muscles and ligaments, and is considered a source of the courage to act. When the Liver and Gallbladder are healthy, we resonate in harmony with the energy of Spring and the Wood element. We move freely through life, adapting to challenges and engaging with growth and change.
In balance, this energy allows us to create and cultivate. Out of balance, it can manifest emotionally as stress, tension, irritation, anger, restlessness, frustration, and physically in headaches, neck and shoulder tension, mood fluctuations, and indigestion. When the Liver and Gallbladder lose their health and harmony, they are like an old tree that is stiff, unbending, and likely to break in the wind. Together they keep us supple and flexible, like a sapling able to bend but not break—and keep growing.
Spring Cleaning
Add Green to your diet for the Liver and Gallbladder
This season is full of activity and potential; it’s exciting but it can also be overwhelming. There is a lot going on in nature and internally. Spring is the ideal time for cleansing and rejuvenation to promote overall well-being. It’s a great time to focus on the Liver and Gallbladder. Think of spring cleaning your body as well as your home.
The Liver craves movement and growth; stagnation can manifest itself as an imbalance. Depending on your needs and what feels good, yoga can be an effective way to work with this element to help reestablish balance. Try adding twists and side-bending to your practice in order keep the Liver, Gallbladder and Wood energy happy and healthy.
The Liver thrives on smooth movement with a sense of ease. As you move through your practice, look for an internal quality, connecting to the flow of energy through the body. Look for resistant or stagnant areas and breathe into those areas. Let go of poses looking a certain way, and take note of the quality of movement. Pay attention to the quality of breath as well: Linger longer and look for ease in the breath.
Spring Tips
Take a moment right now and lift your arms above your head and open up the chest. A tree grows incrementally making it hard to see. Yet it is happening all the time. As we begin to witness nature’s miracles around us, it can help to quiet the mind to find that deep sense of wellness within us. Here are some tips for awakening and supporting Spring energy:
Stretch: Incorporate a side stretch into your routine. Side-bending can be therapeutic for the liver and gallbladder. It also opens up channels of the body from too much sitting.
Twist: This action is helpful to ignite liver energy throughout the body. Twists have a way of clearing the body and providing a new view; they affect the spinal cord, releasing tension. Our bodies records all the emotions we experience, which can stay fixed in the vertebrae. Twisting your spine to release any stagnation can feel like a welcome reset.
Nourish: Wind is one of the Five Evils of Chinese medicine. Spring can be windy; the wind moves around a lot and the weather changes fast, so make sure to practice “Wu” (bundling up) to nurture Yang energy. It is like nurturing young sprouts in a greenhouse to allow for growth and protection from any lingering cold.
Protect: Milk thistle tea is a great drink for this time of year: it helps protect and cleanse the Liver of potentially damaging toxins.
Dream: The Liver houses the Hun (the ethereal soul) where dreams live: It’s where we envision and plan. The Gallbladder provides the willpower to put those plans into action. Creation is an expression of personal power: It ignites independence, intuition, intelligence and confidence to design a new future.