Wood Element
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), spring is the season of renewal, growth, and rebirth. It is the element of wood which extends roots, finding nourishment thus giving us energy to grow and push forward with the new energy we feel that is building within us and around us.
There may be a desire to jump in head first with this new inertia, but before you do that it's important right now to create a foundation that sustains you.
Nature is starting to come out of its hibernation stage as the animals awaken from their slumber, sprouts emerge and we blossom in to longer and warmer days.
Just as the budding leaves are filled with potential, we too may feel the pressure building from within wanting to come out. This pressure may arise as an expression of frustration and anger - an expression of the liver or unexpressed anger/resentment stored in the gallbladder. These are the emotions and the governing organs that are wanting to be cleared, detoxified, and supported at this time. When these organs and meridians are in balance we have clear vision and goals and it's easy to voice one's opinions. When out of balance, we may feel irritable, stuck, indecisive, arrogant, over controlling, or lean towards addictions towards our favorite vice - food, drink, internet etc.
To support this process, we want to break up any stagnation or friction in the body to create more ease and flow of the blood, energy, and our emotions
in body mind and spirit.
As we spring between winter and summer, it's important to find balance between the two seasons in terms of how we nourish and nurture our body with food,
activity, thoughts, and emotions.
Foods:
*Sour foods- like granny smith apples, vinegar, sauerkraut and other fermented foods
*Drink lemon water
Activities:
*Create sound and motion
*Release stagnation- See: "Release Stress and Stagnancy"
*Open-mouth exhalations with "Lions Breath"
*Yang massage aka "slapping yourself like a tambourine" - from a client.
*Surround yourself in green nature or meditate on this.
Thoughts and Emotions:
*Allowance of full expression of emotions - especially anger!
*Scream at the top of your lungs. Seriously. Take yourself to the middle of nowhere, or shut yourself in the car in you garage and let out any sounds that come through you... It will feel strange at first, but give yourself at least a couple minutes of this and see what happens...