The Essence Of Spring

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The Essence Of Spring

Spring is the time of new growth, budding flowers, and outward expression. It is also the time of year associated with the Wood Element, which incorporates the Liver, Gallbladder, a time to spring clean our bodies, minds, homes and offices. It is a time to start fresh and begin anew, whether with our personal goals, creative projects, or our health.

Spring is the time that the Liver and gallbladder may be more reactive due to pollens, allergens, and an overload of toxins. However, this is also the season that these organs are most accessible and responsive to treatments. If your health is challenged with skin disorders, allergies, headaches, high stress, anger and irritability, depression, being unable to follow through with plans and goals, lacking direction, PMS, or low energy, then your body is communicating that it needs liver support and cleansing.

It’s possible learn so much about the healing and the body by just observing Nature. In the winter, plants die and animals put on their winter coats. Humans also mirror this as we, too, slow down, put on weight, and hibernate more, so to speak. During this time of year, all energies are conserved, turned inwards, and the body attempts to retain energy and weight as a simple response to nature. In the spring, buds emerge little by little, and show their colors to the world. They are tender, yet unstoppable. All the earth jumps from death to life, and moves from its deep center towards the light of Sun. Likewise, we too can sense our energies stirring, wanting to move, wanting to be outside. It is because of this outward, expansive energy movement that spring is a wonderful time of year to cleanse. The body is ready to stir and to move the winter’s heaviness outwards. For humans, this is a perfect time to do two things: Release and Express. Because of the outward moving, expansive energy of the season, we are primed to move stagnant, heavy, un-useful, sluggish ways out of our bodies and lives. Once we do this, we are freed up to start over, grow freshly, heal, create, and share our new blossoms with the world.

The wood element is comprised of the liver and gallbladder, emotions of anger and frustration, kindness and gentleness, eyes and sight, warrior energy, being flexible or constricted, boundary issues. Spring is the time of year of the Wood element, meaning that during this season, all of these organs, qualities, emotions will be more present, more prominent, and will either need extra support or will feel healthy and vibrant.

Emotionally, spring connects us to the spirit of birth, renewal, growth, expansion, and all that is creative. It is a time for the warrior within to emerge and it is a good time of year to cultivate this energy by strengthening our daily disciplines, creating new goals and creative projects, transforming dietary habits, and cleansing our bodies, and our homes. It is a time of hope, possibility, and inspiration. It is a time to stretch oneself as the new sapling that allows itself to bend in the spring wind.

Spiritually, spring and the wood element both relate to the Visionary, the Seer. When healthy and balanced, we are able to rise above the constraints of the world and see the whole picture. We are able to see all that is needed for our emotional and spiritual growth, and are able to carry these goals and vision out to the world. When we are aligned, we are able to hold the vision, and take the grounded, necessary steps to accomplish that vision. Our goals are clear and our direction is sharp.

If the Liver or Gallbladder is out of balance, stagnant, or overloaded with toxins, the emotions that are prone to express themselves can be ones of frustration, irritability, short temperedness, and anger. We can help harmonize these discomforts by cultivating kindness and gentleness and by nourishing our bodies with movement, a healthy diet plentiful in greens, cleansing, Yoga, breathing and hiking in the green outdoors.

Chinese Medicine teaches that we learn how to be in harmony within when we can mirror Mother Nature. The spring season is a time to establish our roots, or re-place them into healthy soil. It is our time to bud and blossom. It is time to express our true nature outwards. When our bodies, emotions and spirits are in balance, we are more in harmony with the earth, and are able to tune in to the medicine that each season brings.

This spring, may we all support ourselves to cleanse, be in action, release what has been stored all winter, express our gifts outward, generate our warrior spirit, practice kindness, gentleness, creativity, healthy expression, and be as the budding flowers on the flexible tree of life.

Posted by Mark at April 26, 2005 03:08 AM

Comments

I have been waiting for further articles on your site. You must be too busy 'cause now it's Autumn where you are and Spring where we are - Australia. I wonder if you would like to submit this article to our website. We have made a few references to Spring and the liver in the last week and your article is a perfect explanation of this element.

Posted by: Joanne at October 6, 2005 12:36 AM

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