Spring. Season of the Wood element.

It’s the first day of spring. 

The days become longer, lighter and brighter. The crisp cold air of winter turns a little warmer and we slowly transition out of our deep Yin energy into our expansive and expressive Yang energy.
According to Traditional Chinese medicine spring is the quintessential time of creating, cleansing, activity and movement, growth, and renewal. 

It's a time for rebirth. 

With an increase in activity levels and energy, comes an increase in creativity and determination, and much in the same way we "spring clean" our external environment in this season, Chinese Medicine believes that this time of year we also "spring clean" our internal environment. 

Following Traditional Chinese Medicine, the spring season is associated with the Wood element. The organ bodies associated with the wood element are the Liver and Gallbladder. Both playing important role in the digestive system, not only what we digest and take in orally, but all we take in from the external environment must be assimilated, digested and detoxified. 
It's believed that when the Wood element is out of balance its manifested as anger, frustration, and irritability, whereas when it is in harmony, it's manifested as compassion, kindness, and acceptance. 

The Wood Element

The power of Wood is gentle, persistent, and filled with creative potential. It has the power of both being and becoming—of being true to your own nature and becoming more yourself by clearly expressing your inner needs and desires. Wood gently penetrates the earth to bring forth water, the source of all life.  Drawing from our roots, we find the energy to push forward with strength and firmness of purpose, always remaining supple, yielding, and true to our nature.

Emotion

The emotion associated with the element of Wood is anger. In its balanced state, anger can be a healthy emotion, for it can be understood as a natural reaction to stress, frustration, or injustice. When expressed with careful control, anger acts like a thunderstorm that clears the air; controlled anger can dispel tension and restore balance. An imbalance in Wood, however, often has the quality of out-of-control anger, and results either in excess or depletion. An excess, or pent-up quality of Wood, expresses itself as “quick to anger,” prone to volatile outbursts, irritability, and the tendency to judge others too quickly or harshly. The converse, deficient Wood, often expresses itself as difficulty dealing with anger at all. Swallowing your anger, you become anxious, irritable, and tend to blame yourself when things go wrong.

Liver (Yin Organ)

The Liver is the body’s largest organ; it is the body’s master laboratory, in which nourishment for the entire body is stored and distributed. The Liver has hundreds of essential functions, including the formation of blood and the cleansing and filtering of blood to help the body eliminate toxins and ensure its continued vitality. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the functions of the Liver go far beyond its purely physiological function and embrace emotional and spiritual qualities as well.

The Liver is said to be like a general who leads an army and excels at strategic planning. It is the role of the Liver to make sure that all the body’s troops are working together for the benefit of the whole. Its main role is to keep everything flowing and thereby avoid stagnation and friction. It is said in Chinese medicine that the Liver rules “flowing and spreading,” which means that the Liver is responsible for keeping the free and easy flow of blood, energy, and emotions throughout the body, mind, and spirit. The element of Wood abhors stagnation and inertia, which is associated with all forms of disease. Just as a mountain stream is safe to drink from if it is flowing freely, so stagnant pools of water create a breeding ground for bacteria and pathogens.

Gallbladder (Yang Organ)

The Gallbladder is a small organ that stores and intensifies the bile that was created in the Liver, and pumps it into the body and bowel as needed. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Gallbladder has the role of the Wise Decision Maker, which “occupies the position of an important and upright official who excels through his decisions and judgment.” The Gallbladder helps to utilise the Liverʼs vision and make the proper judgments and decisions to bring those visions to fruition. At times, in my practice, when clients come in after having had their gallbladder removed (although the energetic function remains), when asked about decision-making, they often smile discreetly and confess to having more difficulty making decisions.

Support 

We bring harmony to these organs by participating in the self enquiry of letting go, supporting our bodies through the ‘cleansing’ and ‘clearing’ processes that take place in order for the growth and renewal to happen. 

Immersing yourself in the beauty that surrounds us in nature, soaking up the sunshine and the abundant Vitamin D.

Drinking plenty of water to promote & support the detoxification of your Liver and Kidneys.

Nourishing your body with lots of dark leafy greens, in season fruits and vegetables. 

Remove chemicals and toxins from you body and surroundings. Including cleanings products, skin care, as well as packaged and processed foods.
Become aware of your surroundings in general, know what is serving you, and what is not, and can you allow yourself to let go of anything that isn’t serving your higher purpose.

Take long, deep breaths. Our breath, is a direct reflection of the connection between us, and Mother Gaia. As we inhale fresh oxygen, this is represented as the first Qi we breath in to fuel our body, our organs, our tissues our immunity.