Spring has sprung in my neighborhood. How about yours? As I’m writing this, I can see my yard filled with blossoms on the fruit trees and daffodils displaying their bright yellow heads. I love spring. I don’t love changing the time on the clock though. It messes me up and I miss waking with the sun but instead was woken by the alarm in the pitch dark of the early morning hours. Maybe some day we’ll stop this nonsense.
Turn the clocks back
My husband was actually sharing with me that the Monday morning after the time change there is a 25% increase incident of heart attacks. Studies have show that judge’s sentencing is 5% harsher, there are more car accidents in which a professional car accident lawyer will be needed, and less worker productivity on the Monday following the time change. I don’t know about you, but I found Sunday to be a struggle to get through. I just felt out of sorts. And it happens to me every year!
It is wonderful that the days are becoming longer and warmer. I’m able to open the windows and let the warm breeze clear the house from the winter lock down. In 5 Element acupuncture, this time of year connects to the Wood element. It’s like the wood has been resting and storing up it’s energy to burst forth in the spring. It’s a rebirth as the energy rises up through the earth. It’s the energy of youth and growth. Can’t you just feel that in yourself? I know I can.
Spring is the Wood Element
I was reminded about the element of spring and what it does when I was reading an article by Neil Gumenick. He’s a 5 Element acupuncturist in the Santa Monica, CA. He’s also a teacher of 5 Element acupuncture. His website is www.5elements.com
Spring is the time to plant seeds. Those seeds are your desires, plans, and new ideas for the coming year. It’s also the time when you start to step outside more often and get more physical out in nature. It’s a good time to connect with friends or network with like-minded people. The energy of spring will support this growth, but it may be uncomfortable or even challenging for you. Remember, though, you are supported with the energy and you can also seek support from your friends and colleagues. Don’t be afraid to ask.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the Wood element represents the liver and the gall bladder. Ok, so the liver helps you with planning and vision for your life. The gallbladder, on the other hand, helps you with decision-making. It helps you sort through the options, make judgments, and have clarity on what is the best choice for you. When they work well together, you can have a vision, clearly see your path, and make the best choices to get there. Easy-peasy.
Now, the opposite is quite true if your liver and/or gallbladder are out of sorts. You’ll have no clarity of vision and may feel frustrated and unable to make the best choice or be stuck in non-action. Your plans may be thwarted and you may just want to scream with anger. Not a fun place to be. So, if your wood is in balance, you are able to easily regroup and more forward with a new plan.
Let me clarify, I’m not speaking about the actual liver or gallbladder organs, but the meridian system that connects with these organs and where the energy channels flow through the body.
As an acupuncturist, I choose specific points that will aid the balance and flow of the wood element energy. They can create balance that enables you to see both sides of a situation and from that clarity take action. Another may be used give you the confidence to move forward to grow.
Live in Harmony with Spring
Here are Neil’s suggestions for living in harmony with the spring season:
- “Begin your day early, with a brisk walk.
Feel the sunshine pull you up and out, like the plants and animals. Watch buds rush into leaf, often doubling their size in a day. Look for birds’ nests – you’ll find them everywhere, even on top of air conditioners. Feel the life within you, like that outdoors, thrust up out of darkness into new possibilities. Make a garden. Eat greens. - Begin new things – at home, in your work, and in yourself.
In this season when nature reinvents itself, we too can see people and situations with new eyes. Let new tissue grow over old hurts, and take fresh hope. Be creative. Make things, do things. Begin! - Consider how you wish to make ready for your summer harvest.
Spring does not last forever. Use its bountiful energy wisely, so that the crops you sow – again, in yourself, in your work, and in your life – are those you wish to harvest. The energy of spring brings vision. “ (Acupuncture Today March 2017)
