Wood – The Energy of Spring

Wood is the energy of spring. After the quiet and stillness of winter, nature bursts forth with hope and optimism to create the new growth of the season. In us, wood creates the gall bladder and liver meridians. These meridians are the parts of us that move forward in life, that envision, plan and make decisions regarding our capabilities and our life’s direction. The wood element is active and yang as opposed to winter which is passive and yin. This yang chi is like a seedling that pushes us forward, to give us a vision of our potential, to initiate growth and change whilst providing us with the determination to achieve that development. This element is innovative and creative and requires upward rising chi to give birth to new projects, ideas, and events. It involves us being able to see where we are going in life and to take action on that.

The wood element is very sensitive to feelings of frustration, anger, resentment and hopelessness. These emotions produce disharmonious movement of chi and can cause stagnation within the gall bladder and liver meridians and can immobilise action. Without the upward rising of chi it becomes difficult for us to initiate change and we can become ‘stuck’ in life with little or no growth. The liver stores emotional issues we have not yet dealt with, so it can be the home of anger and frustration. Repressed emotions, particularly anger can often lead to depression, hopelessness and feeling as if we are without a purpose. Dealing with such feelings and moving stuck or stagnant chi we enable ourselves to flow forward in life with hope and optimism.

If the liver and the gallbladder are supported and balanced during spring, the entire body will benefit immediately and be set up with the best possible health foundation for the seasons to come. Over-eating, especially of rich, greasy foods, makes the liver work too hard and causes it to becomes sluggish. This causes the chi to not be distributed properly. Stagnant liver chi is also caused by lack of exercise this too can cause feelings of sluggishness and can also lead to anger and frustration and a sense of being held back. Include the following foods this spring, sweet potato, carrot, beetroot, mint, ginger, spring onions, lemon, pine nuts, oregano, rosemary, grains, legumes and seeds.

If you are lacking motivation or have not managed to break out of the stillness and calmness of winter, or have recognised some patterns in yourself that I have touched on in this article and would like to move through those, then please take advantage of my springtime special and book your session today.

*Springtime special – all initial consults will be valued at $80.00 (usually priced $110.00).