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Spring is here again. I know this not just from the calendar, the change in temperature, the blossoms on trees, lambs frolicking and all that. I know it from my bodymind.<\/p>\n
To start with, I feel an irresistible urge to tend to my compost pile which has been languishing, cold and stagnant over winter. Yesterday I dug out tools from the shed and turned it all over into the sunshine to dry out and aerate. Getting into the mood, I weeded and fertilised the peas and garlic. Before long I\u2019d lost track of time as I cheerfully tended to tasks I\u2019d been shirking all winter. What was happening? Spring\u2019s Wood energy was rising up my body, fuelling action.<\/p>\n
Another way I know it\u2019s spring is that my liver and gall bladder are talking to me again. I feel a slight pressure in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen, my liver reminding me that I ate too much gluten and dairy when I travelled interstate last week. Chiming in is gall bladder, giving the occasional squeak as it squirts bile into the duodenum. These are the organs of Wood which can manifest symptoms when this Element isn\u2019t balanced. For someone of a Wood constitution like me, these organs are particularly susceptible. They are a source of information for monitoring my health.<\/p>\n
At a recent course I taught, one of the students was having a challenging time around these organs. During several treatments, he experienced a strong vibrating sensation in the upper right quadrant which we tracked to the acupoint Liver 13. This is the alarm point for Spleen but it also reflects the Liver itself. The student revealed that he was going through a significant stage, one requiring a pivotal decision about the fundamental direction of his work life. He also noticed that working on Liver points on another person triggered these same sensations in his own body. And when it came time to make a firm decision in the days after the course, the sensations became extreme.<\/p>\n
The capacities of planning and decision making are the province of the Liver and Gall Bladder Officials respectively. This person\u2019s physical symptoms were reflecting what was happening at the psycho-emotional level. And all of this was arising in the springtime when Wood energy is at its highest. There is a long tide which moves around the Five Element Cycle over the course of a year, the high tide passing through the corresponding Element of the season and pushing up against anything that isn\u2019t harmonised. Like a high tide that strains boats whose anchors are too tightly set.<\/p>\n
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There are a number of other signals that can indicate that Wood is out of balance. These derive from the resonances of the Element. The following table shows some of these resonances of the Wood Element.<\/p>\n
| Season<\/td>\n | Spring<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Climate<\/td>\n | Wind<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colour<\/td>\n | Green<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sound<\/td>\n | Shouting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Odour<\/td>\n | Rancid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Emotion<\/td>\n | Anger<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taste<\/td>\n | Sour<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sense<\/td>\n | Vision<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sense Organ<\/td>\n | Eyes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yin Organ<\/td>\n | Liver<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yang Organ<\/td>\n | Gall Bladder<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tissue<\/td>\n | Tendons\/Ligaments<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n These resonances are vibrations. For example, spring is the Wood Element vibrating as a season while anger is Wood vibrating as an emotion. When our Wood is out of balance, we may find that our bodymind shows the imbalance through these resonances. Here are some ways this might be revealed:<\/p>\n \u2022 Getting sick at the start of spring If you find that you have several of these conditions, your bodymind may be showing you that Wood is calling for attention. These symptoms can appear at any time, but they are more likely to show up in spring when the high tide of the Wood phase pushes up against things that are out of balance. The good news is that by addressing them in the spring, you will have the support of the ambient energy of nature. Here are some ways to work with your Wood.<\/p>\n Add more green foods<\/strong> to your diet: kale and other leafy greens, broccoli, peas and so on. The darker green the better. Eat more foods that are sour in taste: lemon, lime, grapefruit, sauerkraut and other fermented food.<\/p>\n Detoxify.<\/strong> The liver is responsible for cleansing the body of toxins. Doing a liver cleanse by eating simple foods and taking cleansing herbs will be well supported in the springtime. If you\u2019ve been thinking of doing a gall bladder flush, then spring is the best time to do it.<\/p>\n Move.<\/strong>\u00a0Wood likes to move so get plenty of movement. Walk, hike, run, jump, skip, ride, row, garden, build\u2026 whatever makes you feel good in your body. Make sure to stretch before leaping into action.<\/p>\n Shout!<\/strong> Sometimes when Wood is stuck, movement is not enough to dislodge the congestion. Shouting can discharge the energy that has been suppressed. Shout into the wind or in your car on the freeway. Don\u2019t shout at others.<\/p>\n Explore your anger<\/strong>. Most of us learn from an early age that anger is a bad thing because it hurts others. But suppressed anger becomes stored in the body, specifically in the liver, and then starts to hurt us. Anger is seen as bad because it is equated with violence. But anger is not violence. It is the frustration that can arise from operating in a world of limits and boundaries. Try to understand why you are angry. Feel that anger without suppressing it and without venting it. The energy that you get in touch with can be powerful fuel for action.<\/p>\n Hold some acupressure points.<\/strong> Any points that relate to the Liver (LV) and Gall Bladder (GB) will be useful and are more powerful at this time of year. Here are links to some good points discussed in previous blogs:<\/p>\n And finally<\/strong>, use the uprising energy of the Wood season to make plans for the future. See where you are going, map out your path, plan the stages of the journey, decide how to get there and take the first step. Your inner Wood will provide you with the gifts of imagination, creativity, vision, wise judgement, and motivation to help you on your path.<\/p>\n Go boldly<\/strong><\/em>!<\/p>\n For more suggestions on working with your Wood, see that chapter of my book Spring is here again. I know this not just from the calendar, the change in temperature, the blossoms on trees, lambs frolicking and all that. I know it from my bodymind. To start with, I feel an irresistible urge to tend to my compost pile which has been languishing, cold and stagnant over winter. Yesterday … Continue reading Wood Work<\/span> |
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