Spring Time is all about Growth and the Wood Element
Spring time means warmer weather ahead, more sunlight, and more time outdoors. Especially if you’re more north like I am in Canada, we can’t wait for warmer weather after being cooped up all winter. March 20th marked the first day of spring in 2021. Spring time is literally a time when everything starts to grow and flourish around us. The winter thaw begins as the snow melts away, and the landscape starts to change. Under the brown grass, little green grass starts to sprout and slowly creep up to surface.
“The super natural forces of spring create wind in Heaven, and wood upon the Earth. Within the body they create the liver and the tendons: they create the green colour…and give the voice the ability to make a shouting sound…they create the eyes, the sour falvor, and the emotion anger.”
The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (3).
From a Yang Yin Theory perspective, spring means the energy starts to shift, as winter time is the most yin time (my blog post here on that), spring and summer bring out the yang energy. Yang is a descriptive word and can be described as more upward energetically, sun, warm, fire, dynamic, moving, more masculine in nature (my blog post here on Yang vs. Yin Yoga lists more of the descriptive words of yang).
Yin is the relative opposite of yang. Yin is described more as, cool, dark, still, moon, water, more feminine type of energy. Which again winter time falls into the yin category whereas spring and summer are more yang. But know that spring is more yin than summer, as summer is warmer. But just coming out of the winter time, spring is more yang than winter time. Keep in mind yang and yin are relative to each other, so it depends which season we are comparing another season to. In our case we are comparing spring time to winter and coming out of hibernation.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), spring time is tied to the Wood element and is seen to symbolize growth and expansion. The liver organ (which is the yin organ) is associated to spring and the wood element as it is an uprising energetic time where everything is changing and growing (1). We can literally feel it in the air, on our skin, the sun feels warmer. Witnessing the season change.
The Wood element, one of the TCM 5 elements, is associated with the Liver and its partner organ, Gallbladder. When Wood is unbalanced, you may experience symptoms such as: Feeling irritable or angry. Headache, migraine, or high blood pressure. These are sign of Liver Yang rising upwards (2).
The liver rules smooth flow of emotions, Qi and blood. The liver stores blood, opens into the eyes, controls the tendons and skeletal body, absorbs what can’t be digested and controls the immune system (3).
The liver more specifically gets depleted during this time of year as said in TCM, as there are more allergens in the air and more wind which can get trapped in the body.
Yin Yoga
Practices like Yin Yoga help stimulate our Qi to flow freely within the liver meridian to nourish our liver organ. This can help release emotions of anger and bring more kindness into our worlds (2). When it comes to yoga and our body any yin or yang style of yoga that has poses that work the inner legs tend to work the meridian line for the liver organ. Any yoga poses that work the outer legs, target and stimulate the gall bladder meridian (yang organ).
Some of examples of Yin Yoga poses that target the inner legs thus the liver meridian; Butterfly pose, or Half Butterfly pose or Frog pose.
Yin Yoga poses that target the outer legs and body are Bananasana pose, or Seated Swan pose or Reclined Twists, target the gall bladder meridian. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but gives you some examples and poses to try if you’re feeling like you want to target the liver and gall bladder meridians and embody the wood element.
As, for the Wood elements themes of growth and expansion, that Spring encourages it’s a great time to ask yourself and reflect about our purpose in life…asking…
“What do you want to see grow and flourish with yourself”? (4).
An TREE analogy for you on embodying the wood element and why its important to help nourish not only your mind, but also your growth mindset and purpose in life…
Embody the Wood Element
Think of a tree amongst the forest, one preferably that looks like its thriving. It looks luscious, vibrant, green, the roots well into the earth, flourishing and healthy. When we see a tree so alive and flourishing we don’t really think about what keeps this tree healthy. Or what helps that a tree grow and flourish? I know what you’re thinking well, water, water helps the tree grow. Yes that is correct, but partially. The soil is the other piece that helps the trees from the roots upwards thrive. But it depends what we feed the soil, so the soil feeds toe tree. The soil needs to have nutrients so that it can nourish the tree to grow and flourish. Without the soil being healthy, the tree won’t have health either, growth will not happen if the soil is fed poison or lacks certain nutrients to help it thrive.
The soil = Our minds
The symbol for soil in this case is our mind. How can we nourish our minds to help us grow and flourish. What do we consume matters, as it simply comes down to what we feed our minds? What activities do we take part in.
For example are you binge watching and numbing yourself with Netflix or mindlessly scrolling through social media, or are you consciously taking effort to nourish the mind with things like meditation, reading, changing up the scene like taking time away from the TV, computer or our smart phones.
Like a tree the soil needs to be fed well, and be healthy, so the soil can nourish that tree to grow strong. If the soil quality is not healthy or filled with nutrients, the tree won’t grow or thrive.
So too, are our minds.
If we don’t feed our minds with positive, healthy experiences, or foster an environment to learn, challenge us so that we can encourage growth in ourselves.
Exercise, eat healthy and create habits, routines or practices to foster an environment to nourish our minds.
Or strive to have purpose? Then our minds will suffer.
Questions to get you brainstorming and thinking about the theme of expansion, growth, embodying the Wood element and finding purpose within your life…
Notice now, how and what you’re feeding your mind? Right now in this moment.
Well you’re reading this so you’re already feeding your mind with helpful information, rather than doing mindless activities…
Reflect on…
What is your current state of mind? are you in a positive state? sad? or down on yourself? are you angry? feeling tired? or maybe your energized? are you a monkey mind lately, feeling distracted all the time? or maybe you are feeling focused? Are you finding time for creativity?
Take time to reflect if there is something you can possibly change to switch up your state of mind and nourish your mind with positive experiences, and bring your mind to a state of growth. Tap into creativity.
Here are some other questions/journaling prompts to get you thinking…
What do you want to see grow in yourself? is it physical, mental, emotional? or one or all of the above?
What do you view as your purpose in life? These can be goals are just general ways of being or showing up in the world
What habits or rituals do you do every day, weekly, monthly?
What can you start doing today to help you grow and flourish?
What can you stop doing that may be stunting your growth?
When faced with challenges do you look clearly at all options to gain perspective? (4)
When faced with change are you adaptable and flexible or are you more resistant?
Can you make goals, plans or decisions to help with your goals or purpose in life? (4)
Are you able to balance your energy or mood somehow, if you’re feeling angry, irritated or frustrated?
Below are some helpful suggestions to how you can balance the Wood element…
Some ideas to help you Balance & Nourish the Wood Element
Work on saying no to make space for yourself whether its to learn something new, work on your goals or give your self time to decompress
Take care of your emotions, especially if you are feeling angry or frustrated these days
Spend more time with your friends and family that help foster growth a break from work or tasks
Try something new
Get creative, draw, paint, dance, do something fun!
Take a Yin Yoga class or take time to do one pose to target either the liver or gall bladder meridian or both
Spend time in nature, literally around trees, wood, soil, dirt
Eat more leafy greens (5)
Work on passion projects that allow you to be creative
Get stronger physically. Run more or weight train or other fitness goal you may have!
Meditate more or find reflection time (daily, weekly)
Read more (set a goal for yourself, 10 mins or 20mins per day)
Write more (start with journaling daily or every other day)
Take time to write down your goals and find purpose
Practice gratitude; every day list out 3 unique things you are grateful for
Acknowledge emotions you’re feeling
Unfollow things on social media that don’t contribute to your growth
In general to embody the Wood element and to nourish it when its either in excess or depleted, pay attention to what you feed the mind; what you consume on a daily, from news to social media it all matters. How we spend our time matters.
Spring time is the time to focus on our growth, to help us flourish and be adaptable to what life brings us…change. Just like the seasons, change is constant, and to know how to be flexible and adaptable will help us flourish…just like that tree, but remember what we FEED OUR MINDS is important to help us reach our goals, purpose and health in life.
Be well,
Marzena
Sources & Other Resources
https://fiveseasonsmedicine.com/the-liver-meridian-spring-nourishing-new-ideas/
The Wood Element in Traditional Chinese Medicine https://www.thomsontcm.sg/articles/the-wood-element-in-tcm/
Wood Becomes Water, Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life. Gail Reichstein 20th Anniversary Edition, 1998. Not an affiliated link to Indigo but links here of where you can get this book or on Amazon
The Language of Yin by Gabrielle Harris 2019. https://gabrielleharrisyoga.com
Wood Element everything you need to know about the TCM Element, (2019) Youtube video by Ancient Nutrition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHOEq0elMQs