Spring

Element: Wood

Climate: Wind

Organs: Liver, Gall Bladder

Orifices: Eyes

Sense organ: Eyes

Body Parts/Tissue: Muscles, Sinews

Fluid Secretion: Tears

Physical Manifestations: Nails, Hands, Feet

Emotion: Anger

Sound: Shouting

Flavor: Sour

Color: Green

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” -Goethe

If we arrive at Spring having been properly nourished by Winter, it will be easy to lay the foundation and framework (wood) for all that is to come for the rest of the year: the growth of Summer, the harvest of Late Summer, the letting go of Autumn, and the dormancy of Winter.

Our Northwest winter did not give us the weather cues we needed to slow down and replenish our energies. As the leaves dropped from the trees, we might not have stopped to bare our souls to ourselves and to deeply question and review life.

Winter governs the kidneys and bladder that house our elemental life force and our fears. My clients are arriving each day as we approach Spring STUCK in fear and totally drained of energy. Our culture likes the energy of Spring – growth and innovation – sometimes thinking this should be continual and totally bypassing the regeneration cycle of life.

Spring is associated with a sense of purpose, hope for the future, a vision for our life and the world. It is about our liver, the controller of planning that needs replenishing from 11:00pm – 1:00am and about the gallbladder partner, a decision maker who uses wise judgment (when in balance) and rests from 1:00am – 3:00am. The energy of Spring is immense and often unstoppable until a life “bloom” takes place. The initial energy of Spring is used in sending down a root system (what are you noticing about your groundedness these days?) and often tossed about by Spring winds and rain (inflexibleness will cause the tree to snap into injury or death); gently nourished, it will bloom.

Like a tree, a person must be well-rooted and flexible. A person with a strong wood element can handle life’s pressures, make good decisions, and turn ideas into fruit for the world. Insufficient wood element leads to feeling emotionally stuck, being easily confused, and restriction in the diaphragm, chest, and throat. Imbalance in the wood element can also lead to aggression.

Anger and frustration result when we do not or cannot make a decision or cannot take an action step or when our creativity cannot express itself. Anger is about change. It challenges the course of our lives and pushes us into newness. The movie, The Quiet American, starring Michael Caine shows liver/gallbladder out of balance in a condition referred to as “San Paku.” Several shots of his face show white UNDER the colored part of the iris in his eyes, giving us a clue that the imbalance could be creating a constant “uptightness” in his head or brain. The meridians of the liver and gallbladder zig zag around the head and act like a vice when out of balance.

Besides working the liver and gallbladder reflexes during Spring, work on the brain and small intestine reflexes, too. Folks have been having difficulty in sorting out their thoughts (the job of the small intestine) so they can take their action steps. A bit of extra touch in the diaphragm and lung areas for inspiration is helpful and calming, too.

How do we work and live with the energies of Spring?

• Give your mind a break from day-to-day tasks and cultivate your imagination by walking in the woods … or finger painting!
• Change old or rigid thought patterns by changing PHYSICAL patterns: do some writing with the opposite hand you usually use or walk in a new direction. This can stimulate a new center in your brain and open your mind to new possibilities.

• In the body, anger is stored in the contractile muscles, the ligaments and tendons. Sports that engages these muscles are a great way to release pent up anger: salsa dancing or running, kicking – soccer or kick boxing, or hitting – tennis, squash, boxing, or batting balloons.
• Be intentional. Change can occur when we take small and regular steps in a new direction. The fun of the beginner is that you practice a lot and make refinements as you review your strategic plan and your life resources.
• Use the energy of Spring to take ACTION. If you ARE depleted from Winter, keep your action list small or nothing will ripen to be harvested. Don’t grumble. Accept what IS, and then find the possibility solutions from that place. You can have what you want if you will ask for it, clearly and directly.
• Faced with making important decisions, be sure to go to bed at an hour that will assure deep sleep when liver and gallbladder need to be replenished, 11pm – 3pm.

Spring is the time for the human being to come alive, to grow, to be reborn. In Spring, we sow the seeds for the Late Summer harvest within ourselves. If these inner seeds are not sown in time, we will not thrive.

Spring is at work in you all the time. Don’t worry. Watch. Sniff. Touch. Grow gently around obstacles instead of ramming them into place. Give into the wind and stay rooted in what nourishes.

Image Credits

Title Image: Creative Commons Public Domain. Courtesy of Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/en/tulips-spring-light-colorful-red-757144/. Text added.

Fork in the Road: Creative Commons Public Domain. Courtesy of Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/en/fork-road-dirt-direction-path-two-2115485/.

Blossoms: Creative Commons Public Domain. Courtesy of Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/en/japanese-cherry-trees-flowers-pink-2168858/.

Seedlings: Creative Commons Public Domain. Courtesy of Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/en/arugula-seedlings-plant-plants-762557/.