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Spring 2020 – Season of wood element

Today is the first day of Spring (as I write this) according to the calendar, with a full moon rising. The wattle is blooming, a sure sign of Poorneet (Wurundjeri) and tadpole season, as days and nights even out into a temporal balance.

Spring in Oriental Medicine is a time of activity, growth, expansion, rising up and out. We see this manifest in nature and the weather. Wind is a classic Spring expression and tomorrow, we have a damaging winds warning – perfect timing!

As the weather warms, we tend to step out of our winter hibernation spaces and spend more time outdoors, cleansing our systems, our living spaces, our bodies, diets and lifestyles of the cold contraction inwards of Winter, sparked by the freshness of Spring. However, this Spring, many of us are still contained indoors, in Winter mode, with less space for experiencing Spring than we would like.

Liver is the organ of Spring, and Liver likes movement. The energy of Liver likes to move yet becomes too easily stuck, stagnant, resulting in expressions of frustration and anger. So while we are not able to get outside to move our bodies and Liver energy, we need to be mindful of taking care of our Liver. Activities such as yoga, qi gong, tai chi are wonderful for opening the opening and encouraging Liver energy to move and flow. Make full use of your hour of outside activity by walking, either in immersed in nature or observing moments of nature like random flowers breaking through the pavement, and ravens on telegraph poles.

This time of year, foods that grow above the ground, are green, sprouting and fresh, pungent, and sweet are harmonious for Liver.  Foods like rice, pumpkin, onion, cinnamon, chilli, peppermint, radish, kale, dandelion, edible chrysanthemum and other leaf greens are wonderful for nurturing the body during Spring.

This is a wonderfully transitional time of year, as we move out of the depth of Winter into the strength of Summer.

Australian Shiatsu College