Your Seasonal Wellbeing

Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water 

In traditional Chinese medicine there are Five Elements and each element gives birth to the next and nourishes it by a flow of energy.  So the bracken is burnt, the ashes go into the earth and form minerals, the water flows and there is new growth.  Kinesiology is an effective methodology for balancing the energies of your meridians. Balancing your meridians with Kinesiology can improve health and wellbeing on a physical, mental and emotional levels.

Meridians are passages of energy flow located all over your body, as a kinesiologist I work with Chinese Medicine Five Element Theory, which believes that everything in the universe, including our health, is governed by five natural elements: WOOD, FIRE, EARTH, METAL and WATER. This theory underscores the Traditional Chinese Medicine understanding that human beings, both physically and mentally, are intertwined with nature.

An individual’s state of health manifests according to the balance between these Elements.

Spring – Wood

The spring season, starting with the equinox on 21^st March correlates with the element of WOOD.  The meridians associated with this element are Liver and Gall Bladder.

The Gall Bladder is the meridian of judgment and vision.  It helps us to see the future with flexibility and hope. If we are having trouble with seeing things or if we are rigid in our attitudes to things this can come from the Gall Bladder. With no vision there is no hope.

The Liver Meridian is the meridian of planning and action.  It is like the general of the army who takes the information from the Gall bladder.  With this it plans what needs to be done to move forward and does it!  If we never really get thing done or procrastinate with our decisions this can come from the Liver meridian.

Spring is the season of beginning, creation.  It is a time to be open to the new and the time to clear out the past.

The Liver is the body’s largest internal organ and is the hardest working.  The Liver stores and distributes nourishment, is involved in the formation and breakdown of blood and filters toxins from the blood.  The Liver cells make bile which aids in digestion and stores bile in the Gall Bladder to be used in the breakdown of fats and enhances the small intestines ability to absorb fatty acids.

With springtime there is an opportunity to look at old pattern in your life with a new awareness.  Your body’s fuel – food, is the most important energy source for you.  The way you eat is a significant part of a healthy diet.  Always take a moment to relax before eating to prepare your body.  You should not eat when you are tense or upset or in a stressful environment.  Ideally you should not be doing anything else- that is no reading, watching TV etc.  Your posture should be balanced and upright. It is also important not to eat too late in the evening to give your Liver a rest overnight.  Breathe deeply, chew well eat only what you need and take time to digest.  A light walk after eating is ideal.

Try giving your Liver a Castor Oil poultice- it is like giving it a hug (if you are not sure where your Liver is it conforms to the underside of the diaphragm which separates the chest from the abdomen on the right side of the body.  The lower edge can often be felt under the rib cage.)  I soak a cloth in castor oil and wrap it onto my body with cling film- leaving overnight is ideal.

Eat whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts and beans.  It is easiest for us to extract energy from ‘unprocessed’ foods. Eat fewer heavier foods like meat and dairy products; avoid fried foods, alcohol and drugs.

The spring seems to be the best time for major cleansing, drinking nourishing liquids, for a period of 5- 10 days.  Let Spring give you a new enthusiasm to plant seeds and begin your own garden, this can be just planting sprouting seeds in your kitchen or growing herbs on your windowsill or a larger garden project.

Dandelion is another good springtime healer- the leaves are high in Vitamin A and are good in salads or as a tea.  The roots are a blood and kidney cleanser.

Staying Healthy through the Spring season means keeping your WOOD Element in the best possible shape.  It means giving renewed attention to your nutrition, exercise, self-awareness and self-expression.  Who are you inside? What do you need to express to feel free?  Clear out the past to create space for the future- elimination =illumination.  Maybe take a little time to write a new life plan, including how you wish to feel and what you would like to happen.

Spring is the time to SHINE like the sun.  The time of CREATION and DEVELOPMENT.  That which we found within during winter wants to come into full bloom.  Be filled with inspiration and energy to act upon your ideas.

A good stretch to work the Gall Bladder and Liver meridians is to sit with the legs as wide apart as possible.  Lean forwards, stretching the arms out in front (don’t bend your knees).

Sit upright and hug your chest with one arm- point with the other arm to the opposite foot.  Stretch on exhalation, looking upwards under your arm.

Relax into the stretch for three breaths and repeat two or three times.  Quality is always more imprtant than quantity in stretching. Your flexibility will improve with practice.  It can be helpful to bring CREATIVITY and DECISIONS into your mind.