Spring According to Chinese Medicine

As the first day of spring nears, we will shift from a time of stillness and rest to a time of growth. This may not make sense to or busy modern lives, where winter, or any time of the year for that matter is rarely considered a time for slowing down. However, according to Chinese medicine, we are a part of nature-and thus, must learn to take cues from nature in order to feel and function at our best. According to Chinese medicine, living in balance with the natural world results in optimal health and wellbeing. Paying no mind to the natural cycles of the world like overworking oneself in winter or living out of the circadian rhythm (ie. constantly staring at artificial lights and screens after the sun has set) can cause poor health overtime. This means resting much more in the winter when many animals and plants are dormant, and using spring- when plants are sprouting and starting anew as a time for action and growth.

Spring is a time for planning, goal-setting, and starting new projects. It’s also considered a much more “yang” time of year, meaning it is a time for creation and action. It’s a good time for perhaps implementing a new business strategy, a new lifestyle routine, spending more time outside, or getting more cardio-vascular activity in.

In Chinese medicine, Spring is related to the Wood element, which is very much about our vision, leadership, our drive, and creative potential. From a health perspective, the Wood element is related to the Liver and the Gallbladder organs.

Liver- the Liver is the organ that keeps everything in check. It controls the smooth flow of qi and blood, stores and filters the blood, and works to make sure every other organ is getting the nourishment it needs. Aside from its many physiological actions, the Liver has a huge relationship to our life vision, our psychological state and our emotions. The Liver is easily impacted by anger, frustration, stress, and unexpressed emotions. Therefore, if you have lots of stress, the Liver will become stagnated and friction will form in the body that often results in chronic inflammation.

Gallbladder- The Gallbladder receives bile from the Liver, and then stores and excretes bile as needed. From this point of view, it is very much in line with the modern medicine view of the function of the gallbladder. However, from a psychological perspective, while the Liver controls our ability to plan, the Gallbladder is responsible for our courage and our capacity to make and carry out decisions. These organs have to be harmonized in order for them to plan and act accordingly.

Problems associated with the Wood Element:

-becoming easily frustrated or angry

-temporal headaches

-digestive problems that are made worse with stress

-muscle tension- especially the traps/ neck, and side and back of head

-eye/vision issues such as floaters, redness, or declining vision

-menstrual irregularities and pain

-sciatica, hip pain

-diaphragm tension

-tendon problems

-vivid dreams that keep you from feeling rested

Beneficial foods to eat for spring

This is a good time for getting extra leafy greens in and adding sprouts and microgreens into the diet to help support the Liver. Some examples of greens that would be beneficial to eat for Liver health are romaine, asparagus, kale, spinach, chard, celery, and fresh herbs. It’s also a good time to eat lots of citrus such as lemons, limes, grapefruits, and oranges.

Blog written by Samantha Kloss, MAOM, L.Ac.