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Make The Most Of The New Energy Of Spring
by Steven Sonmore, L.Ac., Dipl. Ac.

“The whole year’s work depends on a good start in the Spring.” – Chinese Proverb

Congratulations! You made it through another winter! Now, the warmer temperatures and the longer hours of daylight will be an awesome relief. No more feeling like a hibernating bear cooped up inside your house – you can go outside for lovely walks and appreciate the new life of spring. In the winter, your body is “fu chang” – Chinese for “in storage.” In the spring, your body begins to “wake up.”

Spring begins on the Equinox of March 21st, and it represents new beginnings with budding trees and grass turning to green after the icy snow. For the next six months, Yang energy and the sun will influence your life. So, if you feel new energy, it makes absolute sense according to Oriental medicine.

Spring and Chinese Philosophy

The foundation of Chinese philosophy is that human beings are a part of this universe in which we live, and the universe is forever changing. These changes affect our well-being as much as they affect the universe itself. The ancient Chinese discovered that the energies of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth constitute all matter in the universe. Everything contains these five kinds of Qi or energy of these elements. In Chinese medicine, we use the “Theory of the Five Elements” for both diagnosis and treatment principals, and the season of spring is associated with the Wood element.

The Wood element has to do with growing, living entities, such as trees, plants, and human bodies. The Wood element also governs the Liver and Gall Bladder. The Liver has to do with planning and decision-making, so you may feel a new sparkle and vitality in the spring. You may even be inspired to act upon new ideas.

The essence of spring and the Wood element is birth and new beginnings. The Wood element governs your mental clarity and your ability to focus, plan, and make judgments. When a person has a Wood imbalance, it is much too easy to make poor decisions and become disorganized. When the Liver is out of balance, it can direct energy upwards to create headaches, neck and upper back tension, or even rage and depression. That’s right – the Liver not only spreads Qi (energy) to your other organs like a distributor, but it is also in charge of the smooth flow of your emotions.

The emotions of anger and frustration are related to the Wood element, and many people don’t know how to release their emotions in a safe way. Suppressed emotions can cause serious health problems, and suppressed frustration and anger specifically injures the liver and gall bladder. Did you know that acupuncture works well for emotional problems too?

The beauty of Chinese medicine is that it perfectly integrates your mind-body-spirit connection. In fact, did you know there is no distinction between the mind and the body in the Chinese language? In Asian culture, they were always assumed to be connected.

“Your mind transcends limitations.” Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

Spring Cleaning

Author Wayne W. Dyer says that inspiration is about “moving back into spirit.” So, spring is an excellent time to take a fresh look at your life and make a new plan. One of my clients came in today and said he had been drinking too much alcohol. He boldly decided that “Today is D-day!” Another client plans to stop suffering from the painful plantar fasciitis that has plagued her for the last six months. Fortunately, acupuncture and Chinese medicine supports addiction treatment, pain relief, and much more. They are fantastic modalities to utilize in taking charge of your life and creating new beginnings.

Spring is also one of the best times to detoxify your body. It is an undeniable fact that we live in a soup of over 100,000 toxic chemicals and heavy metals. These are found all over the planet right up to the North and South Poles. Toxins in your body can cause unexplained chronic fatigue, cold hands/feet (even in warm weather), bloating, rashes/skin irritations and memory problems. Even Inuit Eskimo newborns in the North Pole have been found to have mercury, lead and pesticide residues in their blood. If American newborns have an average of 287 toxins in their blood, what are the chances of an adult being toxin free? None! At Complete Oriental Medical Care we use the 3 Step Detox to safely and easily rid the body of these toxins.

As the weather changes outside, your body changes inside. To adjust to these changes, you might want to get a “tune up” at our clinic soon. We will devise a plan that will include acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and dietary recommendations tailored specifically to your health problems and goals. This will make your body healthier and less susceptible to sickness. After all, Chinese medicine is preventative care. You will experience how this time-tested health care system works wonderfully on all levels – physical, mental, and emotional.

So take some time now for the most powerful spring cleaning you can do, which is to de-clutter your mind. Write out a new health or life plan. What habits no longer serve you? What do you wish for in your life? Maybe you want to clean up your diet and lose weight. Maybe you want to quit smoking for good. You may want to strengthen your immune system. Or maybe you want to let go of negative emotions to make room in your life for new possibilities. Let those visions bloom inside you as the spring flowers bloom outside. With the help of Chinese medicine you can absolutely reach your goals!

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