Spring Equinox: diving deeper
Spring is just around the corner! Can you believe it? I want to dive a little deeper into the significance of the spring equinox and how you can utilize this powerful time of the year to support your mind, body, and spirit. The Spring Equinox marks the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, where the sun is positioned directly over the equator, resulting in nearly equal lengths of time in both day and night. Its our first 12 hour day! This gives meaning to the word equinox (equal in latin). During this time, the energy that is most active according to ancient Chinese Medicine is the energy of the wood element organs; the liver & gallbladder. While winter is a time for us to enjoy respite, allow things to die (literally and figuratively), and become more introspective while we germinate new ideas and desires for the coming months ahead - the spring equinox is a great time to simply recognize that the season is now upon us where those ideas & desires we have been germinating can start coming to life. Do you see the parallel in nature? Doesn’t it feel good to recognize that and live in tune with it? It feels so….natural. It feels so….effortless. The way life should be.
So, a good analogy to describe the consciousness of the liver/gallbladder complex is the “general". The energy these organs harness provides direction, gives orders, and helps maintain clear organization and planning of every other system. When I say every other system, this includes the systems of the physical body, but also the mental, esoteric, and spiritual bodies. Remember, we’re talking about ourselves as a WHOLE. This is why we tend to spring clean, plan ahead, start thinking about trips, do some shopping, etc, this time of year. It's an innate intelligence that we possess whether we realize it or not. Have you ever heard the phrase “That person has some gall?!”. Now you know where that came from. Ok, so when the consciousness of the “general” gets clouded, direction becomes unclear, and the organizational flow of these organs becomes gunked up, a person can experienced a myriad of different signs and symptoms. These signs and symotoms are simply trying to get your attention, and say “hey, theres something going on here I need you to pay attention to. Slow down, notice me, give me some love.” So let’s do that. Let’s create the space in our lives to tend to ourselves. After all, if you don’t have your health, what do you have? If you find yourself feeling indecisive, frustrated, and uncertain, you are not alone. It's a common theme this time of year for any existing imbalances here to manifest themselves. You may also experience constipation, hemorrhoids, brain fog, skin breakouts, nausea, or seasonal allergies.
Whether your experiencing any of these symptoms or not, here are some simple ways you can recognize the spring equinox and give your Qi a boost:
Incorporate sour & bitter foods like grapefruit, lemon, dandelion greens, mustard greens and parsley.
Make a fresh batch of celery juice.
Go for a bike ride and get that blood moving!
Do some nice stretching to soothe the joints, ligaments, and muscles.
In Chinese Medicine, the “wood element” that the liver and gallbladder organs are categorized under, actually refers to bamboo. It’s strong, but flexible, it’s deeply rooted, stable, and sees the end goal, but it’s able to go with the flow. It’s so beneficial to keep this concept in mind as you move your body, stretch your muscles, and create space for this energy to flow between within your tissues.
In my own life, I’ve found that incorporating these practices simply to recognize my connection with the earth, the seasons, and God/Source/Spirit (whatever that is for you) in all of it, has truly created the space in my body for healing to take place. I feel clearer, more stable, and less like i’m being blown around in the spring winds. My digestion has improved, my sleep has improved, and my skin has improved. I hope these insights serve you well, and I hope you take to heart how beautiful our innate connection to the natural world around us is, and how much it can enrich your life and health to slow down, and recognize it. Happy Spring Equinox!
