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Nature's surging life force is all around us and specatcularly apparent in springtime trees [Image: artfulscribe - Morguefile]

Healing with the seasons: Spring

As the new shoot bursts out of the soil, the first buds on the trees unfurl into tender leaflets, our hearts fill with joy and the great sense that nature and us an integral part of it are reawakening to the new cycle of life.

Spring is nature’s most action packed season. At this time of year life renews itself through the rapid growth, sudden expansion and an upright surge of springs’ force. The strength of the life force in spring engenders procreation, abundance and regeneration.

Renewed energy

Ancient traditions associated the natural expression of spring with the innate nature of trees and with the element of wood. Sap that was hidden deep in the roots through the winter months responds to the rising warmth and surges upwards to meet the light.

The qualities of the wood element are easily described by observing trees and forests. Trees have innate tendency to grow upright, they create communities of life in their unique environment.

Trees assert their presence in the landscape, but most of all they transform the energy of the sun into things like food, a usable source of heat and energy and building materials. In doing so they perform an ultimate act of alchemy that perpetuates the miracle of life on Earth.

The season of wood

In accordance to the five elements theory of traditional Chinese medicine, spring manifests itself through the element of wood. The liver and gallbladder organ network, also manifest the qualities of the wood element.

Like the tree moving the nutritious sap, the liver rhythmically holds and releases the blood, the source of nourishment to each and every cell of the body. Nutrients are supplied and waste removed. This uninterrupted flow of blood is the sign of harmonious well-nourished Liver.

A healthy harmonious liver manifests in the personality as a balanced sense of self, having positive outlook, being confident, committed, decisive, assertive and having good sense of rhythm. Physically a well-functioning liver expresses itself through good eyesight, strong sexual performance, strong glossy hair and nails.

Individuals with strong liver energy and blood are excellent strategic planners, decision makers. Like the trees they become landmarks on the social horizon, know how to spread themselves into the world and create communities of life. They are the leaders who advance societies into more harmonious and fairer future.

Their nature is in a state of harmonious balance with softer side of liver wood: ease, smoothness and flexibility, which is incompatible with the wood endangering state of rigidity.

When things are out of balance

Imbalance in the liver and gall bladder organ network, on the other hand, is reflected in a negative attitude to life, lack of direction, aggressive anger leading to arrogant compulsive, impulsive, behaviour as well as dull, dry, brittle hair and nails.

Diminishing eyesight is an indicator that either liver blood and energy are deficient, or its flow to the eyes is impeded.

Sexually, premature arousal/ejaculation and lack of rhythm, also reflects liver/gall bladder imbalance.

Disharmony can also lead to holding on to unresolved emotions. When this happens one’s unique creative potential stays temporarily unexpressed, blocked, until the change in life circumstances is self created to bring on the release.

Dancing with anger

Anger is also an expression of disharmony in the wood element (being liverish is an old expression of that association).

And how does one deal with this friend called anger, strongly associated with the liver disharmony?

Anger is mirroring to us that there is an obstruction to the flow of creativity in our life. It calls for change and negotiation, revision of our blind habits and outdated beliefs that stand in our way.

Anger is always self-defeating. It is also sign of disharmony in the rhythm of the blood flow and calls for a return to rhythm and movement.

Dance yourself through these obstacles, after all it is you who put them there to remind you to reassess where you want to be. Run until your heart sings, and then relax, listen to what the trees, flowers and birds have to say.

Most importantly cultivate patience; by doing so we learn when to advance and when to retreat.