春天 The Spring Season
Michael Perfetto M.S.O.M., L.Ac.
It has long been known in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) that all things are interconnected and interdependent. In this view, human beings are seen as living within the sphere of nature, not as separate entities dominant over or living beyond the natural world. We live in nature and nature lives within us. This is the wisdom the ancients used to harness nature’s energy and become aware of the shifting of the seasons within ourselves. The practice of living in harmony with yin & yang, which represents the natural flow of energy in all things, becomes essential in self awareness. The following passage is from the Chinese medical classic text Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen:
Yin & Yang
This quote implies that those who know the “Way” use yin & yang as a model for self awareness and living well in a shifting world. An example of applying yin & yang is learning to become aware of the energy of the seasons to cultivate health of mind and body.
Spring, according to Chinese Medicine, is a time of new beginnings. The energy of life is surging forth and springing up out of the deep freeze and hibernation of winter. Once again, in the cycle of seasons, the spring winds of change offer expansion and growth.
The energetic system of the liver plays a very important role in our health and in TCM is associated with the Spring season.
There are 6 Functions of the Liver in TCM
Ensures the smooth flow of qi (energy)
Stores the Blood
Controls the Sinews (Tendons)
Opens into the eyes
Manifests in the nails
Houses the Ethereal Soul (The Hun)
1.Ensures the Smooth Flow of Qi (Mind & Body)
One of the liver’s main functions is spreading and regulating the flow of Qi (energy) in the body and in the mind. It is similar to springtime when there is a burst of motion and life as compared to winter when the energy is still and low.
When the Qi is not moving smoothly one can
experience: pain, anger, depression, tight muscles, headaches, irritability, and fluctuation of mental states.
2. Stores the Blood
In TCM, blood is considered more than the substance that nourishes the body. The blood also houses or grounds the mind (our consciousness). The blood gives us the capacity to feel and perceive the world around us. The liver is in charge of the storage and movement of the blood. The blood circulates to the muscles and sinews when a person is awake and back into the liver when asleep.
When blood is deficient on a physical level one will feel weak, the sinews will tingle and may cramp up, one may experience blurry vision (another function of the liver is to nourish the eyes) and dizziness. On a mental level one may feel depressed & aimless.
3. Controls the Sinews
The liver controls the sinews, which in the context of Chinese Medicine are the tendons. The liver is responsible for mobilizing the blood that moistens and nourishes the tendons. When the blood is deficient one will experience spasms, cramps, numb limbs, difficulty moving the limbs and tight movement of the muscles.
4. Opens into the Eyes
In TCM the blood the liver is responsible for nourishes and moistens the eyes. Someone with deficiency of blood may experience blurry vision, “floaters” in one’s vision and poor eyesight.
5. Manifests in the Nails
The fingernails and the toenails are considered to be an extension of the sinews (tendons). One with a deficiency of blood will have brittle ,dry and cracked nails.
6. Houses the Ethereal Soul (The Hun)
The TCM view of the mind is fascinating. The Hun (Ethereal soul) is rooted in the liver and is the aspect of the psyche that influences one’s capacity to create life plans and one’s sense of direction. The Hun is also the source of dreaming, creativity, ideas and inspiration. When the liver energetic system is out of balance, the hun may be affected. In this case one may not sleep well, have nightmares, excessive dreaming, lack of direction and vision in life, lack of motivation, lack of courage & manic (overactive liver) behavior or depression (deficient liver).
The Emotion of Anger
The emotion associated with spring is anger. The word “anger” in english does’t fully represent what anger means in the TCM sense. Anger is the energy of the propensity or possibility of change. It is the movement of beginnings and new directions. It takes massive effort and energy to start over; whether one is staring a a new career, relationship, moving, a new mind set, etc.
A lack of harnessing the energy of anger may present the picture of lack of motivation, movement and courage. Getting stuck in anger may look like rage, frustration and irritability.
10 Tips From Chinese Medicine for Staying Well & Thriving in Spring
Chinese Medicine teaches us that we can become aware of and harness the energy of the seasonal changes to live well and healthy. The Spring season is the time to utilize the upward moving energy to create a new direction in our lives, that it may mature in summer and be harvested in Autumn. The liver is the energetic organ system associated with the spring and is in charge of the smooth flow of energy in our body and mind. It also controls the sinews and stores the blood, manifests in the nails and opens into the eyes. The Liver also houses the Hun which is the part of our psyche that is in charge of our life direction, dreaming, courage, and inspiration. The following is 10 tips from Chinese medicine will help you harness the energy of spring!
#1 Light Exercise
Exercise mobilizes the blood and moves Qi. This movement will help keep the body’s Qi in motion and prevent stagnation. If we don't follow the upward movement of spring, one may become stagnant and suffer from weakness, pain, frustration and depression.
Light exercise could be a short jog, yoga, qi gong or simply a stroll around the neighborhood or a park.
#2 Stretching
Remember that the liver is in charge of the sinews and that Spring is the time of the liver. Stretching keeps the meridians and blood flowing and keeps the body and mind flexible and balanced.
Implementing a morning stretching routine is very helpful in the spring. Yoga and tai chi are both excellent stretching practices. The qi gong / dao yin form “the Eight silk brocades” or “Eight silken movements” is an exceptional practice that involves stretching.
Here is a link to the Eight Silk Brocades: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K-0JpiJu-o
#3 Eat Greens and Fresh Food
Green is the color associated with spring and it is not hard to see why! The trees are blooming and all of the plants are rising up from the ground. During Spring one should invigorate his or her qi with foods that are fresh. Eat sprouts and leafy greens like spinach, dandelion, chard & kale. Avoid eating too much greasy and heavy foods during spring.
#4 Spend Time Outdoors
“Move through the courtyard with long strides. Dishevel the hair and relax the physical appearance, thereby cause the mind [to orient itself on] life.”
(Unschuld & Tessenow , 2011)
Get outside! Just like this quote from the Chinese medical classic the Huang Di Neijing Su Wen says :“dishevel your hair and relax your physical appearance...” Get outside and relax! Experience the changes of the season of your self. Being outside is healing and inspiring in itself.
Here is a link to the Maryland State Park Directory: http://dnr2.maryland.gov/Publiclands/Pages/parkmap.aspx
#5 Set New Goals
The liver houses the Hun, which is the aspect of our psyche that influences our life direction and vision for the future. Utilize the Spring energy to set new goals and plan for the year so they may mature in summer and their benefits harvested in Autumn.
#6 Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning is more than just an expression that we hear every year at this time. Use the forward moving energy of spring to clear out what is stagnant in your environment and in your self. This is a perfect time to clean out the house or office. Practice letting go of the past and set a clean slate that is ready to begin anew.
#7 Be Flexible and Kind to Yourself and Others
Anger is said to be the emotion connected to Spring. As I mentioned before, anger can be thought of as the propensity or possibility of change. When we become resistant to change it is easy to become irritable. This is a perfect time to cultivate benevolence to self and others. Benevolence is not just superficial kindness but understanding of our attachments and resistance to change. It also applies to projecting outwards onto others our our own thoughts of upset. Practice being flexible with change and letting go of exceptions that are not met. Learn to be like bamboo that grows tall and strong but is flexible and does not break in the wind.
#8 Be creative & Express Yourself
The liver and the Hun influence creativity and expression. One way to move and cultivate the energy of the spring is do some creative work. Using our creativity us helps to express and mobilize our ideas and feelings. Some examples are: Writing music, journaling, dance and gardening, etc.
#9 Take Action
The gallbladder forms a pair with the liver. The liver energetic system is more involved with planning and the gallbladder energetic system more with the action. Don't forget to take action with your new goals. Use the Spring energy not only to plan but to make them happen!
#10 Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine
Acupuncture & herbal medicine can help harmonize the energy of the body and promote the liver’s function of the smooth flow of Qi. They can also help to build and mobilize blood, relieve pain and weakness. They can both calm the mind and help with depression and anxiety. They can also help with spring allergies and the difficulty that can come with the changing of the seasons. .
The body is a complete ecosystem, having within all that is needed for good health. But our environment and our thoughts and where we place our focus can put the body at risk for operating in harmony. TCM provides support in the form of acupuncture and herbs to fill the gap and bring the nine steps above into harmony. Step into Spring this year with renewed understanding to help you work with your body.
References:
Unschuld, P. U., & Tessenow , H. (2011). Huang di nei jing su wen: An annotated translation of huang di's inner classic - basic questions. (Vol. 1, p. 30, 45). Berkeley: University of California Press.