Embody the changes that Spring is here to offer and care for the body in this season of new energy..
After a long, cold Winter, the plants and trees are beginning to emerge from dormancy, eager to soak up the sun and start growing again. The flowers are opening their petals and sharing their beauty with the world as the animals come out of hibernation, ready to embrace the fresh energy in the air. The stillness of Winter offered the regenerative nourishment that the soil and varieties of life on Earth needed, including our bodies. As we transition into the warmth of Spring we are transitioning into new energy. The season is a fertile time, a time of renewal and rebirth. To honor this energetic change in nature, we can invite the energy of creativity and growth to inspire us to sow new seeds and intentions into our lives.
Sowing Intentions
The Spring Equinox on March 20 and the New Moon in Aries on March 21 combined their powerful energy of renewal and offered a cosmic reset that can help us to clear out anything that is not serving us and start fresh- it is truly a new year in nature. Winter was a time of restoration, evoked by the energy of Yin that took over the natural world. In the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine, two energies exist in nature and the human body - known as Yin and Yang. Yin is synonymous with stillness, silence, inactivity, contraction, and restoration- all the qualities Winter was here to share. Yang is synonymous with movement, loudness, activity, expansion, and growth. We are currently transitioning from the energy of Yin into Yang- and Spring is the season of that transition. As the season of Winter offers rejuvenation through its long dormancy, Spring evokes growth and creation through its blossoming. Spring is a time of possibility, and we can use this energy to set intentions for what we want to achieve in the coming months.
This opportunity for change is here to support those stuck in a pattern of stagnancy caused by conflict, mental distress, and hopelessness. As beings of this Earth, we have natural powers of creativity, along with the powers of self-healing and loving. The dysfunction of modern society, in the form of conditioning, stressful lifestyles, and living out of tune with nature causes these powers to live dormant. One can reconnect with skills like creativity by integrating nature’s energy into one’s lifestyle. Creative energy is abundantly available right now, and now is the time to reaffirm your power by being intentional with your choices and taking action and initiative to create and manifest your dreams and visions into reality.
Supporting Our Bodies During Spring
As the seasons change, so do our bodies. Like birds, trees, and plants, we must adapt to changes in the environment instead of resisting. As Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu says,
"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them- that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”
The theme of all seasons is to flow, surrendering to change to allow it to guide you into something new. As we are guided into this new energy, our bodies are adapting as well. According to TCm, every season connects with a different element, emotion, organ pairing, and energy. Spring is the season of the Wood element, whose energy moves upward and outward, as does the sap within a tree. Spring is associated with the liver and gallbladder organs which are particularly active because the body is breaking down stored fats and toxins from the Winter, and the liver is working hard to detoxify the system. The liver is responsible for metabolism, detoxification, and the regulation of blood, energy, and emotions. The gallbladder is responsible for storing bile, which helps the body to digest fats. If the liver becomes overworked, it can lead to imbalances such as anger, frustration, and fatigue that manifest in the body. There is a multitude of things to integrate into your lifestyle to support your liver and gallbladder during Spring to prevent imbalance and dis-ease in the body.
Food Choice
Foods that are easy to digest assist the liver in operating its function of detox. When the body is under external stress and is not receiving proper nutrients, it causes internal stress on our body's interconnected system of organs. Incorporate food like:
Leafy Greens: kale, spinach, swiss chard, dandelion greens, & collard greens
Seasonal vegetables: asparagus, celery, radishes, broccoli, sprouts, artichoke, onions, & garlic
Seasonal Fruits: apricots, grapefruit, lemons, kiwi
Grounding Grains: oats, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, & amaranth
Protein: Tofu, tempeh, Salmon, Cod, seafood, pork
*When consuming meat or fish, please source high-quality options like wild-caught fish, wild-caught seafood, and humanely raised pork for the most nutrients and environmentally conscious option.
Eating plenty of green leafy vegetables, fruits, and whole grains will help to support the liver and gallbladder. When sourcing food, it is always best to source local, in-season, and organic foods to better support your body with nutrients.
Lifestyle Changes
As the liver works hard during Spring to naturally detox the body of toxins from Winter, we want to assist this process by moderating and avoiding processed foods, gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and raw foods. These food choices are difficult for the body to digest and extract Qi, life force energy from. The health of the digestive organs directly affects the health of the liver and the rest of the body. A nourishing, balanced body needs nourishing food to support it.
Avoid Alcohol. Alcohol is known to produce heat in the body and move blood throughout the system, and when consumed in excess, it becomes very taxing on the liver. The liver is the organ that metabolizes and clears the blood of alcohol. Excessive alcohol usage can overload the liver and make it difficult to do its functions of metabolizing and detoxing the body properly- which affects the entire organ system of the body. Moderating and avoiding alcohol during the duration of Spring will assist our bodies in this season.
Stay warm and protect the body from external influences like the wind. We are only at the threshold of this new season and must transition slowly into this new time, using nature as a guide. Spring arrives at a slow momentum - there is still instability in the weather, and the excessive winds of the early months of Spring are something to protect ourselves from.
Keep the body warm and always protect the chest, neck, and feet with warming layers, as these are easy entry points for the cold to sneak in.
Continue to consume warming foods and beverages to support the body as we transition into warmer weather. Cook vegetables and fruits thoroughly before consuming them to protect your body from external influences entering the system.
Movement
Moving the body is key to adapting to any transitional period and regulating the nervous system. Including stretches in your early morning routine will assist your body and mind in this season of energy expansion.
I invite you to incorporate this stretch, known as frog pose, into your routine. Traditionally practiced in Yin Yoga, this pose connects you with the liver organ by stretching into the meridian, or energy channel, that travels through the liver.
To enter into this pose, find yourself in a tabletop position: your shoulders stacked over your wrists and hips stacked over your knees.
From here, begin to widen your knees apart, opening into the hips. Align your feet with your knees, creating frog legs. You can hold this pose on your hands or lower down onto your forearms to deepen into it.
You can use props like a bolster, or pillows, and place it under the belly to support your body into this deep hip-opening pose.
You can hold this pose for up to 6 minutes, focusing your awareness on the sensation of the stretch and the breath.
To get out of this pose, push your hands and forearms forward until you can rest your belly and release the legs straight behind you.
Be Nurtured By Nature
As energy is expanding, so is the warmth that the sun is here to share. Sunlight and fresh air are things to hold gratitude for after the cold Winter we have experienced. Embrace the weather and connect with the Earth by spending more time outdoors. Being exposed to natural environments:
Calms the mind by regulating one’s nervous system and mood
Sunlight produces Vitamin D which strengthens bones, muscles, and the body’s immune system
Assists in connecting with the inner self, otherwise known as the soul. Observing the natural world is a way to enter into the practice of meditation, observing the body and mind with the awareness that you are not the body and mind but the one having an experience in this vessel.
Place your bare feet in the grass, meditate outside, take a walk in nature, practice gardening, go for a hike, admire the beauty of the flowers, and let the energy of the season inspire you to grow and change.
The new energy of Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth. Embrace the season and let Spring be your guide.
xxx,
Natalie Ventura, Garden of Awareness
