Seasonal Transformation…
It is something that takes place both within the body and throughout our external circumstances in various ways during the course of a year, depending on where we live in the World…
We should feel very blessed to live in a place that experiences the beauty of changing seasons. There is nothing more fleeting than these last few weeks where everything opens up in a spray of delicate blossoms.
Every year, I play this game with myself : “This is my favorite season…”
It is wherever I happen to be, there is a way to enjoy being a part of it.
I wasn’t alway this way though… I remember spending years of my precious life “hating” the cold of Winter, until I learned to make peace with her stillness and surrender myself to cozy days and nights spent inside in front of the fireplace. There is a cocooning element to Winter’s barren landscape, it makes the abundance of Spring feel even more alive and precious.
Spring is active, Yang time. In TCM, this chapter represents the journey of our Liver, as it begins to address a more alert and aware way of life.
Our Liver is in charge of storing our blood, and is also responsible for the fluidity of our body’s fascia. This is because as an organ, our Liver is in charge of storing and distributing our blood supply, along with the assistance of our Kidneys, Lungs, Spleen, and Heart.
A stuck Liver can manifest as rigid thinking, or even a tight and resistant body. A great way to remember to balance ourselves with the energy of Spring is to imagine the young branches of a new tree; we must remain supple and open to grow and change. Bend, so as not to break… We do our best to limit our intake of rich, fatty, and heavy foods during the Spring, as these ingredients will only create stuck blockages in our liver. Instead, we are encouraged to explore light fasts, energizing foods, and simplify our seasonings to be more in-touch with the natural flavors of the fruits and vegetables becoming more available.
As the warmer season encourages us to be more active and explore, we are also invited to begin adjusting our daily life and schedules in favor of the longer days. We are encouraged to be more creative. Perhaps there is something nudging at you in your life that feels ready for an adjustment? Now is a great time to go for it!
Our Liver as an archetype - the Hun - represents our innate drive to create, grow, and transform. It could also be described as our intuition. How do we just inherently “know” sometimes what to do or what the right answer is?
This is something that happens when we are in touch with ourselves. This is why we are encouraged to explore reconnection with our Hun, the spirit of our Liver, through a seasonal diet and movement practice. If you find yourself feeling stuck, why not try to incorporate more Yang activities- such as running or biking- as a way to reconnect with the abundant Spring energy?
Without the current of change that is this time of the year, the Winter would envelop us in darkness; life would remain stuck and sinking as the quality of Water predominates.
This, right now, is a beautiful turning point… We start to move away from the Kapha of Winter into the more active Pitta time of the Summer. The Spring is the season of the Wood element: like the branches and bark of a tree, we are encouraged to start spreading our limbs and reaching towards the glowing Sun.
Living in accordance with this seasonal wisdom allows us to explore and make sense of the constant change taking place all around us. It is often said that the only constant in life is change, which can either terrify or persuade us to be more trusting and courageous of this one shot at being alive as we are here and now. As my favorite poet Mary Oliver said: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
