As I sit here writing this, the wind has really picked up in the UK (so much so that at 4 am this morning I had to rescue the trampoline as it tried to make an escape to my neighbours garden)!
The Wind reminds me that this is the transition into Spring. It is associated with the Wood element, Liver and Gall Bladder.
This blog post will be looking at:
As always I am always here if you have any questions.
Love from Andrea
The Wood Element
If anyone follows me on Instagram these pictures may be familiar. They are a snapshot of how I see the Liver, which is the Yin organ of the Wood element.
Amazon may or may not be a favourite of yours, but there is no denying that their operation is very efficient. And this is the role of the Liver.
To make everything happen in the way it should, in the order it should. Those brown boxes go anywhere to everyone. Any time. Any direction.
Ultimately it ensures the smooth and free flow of Qi.
The Gall Bladder I have not particularly gone into for today's blog. However, the emotion relating to Gall Bladder is decisiveness.
When the Gall Bladder is in disharmony it may be difficult to make decisions.
How does Wind manifest in the body?
The Wind signs and symptoms mimic how we see Wind in nature.
It moves
Quick onset
Changes direction
Moves quickly
affects the top of the body more (think about trees swaying in the wind, there roots and trunk move minimally despite the branches moving frantically).
Signs and symptoms of Wind:
aversion to cold or wind
sneezing
coughing
runny nose
fever
neck stiffness
itchy throat
tremors
tics
severe dizziness
vertigo
numbness
and in serious cases, it can lead to convulsions, unconsciousness
The emotion of the Liver and Spring
The emotion associated with the Liver is Anger. You may find during these months a sense of frustration or irritability.
Since Anger is a Yang emotion a lot of the signs and symptoms will be towards the top of the body including:
headaches
red face
dizziness
tinnitus
How can we support this transition into Spring?
These recommendations are taken from Paul Pitchford's book Healing with Whole Foods, which is an immense and inspiring book about how authentic traditions of Chinese medicine food preparation and living seasonally can be used today to heal.
Each of the pictures looks at how you can support yourself from Winter into Spring.
Foods for Spring including eating lightly, what to avoid and food preparation
Preparing for Spring by keeping the scarf on 🤣 (if you have followed me for a while you will know I am very keen on a scarf)!
Addressing the emotional side because eating all the foods in the world will not be of benefit without looking after your emotional wellbeing
Looking after the gall bladder
Addressing general signs and symptoms of a Liver imbalance is below
Why we should be more Yin this year
I went to a brilliant and fascinating webinar with Lillian Pearl Bridges who gives an insight into the year ahead based on the lunar calendar.
Her advice for this year is to take it slowly. The Ox is dependable and slow. It is a Yin quality. Nourish yourself, try not to do too much.
This is even more important since next year will be the Year of the Tiger, a very Yang year. Hold on to your hats!
To see her full forecast you can click on the document below.