A Return to Yang Energy

A Return to Yang Energy

Spring is the beginning of the year for many cultures and a time of new growth. In Chinese medicine, spring is a time of the return to yang energy. As we look around us, the plants are growing green once again. In climates with cold winters this is very apparent. The water that forms from the melting snow nourishes the plants and trees and is transformed into abundant green growth and flowers. The characteristic green color of spring growth in nature is why the Chinese associate spring with green.

For those of us practicing feng shui, it is important to keep our wood element area clean of clutter and harmoniously filled with plants, wood objects, and green color. Feng shui is, quite simply, the art of placement. Organizing your home and work space can improve the quality of your life. The East and South East areas belong to the wood element which governs spring time. Another benefit to organizing these areas is an increase in wealth, which I am sure most of us could benefit from in these challenging times.

According to the Inner Classics, one of the time-tested classics of Chinese medicine, this is the time of year to “rise early with the sun” and take “brisk walks”. This brings us to our next point. Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! As the yang energy of the season returns to the world around us, it also rises inside of us. When we exercise, we circulate the energy in our whole body. This allows the yang energy of the season to nourish us deep in our organs and out to the surface of our skin. The Inner Classics go on to say this about spring:

The supernatural forces of spring create wind in heaven and wood upon the earth. Within the body they create the liver and the tendons; they create the green color … and give the voice the ability to make a shouting sound … they create the eyes, the sour flavor, and the emotion of anger.

As mentioned above, this is the season to address the liver. When it comes to diet, this season is all about cleansing. Eating too many fatty and heavy foods bogs down the liver and decreases its function. The diet should be light with an emphasis on sweet and pungent flavored foods. A great example of this is mint tea with honey. Brewing mint tea for longer than ten minutes helps activate the qi or energy of the liver. Complex carbohydrates such as legumes, grains and seeds have a sweet flavor which increases with sprouting. Food preparation in spring is simpler and raw foods can be eaten more abundantly. Young carrots, beets and other sweet starchy vegetables are also sweet in nature. Add some pungent spices such as basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, caraway, dill and bay leaf and you have a healthy spring meal. May you have a healthy and prosperous spring!

Mukunda N. Singh L.Ac.