Yin Yoga and TCM: Spring season- main element, organs and emotions
(part 2)
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished”
Lao Tzu
The Five Elements in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)—Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal—are connected not only to the seasons but also to our internal cycles, emotions, organs, and biological functions. These systems are energized through meridians, subtle energy channels that can be balanced to ensure a healthy flow of Qi.
The Wood element, connected to the Spring season, reflects in TCM and acupuncture the qualities of birth, growth, and renewal, mirroring the natural energy shift in Spring. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Spring is a season of rebirth and growth, a season everyone is longing and waiting for, after the heavy depth and coldness of winter. However, it is also a season of transitions and changes, which bring a lot of instability and uncertainty that require a sudden adaptation and flexibility. By understanding the qualities of Spring and following TCM’s recommendations for a harmonious life, we can tap into the season’s energy and wisdom to enhance physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Wood energy supports movement, flexibility, and resilience in the body. However, trauma, stress, or injury can block this energy, leading to chronic pain conditions like migraines, joint pain, sinusitis or menstrual cramps. On an internal level, it can make us lose our internal sense of direction or sense of self. Maintaining a healthy Wood energy is essential for pain relief and our overall well-being.
The root causes of chronic pain, energy blockages or stagnation are most often more than physical and its explanation lies in the hidden emotional trauma and ongoing stress stored in the body. The Wood element’s role in the acute stress response is to guard and defend us in response to threat. Under chronic stress and lots of changes that trigger the fear of uncertainty, the body may lose its ability to relax, leaving one feeling habitually tensed and rigid, prone to explosive anger and frustration. When the Wood element is flowing smoothly in the body, it gives us power and creativity to deal with any external factors and situations, making us assertive and firm. During this time of the year, it is vital to also keep our emotional well-being in check by practising mindfulness, meditation and deep belly breathing to prevent feelings of frustration and pent up anger to arise. Emotional suppression contributes to this stagnation, so expressing emotions in healthy ways is key to keeping the energy balanced and flowing smoothly, also through creative expressions like dancing, painting, singing etc. When the Wood element is in harmony, there is freedom of expression and open space for expansion. Yin Yoga is also a powerful tool to influence meridian energy, through long-held asanas, helping release tension in muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia.
Spring is considered a much more “yang” time of year, meaning it is a time for creation and action, a time to close old projects and ideas and start envisioning and implementing new ones. Wood element energy is described as forward movement, growth, expansion, and exuberance, symbolizing spring in all its vitality. Its emotional association is anger, at its lowest and compassion, at its highest. While in anger, we can become helpless, stagnated and not allow ourselves to be flexible or mindful enough or lack vision. It’s this unbalanced Yang expression of anger that does damage, when we can’t process anger and we turn to violence or passive aggression. The Yin response is anger turned inwards with self blame, shame, guilt and depression.
The organs that are associated with the Wood element are the Liver and the Gallbladder. Functionally, the liver is responsible for digestion and purifying the blood, while the gallbladder stores the bile, releasing it on demand after the ingestion of a heavy meal. In Chinese Medicine, the Liver has the additional function of ensuring a smooth movement of Qi through the body, regulating emotions and supporting hormonal and menstrual health, while the Gallbladder is responsible for nourishing the tendons, muscles and ligaments. The Liver holds our inner purpose and direction, while the Gallbladder helps us interact with the world and make practical, aligned decisions. Just like a tree with the branches pointing upwards yet the roots firmly in the ground, we can maintain a grounding yet adaptable energy throughout this Spring season, navigating smoothly through challenges and aligning with our true nature and goals.
In Spring, we can find some well deserved time to detox our bodies and tissues after the winter’s stagnation and slow rhythm. Some recommended foods, spices and herbs which help with detoxifying the body are fermented foods, green tea, chamomile, elderflower, ginger, peppermint, anise, strawberries, artichokes, asparagus, dandelion, radishes, kale, ginger, garlic, leeks, cinnamon, red lentils, walnuts, pears, black sesame, lemon, spinach, nettles and many others. Lavender, peppermint, bergamot and sandalwood are great essential oils that help activate the Qi in the liver and gallbladder meridian channels. It is also recommended to start moving more, stretching more, spending more time outdoors, immersing ourselves in nature and also relaxing more the eyes (a detox of the mind by taking some off-screen time).
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