Living in Harmony With Nature: Spring

Spring is Here!

Yes, I know the first day of Spring is March 20, at least according to our modern Gregorian calendar. In Chinese Medicine, March 20, the equinox, is actually the peak of spring. Energetically we’ve been in Spring for several weeks. The Seasonal cycle in Chinese Medicine is actually based on the solar cycles. When the Sun is highest in the sky, summer peaks. When the sun is lowest and we experience minimal daylight hours, winter peaks. Based on this, we can extrapolate the rest of the seasons.Winter is a very Yin time, but as wemove towards spring we have more Yang energy. We see this in nature as buds crack open, leaves sprout, animals begin to frolic and activity on the canal path starts to pick up as people begin to emerge from their period a rest.So why do some people feel frustrated, angry and tired? Why do many experience poor sleep, trouble getting started, increased chronic pain and digestive upsets? In the same way we have patterns and transitions happening in the world around us, we also have them happening within us. Sometimes the transition from Yin to Yang can be bumpy, especially if constitutionally a person is of a more Yin or Yang nature.In addition, locally we have a bit of juxtaposition. We have the energy of spring begging us to get out and move yet in Rochester, we still may have frigid weather, cold winds and dare I say it, snow. It’s the equivalent of a brake stance in an old rear-wheel drive car–revving your engine up to go and leaving the emergency brake on, there’s smoke and burnt rubber yet no movement.

So what we do?

Dress warm and get out and move - Tendons and sinews resonate with the energy of Spring they respond to movement.Keep the house warm on damper days - The temptation is there to open the windows and turn down the heat. On warm days this is fine. However the dampness that comes with spring rains often makes the air feel colder than it did during the dry winter season. This rawness can trigger pain, chronic illness and certain types of Arthritis.Eat warm foods, drink lots of water - The digestive organs can be especially susceptible this time of year as other organ systems hit their stride with the Yang qualities of Spring.Try Acupuncture - Seasonal changes often bring a little disharmony. A lot of the symptoms that become exacerbated during the transition to Spring including irritability, anger, frustration, insomnia, digestive issues and pain can often be alleviated with an Acupuncture treatment to restore balance.