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Living with the seasons–in tune and in synch with weather changes and harvesting patterns, for example–can make you healthier and happier. There’s a reason why going with the flow is good idea–it conserves energy, for one thing. It’s a strategy for the long haul that works. As a practitioner of Chinese medicine (CM) and health coach, I counsel patients on ways to work with their environment when they come to see me for acupuncture, herbal medicine, bodywork therapy, and/or coaching. Keep reading if you, too, would like some useful tips for your wellbeing as we go into the spring season.
Keep in mind that Chinese medicine encompasses more than just acupuncture needles. Instead, it is a health system that encourages a meaningful and harmonious way of life, one that acknowledges the interplay between people and their greater surroundings. The connections between you and your larger environment are worth exploring, don’t you agree? Stepping lightly within where you are can help you to enhance and maintain your wellbeing.
How so? Well, here are four broad categories where you can focus your energy: environment, organs, food, and mood. Each one can be profitably viewed within the context of the spring season.
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Environment: Spring is the time of renewal. Cold and musty winter air dissipates, flowers bloom, and baby animals abound. This can be a time to lose some of the weight that one gains in winter. It could be a time for allergies and an uptick of Wind-related conditions, like rashes or tremor. Yes, chronic ailments that lay dormant during winter may flare during the spring. If you tend to skin conditions, now is when they might trouble you the most. But do not become discouraged by focusing only on the health problems that may or may not resurface. Instead, be proactive about your wellness. Now is the time to get up and take a walk in the morning, to open windows, and to shake off the dust of winter. Enjoy the flowers, clean out your closets, renew your sense of hope and energy. While you’re at it, may you could even donate either some money or your time to a local wildlife rescue. Why not?
Organ: According to traditional Chinese medicine, spring corresponds with the Liver and its pair, the Gallbladder (I capitalize to indicate CM; Western medicine’s liver, or the liver you actually have in your body are similar, but not quite the same as the umbrella category that is “Liver” or “Spleen” or any other Chinese medicine organ). These organs are tasked with decision making, detoxification, and expansion. The Liver is connected with the health of sinews and muscle. If the Liver qi is stuck, we may be angry, or we sigh a lot, or maybe we have dry eyes or floaters in our vision. If the Gallbladder qi is stuck, we may have gallstones; if it is weak or deficient, we are fearful. A healthy Liver makes for a calmer temperament, stronger tendons, and clear vision. A thriving and healthy Gallbladder makes for bravery.
Food: Chinese medicine categorizes food by temperature, action, and flavor. During spring, we want to eat foods that are in season, maybe eat just a little less than we did during winter, and we would consider weather as we plan our menus. I don’t know where you are while you read this, but I’m in Texas. Last week, it was temperate, almost dry, and warm. Today, as I write, it’s humid, the sky is full of gray clouds, and the wind is cold though the air is warm. The lovely, light food that made me feel good last week won’t do it for me today. Today, it’s ginger tea and vegetable soup. Tomorrow, since this is Texas, who knows? What does remain constant, though, is the idea of eating things that are good for the Liver (greens, legumes, black sesame seeds, cardamom, and other like) and Gallbladder (avoiding greasy food, eating garlic, and enjoying cruciferous vegetables).
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Mood: Spring is the time of excitement, expansion, and growth. If you’d like to avoid the excess of Liver qi stagnation or the deficiency of Gallbladder weakness, then take small and doable steps to work with the season rather than against it. Clean your house. Take a morning walk. If you don’t have an acupuncturist, now is a great time to start (if you’d like tips for finding the right acupuncturist for you, look here) and get an assessment and plan a worthy program. Be proactive about your wellness and mindful of the way you interact with your environment. Dust off the cobwebs and take a deep, healing breath. Spring is here and change is in the air. Go with the flow of the season and see how much easier life can be as a result.
Becoming and remaining your own healthy best may sound effortful but it really is not, especially if you teach yourself to follow the seasons and live according to their changes. Acupuncture and other modalities of Chinese medicine can be a wonderful resource for you as you move towards being happier, healthier, and certainly more at peace within your environment.
Are you ready to begin?
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Paula Bruno, Ph.D., L.Ac., is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, an AOBTA-CP traditional Chinese bodywork therapist, and a wellness educator and health coach. She maintains an active practice at her Austin, TX office. Dr. Bruno is also available for distance appointments for wellness consultation or coaching.
In her first career, she was a Spanish professor.
Dr. Bruno’s specialties as a Chinese medicine practitioner include: • Musculoskeletal health (acute or chronic pain relief; Ehlers Danlos syndrome & hypermobility support) • Digestive support, gut health, and weight loss • Aesthetic treatment, including scar revision • Men’s health • General preventative care and lifestyle support for all persons.
She is the author of Chinese Medicine and the Management of Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome: A Practitioner’s Guide. Dr. Bruno also maintains a second website, holistichealthandheds.com, with resources and information curated specifically for people with hEDS and HSD.
When you are ready to discover what traditional medicine plus a vibrant and engaged approach to holistic health can do for you, either contact Dr. Bruno or book an appointment online.
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Two Hearts Wellness does not accept paid advertising on this website
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Note: Material on this web site site is not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease, illness, or ailment. A TCM practitioner in Texas identifies syndrome patterns but does not diagnose illness. Material on this web site does not purport to identify syndrome patterns.
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Two Hearts Wellness 