SPRING

From the Chinese Medical perspective, our environment has an incredibly significant influence on our health. According to the Huang Di Neijing, one of the foundational clinical texts for Chinese Medicine, there are lifestyle recommendations to follow based on nature and the season you’re in to help you feel your best. Spring is seen as a period of birth, rapid growth, and revitalization. Huang Di states to get outside first thing in the morning and take a stroll to absorb the fresh and invigorating energy of spring. In five element theory each season is associated with an organ group which is in turn associated with a body tissue, emotion, and so on. Spring is associated with the tendons and ligaments, so it’s recommended to do more stretching, Qigong, and/or Taichi to help keep your body more open and pliable. In terms of our emotional experience, spring is associated with a tendency toward anger, frustration, and irritability. Huang Di recommends developing a practice of equanimity to help overcome the natural tendency toward excessive irritability or frustration during this season.

And as always, acupuncture is a great tool to help our bodies feel more aligned with the seasons.

-Emily Costello, LAc