“Oh, Spring! I want to go out and feel you and get inspiration. My old things seem dead. I want fresh contacts, more vital searching.” ~ Emily Carr

Spring is a time of growth, expansion, change and new beginnings. The energy of the season is more Yang (active, motivating) in quality. Consider some of these common spring phrases:

• Put a spring in your step
• Springing to life
• Spring fever
• Spring clean

 
All of these phrases speak to the energy and growth of the season. Out with the old and in with the new! But feeling ‘stuck’ happens. Anger and frustration can come up. You may know exactly what you want to achieve but, try as you might, you just can’t get it happening. On the other hand, you may not have a clear idea of ‘where to next’. So you don’t take any action. Because you can’t.
 
In Chinese medicine, Spring is associated with the Wood element and the Liver and Gall Bladder channels. Wood:

• Represents healthy growth, rootedness and flexibility (Think of the imagery of a tree or bamboo)
• Is associated with the emotions of benevolence and anger (More on anger in my next blog post)
• Guides decision making and planning (Wood uses the insights of the heart (or intuition, gut instinct) to provide direction and transform ideas into action)
• Vision and imagination (Physical vision and inner vision necessary for growth)
• Is disrupted by Wind (Have you noticed on a windy day people are angrier and more unbalanced?)  

 
Metaphysically, the feet, ankles and knees are associated with life direction. They represent movement (forward, backwards and sideways) and agility. Specifically:

• Feet = groundedness and taking the first step (Do you have the courage to take the first step? Are your decisions grounded and considered?)
• Ankles = stability and decision making related to change (How do you feel about change in general? Do you embrace or resist it?)
• Knees = flexibility to change direction when necessary, choice and stubbornness (If things don’t go according to plan, can you readjust and try something different? Or do you stubbornly hold onto ‘plan A’?)

 
In order to make changes though, we must have a clear idea of where we’re going. We need to see the bigger picture. Otherwise it’s like driving a car with a foggy windscreen. If you’ve got the courage to accelerate, you’ll certainly end up somewhere … but maybe not where you want to be! Metaphysically, this is represented by the eyes, ears and nose. Specifically:

• Eyes = vision, seeing truth and the bigger picture, avoidance (Are you connected with your inner vision of the future? What don’t you want to look at?)
• Ears  = listening, hearing truth, avoidance (Can you hear your inner voice of wisdom? Are you listening to lies?)
• Nose = clarity, direction, leadership (Think of the saying ‘follow your nose’!)

The return of Spring brings the return of the sun and our own inner light. It is awakening and shines a light on the areas of ourselves that we may wish to avoid (avoidance = eyes and ears). It's time to put into action the ideas and inspirations you've been peculating over winter. But what happens if you're stuck? To harness the Spring energy:

• Get moving - physically move your body to get the Qi flowing and to kick start your motivation. This can be as simple as a daily walk.
• Do grounding activities  - walking barefoot, being in nature and focusing your attention to the bottom of your feet are good ways to ground
• Wear a scarf - this seems like an odd one, but doing so protects the neck from Wind invasion which, as described above, destabilises the Wood/Spring element
• Book in for a Spring session! Book your appointment online or call 0423 493 255.

Take care until next time,

Nadine x

Here in Melbourne we’re right in the heart of winter. It’s cold, it’s wet but haven’t we been blessed with some beautiful sunny days! I hope you're enjoying those slices of sunshine and warmth as much as I am!
 
Winter is a time of retreat and stillness. We’re in the most Yin (quiet, cold) phase of the year and the energy of the season supports inward looking and reflective activities. It’s the perfect time to take stock and reflect on your inner and outer worlds. Think of where you were 3, 6 and 12 months ago. How have things changed? How have you changed?
 
Winter also represents the time of the ‘shadow’; the unconscious and most hidden parts of ourselves. Do you fear and avoid these darkest parts of yourself? Or do you have the courage to look at and work with your shadow aspects?
 
In Chinese medicine, Winter is associated with the Water element, the colour black and the Kidney and Bladder meridians.

• The spirit of Water is Zhi - the spirit of aligned will, courage and innate wisdom.  
• Water is the first and last element on the wheel of 5 elements (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal) so represents endings and beginnings.
• Imbalanced Water is characterised by excessive pushing, lack of drive/motivation/willpower, excessive fear (‘frozen’ by fear) or anxiety, cowardly behaviour and addictions.
• Typical Water imbalances I work with in clinic includes disconnection from inner wisdom/intuition, pushing self to the point of exhaustion, fear of stopping or slowing down, fear of moving forward/inability to take the first step, anxiety and panic attacks.  
  

Embracing the energy of Winter

• Give yourself permission to slow down and DO less. Notice if you have a fear response to this (many people have a belief that slowing down stops growth) and explore what this means to you.
• Listen to your body. You’ll naturally be more tired at this time of year and will want to sleep more. What does your body want to eat? Most likely it will be warming soups and stews.
• Adjust your movement activities. Choose gentle exercise (walking, stretching) rather than long gym sessions.
• ‘Switch off’ where you can. Turn your devices off and enjoy some you time.
• Tune in and reflect. This promotes integration of past events and allows space for inspiration going forward. This isn’t the time to start new projects (save that for Spring) but you may start bubbling some exciting new ideas!
• Stay warm. Keep the lower back warm and covered to protect Kidney Zhi.

How would things be different if you could slow down (without guilt!) and listen to your body more? What if you were consistently in tune with your intuition? How does fear show up in your life? Do you struggle with motivation and willpower?
 
Embrace the heart of winter with a Winter session. Book your appointment online or call 0423 493 255.

Nadine x