Shao Yang and Spring Regeneration
As we welcome the Spring Equinox, let’s embrace the power of change. Spring is known to be a pivot time in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This is when the changing external conditions and the internal requirements are regulated through the tension held between their competing desires and manifestations. Spring is Shao Yang—growth, expansion and outward movement. Entering this phase of your year, flexibility and adaptability are required to balance the realities of the external with the needs of the internal.
Status Quo or Status Whoa?
It seems to be a natural human response to fear and avoid change. What does change represent to our psyche that causes such a response? Perhaps it is the assumed instability and numerous unknowns that will occur. But change is as inevitable as the seasons, and in nature, nothing is a constant. To our eyes, a plant or a hillside may seem unaltered from day to day, but we know that internally there are many fluctuations and upheavals taking place. We experience intense storms in Florida, where the Acupuncture by Andrea offices are located. These events can be destructive to property, but for nature, there is a needed cleansing aspect to their ferocity. Stirring up the oceans, they bring decaying matter from the ocean floor and move the sand into new patterns and hunting grounds for the animals living in that environment.
We are part of nature, and changes, though sometimes hidden from view, are also taking place within us and they are essential for renewal. In spring, a change from retention to movement begins in a process of clearing out debris and waste so we can function more efficiently. The natural accumulation that happens during the stagnation of winter (from tree limbs in the forest to excess Christmas candy in our bodies), becomes burdensome if not evacuated. Your body in spring is preparing to move and do. If it has to work harder to digest, assimilate and remove an excess of intake, the necessary change and renewal cannot take place. An imbalance of your health will occur, causing physical and emotional upsets.
In nature, we clear branches and leaves from the forest floor to prevent fires. In our bodies, much of our waste and excess has been stored in our gut. Adjusting your diet in spring to aid your liver in eliminating waste is the first change to make. Start by limiting the consumption of highly fatty and fried foods. Minimize intake of sugar and processed ingredients as much as you can. Now that the time of storage and buildup has pivoted to a time of release, overeating is not necessary. Try to relax, eat more slowly and savor the taste of the simple, seasonal foods available. Fresh fruits and vegetables are fibrous to aid in elimination. They are also high in vitamins that stimulate the body to move blood and clear stagnation. Cleansing and renewal during the spring pivot starts with your diet.
Spring Cleansing 101
Adapting your diet to the changing season is one important aspect of spring health. Another is movement. Take a long walk outside and see the changes happening all around you, and take a moment to invite change in.
Consider trying out a new exercise class and boost your immune system to prevent those seasonal germs from getting a hold of you. The first defense against the invasion of viruses and germs in your body is the skin cells, with their constant cycle of death and growth renewal. The strength of blood flow in the lungs, enhanced with exercise, will bring the blood to the surface and help keep the skin functioning properly.
Skin cells and some organ cells are comprised of cells that die off more frequently than most cells in your body. Nature programmed our DNA to include this activity in cells where there was a need for frequent renewal. We often focus on the miracle of generative cells such as stem cells, while the regenerative cells do the heavy lifting and daily dying to help us live. Boost the power of regeneration by intaking enough water. Eight to ten 8 oz. glasses of water is ideal. Add lemon juice to nourish and power up the liver’s vital work.
Change is good, and now is the time to embrace it. Continue your quest for Happiness, Wellness and Goodness with these seasonal lifestyle adjustments:
Move away from chaos. Try to eliminate things in your life that you don’t need. Clothes you’ll never wear? Household items you don’t use? Clear away the clutter and bring space into your life. You’ll find that you have room to grow and dream.
Let go! Try to see the past as a book you read and learned from and no longer need to consult. The future beckons and the present is here to live within.
Open yourself to new ideas and new ways of being. Take on an activity that’s always interested you that you didn’t make time for. You do have the time and you will benefit from that class, volunteer work or hobby you’ve had your eye on.
Read more about the season of renewal and your health in our blog article on spring and emotional health.