There's something in the air...can you feel it? Memorial Day is behind us, the days are getting longer, the weather is finally (!) getting a bit warmer, and the end of the school year is rapidly approaching...summer is nearly upon us!
While summertime traditions may be calling out to us, we still have a few weeks left of Spring--per the western calendar, as well as the calendar observed by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine--and we should savor each moment.
Acupuncture, cupping therapy, and herbal medicine are all tenets of Traditional Chinese Medicine that you are probably familiar with. In addition to medical practice and healing from within, the teachings of Traditional Chinese Medicine map out five seasons--each of which bringing its own unique energy and rhythms that can assist us in determining just what our bodies need most. The world blooms in the spring, and within each of us, you will find similar growth, determination, and hope.
So how can one go about maximizing these days filled with new life and new possibilities? As we near the finish line for this all-too-short season, here are a few ways to make some changes, or if you have already begun the shift, a few gentle reminders to keep you on the right path:
Improve Your Liver Function
Improving your liver function can maintain balanced emotions and good physical health. You can support liver health by drinking lots of water and eating healthy. Spring is the perfect time to eat light and try a variety of produce. How?
Try new things and incorporate more springtime fare into your meals
Include including more leafy greens
Join a CSA
Incorporate sour foods like lemon, kimchi, and sauerkraut
Use healthy fats like olive oil and sesame oil when sauteing, for salad dressings, or in pastas
Include more raw fruits and vegetables, and foods cooler in nature, like cucumber and tofu
Consider using lighter cooking styles, like steaming and stir-frying instead of baking or roasting
See also: drink plenty of water!
Get Moving
Exercise is beneficial for your body, and there's no time like now to get outside and start moving and stretching more. It is important not to overwork your body, though, ...especially if you are just starting out, or if you have taken an extended break from exercising. Yoga, swimming, Pilates, walking, and other mobility exercises can get your heart moving without causing undue stress to one's body, post-winter hibernation mode.
Balance!
Each season in Traditional Chinese Medicine is associated with a different element (earth, fire, metal, water, wood). Each element corresponds to nature and to medicine. Spring corresponds with the element of wood. We also associate spring with time of growth, reaching up and out for the sun, with rebirth, renewal, power and force. Wood is the element of focus during the Spring, and one way to nourish it is by making sure tasks are under control and otherwise helping oneself feel like life is sturdy and balanced. You can do this by setting goals, waking up earlier, and making efficient use of your time.
Every season of the year also designates time to work on particular components in life, and Spring is no different. It is the best time for planning and setting new goals. I, too, love an impromptu plan, but a couple of simple changes here and there can help with being better prepared for what lies ahead. Preparation also means less frustration and anxiety, which ultimately helps keep a balanced, sound, and healthy emotional state.
We are committed to helping you enjoy an active and productive Spring season.
Contact Everybody Healing Center today to create an individualized wellness plan so that you can live with renewed energy once again.
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