Spring and The Wood Element

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Spring is a time of birth and new growth. Energy stirs into action as we see new buds and new shoots, fresh green leaves, and the buzz of life that heralds the end of winter. It takes some

Spring and The Wood Element »

determination and force for that new shoot to push through soil hardened by the cold of winter, but this is just the sort of challenge through which Wood expresses itself. Wood loves to push against something, and there is an upward, outward momentum to its energy. Spring also brings hope and a vision for the future, as each new bud and sprouting seed contains the plan and blueprint for what is to come.

And so for us, too, Wood plays a crucial role in our vision – both physically and in terms of our capacity to see clearly where we are at in our lives and where we are heading in the future. Someone

with an imbalance in Wood might struggle to “see the forest for the trees”. Wood oversees our plans for the future as well as our day to day plans and routines. It governs our decision making and our capacity to put our plans into action. An imbalance may result in difficulty in making decisions and perhaps procrastination. But equally, a Wood imbalance may result in excessive action and “doing”, and look out to anyone who gets in the way! The emotional expression of the upward, outward movement of Wood energy is anger, and Wood doesn’t like to be thwarted!

Wood and The BodySpring and The Wood Element »

The associated organs of Wood are the Liver and Gall Bladder. In Chinese medicine, both have connections to the eyes, but the Liver is the main custodian of our vision. The Liver, through its function of planning, is responsible for the smooth flow of energy through the body and the regulation of processes such as menstruation and digestion. The Gall Bladder assists through the storage of bile. The Wood organs also nourish our tendons, thus playing an important role in our flexibility (both physically and mentally).

Wood and The Mind

Mostly seen in planning, judgements and decisions as described above. If Wood energy is stuck or imbalanced, we may lose our sense of rhythm and routine in life as our planning is impaired. Alternatively we may lose our sense of flexibility as everything is planned to the last minute. Either way we have lost balance. When Wood loses its flexibility, thinking can become rigid and “black and white”. We can struggle to make decisions, and frustration and anger can arise when things aren’t “going to plan”.

Wood and The SpiritSpring and The Wood Element »

The role of Wood and the spirit has to do with our sense of connection to our lives and our life-paths – our big-picture sense of direction, which provides us with hope and a sense of purpose. There is an invitation to let go of the “small” plans and designs of our ego, in favour of coming into line with the greater universal plan or flow of things.

Next time

Next season we’ll be looking at summer and the Fire element. Think warmth, connection, relationship, fun, laughter, and the tears of a clown….