In Winter we went deep within, planting the seeds of creation and new possibilities.
“When the seed germinates in the dark depths of Water (Winter), the Wood Element is already planning its ultimate form, function and direction toward the sky.” - Lorie Eve Dechar, Kigo
In Spring, the seed has the gall to defy gravity, as it rises up sprouting from the darkness underground. Like the first blades of grass in Spring, the Wood element embodies vision, hope and future possibilities. The Wood element is the driving force behind the seed cracking open and the yearning to grow.
Spring is the season of growth and becoming - we create and cultivate plans, figure out the best time to set them in motion and gather the courage to move forward. It is a time to balance ambition with knowing when to rest, and to stop fighting our perception that life/the universe is in our way of our growth.
“It represents the time of year when, after winter’s long, dark days of yin gathering, storing, compression and gestating, the yang life force activates, expands and re-emerges from the underworld… Wood is the energy of birth, sprouting, healthy aggression, creativity and the fierce desire to take one’s place in the dance of life. It is an expression of qi that is warming, directed and determined.” - Lorie Eve Dechar, Kigo
The organs associated with the Wood Element are the Liver and Gallbladder. The Liver asks “Where am I going?” and the Gallbladder adds “How am I going to get there?”
The spirit of Wood in Chinese Medicine is the hun, or ethereal soul. The hun is our vision and imagination. It is our ability to dream of new possibilities as well as to plan, hope and move forward in that new direction. From Lorie, the Wood/Hun’s spirit question is: “To what degrees am I growing & developing toward my ultimate purpose or destiny?”
The Spring/Wood Transitions Preset Treatment is twelve acupuncture points for addressing the emotional and spiritual transitions of this time. This is the way these six points (used bilaterally for twelve points) can support us:
Gallbladder 13 - Root of the Spirit - This point supports us in being decisive about when to forward or rest, what are our next steps & gives us the courage to move forward despite any challenges we face.
Gallbladder 24 - Sun & Moon - Embraces duality & the balance of yin/yang. The yin & yang of our soul is the balance between our inner dreams (yin) & our plans to take action (yang).
Liver 13 - Chapter Gate - This point is for when we’re ready to look inward & open ourselves to new possibilities, it helps us transition into the next phase.
Liver 8 - Crooked Spring - This point brings the virtues of water to wood - it engenders flexibility & the ability to flow with the growth process (which as we know is often messy & doesn’t go as we planned).
Liver 3 - Supreme Rising - This point helps us transition from winter into spring with an easeful flow and a healthy relationship to aggression. It is adaptogenic in giving us what we need so we can hold space for the duality of nourishment & ambition. As the earth on wood point it helps us stay grounded and roots us as we grow.
Gallbladder 41 - Tears Falling on Foot - This point is of the utmost wood so it embraces its qualities of clarity, ambition & directed growth. It helps us regulate our breath, calms emotions & opens the diaphragm, where emotions are often trapped.
Available for booking through May 15th, 2023.