The Movement of the Wood element is seen most clearly in the Season of Spring

Symptoms involve the Liver and Gall Bladder Meridians

 

Awareness

  • Out of Balance
    • Physical Symptoms: headaches, migraines, muscle pain or spasms, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gall stones, irritability, rage attacks, allergies, skin rashes, teeth clenching, mood swings, and menstrual irregularities
    • Mental Symptoms: eating or internalizing your stress, feeling overwhelmed, feeling timid, being overbearing or controlling, over-planning, or just rigid thinking.
  • In Harmony
    • Wood energy is expansive, creative. It is about re-birth, about planning and being flexible. A tree is most healthy when rooted deep in the ground, yet flexible enough for its branches to move and bend with the winds. The more rigid or dry the tree is, the more likely the branches will break under strong winds. This is also true for humans. As long as we hydrate, have a stretching and movement routine, practice some creative activity (do something we love), and pace our activities, the less stress and worry take their toll. These activities help us be more flexible in times of great stress or change.
    • The solution is not to avoid stress and worry; it is simply to put it in perspective, not let it run our lives. Many of us even substitute “drive” for stamina. Fatigue to Stamina

 

Tools

  • Food as Medicine [Vit B2 (Riboflavin), Iron]
    • Anything slightly sour: plums, Goji berries, lemons
    • A glass of water with a lemon slice (first thing in the morning), green (fruit and vegetable) drinks
    • Chicken, liver, broccoli, dark green leafy vegetables
  • Self-soothing activities
    • Stretching, physical exercise, sports activities, yoga, pacing one’s activities, rest your eyes regularly, watch your environment with a soft focus
    • Hobbies: writing, painting, gardening, woodworking, playing a musical instrument, sketching or drawing, taking pictures