Health in Springtime - a Chinese Medicine Perspective

The pleasure of Spring is fully apparent in April; gardens are bursting into life and most of us feel a renewed sense of vigour.  In Chinese Medicine, where the process of describing health and illness is somewhat different from the western perspective, this season is aptly associated with the Element “wood”.  In turn, wood is associated with flexible, vigorous growth and flowing movement, pushing upwards, getting out there and getting on with things.

In terms of the physical body, this element is associated with the liver and the gallbladder.  In mental terms it is associated with pairs of opposite characteristics: organisation and chaos, control and lack of control.  In emotional terms, there is also a spectrum of associations, from anger and assertiveness to depression and indecisiveness. 

In assessing a person’s state of health, the Chinese look for a balance between the Elements (the others are Fire, Earth, Metal and Water), and a balance within each Element.  Thus a balanced Wood Element shows itself in a person who gets things done effectively but in a relaxed kind of way.  Such a person is able to change plans and adapt to new circumstances with a positive and flexible attitude, feeling in charge of their life without needing to over-control other people or let other people walk all over them.  One of the characteristics of Spring is spontaneity, and a balanced wood element enjoys, or at least copes with, life’s little surprises – it’s “going with the flow”.  In purely physical terms, this means strong but supple muscles, enjoying walking and bending and stretching.  Cyclical events in the body also go smoothly, e.g. sleep comes easily and so does waking; in women, the menstrual cycle is regular and pre-menstrual tension and pain are absent.

This idyllic picture is not, unfortunately, always the way we are.  At this time of year, I see a lot of people with “wood” or “liver/gallbladder” imbalances. Sometimes people describe themselves as feeling “liverish”, or they complain of irritability or depression, feeling “up-tight” or that life is out of control.  Sometimes they feel a loss of confidence or cannot assert their point of view or make decisions.  The imbalance may manifest physically in headaches, migraine, pre-menstrual tension, muscular tension, cramps, irritable bowel or indigestion.

Chinese recommendations for good health in Spring include taking plenty of exercise (outdoors if possible, preferably protected from any very cold winds), and doing something which you enjoy and which helps you relax – gardening is perfect for those who love their gardens! Anything which allows energy to flow freely is recommended, e.g. singing, running, swimming and laughing! 

The Chinese have a lovely image of the healthy Wood Element. It is “the free and easy wanderer”, which brings to mind, for me, the picture of someone wandering through Wardour woods, taking pleasure in the spring air, the new leaves on the trees and the sound of the birds singing around them.

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