Spring from a Chinese Medical Perspective: A Time of Renewal, Movement & Vision
In Chinese medicine, spring is more than just a season—it’s a shift in energy, a call to awaken, and an invitation to grow. As the world around us thaws and blooms, our bodies and spirits respond too. The natural world is our teacher, and spring teaches us how to rise up, stretch out, and reimagine what’s possible.
The Wood Element: Spring’s Guiding Energy
Spring is associated with the Wood Element, which governs the Liver and Gallbladder organs in Chinese medicine. Wood is the energy of growth, vision, purpose, and movement. Just like a seed breaking through the soil, we’re meant to push through stagnation and emerge with new direction and clarity.
When Wood energy is in balance, we feel:
• Motivated and inspired
• Clear-headed with a strong sense of purpose
• Able to make decisions and take aligned action
• Emotionally flexible and grounded
When out of balance, we might feel:
• Irritable or angry
• Stuck, frustrated, or indecisive
• Foggy or overly rigid
• Physically tight (especially in the neck, shoulders, and hips)
This is a season to support movement—of qi, blood, emotions, ideas. Stagnation is the enemy of spring. It’s time to stretch, detox, express, and realign.
The Liver: Your Inner Visionary
In Chinese medicine, the Liver is known as “The General” or “The Architect.” It’s responsible for the smooth flow of qi throughout the body, governs our ability to plan, and houses the Hun—the part of our spirit connected to dreams, creativity, and long-term vision.
Spring is the time to:
• Tend to your Liver with green, bitter foods (think dandelion, arugula, nettle, milk thistle, and lemon water)
• Move your body daily—walk, dance, practice qigong or yoga
• Journal, dream, and revisit your goals
• Release what’s no longer aligned with your growth
Emotional Spring Cleaning
Spring is also a time for emotional renewal. Just as you declutter your home, spring invites you to clear out old emotional patterns. The Liver stores anger when it’s stagnant—so this is a good season to express, not suppress.
• Clean your space = clear your mind
• Speak your truth = free your qi
• Cry it out = soften your heart
Align with the Season
Here are simple ways to harmonize with spring’s energy:
• Wake with the sun. Let light reset your body’s rhythm.
• Eat seasonal greens. Nature gives us what we need—bitters help detox the Liver.
• Drink warm water with lemon in the morning. Support digestion and qi flow.
• Practice qigong or stretching in the morning. Move stagnation and soften your muscles.
• Do a gentle cleanse or reset. Keep it nourishing, not extreme.
Spring reminds us that growth is messy—but essential.
We can’t bloom without first breaking through. We can’t move forward if we’re still clinging to what winter taught us to let go of. Trust the stirrings in your heart. Tend to your vision. Align with nature. And above all, keep moving.
This is your season to emerge, empowered and renewed.