Getting Real With Lisa Van De Graaff
In Oriental Medicine’s Five-Element Theory, it is the time of Wood. Wood is our inner planner and decision maker. When we feel the desire to plan our summer garden, sketch our dream home, make a ‘to do’ list, lay out a weight loss plan, or search the Internet for good deals on a family vacation, it is the Wood Element at work. Go with it – this is the time to indulge in the brainstorming and planning (and then the summer fire will have something with which to work).
Consider the tree. It stands firm and strong and planted, yet it sways in the wind. It has to be flexible or perish. So is the quality of our Wood Element – It is as flexible as it needs to be and no more. Yet within that structure, Wood is carefree in its optimistic preparations for the coming year, and there is a soulfulness that presents itself intensely and deeply. Allow yourself to set your boundaries with others and then fantasize about all you will do with the time that is your own.
When out-of-balance, the Wood Element manifests itself as neck and shoulder strain, migraines, anger, frustration, and shouting. There can be a tendency to over-indulge in stimulants and depressants (coffee and a sugary pastry to wake up, alcohol and a fatty dinner to slow down). When these things happen this spring, take a moment to see them for what they are and then nurture your Wood Element. It can be as simple as taking a moment to appreciate nature – The budding tree outside your kitchen window or the resilient tulips pushing their way through a late snow. If you are ready for something more significant, try a fast to cleanse your gallbladder and liver by cutting out refined sugars and saturated fats for one week. For an even deeper gallbladder cleanse, squeeze the juice from half a lemon into a cup of warm water and drink once a day for 7-10 days.
Spring is an auspicious time to begin work on manifesting your life’s vision. Dream big!
