Spring, the Wood time of year!
One of my personal favorite times of the year. It consists of warmer temperatures and Mother Nature is waking up out of her long sleep. Our bodies start coming out of our own form of storage and hibernation with a hint of cabin fever to make us become more active. In Eastern Medicine it should be easy to see why Wood represents this time (just picture the trees and plants growing and blossoming!). So how do we transition ourselves from bone chilling to blood warming temperatures without shocking the body? Read on!
Dress the same way you would have in Autumn
Spring and Fall are identical in that they are both windy, the days are coldest in the morning and at night, and we still end up seeing frost every now and then but we get suckered by the day time when the temperatures reach their warmest. The result? People are breaking out short sleeves, shorts, sun dresses (I wish I was kidding), and put away the long clothes. This is where we run into everyone catching colds, getting aching joints, sudden muscle spasms, and menstrual issues because of the windy and still chilly weather lodging into their bodies since they are not protected. You don’t have to dress like an Eskimo, just keep the long clothes around just a bit longer along with the scarf.
Eat less warming foods as Spring progresses
Yes, the season has changed so that means the crops are going to start yielding again and we don’t need super warming and as dense foods like we did in the Winter. Meats won’t necessarily change as far as selection but the vegetables do. In my region we start looking at eating herbs and veggies such as Mint, Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, Radish, Lettuce, Scallion, Asparagus, etc. These are more cooling in nature to help with the natural introduction of heat from the season but don’t take too much of that warmth away to where we are freezing.
Increase activity levels
As we hit Spring, we all have that natural urge to want to do more, inside and outside. The sun energizes us and our internal clocks tell us it is time to get out and be more active as the days get longer. Of course, caution should still be used here because if you break a heavy sweat and/or are wearing thin clothes during activity you will get yourself sick as mentioned above. This goes double for athletes!
Allergy time
The one big downside to Spring are the seasonal allergies. Mint is a great herb to help keep our sinuses open and to clear out any extra heat that Spring may put on us that we cannot handle. As a result, Mint tea is great to have on hand (no, put the mint ice cream away as that will make matters worse!) or having around as an essential oil. If you are going to do yard work, having a mask on is handy and will help prevent sinus infections from the sheer bombardment of allergens flying around. With COVID, nobody will look at you funny for wearing a mask now so take advantage!
Happy Spring!