Reservoir

It’s Springtime!  Nature is full of energy, yet many are feeling exhausted, not only with personal challenges but a world pandemic.  Ideally we want to rely on our reservoir of energy stored from the winter to move forward in good-health. But moving forward can have its ups-and-downs.  

We all have addictions that may temporarily help us feel at-ease, but ultimately leave us more depleted and weak.  Building your resources and limiting those addictions provide a recipe for a more gratifying sense of wellness.  Choose a more healthy option, a healthy distraction like a new hobby, walking, prayer, cuddling with a pet…the list goes on.  Springtime is the perfect time to get into action! 

Acupuncture too, provides a very specific prescription for wellness.  Addiction may generally lead to (or result from) stagnant Liver Energy/Qi.  Springtime is when our Liver energy is at its height of function. The element associated with Liver is Wood, and all those properties of wood – strength, growth, flexibility, well-hydrated, rooted – can be useful in achieving balance with your Liver Qi.

Wood is associated with springtime, and with the ability to make a comeback from anything. Spring time resurrects us from hibernation with its astounding capacity to move forward with new growth towards the returning light. Wood is our aliveness, our capacity for hope, creativity, and adaptability especially in response to challenge. The natural urge of springtime is the abolition of all stagnation in our lives. 

Wherever our Wood energy is not flowing freely, we are likely to experience the emotion associated with Wood: anger!   But don’t be afraid — by cultivating healthy Wood energy, anger transforms into constructiveness.    [Perennial Medicine, Thea Elijah] 

Acknowledging that you feel stuck is a step in the direction to being un-stuck!

The calm sensation you feel during and after acupuncture is that Liver energy unwinding and free-flowing.  With a deep breath (circulating energy from the Lungs) you can stop and unwind your Liver, connect to that deep reservoir within.