Spring Transitions and Acupuncture

Have you started to feel antsy?

Want to know why?  As Spring begins to arrive and Winter starts to melt away, you may feel a sort of cabin fever, in which you feel restless, irritable, or a little frustrated.  This sort of in-between season can have uncertainty in it, which shows up in:

• not knowing how many layers to wear,
• if it needs to be water proof or just warmer,
• or if the window of sunny, mild weather during an afternoon is the only chance you’ll have to get out and feel the sun on your face for the next week.

It can be difficult to know what to look forward to and then plan accordingly.  And for those of that like to plan and be prepared, it can make us feel a bit unhinged. You know that feeling?

Spring Energy in Nature

This is an appropriate response at this time of year.  This very same nature is reflected in the pent up energy within seeds that are now beginning to sprout forth with new growth.   It’s actually a good thing with an incredible amount of harnessed power in it.   It can work in a similar fashion in our human bodies.   While it usually feels horrible to us, this agitation and outburst can empower us for a necessary burst of expansion and development.   So, those emotions that may seem uncomfortable,,,, might just indicate you are needing to grow.

How Acupuncture helps in Spring Transitions

Acupuncture can provide a safe container for these emotions to be expressed and processed, and it is also useful in letting these necessary emotions flow more smoothly in general.   For those of you that like to geek out on why and how that works, read on…..

Season/Element/Emotion Parings

In Chinese medicine, each season corresponds to a particular element, which then corresponds to an emotion as well.   The pairings are as follows:

Element                  Emotion        Season

Wood                      Anger             Spring

Water                      Fear               Winter

Metal                       Sorrow          Fall

Fire                          Joy                  Summer

Earth                       Worry             Late Summer

Spring is associated with the wood element, which is all about growth, and the balance between strength and flexibility reflected in the development of a sprout to a sapling, to a tree, and then to a larger tree with a broad trunk and thick branches.

Each element is also associated with the healthy expression of an emotion, and spring/wood goes along with anger. Anger is necessary to stand up for yourself and is appropriate when a boundary is crossed and you need to defend yourself or protect your center. This same angry energy can be personified through the force needed for a sprout to burst through the hull of a seed. This is why emotions like frustration, agitation, and anger are easier to feel this time of year.

This is a great time to check in and see where you need to grow,  in what ways you need to stand tall and strong, and where to be flexible. Acupuncture can assist in clarifying what exactly is the best outlet of this bursting energy.