Acclimatize your body and get ready for a good Liver Spring Clean! As we have now entered into the second half of August, winter is coming to a close and spring is finally on our doorstep! A time when the wild flowers flourish, the birds find their voice and in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the element of wood is in full swing. In TCM, the wood element represents growth, nourishment and new beginnings in nature, in body and in mind. Spring is a time of cleaning and cleansing, in particular a time for the liver to be detoxified and rejuvenated. What a great mantra to embody in this lovely time of spring! What is seasonal living? Seasonal living is all about following the flow of nature, eating fresh produce as it is available naturally and keeping your body on par with the weather; getting outside in the elements and eating fresh and local produce that grows in your area. Our ancestors had no choice but to follow the weather and to consume the produce that grew wildly around them, allowing them to have a strong connection with the flow of nature and themselves, but with concrete cities, pesticides, herbicides and with internal cooling and heating, wild vegetation and living amongst the elements is very near a thing of the past. But why is seasonal living important? Although we do not need to be strong enough to live out in the elements in modern day life, when our bodies are in flow with nature, we can more easily fight off colds and illness, we have more energy and we strengthen our connection to nature and amongst ourselves as a community. Modern-day seasonal living requires 2 things:
wood element represents growth, nourishment and new beginnings in nature, in body and in mind. Liver Spring Clean! - Traditional Chinese MedicineIt only seems logical that after a long winter of living mostly indoors and keeping entertained with coffee, scrumptious food and a cheeky drink (often :P ) our livers are in dire need of some self-care! Traditional Chinese Medicines has a vast knowledge of nature and the body and I hold this ancient knowledge in high regards if one is looking to find more balance in their life. As I mentioned, in TCM the element of wood is the most dominant in spring; a time for nourishment, growth and new beginning’s. The organ associated with spring is the liver and this organ is valued as one of the most important organs in the body, as it is the liver that is responsible for cleaning and regulating Qi or the vital life-force throughout the body. The Liver The liver, in other words, eliminates toxins and cleans our blood for an efficient circulatory system, without which, we would not consume enough quality oxygen and nutrients would not be transported around the body efficiently, leaving you feeling: fatigued, sluggish, depressed, angry, irritable, possibly nauseas and feeling stiff in the muscels and joints. Liver and Mind Connection The liver in TCM is also very much so connected to the mind “a peaceful mind has a healthy liver behind it”. If we were to follow this logically, it is only logical that a peaceful mind may also have benefits for a healthy liver. So if your liver is in need of a detox or little bit of love and rest, it may be beneficial to practice activities that calm and quieten the mind such as meditation, tai chi, qigong or yoga. Reasons why you should eat and live seasonally:It’s good for your body
Its good for the planet
It’s good for your wallet
Seasonal Fruit and Veg that are great for the liver!
For a great list of fruits and veg that are in season in Perth check out this awesome link: Seasonal Food Guide, Perth Happy Spring Everyone!
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AuthorMy name is Brittney and my life pursuit has been that of self-improvement and growth. It took me a long time to realize that I don't really fit into societies model that you need to go to school, find a career, strive to be extremely succesful to then get married and have kids, ever acquiring material objects. There is nothing wrong with this model at all and for those who can embrace this with whole-hearted happiness, keep going with it. Archives
August 2017
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