After the dark, cold Winter where energy is stored and people tend toward hibernation and contraction, Spring is a welcomed time of new growth and renewed energy. Year after year, I marvel at the new buds and flowers, the birds chirping, and those bright green insects that seem to appear out of nowhere!

Spring is the time of the Vernal Equinox. Temperatures are mild – not hot or cold; daylight and darkness are in relatively equal proportion. It’s a step in the direction toward summer, and as such, it’s helpful to remember that it’s not summer yet! Sometimes we want to jump from winter lifestyle to summer lifestyle without recognizing the transition – and indeed the wonderful celebratory time of Spring.

According to the Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Spring is the Wood Element. Following are some of Wood’s correspondences:

• Season: Spring
• Direction: East
• Color: Green
• Taste: Sour/Astringent
• Emotion: Anger
• Organs: Liver/Gallbladder

These correspondences each fit into proper perspective, given the tenets of TCM and the observations of nature.

So dress moderately, wear a light scarf to protect yourself from the Spring winds, and eat simply – in fact, this is the perfect time for a Liver Cleanse – to allow your body to transition out of Winter and into Spring.

Cleansing and detoxifying your body can help jumpstart weight loss and reduce the body fat incurred during the winter months. It can also reduce allergies, enhance sleep, and balance hormones, and more, to bring your body into full harmony with the season.

Stay tuned for more information about Spring Cleansing, and keeping the Liver and Gallbladder healthy!