Awakening with Spring: Embracing Growth, Renewal, and Our Wood Rhythm
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
~ Anaïs Nin
I love this time of year when the earth begins to wake up. The days are gradually becoming longer and I’m starting to feel a curiosity about what is going on outside in my yard. Buds are starting to form on the trees as their sap begins to flow after being motionless during their winter’s hibernation. I’ve started to dream about my veggie garden, and what I want to plant in it this year. My summer holidays have already been pre-planned for this year, to be split at the cabin, where I have time at the beginning and end of summer. I’m thinking of planting more of my vegetables and leafy greens in tote bags, so I can transport them back and forth. For my home’s raised beds, I’m thinking about creating more of a medicinal herb wildflower garden with some fall veggies to look forward to. For the side front of our beautiful healing space, I’ve already purchased some primulas and pansies to greet our clients with a spark of colour and passion that vibrates with the energy of the new incoming season.
Like mother earth I am inspired to grow and expand and have been planning exciting new things for my Eden Method Level 1 Fundamental classes. I’m looking forward to meeting a new group of students, with my first question to them being – “what do you like about Spring?” This first class, like the energetic vibration of the “Wood Rhythm”, is such a potent time of potential for them. I can’t help but percolate with hopefulness and enthusiasm, knowing they will be taking their first steps on a journey towards their transformation. It’s like watching a young child light up with glee when they first grasp, they can walk on their own. Class 1 is about nurturing the soil that motivates one’s curiosity and determination to learn, stirring new ways of being that promote health and vitality.
I love springtime and the Wood Rhythm element. I can tell when a person has a lot of Wood energy within them because they have great vision and are leading the path to getting things done. You know you’ve been infiltrated by this “propelling forwards” energy when you get the bug to start deep sixing and spring cleaning your house. As the days become brighter, and the sun shines more, you can’t help but notice the winter cobwebs hiding in the dark. This expanding energy desires space, freshness and your newfound enthusiasm.
One of the organs that is associated with springtime and the Wood Rhythm is the Liver. If we think of the physical gland, the liver is responsible for metabolism, immunity, digestion and detoxification. From an Energy Medicine perspective, it regulates the flow of energy (qi) throughout our body and governs our peripheral nervous system (PNS) along with our ligaments and tendons. Psychologically it is associated with our emotional balance.
When our Wood energy is in balance, we feel flexible, resourceful and full of vim and vigor. When out of balance we might feel tension, agitation, or even anger. As this season advances, it’s not uncommon to get a sudden feeling of restlessness. You might even start having thoughts of needing to change things up in your life. This energy can stir up an irritableness, that calls your soul to action. You may feel an urgency to find ways to release what is no longer serving you. Finding balance in this emergent energy, calls us to support our liver energy by nurturing our Wood Rhythm.
As seasons change, so does what foods are best for us. After a long winter of hearty meals and hibernation, we are ready for something lighter. Spring is all about the liver, skin, and detoxification. Fortunately, in spring, fresh leafy greens like arugula, lettuce, dandelion greens, and spinach are coming into season, all of which contain vitamins and minerals that support skin health, cell regeneration and hydration. Other spring veggies like radishes, asparagus, greens, herbs, lemon, etc, are great for detoxifying and cleansing the liver.
Psychologically you might find yourself feeling more antsy. When I start snapping at myself internally or externally to those around me, I know it's time to start getting physical. Hibernation time is over, and Wood energy governs our muscles, tendons, and parts of our nervous system so agitation is a sign that you might need to go “blow off some steam”. Wood energy needs space and freshness, so my first quick inexpensive way to release its pressure is by going for a vigorous walk in nature. Not only am I moving my muscles and tendons but I’m using the earth’s endless available reservoir to dump my spiky unwanted energies into it.
If getting out in nature is not an option, going to the gym, working out at home to a free online class or just doing Donna Eden’s “Blowing out the Venom” exercise can help you blow out the disruptive emotional energies. Doing any mindful movement exercise, qi gong, tai chi, or yoga is a great way to release the charge and bring more serenity to the mind.
Spring energy is creative. A great way to work through disordered emotions is experimenting with neuroscience-based art therapy. Studies have shown that engaging in the arts can impact our emotions, thoughts, and well-being. There are many different varieties out there that include dance, music, poetry, and visual arts. I’ve been enjoying producing Neuro graphic art and am noticing this is appeasing my Wood Rhythm’s nagging urge for innovation. I immerse myself in drawing a beautiful web of what looks like neurons and in the process, my nervous system is soothed and I’m more capable of detangling the inner chaos of my emotional energy.
As we fully embrace the energy of spring, we are reminded that this season is an invitation to grow, cleanse, and transform—both physically and energetically. Just as nature awakens from its slumber, so too can we harness this Wood Rhythm energy to create space for new possibilities, release what no longer serves us, and step into the vibrant potential of the months ahead. Whether it’s through mindful movement, nourishing foods, creative expression, or simply reconnecting with nature, spring offers countless ways to realign with our natural rhythms. So, as you feel the stirring energy of change, ask yourself—what new beginnings are calling to you?
❤ Becca