How do you organize your life around your dreams? Start by asking yourself:
HOW DO I WANT TO GROW?
Then let the Wood Element help you do the work. Yes! The Wood Element could help. We just passed the Spring Equinox, where we experienced equal day as night, light as dark. Perfectly balanced as we turned towards the light. Can you see and feel the waking up of the creative energy of the earth as the buds start to appear on trees, the quality of the air changes, and the sun begins to dominate the sky? Depending on where you live this will be super obvious or sublimely subtle. Wherever you live changes are afoot, manifest in more hours of sunlight on your beautiful faces. And what is light? Illumination, brilliance, radiance, seeing more clearly, moving towards weightlessness! What was hidden is revealed. Do you feel like you have more energy and creative inspiration? Perhaps you have some deeper clarity after having spent a bit of time in the dark, in the dreaming. It’s exciting! Spring is a time of curiosity, creating, movement, exploration, and growth. Imagine yourself and your body as a tree with the sap beginning to flow through your limbs. This may feel like a wonderful surge of energy. This may also feel uncomfortable as energy begins to move in your body. In the U.S. we focus so much on productivity that we don’t honor the discomfort that can accompany action. Be gentle with yourselves as you enter this new season. You may feel like you’re moving between heightened creativity and agitation. Allow your body and mind to find a flow that’s comfortable as you take on your creative visions and start to explore and grow in different ways.
In Chinese Medicine and Feng Shui spring is related to the Liver and the Element of Wood. The Liver is where we hold anger and as the Qi begins to move in the body, anger may be what shows up. Like sap suddenly moving through the trees, this could feel a little uncomfortable. If you feel itchy with frustration, irritation, or rage—pace yourself, remember to breathe. What a good time to practice the Fists of Anger! A Kundalini yoga exercise to alchemize all that energy, allow it expression…and turn it into light! There’s an instructional video at the bottom of this page. Spring can sometimes be a hard transition. Does that resonate? This would be a really helpful time to let your body know how much you love and support each and every part.
What does this have to do with Growth? Growth and change are all around us, nature is showing us how this works. We have entered the energy of the Wood Element, which is all about sprouting, budding, reaching and growing tall. Like bamboo that grows rapidly and sways in the wind, it’s flexible, unbreakable—unstoppable. It’s pushing boundaries and starting conversations. Having a vision and starting on a path. It makes sense that spring is the perfect time for connecting to your sense of curiosity, adventure, and determination—to your desire to grow, to change. All very woody values. Can you feel it? What has been dormant, seeding beneath the surface, starts to become visible. In your life this could look like a fresh sense of determination, ideas resurfacing, a desire for change, and the energy to make a move and explore. Wood is about creating—the dynamism of having inspired ideas. Just like spring, the seeds of creation are sprouting everywhere, their potential is obvious. When you tap into the energies of wood you grow. Your life starts to organize around your dreams. It just happens. When you follow how you want to grow, a path will unfold before you.
So, how can you work with the energy of wood to move towards your dreams? Start by connecting with some wood values like growth, exploration, curiosity, determination, flexibility, vision, and vitality (to name a few). Then ask yourself: What would I be doing if I were valuing this? Pick one. This might look like letting your curiosity lead you to explore a new idea. Sharing this with someone, anyone, who may lead you to more cool possibilities. Being determined enough that you find the courage to keep going. Learning from it all. Standing tall. Going to a No Kings March this Saturday 3/28. It could also be as simple as wearing something green, or putting something green in your space. Getting a new plant or some flowers. Doing that with the intention of connecting with Wood energy and whichever value feels important to you. It’s really about taking that first step, no matter how small.
To warm up those “springtime values muscles” here’s some Wood actions:
Get outside and move your body, try something new,
Connect with someone outside of your circle,
Add a little flexibility to a belief, relationship, or situation that could use some flow.
Sign-up for my Spring Elemental Values Workshop! The perfect opportunity to learn how to work with the Five Elements and your values, and do something new. This will take place on April 20th at The Qi house from 6-8pm.
Above all, treat yourself with love and respect as your body begins to vibrate with the energy of spring and you enter this season of infinite possibility!
If you want to read more about the Five Elements Cycle, see the Blog: Let the Five Elements Do the Work. This is an ecosystem that can nourish and support you.
Here’s a video of Fists of Anger that I made for you. You can do this anytime, anywhere, for up to 3 minutes. You don’t need to wear special clothes or wait for something else to fall into place. Allow yourself the gift of experiencing your anger and transforming it into your light.