Spring is coming!

In less than a couple of weeks we will be celebrating Spring Equinox on March 20th to ring in the change of seasons. And even though there is still a bit of nip in the air and with all the rains the flowers are already blooming, the hummingbirds are already feasting and our herb garden is already overflowing.

What does this new season mean for us in a holistic sense?

First of all, if you don’t already know, holistic or wholistic pertains to the whole. As a Holistic Health Practitioner, I approach a client’s/patient’s health and well-being holistically, by facilitating his or her healing needs mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. For instance, if a client comes in with certain symptoms, I will address not just the physical, but how the person thinks (mind), their physical symptoms (body), how their energy feels (spirit), and how they are feeling (emotions) and get to the core of their issues.

With that being said, how does the season of Spring affect each of us in a holistic sense, and how can we approach this season in the most harmonious way?

Mind

When we think of spring we think of “April showers bring May flowers”. We think of the shedding of our winter layers, we start to come alive and spring into action. Many people think that the time for planning is when we ring in the New Year. According to the Five Elements Theory, the wood element or springtime is the time for planning and the birth of new creative ideas. So give yourself some slack if you didn’t come up with a plan right after you rang in the New Year.

Another thing you may want to consider, the purging of some of those negative thoughts that you may have been brewing over the winter. Challenge yourself to think differently. As soon as you recognize a negative thought, visualize a stop sign or mentally hear the word stop, and then slowly replace those thoughts with positive ones. Sometimes you may need aids such as journaling, or writing positive affirmations and leaving them all over the house until it gets programmed into your thought process. It takes us approximately 28 days to create a habit. Try it and see what happens. If you think you may need some assistance, some other good ways to break thought patterns are through breathing visualization techniques guided by your local and skilled Holistic Health Practitioner, Hypnotherapy or Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Body

The Spring-time and wood element is associated with the liver and gallbladder. It’s a great time to do a liver cleanse or detox. You can try to do it on your own; however it’s best to do this under the care of a knowledgeable health practitioner. If you do not want to take formulas and be on a restrictive diet, then you can naturally cleanse by eliminating all of those favorite things that may tax your liver more than it needs to. It is been known that in order to cleanse naturally and gently, you need to eliminate all toxins such as:

Caffeine

Alcohol

Recreational Drugs

Chemicals

Tobacco

Artificial Sweeteners

Processed foods or foods with pesticides, hormones, antibiotics

Not purified Water

And eat more organic fruits and vegetables, drink filtered room temperature water, and exercise for 120 days. By doing this, your liver may completely rejuvenate and you’ll be amazed at how good you feel. You will have a lot more energy, feel healthier and maybe have a kick in your step. Please note that if you are taking prescription medications you should consult with your doctor before you incorporate these suggestions. If you decide to do this cleanse while you are still taking prescription medications, your body may not feel the full benefit, but you are sure to notice an improvement in your health.

Even if you do not do a liver cleanse or eat healthier, you may still notice some physical changes during the spring season. We all know that during the spring time the bees are buzzing and pollinating as animals are mating and the flowers are blossoming. What does this mean for us humans? Suddenly you may notice a certain twinkle in a friend’s eye that you have never noticed before. You notice that guy you were dating just smells exquisite after he’s gone for a light run. Or you notice that the woman across the apartment complex wears too much perfume and the mail lady smells heavenly in her government blues. These are our pheromones in action. He or she may be emitting just the right kind of pheromones to attract a mate, or maybe just to date you.

Spirit

Spring time is also a great time for cleansing your energy. If you put your hands close together, what do you feel? You feel your energy. Sometimes, especially during the winter time we can feel slow, sluggish and even stuck. Spring is a time for movement and getting that energy of your spirit to move and flow. Some cultures believe that a good way to cleanse the spirit is to use White Sage to smudge the body. Doing this may make you may feel a bit lighter, energetically. Another way to cleanse the spirit is to make some changes in your life. If you have been divinely inspired during the winter time and reflection period, then it’s time to make the plans for those dreams to come to fruition. You can also stir your spirit by being spontaneous or more creative. Do things that feed your soul. Go on a spiritual retreat. Just being in Mother Nature feeds my soul!

Emotions

Some not so fun feelings that are associated with the wood element or spring time are anger, frustration, worry, or impatience. Ways to balance some of these emotions, as mentioned above, are to eat healthier by eating sprouted vegetables, or go through a liver cleanse. Some harmonizing behaviors are to do something spontaneous. If you are healthy, you may want to try parachuting out of an airplane. If that is not your style then waking up and deciding to take a day trip or getting a therapeutic massage on a whim with some friends. Being creative or playing freely are other ways to balance some of the negative emotions. Write a poem or a song. Create some new free flowing dance moves, or a fabulously delicious dish that has fresh sprouted greens in it.

Another way to work with your emotions is to take the time to figure out what it is that you are truly angry, frustrated, or worried about. Maybe you need to forgive someone or yourself. Actually, forgiving yourself is probably the hardest thing that you will do in your life. So you may want to start off small. Forgive someone who you perceive as being rude to you by cutting front of you at the grocery store. Imagine yourself spontaneously writing a poem about forgiving an ex-lover, friend, or parent you may have felt wronged by. Then, you creatively express yourself by dancing to your favorite song, and afterwards you eat a freshly grown salad topped with alfalfa sprouts. You would feel so incredibly balanced.

Holistic - Mind, Body, Spirit and Emotions

All in all, spring time is a time for renewal and sowing the seeds for those life changes that will benefit you. Enjoying the change of the seasons, as well as touching upon all aspects of your life (the holistic way of living), may lead to a more balanced, fulfilling life. May you have a joyous Spring Season filled with positive and creative thoughts, well-balanced nutrition, a healthy body, a free and playful spirit, and love and forgiveness in your heart.