Happy Equinox! It’s Spring!
Maybe you aren’t so happy – are your allergies and hay fever returning with the melting of the snow? We all have different constitutions and we feel healthier and more energetic in some seasons than others. If Spring brings on non-stop sneezing, then it is the best time to boost your overall health but first …
According to the 5-Element Theory, each element is associated with a season, along with a sense (sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste), a colour, organs, direction, etc. The element associated with Spring, for example, is Wood and the yin-yang organ pair is liver-gallbladder. In some systems, this is the element of ether or space, the one that houses and harmonizes all others.
At this point, you are probably thinking “how does this work when there are five elements and only four seasons”?
There is a fifth season – late summer, the stomach-spleen season. This Earth element energy is also dominant in between the seasons. This transition period is approximately 15 days, the last week of one season and the first week of the next. The energy of the earth element is grounding, anchoring. It is during this interseason that the energy of the season that is ending becomes stored and flowed into the new season.
| Element | Colour | Yin Organ | Yang Organ | Sense | Emotion | Body Part |
| Earth | Yellow | Spleen (9-11 AM) | Stomach (7-9 AM) | Taste | Worrying and pensiveness | Muscles |
The Earth Element
The Earth element is about structure, being connected & present, stability, groundedness … are these qualities in balance in you?
How to support the interseason?
Strengthen the earth element by :
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- eating warm earthy foods
- improving digestion by eating fruits alone (or with vegetables), taking probiotics, eliminating foods such as dairy, heavy meats, processed foods, and any items that cause sensitivities and allergies, and simplifying your diet. Bitter herbs and foods such as dandelion greens can also improve digestion.
- looking deeper into any cravings for sweets – where in your life are you denying yourself sweetness? Practice gratitude to allow sweetness to flow through your life and for your to receive it.
- increasing movement or exercise that builds muscles – brisk walking and tai chi for example
- taking the time to prepare (slow cook) your meals, sit down, and enjoy it
- finding ways to release worrying and overthinking
- connecting with the earth – hiking, pottery, holding crystals
- working with the Mother archetype
- releasing cords with your mother and any mother figures
- getting out of your head by being in the body, feeling, moving
- using essential oils made of tree, bark, and resin such as frankincense. Some lovely ones include vetiver and and white fir.
- meditating
- trying acupuncture, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Nutripuncture, and other modalities to strengthen and tone the spleen, stomach, and pancreas
- working with an astrologer to see what your elemental balance is, if there are any hard aspects and challenges relating to Saturn, Capricorn, etc.
- reconnecting with your body – perhaps rebirthing to fully reconnect with the mother energy, or somatic coaching to release trauma that may have made full physical presence challenging.
Interested in more? Email us at Hello@WhatTherapy.com!
