Spring is the time for a liver cleanse!

As the snow and ice melt around us, plants that have been hibernating all Winter begin pushing through dirt, rock, cement, and pavement, to start the cycle of regeneration again. This action of pushing up through the hard soil and reaching for the sun relates to the Wood element in Chinese Medicine. Trees and perennials must reach up for the sky – always pushing against gravity.
The tremendous energy required to accomplish this is associated with the human emotion of anger. Reflect on how energetic your last blast of anger was! Anger can give us the energy to push through frustration and move us into another level of freedom from whatever was previously binding us. The organ associated with anger, Spring, and the Wood element is the Liver. The time of the Liver is upon us!

Out With Old, In With The New

In the West, we often associate the Spring surge of energy with “Spring Cleaning”- getting all of the accumulated junk of the past year out of our closets. Spring cleaning can be imagined as an outer reflection of an internal cleaning that the Liver also does this time of the year. By cleansing now, we are in harmony with our body’s yearly cycle.

Liver Cleanse

Common spring cleansing suggestions are dietary changes such as reducing the amount of artificial and processed foods, sugar, and alcohol, while increasing the intake of fresh greens, lemon juice and more water. The Liver energy likes to move – again, remember how anger promotes that urge to move, shake, yell, and fight. A simple way to support your Liver energy in the Spring is to move  – go take a walk, stretch, take some bike rides, swim, ski – anything you can to get more movement into your life.
To support your Liver during its “Spring Cleaning” you can squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a glass of warm water and drink that every morning for 10-14 days. Lemon is very supportive of the Liver. In addition, drink a couple of extra glasses of water during your “Liver Lemon Support.” Another great way to ease into Spring is to have a couple of vigorous therapeutic massages and/or a few acupuncture sessions.
Happy Spring!
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