The Wood Element in Chinese Medicine: The Liver & Gallbladder
How Our Body Works
In Traditional medicine, certain body systems are associated with an organ name and a meridian. Each system and its energetics are stronger during its season.
Eating and working with acupuncture points and herbs that fall in line with that season helps us stay more in balance within our bodies and maintain better health through ways such as decreasing joint pain and boosting our immune system.
Moving From Winter To Spring: Focusing in on the Liver
As we move into the spring season, it is a time to yang activities to reflect the ascending and active nature of spring. This is the season to attend to the liver and gallbladder. In spring we naturally eat less to cleanse the body of fats and heavy foods of winter. Your diet should contain foods to emphasize the yang of spring; fresh greens, sprouts, and immature wheat or other cereal grasses.
When the Wood element is out of balance, we may observe liver stagnation, which frequently occurs when too much rich or greasy food is eaten, causing the liver to become swollen and sluggish. This Wood element organ can become easily congested in modern day by too much fat, chemicals, intoxicants, and denatured foods, which all disrupt the biochemical processes of our liver. TCM tells us when the liver is healthy and in harmony, the energy in our whole body can flow soothingly.
We Can Help If You’re Feeling Sluggish
At Mighty River Wellness, we often treat liver stagnation tied to irregular menstruation. Since the liver stores and purifies the blood, this stagnation can lead to inadequate blood purification and a release of toxins through the skin and menses that are overabundant, irregular, scant or lacking entirely.
Below are more categories associated with the Wood Element:
Viscera: Liver
Bowels: Gallbladder
Sense Organ: Eyes
Emotion: Anger
Season: Spring
Environmental Influence: Wind
Color: Green
Taste: Sour
To read more on the recent season’s element, Water, check out our other blog post HERE, And click HERE to schedule an appointment with us today.
