04.28.26 The Wood Element
In TCM, the Wood Element is associated with Spring time. Think growth, renewal, rebirth, forward movement & progression. There are two organs associated with this element- the Liver and Gall Bladder. From a TCM lens, these two organs are known as the stress regulators. It’s no surprise that the emotion associated with Wood is Anger or Irritation. Raise your hand if you’ve already experience that this Spring! (raises hand….)
During this season, we’re vulnerable to stress, overworking, and stagnation. When we become stressed, maybe that starts to show up as irritation and fatigue in the body. Or being sedentary for long periods at a time can cause stagnation and can show up as pain. Maybe you make it a goal for yourself to eliminate stagnation during this season by finding some free flowing movements throughout your day;something you enjoy and that has a positive outlet for you. If you find yourself depleted and overworking you might notice getting short tempered with someone, becoming frustrated or angry. Notice when that happens. When you find yourself in that imbalance, try to not give judgement to yourself but taking that first step to draw your attention inwards, really sit with how you’re feeling and why you might be feeling that way. Take a few deep breaths. Take a short walk or meditate to clear your mind. Again, do something enjoyable. :-)
What are some healthy characteristics of the Wood Element? When you’re in balance with this element there’s this sense of clarity, decision making, growth and expansion. To be able to have clear goals and a vision. There is a sense of assertiveness to help carry our goals through. It might show up as a healthy competitiveness where we are motivating ourselves and the people around us. Having that confident and ambition to rise to the occasion.
In TCM, it’s said that acupressure points Liver 3 and Large Intestine 4 strongly move qi and blood for stagnation and pain. Liver 3 point is in the webbing between your big toe and second toe. Large Intestine 4 is in the webbing between your thumb and index finger. Stimulate these points on both sides, staying for a least 1-2 minutes to have a meaningful impact. It’s always great to incorporate deep belly breaths when stimulating the points. You might find some tenderness and that’s Ok. Feel free to come back to these points throughout your day; however I would stick with no more than 4x a day.