Now that it’s Spring, how are you feeling? If you’re like us, at least once during the cold, dark winter months you fantasized about the arrival of this season. Yet, as much as we longed for it when shoveling the driveway for the seemingly millionth time, feeling your best right now can be tricky.
Like Autumn, Spring is a transitional Season, and transitions are sometimes challenging! On one hand, we experience an impulse to fling open the windows, don our gauziest clothing and dance barefoot in the garden under a full moon. On the other hand, we’re still shaking off the cobwebs of Winter, and while our spirits are effervescent like cold champagne on a warm day, our bodies are still emerging from the season of mac-and-cheese-by-the-fire. It is a tug of war between the conflicting desires of hibernation and bacchanalia.
So how can we lovingly escort ourselves through the transitional phase of Spring? Here are a few thoughts from the system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):
This this potent botanic is safe for daily use and on all skin types. There is plenty of science to back up anecdotal evidence that it benefits skin. Some of those benefits include:
- Spring is the time of year when yang (more outward, masculine energy) increases, which corresponds to the element of wood. This means that the spirit of growth and renewal abounds. Just as the trees and plants begin to leaf out and reach skyward, our natural rhythm supports releasing what is stagnant and start fresh.
- In the TCM system, the color of spring is green, and the corresponding taste is sour. The corresponding organs are the liver and gallbladder.
- To balance the fast movement and growth of this time of year, eat plenty of fresh, green seasonal vegetables, as they will support the liver and gallbladder, aiding in cleansing your body. Sour foods like lemons and apple cider vinegar are also beneficial during this time of year as they move bile, which is one of the functions of the gallbladder.
- Spring is the best time of year to work on clearing stagnant emotions, as the liver is responsible for the smooth flow of both feelings and blood in the body and is easily affected by long held stress.
- The gallbladder, involved in planning, inspiration and decision making, takes a hit when there is emotional stagnation in the body. Moving your energy and blood through exercise, breathwork, diet, and acupuncture are all excellent tools to for transitioning into Spring.
To support your skin in this transition, we invite you to tune in with what it really needs right now. Do you require deeper hydration or lighter? Perhaps your complexion wants a nourishing elixir. Upping your exfoliation is always a brilliant self-care gift this season. As the largest organ your body has, your skin will definitely feel the effects of the warmer weather, proliferation of pollens, and increased light. If you have questions about how to give your skin what it needs, we’re here for you.
In the meantime, Happy Spring and #SelfCareSunday everyone!