With spring equinox right around the corner, and the early sunny weather that we have been having in Portland, daffodils are out, magnolias are blooming early, my vitamin D levels are rising, and my thoughts are turning to new beginnings. While I didn’t study acupuncture in school, I did study shiatsu, auricular therapy, and now am learning Aroma Acupoint Therapy which is a beautiful marriage of my love of essential oil therapeutics with the theory and energetics of Chinese Medicine. I am grateful to my teachers Diane Del Reyes, Peter Holmes, and Tiffany Pollard for this beautiful and effective therapy. Using Aroma Acupoint Therapy in my practice is teaching me more about the energetics of the seasons.In Chinese Five Element Theory, Spring brings rising Yang Wood energy. After the dark, yin winter when plants have been preserving their energies, spring is a time of new growth, buds, shoots, upward motion. The wood element is associated with liver and gallbladder organs which are in charge of strategic planning, and judicious decision making energies respectively. So spring is a time of new energies bursting forth, ideally with some vision and planning to guide the energy. What happens if there is the upward surging momentum and nowhere to channel that energy? In this case someone might feel agitation or irritability; anger is the emotion associated with a liver out of balance. What can we do to support this transition from winter to spring, to align ourselves with the natural up and out energy of nature, and to use this momentum for planting seeds for our envisioned future with the confidence to push forth? Can we allow ourselves to engage in a surge of newness and hope?

Living in harmony with Spring/Wood

Take walks outdoors. Feel the sunshine, notice the new leaves, shoots, and blooms.
Spring Clean your house! Make room for fresh air and energy to circulate, clearing out stagnation and allowing space for new ideas, people and things to come into your life.
Spring Clean your body! Focus on foods that support the liver: Green leafies, especially bitter ones (endive, romaine, dandelion greens). Citrus fruits. Diakon Radish. Artichoke.
Fragrance energetics: White Fir (to center and stabilize qi), Bergamot oil on ear shen men point (provides balance, and perspective), Blue Tansy (in Balance blend), Clary Sage (also found in Clary Calm blend, Lavender, or Marjoram (to circulate and smooth qi that may be bound up). Click Here to Buy Essential Oils from me. Diffuse in your house, use on your body or in your bath.
Passion Planner This is what I've been using for goal setting and long term vision work, and to track my progress.
5 minute journal Another great tool to help create the life you want
Come in for a treatment Experience and Aroma Acupoint treatment, Shiatsu Massage or Nature Cure Spa treatment to keep that qi flowing!

I know that I can feel movement stirring me to strive forward with my vision. I love witnessing my patients reach toward their passions. It's an exciting and challenging time of transition!