Chinese medicine seasons: Spring

It’s easy to stress how important good health is for beautiful skin, but without thinking about your wellbeing in relation to the world around you you’re only going to get halfway there. Different seasons put different stresses on your body, and we root our reactions to those in the teachings of Chinese medicine. This ancient wisdom sees health holistically; we are part of the natural landscape, and shouldn’t try to live in conflict with it. Following the teachings of the Chinese medicine calendar can be a genuinely useful way of connecting with our bodies and existing in a more harmonious way.
 
Sunshine-yellow daffodils and pastel pink cherry blossoms signal the start of spring, the season of hope, creativity and renewal. In the Chinese medicine calendar, spring is associated with the liver, the organ that rids our bodies of toxins. It’s unsurprising that the season is celebrated as a period for personal development, encouraging us to embrace nature’s uplift in energy and tackle any issues holding us back. Just as we use spring as an excuse to sort our over-stuffed wardrobes, or throw out letters and leaflets that have piled up over the year, we can use it to focus on cleaning up our emotional, spiritual and physical lives.
 
There are a few key steps you can take to get on board with spring’s innate sense of optimism:

• Wake up your body each morning with a dynamic stretch, like the Sun Salutation. 
• Start your day with a glass of hot water and lemon; according to Chinese medicine, acidic flavours stimulate the liver’s chi.
• Work bone broths, ideally chicken, into your diet – these help decongest the liver. Adding Tumeric to your recipes is another simple way you can do this. 
• Eat lots of nutrient-rich leafy greens to support the healthy functioning of your liver.
• Drink milk thistle tea to help your liver cleanse itself of toxins.
• Use acupuncture to rebalance your chi and create a renewed sense of harmony.
• Get outdoors; walk to work, join a yoga session in the park or go on weekend woodland strolls. 

Start with just two or three of these pointers, and gradually build them up as spring turns into summer. Think of spring as nature’s way of giving you a blank canvas to work with – it’s up to you where you take it.
 
If you’d like more guidance on your path towards a natural way of improving your wellbeing, please feel free to contact our founder, Marlene. Each of her holistic beauty treatments is supported by bespoke lifestyle advice, gathered from lessons with world-class Chinese medicine practitioners and her own extensive expertise.