Spring is here and bursting with energy! There is new growth and new life all around you. There is a crispness in the air, and you can sense the changing light and temperatures as we make this transition between Winter and Summer. It’s in this transition between hibernating and fully expressing the sun that you find the Wood element in Traditional Chinese Medicine. As you move through a particular season, it can be useful to incorporate the qualities of the element it is associated with.

Wood element is described as forward movement, growth, expansion, and exuberance. Its energies are symbolic of spring, vitality and vigor. Its most challenging emotion is anger and its highest expression is compassion. When wood element is in harmony, there is freedom of expression and open space for expansion. Think about how you might be expanding and growing at this time of year. It’s a great time to make those new projects come to life!

People who express this element walk quickly but are also grounded, as if rooted to the earth. They like to move quickly, and they know exactly where they are going. They often make a beeline toward a goal without being deterred by distractions. They may try to set the pace of a conversation, walk, or activity. Woods speaks with a tone of authority or self-confidence, speaking quickly and to the point. There is no messing around here!

Because of their ability to focus so intently on their purpose, people with a primary Wood element can get frustrated and impatient if things aren’t moving fast enough or something is getting in their way. (P.S. They love control!). On the other hand, they are quite benevolent and kind and will stand up for those who need help or aid.

Full disclosure–I am a primary Wood element and express it pretty completely. The archetypes are the Warrior, the Pioneer, and the Visionary. Unfortunately, we are sometimes known for our impatience and bossiness. Or maybe it’s just that we have great ideas and want to have you join along!

To maintain a healthy Wood constitution, you need to keep your energy moving! Regular stretching, such as yoga and brisk walking, helps ease tight, tense muscles and allows the free flow of energy throughout the whole body. Wood elements rule the muscles, joints, and ligaments, so loosening up tight areas in the body is very important. Wood elements love a fast-paced life and need to keep their bodies humming. Join me in May for powerful Energy Medicine Yoga practices inspired by the Wood Element. Learn to express the qualities of Wood in your own life as we take the following themes into a yoga practice with energy medicine techniques.

May 7 – Cultivating Patience and Forgiveness

May 14 – Moving into Clarity and Action

May 21 – Staying Dependable and Kind

May 28 – Leading and Inspiring

Sign up now for May or individual classes. We meet live at 4:30 p.m. Central Time. I can send you the recording if you can’t make it.

For more information about the elements:

Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal–These are the five elements (or rhythms) according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. You can find the five elements expressed throughout everything. There is a season for each, a personality type, a physical type, an emotional type, a way of walking and talking, and more. We usually have an element that is considered primary and another that is secondary. Depending on the time of your life and what you are going through, a particular element might come forward and be expressed. The deeper I dive into the five elements, the more fascinated I am by them. If you are interested in finding out more about your primary and secondary elements, this quiz can help you determine them.

For more information about Energy Medicine:

I am now fully certified as an Eden Energy Medicine Practitioner, and I see individual clients for energy balancing for physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual issues. Let me know if you are interested in finding out more about how Energy Medicine can improve your health and well-being.