The Seasons are A – Changin’!

While it may have snowed this week in Colorado, plants have been celebrating their renewal for well over a month in most parts of the country, and it’s not a bad time for you to do the same.  In wellness terms that can mean: cleansing, moving your daily exercise outdoors, taking herbs that benefit the liver, or just spending a few more minutes every day soaking up that Vitamin D.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), every organ has a season of peak need and activity.  For the spring and early summer, that organ is the liver.  Wind, which represents change, is the most prominent weather characteristic this time of year, and a healthy liver will help you adapt to changing conditions.

Regardless of how your immune system and your liver feels about the change of season, here are a few ways you can rejuvenate and welcome in the warmer weather.  If you’re in a time crunch, feel free to skip to the one you relate to the most.

Cleanse!
Winter is a time for heavy, warm food like stew.  It’s what our bodies need during the season to keep warm and keep our immune systems strong and our body temperature in balance.  Spring, on the other hand is the time to transition to lighter, fresher foods.  To kick-start your system into its new gear, why not cleanse first? That way your body can start prepared, refreshed, and adapt to the season of change!

Here are some cleanse options for inspiration. Choose them all or the one that’s right for you.
Massage! Juice! An Epsom Salt Bath! Sauna! and Herbs!

Move!
If you move enough to sweat, your system flushes out toxins through your pores, as nature intended. It’s a good way to get your blood moving, improve circulation, reduce blood stagnation in the liver, and help your body function at a higher level. When you move, your lymphatic fluids circulate, which helps re-balance  your immune system by flushing out your lymph nodes.

What are your favorite ways to move?  Bike, swim, walk, run, skate, dance, calisthenics, yoga, tai chi?!  Whichever you prefer, now’s the time to start movin’!

Exfoliate!
Exfoliation involves the removal of the oldest dead skin cells on the skin’s outermost surface, and it feels fantastic.  It increases your skin’s micro-circulation, opens clogged pores, and enlivens your skin making it look younger and fresher.  Because of the oils often used, it also helps you retain moisture rather than drying out, which is a relief after the dryness of indoor heating during long winter months.

In TCM, Wei Chi is considered the outermost defensive layer of energy, surface chi, that acts as a shield to protect the body from external influences like wind, cold, heat, dampness, and dry conditions.  The first line of defense.  The health of Wei Chi influences the opening and closing of pores and the health of the skin.  This means that exfoliation is also very beneficial to revitalize your Wei Chi after the stagnation of the cold months.

Here’s a recipe for a simple and moisturizing do-it-yourself exfoliant. If you want a slightly more complicated version, try this one.

Prepare!
The food you eat directly effects your body’s response to allergens.   I put food into three categories, ones that are nourishing and improve your health, ones that are nourishing and well tolerated but not therapeutic, and ones that better taste really amazing to make up for the consequences.  I’m over any food in this last category.  Food for the liver, in the first category, includes root vegetables like carrots, turmeric, beets (if you like them), and herbs that use the root of the plant like ginger and licorice.

On top of the food you eat, if you’re prone to sensitivities during the spring, AllerDx is another easy option.  It directly supports your springtime adaptability by strengthening your adrenals and clearing heat and hyperactivity from your liver.

Whatever you decide to add to your routine, pay attention to how you feel before and after so you can add every experience to your knowledge-base.  It’s how we become smarter Selfcare practitioners.