The shift into spring is particularly rocky as the energy moves from an inward action to an upward action. The element of spring is the rising of Wind which has a agitating effect on the Liver. You may have noticed animals get a little feisty when there’s wind about. I noticed this growing up around horses. The windy days always meant the horses would be more jumpy and flighty which we found fun and we’d gallop around with exhilaration. Now that I have learnt about seasonal factors and how it affects the body, I know that the horse’s Liver was a little keyed up.

For us humans, the manifestations are not always pleasant. The wind stirring up our Liver can manifest as dizziness, anxiety, headachy, agitation, frustration, increased neck and shoulder tension, or I’ve even observed other things like increased aggressive driving behaviour on windy days.

How can we protect our Liver as we move from late winter into the windy season? Here’s my pro tips:

1. Wear a scarf. We might be familiar with wearing a scarf in winter to keep warm, however shifting to a light cotton scarf to protect the neck as the weather turns warmer is just as important. The meridians that run up the back of the neck run very superficially to the surface and this is a very quick and easy way for pathogen to enter the body. Wind being a carrier of pathogens and strong penetrator of the meridians means that we have to be extra vigilant as the environmental wind increases during spring.
   

2. Adequate rest, quality sleep. We are not out of the woods yet from Winter and keeping well rested right through winter (and in general, really) will help keep our Kidney Qi nice and strong. The Kidneys are the mother of Liver and if they’re strong, the Liver will be more resilient. If you are having trouble with sleep - whether it be falling or staying asleep - try a hot foot soak before bed. Allow about 20 minutes to soak your feet and you can add calming essential oils if you like. The benefit to this trick is it warms the Kidney channel which begins at the bottom of the foot, and helps promote a delicious restful sleep.
   

3. Rub your Kidneys, tap your Liver. A lovely little practice you can add to your morning upon waking is a daily Qi Gong practice (I follow Katie Brindle’s morning routine on Instagram). If that is still too much commitment (hey, no judgement!) you can simply tap with a loosely closed fist over your liver. The liver is located under the right hand side ribs. It may be a little tender so go gently, but over time you might feel a nice vigorous tap feels really good. Be your own guide on this. Also rub your kidneys located at either side of the lower back area. The kidneys sit superficially to the surface so you don’t want to go tapping or knocking them like you would the liver. Give them a nice rub and send them love, it feels so good while also energising your organs.
   

4. Gently move your Qi. Even through winter is the season for hibernation we still want to keep moving as the free flow of Qi and Blood is central to wellbeing. We don’t want to be doing anything too exhausting, but getting in daily moderate exercise is beneficial all year round, particularly leading into spring where we know the Liver is going to start feeling tense and the Qi stagnates easily. A daily walk, regular yoga and pilates practice, and Qi Gong are all wonderful Qi movers without exhausting the body’s Qi reserves, and great for lifting low moods.
   

5. Enjoy foods to warm Kidneys, regulate the Liver. Now we can start to introduce more Liver/spring foods while still keeping one eye on Kidney energetics. Kidneys love black and salty foods like fermented black beans, seaweeds, black sesame, and a little warming with spices like cinnamon, ginger, star anise to name a few. The Liver needs pungent foods to help move the Qi and bitter foods to cool it’s easily overheated engine, yet the sour flavour is the one connected with the Spring-Wood-Liver element. A little bit of sour can also be good for the Liver, and I stress the little here. Some people like to have lemon and warm water on waking which is great, but too much sour is going to stress out the liver - we only need a few drops to harmonise it. Better still get your little bit of sour, bitter, pungent via the diet with daily dose of Greek dish horta as a side to your main meal of the day. Horta simply is lightly boiled greens - usually the really bitter ones like chicory and dandelion but you can use silverbeet and beetroot tops - drizzled with a little olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Its a wonderful Liver-Blood tonic, Liver harmonising food, and digestive aid.
   

6. Do not be tempted to detox on your own. Yang Shen Nourishing Life is about what not to do as well as what to do. You might be tempted to undertake a detox soon, however late winter is not the time to do it. Spring is the birth season and a good time to do a cleanse, however I’d strongly recommend under the guidance of a qualified and registered practitioner. It is worth questioning why you want to detox. Perhaps your feeling sluggish, irritable, headachy, poor sleep, digestive upsets. If this is the case a straight detox may not be the answer, but a more harmonising approach such as regulating the Liver, tonifying digestion, calming the Shen, clearing dampness and heat, and so on. Often these imbalances give rise to feeling toxic and indiscriminate detoxing can have disastrous long term effects.