tai chi. Get out in nature to enjoy the increasing warmth and the joyful bursts of spring colour.
PUT SOME SPRING IN YOUR STEP! The appetite eases while the body reduces the need to store energy as it did over the colder months. Spring is the time to lighten up your diet to lighten up your mood. The body will benefit greatly by cutting down on the heavier foods of winter and limiting your intake of salt, fat, and meat. Refined sugar, greasy or highly processed food will tend to weigh the body down. A simple menu of salads, cooked vegetables, and fish or grains is recommended. Raw and sprouted foods can help cleanse and uplift the body, but beware of too much raw food if the body has a tendency towards being cold or damp. A small amount of sour foods (including lemons, limes, and vinegar) can support the liver and aid in movement of qi. Try starting the day with a cup of warm water and some lemon juice. Onion and garlic, plus pungent cooking herbs such as basil, rosemary, fennel, dill, and bay leaf can be a good addition to spring cooking as they can assist with keeping the digestive qi moving.
SPRING CLEAN IT! Spring is the ideal time for cleansing and rejuvenating. It is the ascending energy of spring that makes us want to lighten our own load – both physically and mentally. This is the perfect time to take steps to remove any excess waste or stagnancy that has accumulated over the previous months. This applies to any part of your life that could do with clearing – your cupboards, your body, your mind, and your emotions. On a physical level this could mean
taking a dietary cleanse or clearing out some of the clutter in your surrounding environment. Cluttered cupboards often reflect cluttered thoughts. Holding onto things takes energy. It can keep you locked in the past or future and prevent you from fully experiencing all that the present has to offer. By having a clean out (physically, mentally,
//SPRING IS THE TIME TO LIGHTEN UP YOUR
DIET TO LIGHTEN UP YOUR MOOD.//
and emotionally), you lighten your load and create space for the new to enter. If there are areas in your life that are stagnating, this is the time to take action and move forward with renewed energy before it results in frustration.
LET’S SPROUT! Seeds are germinating above the ground now and so with us. We feel empowered to take risks, strike out on our own, get on with things and make things happen. In human terms it is a time when the child begins to develop as an individual, independent of its parents, still wide-eyed with wonderment but no longer content just to observe. Now the child is eager to experience and explore all that the world has to offer.
NEW LIFE…. It is during spring that we delight in new beginnings and new possibilities. Everything in nature is opening and bursting with potential. New shoots are rising, trees are blossoming, butterflies are fluttering – there is fresh growth and activity all around! It is a wonderful time to use this momentum to propel you forward and take action to create what you wish for your life. If you have been wanting to begin something new – a new class, a new look, a new relationship – the energies of the earth are naturally supporting you to take the steps you need. Whether you are conscious of it or not, you are part of the cycles of nature and also being influenced by the energies of each season. Spring is the perfect time for exploration, taking action, and making things happen. The increasing energy supports you to create a clearer vision towards your dreams and aspirations, so begin to stretch to those new possibilities that beckon you from the future.
SPRING IDEAS: lWhat do you wish to see bloom in the coming months?
lWhat beliefs, behaviours, or situations no longer serve you?
l Spring clean your wardrobe and get rid of any items that you don’t wear anymore.
l Set clear intentions for any changes or improvements you would like to see in your life.
l Get your qi moving by going for a brisk walk, riding a bike, or flying a kite.
lMarvel at the magnificence of nature thriving all around you.
l Don’t forget your scarf or something warm – even though we want to embrace the increasing warmth of the sun, the wind can still be fresh and there is a chill in the air.
l Help cleanse your liver by eating smaller meals with a focus on sprouts and fresh greens. Limit dairy, red meat, and greasy and refined foods. Use sour foods and pungent herbs
l Try starting the day with a cup of warm water and some lemon juice.
l Reach for your dreams! Be conscious of acceptance and
gratitude during this season – they will help you adapt to change and recognise that sometimes there is a gift in the unexpected! Allow yourself to remain open physically and emotionally to prevent stagnation of energy and to enable the seeds of change to fully blossom. “Go confidently in the direction of
your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” [Henry David Thoreau] l
Connect with other readers & comment on this article at
www.livingnow.com.au
Working with the elements to create harmony in body, mind, and spirit, Michelle Teunon is a Melbourne- based personal
transformation mentor, kinesiologist, bodyworker and qi gong facilitator, passionate about supporting people to live life to their fullest potential.
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2017 41
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