The Second Month of Spring - Creating your vision

March, the second month of Spring according to Su Wen classics, has started a few days ago but it is not palpable equally in all parts of the northern hemisphere. It is actually snowing whilst I am sitting and writing it in Poland. Even in the sunny Italy we still get night frosts. All that makes us feel as if the Winter is not going away and the Spring is still so far away.

First of all, it is not surprising the cold is holding strong in the year of the Water element, which is associated with Winter. Secondly, the apparent delay of Spring is the extra time given to us to prepare some plans.

Whilst it is true that Spring is the most active and life thrusting season of the year, even the Spring has its Yin aspect, it is planning and strategy making. A good plan precedes a fruitful outcome. All the energy is here to help us make plans for the remaining months of the year and further. We are surrounded by the renewed energy; our eyes are waking up from the Winter sleep; we have a fresh outlook on the world and a better capacity to perceive our way forward.

Indisputably, many of us are living through significant life changes right now. The world-scene changes are impacting more and more people in their daily lives. It may be the jobs we do, places we live in or more subtly the atmosphere and the energy we are surrounded by. Therefore, envisioning and planning our way through it is essential for building the future. There is no better month for it than March.

The act of planning itself is nourishing our hopes; it contextualises and concretises our hopes into physical actions. Even envisaging our future concretises our hopes in images and feelings. Let's take some time off to focus on creating some fundamental aims and objectives we wish to strive for.

If the future seems bleak to you and you do not know where to begin creating your vision, it may be a sign of hopelessness and/or a sign of lacking clarity. Acupuncture treatments are a good help in such cases. Most of the acupuncture points for it are related to the Liver and Gallbladder channel, which are associated with Spring. You can utilise herbs too. One of them is the Sweet Violet, which has Liver and Gallbladder affinity. The essencial oil of the Sweet Violet among other improves dry eyes (in diluition). The easiest kitchen-based support for the health of our eyes are green leave vegetabeles, so abundant in Spring.

---

The First Month of Spring - A Gentle Push to Wake Up

The beginning of February this year has been rather dynamic. Apart from the passage from the element of Water to Wood marking the start of the new season, Spring, there is the concomitance with the start of the Lunar New Year in energetic Water Tiger with the New Moon in dynamic and forward looking Acquarius. Some celebrate Calendora others celebrate Imbolc, where both signify a pivot when the Winter visibly withdraws.

I have just read the last year's update for this month and realised we are having much more of an energetic push than the same time last year. Additionally, at the moment of this passage all of the astrological planets have gone direct. So, not only do we get the push from the Nature ready to sprout but also from the Planets that encourage all movement forward.

Given such combination of energies, I strongly encourage you to make some plans for the next months at least. The energy is moving now, so observe the flows and coincidences and have the courage to follow them. This month is going to be fast, flowing and will bring new events. You may wish to read on the Lunar New Year energy to help you plan the year ahead (https://www.dorotakowal.com/post/lunar-new-year-improving-your-health-with-the-energy-of-water-tiger).

Some of you will welcome it more than others. In either case, it is helpful to feel more light and elastic in our body. Hence, it is time to re-adjust the diet and do a daily dose of stretching and get a daily walk. Diet-wise, we can now include more raw foods, although we still need to balance it with hot meals. An excellent food to eat at this time are sprouts, which correspond energetically to this season. They are raw but not as cooling as salads, for example.

February is an excellent time to start a body detox. Remember that making our bodies strong and healthy is not only dependent on what we consume and supplements we take but equally dependent on what we avoid to eat. This month let's start taking out all alcohol, coffee and processed sugar. My ideal way to do it is gradual withdrawal, one food at the time. This way the body gets time to adjust. If you wish to book an appointment to plan a detox and include detox with acupuncture, contact me.

Contact me to book

All the way, be also aware of not overdoing it as we are still only just coming out of the Winter inertia. If you begin to get headaches, blood-shot eyes, strapped tendons (hopefully not), these may be signs you are overdoing it. Stretch yourself in time; Spring is only just beginning and you have more than just one month to do it all.

---

Lunar New Year - improving your health with the energy of Water Tiger

The 1st February marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year and the year of Water Tiger. For me the real new year does not begin until we have completed both the solar cycle and have received the twelve lunar cycles. There is finally a feeling that the old is left behind and the new is beginning.

We are leaving behind the year of real hard work and hardship, which is what the last year of the Ox symbolised. We had to be patient, enduring as the energy was rather "stubborn". To add to this, the Metal element last year could have added rigidity to the general feeling. Health-wise, you might have had on-going "stubborn" problems and had to work hard to keep yourself fit and well.

This year, that might all be different, as you are likely to feel the fast, furious and energetic Tiger's energy fuelled by the regenerating power of Water. Well, at least if you utilise wisely both Tiger and Water energy in the coming year. To help you benefit from this coming year, the followig are my highlights of the areas of health and wellbeing most favoured in the Water Tiger year.

Most of us know what qualities Tiger animals represent: powerful, courageous, strong and leadership. How did the ancient medicine people see and utilised the energy of that animal for health and wellbeing? There ere two main associations with the Tiger energy. One is related to Metal element (and specifically to Lungs, which is the organ of th Metal element). The other association of Tiger is with the first month of a lunar year (Tiger is the first animal in the Chinese zodiac), February. This is also the first month of Spring (according to the ancients), which is associated with the Wood element.

For some, who already know the cycles of Five Elements, would have realised this means Metal is controlling Wood. Tiger's energy ensures that the growth of new beginnings is not excessive or chaotic. But for starters we will feel that rise in energy we have not felt for a couple of years. It is not going to be shooting up but just as the beginning of Spring, encouraging new life. This is coupled by the element of Water, which symbolises conception and rebirth.

Tiger energy is mostly associated with our Lungs and therefore the skin (known as the third lung). We should get a renewed health with regards to those organs. It will be a good year to open the Lungs, breathe new fresh air and do aerobic exercises to get toxins out of the body through sweating. It will be generally a good year for beauty. Any attempts to make our appearances glowing with health will pay off this year (including nails and teeth).

Another important health aspect that will get a massive renewal this coming year will be sexuality. Tiger is a symbol of sexual power and mating. Coupled with the Water element which uncovers deep and intimate energies, it is very likely our deep sexual desires will get a notable renewal this year. It also bodes well for fertility and conception.

We will generally feel stronger in ourselves and feel more able to extend our concentrated efforts to achieve (Water is our willpower) satisfaction of our needs (Tigers only hunt when hungry). But we will not do it totally alone. Although Tiger likes acting on its own, Water element is about community. Our actions and power will be better off if grounded in our identity within the wider community.

Now, not all of us may easily embrace the energy of Tiger, qualities of a leader, predator and an activist. Some people or communities may feel threatened by powerfull people or communities who are behaving predator-like. In such case it would be a good idea to have a good friend who easily embraces such energies or was born in the year of a Tiger. Tigers are symbols of protection and of chasing away the evil. With a Tiger family member or a friend you will be protected. In addition, it will be good to wear amber jewellery. Amber in Chinese is called "soul of the tiger". In traditional Chinese Medicine amber is used, among others, for healthy functioning of the Lungs, sustaining defensive energy (immunity) and conception vessel.

Another protection we all can utilise this year is that of getting in touch with our essence of being, of who we really are, within ourselves and within the community, and derive our drive and will power from that. It will be a good year to spend time near water, such as streams, rivers and the sea; contemplating the power of Water being flexible, adaptable and changeable.

Wishing you all a good Water Tiger Year!

---