Springtime is the great awakening of Nature and all its fervent spirit. The collision of opposing forces – restlessness meeting optimism, fresh starts that come along with long-overdue endings- can create a particular kind of energy we call Spring Fever! Today I am thrilled to share the wisdom of my teacher and mentor Dr. Gabriele Van Zon of Feng Shui Universal, as she gives us a roadmap to creating balance in this exciting time!
Capture The Yin and Yang Of Spring Fever With The Powers Of Feng Shui!
Some time between mid-March and mid-April you might feel a shift in energy patterns and question the symptoms that are haunting you. Are you puzzled by a sudden boost of energy or perhaps by increased fatigue and weariness? With a few simple adjustments, feng shui can get you back on track.
As nature reawakens from winter hibernation and gestation, a strange type of energy can enter your system. It’s the yin and yang of spring fever. Yin would be a feeling of languor or laziness, perhaps brought on by the first warm breeze coming from the south. More common is the yang of spring fever, which will come upon you with restlessness or excitement as you hear birds chirping and wind chimes ringing in gusts of wind. Deciduous trees are sprouting new light green coats, and the plants you just repotted are standing tall, looking refreshed and happy. Whatever the mood, let it engulf you with that special feeling of rejuvenation and creativity that affects people at the advent of spring.
With all of nature in this powerful phase of renewal, playing its harmonious symphony of spring, how can we possibly not chime in? Like a wooly critter coming out of hibernation we should stretch our limbs, shed the wintery garb, clear a path through the indoor clutter, take a few deep breath, and find open spaces for growth and opportunities.
What we are describing is all part of the rising and expanding energy of the wood element in the feng cycle of the five elements. This is misleading for western sensitivities because we think of wood as a brown substance for building and making furniture. In feng shui the wood element relates to anything that grows.
Let’s use trees as the best example of the wood element. In the natural world, trees link sky and ground with the many-fingered reach of their branches and roots. Holding fast at one end to the firmness of earth, trees are yet able to bend and turn as conditions change around them; they reshape their trunks to grow toward the light, sway in the wind, and twist themselves around obstacles. This combination of firmness and flexibility is key to the trees’ survival and one of the hallmarks of the wood phase. It allows for growth in relation to the surrounding environment, creating complex interdependent systems. Anything growing relies on wood energies, whether it’s a muscle, a child, or a plan for a building.
Characteristics of this element, a pioneering sense of adventure, increased awareness for change and expansion, can all be the driving passions in decision-making processes. Leadership in any capacity, large or small, can be enhanced with the qualities of the wood element.
Yin and yang adjustments will help you conquer the difficulties of seasonal transitions. For that yin feeling of languor and procrastination, we need to up the momentum with a boost of yang:
- A new stalk or more of lucky bamboo will enhance the left middle or far corner of your space or desk.
- Be mindful of your spring garden, fertilize and trim, cultivate or repot house plants; dust or rinse silk and plastic ones
- Herbal aromas, diffused and penetrating, will up your mood with energizing grapefruit, rosemary or geranium scents.
- Soundtracks of Vivaldi’s Spring or Schubert’s Trout Quintet will expand your repertoire.
- Adding bright lights to dim spaces will lift the spirit and get you fired up.
If too much yang has you chafing at the bit with restless excitement, this extra energy may need to be balanced with a few yin adjustments.
- After multi-tasking in a workaholic environment, you may need to sink into soft pillows and cocoon into your dimly lit meditation corner.
- Listen to the soothing sounds of a lullaby and let lavender waft from your aroma diffuser.
- Bite into a crunchy apple or sip cherry juice for sleep-inducing flavors.
- Turn off the blue light emitting gadgets and pull down the shades over glaring street lights.
Yin and yang are extremes that need to be balanced for smooth sailing on middle ground. The wood element will be your friend if you learn to work with its expanding and rising energy but not to the point of exhaustion with excess and imbalance. Your symptoms of Spring Fever can work in your favor with mindfulness and the mastery of a few simple feng shui adjustments.
Thank you Gabriele, I love this! xoxo Dana
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