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Describing the Wood Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medici

January 31, 2022 phyto5.us
wood-type-personality-strong-confident-athletic-goal-oriented

At the time of our birth, the prevailing cosmic and telluric energies have an important effect on our personality. It can be said that at the time of birth these energies give us our own individual rhythms that seem to transcend our genetic makeup and upbringing. Traditional Chinese medicine embraces a fivefold concept known as the Five Element or Five Phase Theory that help explain these rhythms. Traditional Chinese medicine points out that we all tend to be one predominant ‘type’ from among the five elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, though no one is one hundred percent one type alone. In this article we discuss both the in-balance and out-of-balance (maladapted) Wood type personality.

Wood-in-balance types derive an enormous amount of energy and vitality through maintaining a vision of their ideal future and what they can do to make that happen. They have a tendency to create independent lifestyles and to control their own futures.

They are pioneers and visionaries. These are their archetypes.

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Adapted or in-balance Wood type personalities are open to new ideas and trends and they recognize possibilities that others might never see. They make sure they are surrounded by a free environment that will foster their vision and creativity and support their breaking through to do things in their own way.

Balanced Wood type personalities know how to get around obstacles and part of their deft maneuvering includes establishing alternate plans and contingencies. Even when failures occur they usually and flexibly simply take another route or look for another direction—a tactic so supportive of change and transformation.

Balanced Woods know what works for them. They tend to be optimistic as they hold the vision of and hope for a future they’ve already seen.

Wood type personalities are self-directed and structured, organized and deliberate—qualities they find necessary to achieve their lofty goals. List and spreadsheet making are very often integral to their organization and planning although these can sometimes go too far with Wood where the need to plan and organize becomes excessive and annoying.

Seeing life as something to be conquered, instead of cooperating, Wood competes. But what Wood is really trying to do by competing is create a sense of control. Wood’s single most important ambition is to maintain a sense of control over life.

Out-of-balance Wood type personalities need direction and accountability to an authority figure. A mentor, teacher or leader who can provide maladapted Wood with a plan is often more than helpful as it provides this Wood type with much needed structure.

Frustration, anger, impatience, controlling behavior and combative conflicts are the toxic expressed emotions of the maladapted Wood type. Because Wood types are so hooked into their goals, they often abrasively confront or argue with anyone who they perceive is an obstacle on their path.

This personality aspect translates into Wood’s physical makeup which is often well muscled, strong and coordinated since Wood types cannot be swayed as they stand for what is right and just. Taken too far, Wood can be inflexible, sticking to a plan or belief no matter the cost. Trees may appear stiff and unbendable but they’re really quite flexible when they need to be and this is Wood’s challenge.

The Wood personality type is very often critical of everything but themselves. When Wood lacks this self-awareness, they cannot be honest with themselves. Should they feel they’ve been treated unfairly, they will neither forgive nor forget. They tend to hold grudges indefinitely. On the extreme end, this behavior describes a maladapted Wood type.

Wood types are often unable to tolerate injustice whether it is done to them or done to society as a whole. The Wood archetype is the Warrior which leads out-of-balance Wood away from angry outbursts and hostility into championing just causes. This helps Wood regain a sense of control in a world he views as uncertain and hostile. Warrior Wood works to right what is wrong and to forge changes that create hope for the future.

Wood’s virtues are forgiveness and patience. They stem from the innate vision and insight of the Wood type and they neutralize the negative angry emotions Wood can so easily feel.

The Warrior/Pioneer archetype is founded on the flourishing energy of the Wood element and the birth of yang energy in energetic Spring. Like well adapted Wood, yang energy is forceful and vigorous, warming and expansive.

From the new yang energy of Spring comes balanced Wood’s ability to initiate action, take decisive steps, express balanced emotion and to allow creativity to flow with new ideas, change, hope, vitality and optimism.

The Wood type personality is challenged to move from anger to insight and from frustration to patience. In order to do so, Wood must be flexible and honest with himself or herself.

Connect to the power of the Wood element this season of energetic Spring (February 5 to April 17) to rise above the chaos, reclaim your visionary self, see solutions where problems used to be and allow transformation to improve your life.

#####

Endnotes:

Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

Image credit: pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4429136-2.jpg

In Holistic Lifestyle Tips Tags Spring Season, Wood Element

Spring Equinox 2021–A New Solar Year and a New Astrological Age. Is It Any Wonder It Would Be So Pivotal At This Time?

February 4, 2021 phyto5.us
Spring Equinox 2021–A New Solar Year and a New Astrological Age. Is It Any Wonder It Would Be So Pivotal At This Time?

The Spring or vernal equinox 2021* is Saturday, March 20. This special day, when the sun crosses the celestial equator, marks the middle point between the Winter solstice and the Summer solstice. On the Spring equinox day every spot on the entire planet experiences an equal amount of time in the light and in the darkness. From that day on in the northern hemisphere, each day thereafter we leave behind more of the dark of Winter as we receive a greater amount of the light and warmth of the sun. Now all of nature begins to be revived after its Winter hibernation.

Many believe that this equinox is most important because they see it as marking the beginning of the Age of Aquarius.** In this understanding, our civilization has been hibernating for aeons and celestial events of December 2020 solstice and March 2021 equinox revive us and herald the light of a new epoch in time, a time that could be called Earth’s  ’Summer’ period of existence.

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The Spring equinox 2021 is especially pivotal in light of all the challenges the entire world has been experiencing literally since 2020’s Spring equinox. In addition, the Winter solstice of December 21, 2021 also created a powerful energetic pathway into this new year 2021. And though we technically began a new year on January 1, the apparent movement of the sun crossing the celestial equator can be seen, particularly in the Northern hemisphere, as the start of the new “solar” year full of potent energy and hallmarking a renewal.

If this equinox would be given a name it would be “New Earth Rising.” Although it appears that in the world today there is an enormous amount of negativity, chaos, confusion and destruction afoot, New Earth is to be born of these fires and their ashes. 

This equinox places polarity squarely in our faces and forces us to make serious choices that will form how we choose to experience, see and perceive our reality. Will we, unaware, minimally stay comfortable within the “third dimension” simply because it is a known factor, or will we choose to see with higher sight, awake and aware, and strive toward a higher state of consciousness? 

Once the Spring equinox opens the door to a myriad of polarity choices throughout the year, over and over again, we will have to make many choices between all sorts of pairs of opposites, such as:

                light/dark

                service to others/service to self

                love/fear

                good/evil

                truth/lies

                positive/negative.

This is an invitation to become more conscious, awake and aware. We must learn to live through these polarities embracing the universal Law of Balance – to maintain balance between our beliefs, thoughts, and emotions to achieve a greater vitality of being. In fact, it is very much a core approach to the vital energy balance that is the fundamental premise of PHYTO5:

                • vital energy flow within our bodies that enables us to mitigate or heal physical challenges

                • emotional balance and happiness–the foundation for healthy and balanced living

Both of these fundamentals for conscious living are described further in our blog,  “Wei Chi and the Beauty of Emotions.”

Thought this year, we’ll need to be patient and do our best to live in the now because to yearn to go back to normal, to wonder when this will all end, will not be healthy for us mentally or emotionally. A process of transformation is under way as we are now entering the Aquarian Age and leaving the Piscean Age behind. It may take some time, but it is ours to embrace. 

We are invited to focus on opening ourselves to excitement, wonder, bliss, joy, and happiness for this will strengthen our beings and our lives. It balances our needs with those of others; it encourages cooperation, civility and respect for others as well as for our environment. Rather than dwell on the chaos, confusion and negativity we see with our eyes, let’s focus on the new reality that is now being birthed beginning this Spring equinox.

The Spring equinox 2021 is all about allowing the light to blast open our consciousness so that we make choices that make us strong, sustainable and balanced–each of us contributing vitally to the whole and consequently uplifting Earth to the positive, cooperative, unified vision of itself we hold. It begins intensely March 20, 2021.

#####

Endnotes: 

* Roughly every 2,150 years, the sun’s location in front of the background stars – at the time of the March, or vernal, equinox – moves in front of a new zodiacal constellation. For example, the Age of Aquarius begins at the point when the sun is no longer in front of the constellation Pisces at the time of the March equinox. At that point – sometimes called the March equinox point, or vernal equinox point – the equinox sun will be in front of the constellation Aquarius.

**Astrologers do not agree upon exact dates for the beginning or ending of the ages,** with given dates varying by hundreds of years. For this reason, many believe we entered the Age of Aquarius years ago, others believe we are entering this age around the Spring equinox 2021 and still others believe it is several hundred years away. 

***An astrological age is a time period in astrologic theology which astrologers claim parallels major changes in the development of Earth's inhabitants, particularly relating to culture, society, and politics. There are twelve astrological ages corresponding to the twelve zodiacal signs in western astrology. Advocates believe that when one cycle of the twelve astrological ages is completed, another cycle of twelve ages begins. The length of one cycle of twelve ages is 25,860 years.

Photo by Bessi at Pixabay

In Conscious Lifestyle Tips Tags Spring Season

It’s Energetic Spring and Time for Cleansing Green

February 12, 2020 phyto5.us
It’s Energetic Spring and Time for Cleansing Green

During this season of energetic Spring, if we choose to live in harmony with the season and nature, we will want to begin moving from the hibernating days of Winter and the indulgence of holiday celebrations into a period of internal cleansing.  Green is the color of Spring, cleansing, vitality and new life. Chlorophyll is the green pigment of plants. It’s responsible for the absorption of light from the sun.

“The latest research from Prof. F.A. Popp and Dr. H. Niggli shows that, in addition to the chemical composition of our food, light energy (biophotons) is also an important factor in food quality. The more light a food is able to store, the more nutritious it is. Naturally grown fresh vegetables, for example, and sun-ripened fruits are rich in light energy.” —Christine Morehart in Living Perfect Health: The Art of Healthy Eating and Cleansing

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Stored sun energy in the fresh fruits and vegetables we consume finds its way into our cells in the form of minute particles of light – biophotons – the smallest physical units of light. These particles contain important bio-information, regulating and directing complex vital processes in our bodies. They elevate the organism (the body) to a higher frequency or order ultimately manifested as a feeling of vitality and well-being.

Many scientific studies show that there is hardly any illness that cannot be helped by chlorophyll. It’s a miraculous healer. It cleans cholesterol, fat and toxins from the body and destroys pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and cancer cells.

Because most of us do not chew our food thoroughly enough, the best way to derive the most benefit from green produce is to drink green smoothies where the blender action doesn’t just masticate, it predigests the greens for us. But even if drinking green smoothies is not appealing to us, simply adding more green foods to whatever diet we follow can make a profound improvement on our health.

Spinach, watercress, arugula, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, collard greens and parsley, wheatgrass and alfalfa and barley grasses are examples of super nutritious and light energy rich green foods. 

Chlorella, a chlorophyll-rich algae and complete protein with a 62% amino acid content, is one of the most well rounded foods on the planet. It’s rich in minerals like phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, germanium, sulfur, iron, calcium, manganese, copper, zinc, iodine, cobalt, and trace elements. Other nutrients include vitamins A, C, E, K, B complex, B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, pantothenic acid, RNA, DNA, folic acid, biotin, choline, and inositol.

Chlorella grows so quickly it quadruples every twenty-four hours. It also quadruples the friendly flora in our intestinal tract and boosts the immune system. It facilitates digestion, alkalizes the body, heals the intestinal lining, and works remove chemicals, toxins and heavy metals from the body.

Sea vegetables at approximately 50% protein can directly compete with animal protein and are much more easily assimilated by the body. Sea greens contain more minerals than any other food and are the best source of iodine required for healthy thyroid function. Kelp, kombu, arame, wakame, nori, dulse, blue green algae, spirulina are examples of super nutritious sea greens. (Wakame is one of the unique ingredients in Ageless La Cure Perfection Cream by PHYTO5, formulated to lighten dark spots on the skin.)

The chlorophyll in plants protects the leaves of the plant from frying and withering in the sun. In the same way, when we consume lots of chlorophyll we are also ingesting protection for our skin from the sun. Indigenous peoples and animals who do not suffer from sunburn prove they receive sunscreen from the leafy greens they eat.

More benefits of chlorophyll:

  • builds a high red blood cell count

  • helps prevent cancer

  • provides iron to organs

  • alkalizes the body

  • counteracts the effects of toxins consumed

  • Improves anemia

  • cleans and deodorizes bowel tissues

  • works to purify the liver

  • assists in the improvement of hepatitis

  • regulates menstruation

  • improves milk production in lactating women

  • assists to heal sores more quickly

  • eliminates body odors

  • resists wound bacteria

  • cleans tooth and gum structure 

  • eliminates bad breath

  • relieves sore throat

  • reduces inflammation and the pain caused by it

  • soothes ulcer tissue

  • improves varicose veins

  • improves vision


####

Endnotes:

Photo by Sara Cervera at Unsplash

Boutenko, Victoria. Green for Life: the Updated Classic on Green Smoothie Nutrition. North Atlantic, 2010.

Morehart, Christine. Living Perfect Health: The Art of Healthy Eating and Cleansing. Xlibris, 2014.

In Holistic Lifestyle Tips Tags Spring Season, Green Foods
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The True Story of St. Patrick and the Holiday's Deeper Meaning for You

February 12, 2019 phyto5.us
St. Patrick’s Day Coincides with the Promise of Chinese Medicine’s Spring Energy

St. Patrick's Day represents more than the ancient folklore of snakes, shamrocks and the color green. It coincides with the promise of Spring. While the color green associated with holiday represents Ireland as emerald isle, the color green is a purifying, vitalizing color. And all of the metaphoric elements of the true story of St. Patrick hold meaning for your life and well-being.

The truth is, St. Patrick’s Day was more of a religious observance until Irish immigrants to the U. S. supercharged it.

“Until the 1700s, St. Patrick’s Day was a Roman Catholic feast only observed in Ireland—and without the raucous revelry of today’s celebrations. Instead, the faithful spent the relatively somber occasion in quiet prayer at church or at home. That started to change when Irish immigrants living in the United States began organizing parades and other events on March 17 as a show of pride.” —Jennie Cohen, St. Patrick’s Day Myths Debunked, history dot com

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The True Story of St. Patrick Being Associated with the Color Green

We can trace the wearing of green on St. Patrick’s Day to the eighteenth century. This is the point when backers of Irish independence took on the color to represent their cause. Before then, St. Patrick’s Day was not a day of green.

Coincidentally, the green of St. Patrick’s Day falls during traditional Chinese medicine’s (TCM’s) season of energetic Spring. The TCM element (out of five: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) associated with Spring is Wood. TCM also assigns the color green to energetic Spring and the Wood element.

The Truth About the Man Himself–St. Pat

"The modern celebration of St. Patrick's Day really has almost nothing to do with the real man," says Western culture professor Philip Freeman of Pepperdine University. 

Originally a Britt, Patrick was kidnapped and taken to Ireland. There he tended sheep as a slave in the chilly mountainous region of the country for seven years.

Not particularly religious before, he got religion in Ireland and became a devout Christian.

Next, he escaped his slavery to reunite with his family back home in England. But a message he received in a dream compelled him to return to Ireland.

He became a priest and later a bishop where, according to John Roach, author of St. Patrick's Day Facts: Shamrocks, Snakes, and a Saint, National Geographic Magazine. hewas:

“constantly beaten by thugs, harassed by the Irish royalty, and admonished by his British superiors,”

Where Did the Shamrock Come From and What Does It Mean?

According to St. Patrick's Day lore, St. Pat used the leaves of the shamrock as a teaching metaphor to describe the Holy Trinity. But the shamrock custom emerged out of eighteenth century Irish nationalism and the 1798 Irish Rebellion against English colonialism.

The Irish adopted the symbol of the shamrock to memorialize St. Patrick’s Day because fervor for the holiday intensified at that time.

The True Story of the Snakes and St. Patrick

As for driving snakes out of Ireland, no evidence exists to prove an abundance of snakes existed anywhere in the region. The mythos seems more metaphorical than literal. Villains and non-believers at the time (fifth century A. D.) were considered snakes.

Today St. Patrick’s Day Looks Nothing Like It Did Centuries Ago.

 “For many people around the world, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a secular ode to Irish culture (or at least an oversimplified version of it), characterized by parties, music and iconic foods.” —Jennie Cohen, St. Patrick’s Day Myths Debunked, history dot com

In spite of the true story of St. Patrick’s Day, today’s merrymaking and revelry can bring a lightness to our spirits as Spring emerges from the dark. And along with that revelry we look forward to the gushing forth of new life and new possibilities.

Be sure to check out our Spring seasonal/Wood element line of skincare characterized by the color green.

Purify oily skin and blackheads, lighten hyperpigmentation and stimulate blood flow and vital energy. with the quantum energetic Wood line.

Essential oil-rich, it smells like invigorating Spring, purifies skin and also works to balance your emotions. Restore your confident true nature and march in those parades!

…

Cohen, Jennie. “St. Patrick's Day Myths Debunked.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 16 Mar. 2012, www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-myths-debunked.

“St. Patrick's Day Facts: Shamrocks, Snakes, and a Saint.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 18 Mar. 2010, news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100316-st-patricks-day-facts-shamrocks/.

In Holistic Lifestyle Tips Tags Spring Season, Wood Element
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The Energy of Spring: How It Can Assist Us with Exercise Plans and Weight Loss

February 20, 2018 phyto5.us
birg-on-bubble.jpeg

During Chinese medicine’s energetic Spring (February 5 to April 17), we focus on the Wood element and the liver and gall bladder organs and meridians. We may not realize it but if we work with the rebirthing energy of Spring it can actually assist us to make solid exercise goals, plans and follow through and to lose the excess weight we gained during Winter's hibernation period.

At this time we begin to spend a little more time outdoors. If we haven’t enjoyed the Winter cold, sleet and snow, our excitement grows as we think about lightening up on our clothing and even our diets. We practically feel compelled to go outside again, to clear the yard, start the garden, even give the house a good cleaning. The messllage we are feeling is: “Get moving!”  We’re intuitively responding to the energies of the season!

When we are in balance with Wood, we tend to be resilient. We are able to make decisions and adapt well to situations and challenges. When we are out of balance with Wood, we will tend to emotional responses of frustration, anger, and depression. For women, since Wood, particularly the liver, governs the menstrual flow and ovulation, out of Wood balance women will tend to irregularity of the menstrual cycle.

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Both men and women who are out of balance with Wood, may notices more frequent occurrence of headaches and migraines, anxiety attacks, and gastrointestinal and cardiovascular issues. If that imbalance is left untended for a longer period of time, chronic fatigue and back and joint problems may result.

One way to help bring us back into balance with Wood is to turn to the fundamentals of diet and exercise. Food also is an integral part of maintaining the free flow of Wood chi and we’ll elaborate more on best eating practices for Spring in a soon upcoming blog post. (Please also refer to our February 12, 2018 blog post entitled, “It’s Energetic Spring! Here Are 33 Delicious Ways to Creatively Get More Green Into Your Diet.)

Take advantage of the energy of Spring and adopt a well established workout plan. If you’re looking for some ideas, try simple daily stretching, qigong, tai chi, yoga, cycling, walking, light cardio or calisthenics. Find the form of exercise you resonate with. And always remember to include exercise for the mind and spirit: meditation. It will amazingly bring more productivity to your days and believe it or not, time you never seemed to have before.

To emphasize, Wood element energy is a vital component of our ability to make plans and decisions. Use Wood’s energy to stick to a set exercise plan. Having a hit-and-miss schedule of sketchy workouts won’t bring us the results we want, not to mention we’ll become frustrated and give up.

Follow these simple tips to beautifully harmonize with the Spring season:

  • Rest and go inward as much as possible. Your time to get up and go in Summer is just around the corner.

  • If you'd like to lose weight, take advantage of Spring's natural easing of appetite and work with your body's desire to move energy with increased activity.

  • Do a simple daily cleanse during the Spring for liver and gall bladder.

  • Include bitter foods in your diet. (These are fruits, vegetables, and herbs having a sharp, pungent taste or smell but not sweet.)

  • Nourish your liver daily or as often as possible with hot/warm water and lemon.

  • Take daily walks in the morning sunlight.

  • Apply Wood Phyt'ether to the liver and gall bladder zones on the face: between the eyebrows for liver and on the temple areas for gall bladder; also apply Yogi Body Gel to the outside of the legs to stimulate circulation on the gall bladder meridian.

  • Apply the Wood element Day Cream to reduce skin’s oiliness and to purify, clear and lighten the skin. Extract of wheat (gluten-free), and essential oils of lemon and rosemary activate the natural defenses of the skin to combat the effects of poor diet and/or lack of cellular oxygenation. Wood Day Cream contains unique ingredients that are antiseptic, toning and stimulating and it’s also excellent for protection from high and low pressures and windy and changeable weather associated with Spring.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published April 4, 2016 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

In Holistic Lifestyle Tips Tags Spring Season
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It May Feel Like Winter but Chinese Medicine Proclaims It’s the Beginning of Spring: Check Out These Best Practices for Living in Harmony with Energetic Spring

February 1, 2018 phyto5.us
crocuses-in-snow.jpg

In early February when traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) tells us energetic Spring starts, it still feels very cold and wintry. The remnants of the Water energy of Winter potently linger. The powerful energy of Water is no longer proactive, but its momentum continues to produce manifestations of Winter even though we start to feel the energy of Wood and energetic Spring.

February 5 marks the start energetic Spring season and the new energy of Wood. As that proactive energy initiates, it takes some time before we actually feel its manifestations.

Nevertheless, nature begins to receive a new set of information resulting in progressive changes that we will begin to notice more or less rapidly depending on how strong the new Wood energy is. 

Just prior to February 5, we experienced an eighteen-day transition period of Earth between Water (Winter) and Wood (Spring).

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In TCM, the element represented by Spring is Wood. 

To live in balance with the 5-Element Theory of TCM and for that matter, to live in balance with nature of which we are an inherent part, we’ll want to embrace the following attributes, characteristics and specific organ activity for the Wood element and Spring season.

Here's a short list of best practices for Spring and the Wood element...

  • The color for the Wood element is green. Freshen up your life by bringing green into it in all sorts of ways. Bring it into your diet and in your home decor.

  • Liver and gall bladder are the organs associated with the Wood element. If you have liver or gall bladder issues and/or you have a Wood element imbalance, incorporate more of these tips into your daily life to help support these important internal organs.

  • Indications of too much Wood chi which manifests as Wood imbalance include:

    • stiff muscles and joints

    • liver troubles

    • sallow or yellowish skin

    • panic attacks, hysteria

    • neck pain

    • stroke

    • anger, resentment, bitterness

    • lack of compassion

    • erratic behavior

    • low self-esteem

    • shouting, complaining, arguing

    • violence, abuse, incessant arguing.

  • In addition to food, the following Wood element fragrances can be used and enjoyed to uplift and strengthen Wood chi and help create more balance in Wood:

    • lavender

    • orange, grapefruit

    • chamomile

  • Certain green gemstones can also be used to assist the flow of Wood chi:

    • jade

    • emerald

    • green opal

  • TCM-advised sound and breathing exercises for each element also help to bring balance where there was imbalance.  Since wind is the climactic element condition assigned to the Wood element, become more aware of your ‘wind’ by breathing more consciously.

    • Look into the qigong practice called “Marriage of Heaven and Earth” where liver and gall bladder organs receive healing and we become intimate with the primary energy principle known as pulsing. Pulsing teaches how all of creation including us pulses between yin and yang. The principle of pulsing is primarily linked to the Wood element where it is easiest to learn, embody and ground within us. 

    • For Wood, the healing sound is easy. It’s a long “Shhhh” – as in telling someone to be quiet. On the exhale of a deep breath, this sound will help to release anger and frustration. It can help to soften the person suffering with anger and at the same time assist to quell ailments in the liver and gall bladder. 

    • The five element healing sounds are actually breathing exercises that are best done every day at least five times a week, taking at least six deep breaths, the deeper the better. It is most beneficial to do the exercises outdoors where chi is fresh, preferably in the morning, with the sun shining on you from the East but they can most definitely be done indoors too.

    • You will want to inhale through your nose until your abdomen is full of fresh air and then exhale out through the mouth making the soft healing sound Shhhh. On the inhale, imagine positive chi entering your body and cleansing the negative chi and ailments in your body. On the exhale, imagine pushing out the negative chi and ailments.

  • It is important to practice mindfulness and meditation at this Spring time of year to magnetize clarity of vision to ourselves, because the liver governs the health of the eyes and the clarity received applies both literally and figuratively. 

  • The time is energetic Spring! Rise early with the sun and take brisk walks. Living in harmony with Spring will reawaken us after a long period of introspective, quiet and more slowly moving Winter.

Check out PHYTO5's Wood element skincare line to address imbalance in the skin such as oiliness, blackheads, hyperpigmentation, and issues of vital energy circulation.

#####

Sources:

Nguyen, Phil N. Feng Shui for the Curious and Serious. New Jersey: Xlibris Corporation, 2008. Print.

Thunderhawk, Denise, L. Ac. The 5-Element Guide to Healing with Whole Foods. N.p.: Lulu, 2016. Print.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published February 27, 2017 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

In Holistic Lifestyle Tips Tags Spring Season, Wood Element
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30 Fun Ways to Get More Green Into Your Diet

March 29, 2017 phyto5.us
30 Fun Ways to Get More Green Into Your Dieet

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) tells us the Spring energetic season (February 5 to April 17) is all about the sprouting of new life. TCM assigns two shades of green to Spring’s element of Wood: warm green (yang) and bluish green (yin). And during energetic Spring it’s important to nourish our bodies with life-giving, detoxifying green.

Not everyone enjoys green leaves and vegetables but what follows are a number of novel and fun ways to make sure you amp up your diet with green and enjoy the deliciousness of it too!

While most of these ideas provide ways to creatively add greens and green foods to your entrees and side dishes, don’t be afraid to make green the main event!

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  1. Scramble your eggs with cooking greens or add them to your frittata.

  2. Add fresh fruit like strawberries to make your highly nutritious spinach salad more interesting.

  3. Make a batch of green pesto to have on hand for adding to dishes like pasta or for garnishing dishes like scrambled eggs, soup or roasted veggies.

  4. Learn to sprout! It’s so easy to do right in your kitchen with some mason jars, cheesecloth and sprouting seeds. In just a couple days you’ve got green sprouts absolutely brimming with nutrition that you can add to salads, add as soup garnishes or throw in your smoothies.

  5. Learn to identify wild edible greens and pick them. Some might be in your backyard or favorite local forest preserve.

  6. Everybody loves nuts and seeds so add them to your salads. Not only will they provide texture but lots of nutrition too.

  7. Add a handful of spinach or other green to your favorite smoothie to make it green. We suggest spinach ‘cause it won’t alter the flavor intent of your smoothie.

  8. Garnish your soups with parsley or cilantro.

  9. Never miss adding a beautiful green leaf to your sandwiches. Experiment. Go beyond iceberg or romaine lettuce.

  10. Garnish your sandwich plate or even top your salad with dehydrated kale chips. Depending on the sauce massaged into the kale before dehydrating, kids will love eating them instead of potato chips.

  11. Add a handful of fresh basil, leaves and stems, to your blenderized soups for a subtle flavor enhancement and nutrition boost.

  12. Add green legumes like pea pods and green beans to your side dishes for color, texture and vitality.

  13. Learn to make a mean tabbouli. With the main ingredient being parsley, this minted salad is incredibly fresh tasting and you’ll feel so much better about yourself after eating it! You can sub quinoa for the bulgur wheat, if you prefer, and it will taste just as great.

  14. Fold finely chopped parsley or spinach into your mashed potatoes or alfredo sauce.

  15. Mush some not overcooked broccoli into side dishes for texture, flavor and nutrition.

  16. Make some avocado topped toast or spread your toast with a mélange of peas tossed with a small amount of olive oil, quartered grape tomatoes, and edamame. Avocado toast is a current wellness trend!

  17. Add shaved or grated courgette (zucchini) into your salad.

  18. Have a nice spinach salad or other green leaf salad for breakfast. It’s a fantastic way to start the day.

  19. Explore fresh green herbs (oregano, rosemary, basil, dill, cilantro, chervil, chives, tarragon) and learn how to add them to your dishes for an added dimension of healing and flavor.

  20. Make green bean “fries” for an awesome snack. Toss washed whole green beans with a bit of olive oil, and then garlic granules, salt and pepper to taste, and munch!

  21. Make your wrap sandwiches raw wraps using collard greens, bibb lettuce or swiss chard leaves; you can do the same when making tacos, too.

  22. When puréeing your homemade hummus, throw in a half cup of spinach; it will lend a green hue to the hummus and give you added nutrition, but it won’t alter the flavor of the hummus.

  23. Top your burger with lightly sautéed greens.

  24. Make green dips; spinach-artichoke is always nice.

  25. Make simple homemade green salad dressings in your blender; throw six to eight dandelion greens in the blender along with a cup of soaked raw cashews, a half cup of soaked raw sunflower seeds, a cup of water, a squirt of lemon juice, a half teaspoon of turmeric and Himalayan salt to taste and blend until smooth. Delish.

  26. Double the amount of green vegetables and half the amount of animal protein in your dishes.

  27. Be a sneaky chef; purée some greens and add them to marinara sauce or grate or finely mince the greens and add them to your burger and meatloaf mix.

  28. Wilt your greens like spinach, arugula, mustard and dandelion greens; you can add them to your favorite dish or eat them straight with a little salt and pepper and a dash of olive oil.

  29. Slightly blacken bundles of bok choy, broccoli or asparagus spears for a unique taste and nutrition treat.

  30. Consume blue-green algae like spirulina or aphanizomenon flos aquae before or after meals or even before bed.

In Vegan Lifestyle Tips, Holistic Lifestyle Tips, Health and Healing, Conscious Lifestyle Tips Tags Spring Season, Food, Food Choices, Green Foods
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Best Foods to Eat During Energetic Spring

March 1, 2017 phyto5.us
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Even after energetic Spring begins February 5 (according to traditional Chinese medicine [TCM]), we still experience the remnants of the Water energy of Winter. Though TCM says Spring has arrived which is the new energy of the Wood element, it's challenging to think Spring.

TCM tells us we can enjoy our best health and vitality when we live in balance with the change of the five energetic seasons and their corresponding elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water).

As humans, we exist an inherent part of nature. It makes sense to live in balance with nature to enjoy our best life.

Embrace the following attributes, characteristics and specific organ activity for the Wood element and Spring season.

If you’re affected by liver problems (the organs associated with Spring are liver and gall bladder), it’s a sign your body may be suffering from insufficient or lack of Wood chi.

You can strengthen your Wood chi by consuming more Wood element foods which tend to be sour in taste (sour is the taste for the Wood element). Sour foods facilitate clearing an overburdened liver.

Wood element foods act as astringents and help the blood to circulate, your energy to flow, and emotions to move more elegantly through you.

Eating fresh greens during this season naturally cleanses the body of physical and emotional impediments. 

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Wood element foods are cooling and contracting and prevent leakage of body fluids. If you’ve been indulging in a rich, greasy diet, you’ll want to switch to the Wood element foods at this time. 

Refer to the exhaustive list of Wood foods below.

Additionally, there are some herbs and spices we can use in springtime food prep that have a sour taste: dill, sour jujube fruit, and hawthorn berry.

Certain pungent and sweet foods such as scallion, garlic, cinnamon, fennel and ginger tend to have an expansive, rising quality. They are very nice to add to springtime meals and will help you resist colds and allergies.

As always, avoid or reduce consumption of foods and drinks that have little redeeming value for the body such as deep fried foods, oil, fat (aside from the more beneficial oils and fat content derived from olive, avocado and coconut), salty foods, spicy foods, alcohol, and sweets.

While we slow cooked our food in Winter by preparing stews and hearty soups, best cooking methods for the Spring energetic season are sauté, stir fry, light simmer, blanch, quick boil, pickle, and marinate.

At this time of year, our diet should be the lightest to enable our systems to cleanse and strengthen the body, mind and spirit.

Check out PHYTO5's Wood element skincare line to address imbalance in the skin such as oiliness, blackheads, hyperpigmentation, and issues of vital energy circulation.

Best Foods for Wood Element (in alphabetical order)

  • adzuki beans

  • almonds

  • baby spinach

  • barley

  • black cherry

  • black currant

  • blackberry

  • celery

  • cheese

  • chicken

  • chives

  • cod

  • collard greens

  • grapefruit

  • green beans

  • green cabbage

  • green tea

  • halibut

  • hazelnuts

  • herring

  • leafy greens

  • lemon

  • lettuce

  • lime

  • liver

  • long string beans

  • napa cabbage

  • nuts

  • oats

  • olives

  • peas

  • pickles

  • pineapple

  • plums

  • raspberry

  • rose hips

  • rye

  • sauerkraut

  • scallions

  • sour grapes

  • sour green apples

  • sour green star fruit

  • sourdough

  • spinach

  • sprouts

  • tomatoes

  • vinegar

  • walnuts

  • wheat

  • yogurt

“Adapting itself to obstacles and bending around them, Wood in the earth grows upward without haste and without rest. Thus too the superior man is devoted in the character and never pauses in his progress.”  – Nei Jing (475-221 B.C.)

 …

Sources:

Nguyen, Phil N. Feng Shui for the Curious and Serious. New Jersey: Xlibris Corporation, 2008. Print.

Thunderhawk, Denise, L. Ac. The 5-Element Guide to Healing with Whole Foods. N.p.: Lulu, 2016. Print.

In Vegan Lifestyle Tips, Holistic Lifestyle Tips, Health and Healing, Conscious Lifestyle Tips Tags Food Choices, Food, Energetic Skincare, Spring Season, Green Foods
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Best Practices for Living In Harmony with Energetic Spring

February 27, 2017 phyto5.us
Shamrocks.jpg

Energetic Spring begins February 5 according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). But the weather still feels like Winter. This is because of the remnants of the Water energy of energetic Winter remain well into energetic Spring. Nevertheless, when a new energetic season begins, we should shift our lifestyles to live in harmony with the new season.

In TCM, the element represented by Spring is Wood.

To live in balance with the 5-Element Theory of TCM and indeed, to live in balance with nature of which we are an inherent part, we’ll want to embrace the following attributes, characteristics and specific organ activity for the Wood element and Spring season.

1) The color for the Wood element is green. Bring green into your life in all sorts of ways–in your diet and even in your home decor.

2) Liver and gall bladder are the organs associated with the Wood element. If you have liver or gall bladder issues and/or you have a Wood element imbalance, incorporate more of what is outlined in this post and in the post to follow into your daily life. Click here for complete best eating practices.

Indications of too much Wood chi, a Wood imbalance, include stiff muscles and joints, liver troubles, sallow or yellowish skin, panic attacks, hysteria, neck pain, and stroke. Emotion-oriented displays of Wood imbalance include anger, resentment, bitterness, lack of compassion, erratic behavior, low self-esteem, shouting, complaining, arguing, violence, abuse, incessant arguing. These indicate strong Wood imbalance.

3) In addition to food, Wood element fragrances like lavender, orange, citrus, grapefruit, and chamomile can be used and enjoyed to uplift and strengthen Wood chi and help create more balance in Wood.

4) The green gemstones of green jade, emerald, and green opal may assist the flow of Wood chi. 

5) TCM-advised sound and breathing exercises for each element also help to bring imbalance to balance. 

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For Wood, the healing sound is easy. It’s a long “Shhhh” – as in telling someone to be quiet. On the exhale of a deep breath, this sound will help to release anger and frustration. It can help to soften the person suffering with anger and at the same time assist to quell ailments in the liver and gall bladder. 

The five element healing sounds are actually breathing exercises that are best done every day at least five times a week, taking at least six deep breaths, the deeper the better. It is most beneficial to do the exercises outdoors where chi is fresh, preferably in the morning, with the sun shining on you from the East but they can most definitely be done indoors too.

You will want to inhale through your nose until your abdomen is full of fresh air and then exhale out through the mouth making the soft healing sound Shhhh. On the inhale, imagine positive chi entering your body and cleansing the negative chi and ailments in your body. On the exhale, imagine pushing out the negative chi and ailments.

6) It is important to practice mindfulness and meditation at this time of year to bring clarity of vision, because the liver governs the health of the eyes and the clarity received applies both literally and figuratively. 

7) The time is energetic Spring! Rise early with the sun and take brisk walks. Live in harmony with Spring!

Check out PHYTO5's Wood element skincare line to address imbalance in the skin such as oiliness, blackheads, hyperpigmentation, and issues of vital energy circulation.

…

Sources:

Nguyen, Phil N. Feng Shui for the Curious and Serious. New Jersey: Xlibris Corporation, 2008. Print.

Thunderhawk, Denise, L. Ac. The 5-Element Guide to Healing with Whole Foods. N.p.: Lulu, 2016. Print.

In Holistic Lifestyle Tips, Health and Healing, Conscious Lifestyle Tips Tags Spring Season, Matter and Energy
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The Energy of Spring Can Help You Lose Weight

April 4, 2016 phyto5.us
The Energy of Spring Can Help You Lose Weight

The Spring season according to the Five Element Theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) runs from February 5 to April 17. Spring is the season of the Wood element in TCM philosophy.  It represents the rise of yang energy that will eventually culminate in the Fire/ Summer season. The Wood organs are liver and gall bladder. We want to focus on encouraging our yang energy which is naturally rising during the Spring. It’s also wise to support the liver for optimum cultivation of health during the season. Our goal is to live in harmony with the vigor and the upward tendency of yang energy that we witness in nature everywhere as buds begin to poke through the weathered soil of Winter.

Get the most out of energetic Spring and support your weight loss goals with the following best practices for the season according to TCM.

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Rest and go inward as much as possible. Your time to get up and go in Summer is just around the corner.

Go to bed a little later and get up a little earlier every morning.

The body’s metabolism tends to speed up in Spring. If you'd like to lose weight, take advantage of Spring's natural easing of appetite and increased metabolism. Work with your body's desire to move energy by increasing your physical activity. Try to enjoy some walks in the morning sunlight and focus on gently unfolding and lengthening your body as you do.

Do a simple daily cleanse during the Spring for liver and gall bladder. Such a cleanse can be based on certain teas or juices.

Consume food and drink with generative and raising properties. Highly nutritious green vegetables and fruits are important to strengthen constitution and resist sickness, and fruits in season such as strawberries are beneficial as well.

Include bitter foods in your diet. These are fruits, vegetables, and herbs having a sharp, pungent taste or smell, not sweet.

Nourish your liver daily or as often as possible with hot/warm water and lemon.

Drink beverages with generative and yang energy raising properties. Scented teas, for example, dissipate cold pathogens which have accumulated in the body over Winter. Honey added boosts chi energy.

five-clay-mask-with-reflex-zones.png

Apply PHYTO5’s Wood element Phyt’Ether to the liver and gall bladder reflex zones on the face. The liver zone is the area between the eyebrows extending from the bridge of the nose upward approximately one and a half inches. The gall bladder zone runs along the outer side of the eye in the temple area to the hairline. (See illustration, right.) Also apply Wood Yogi Body Gel to the outside of the legs which will support circulation on the gall bladder meridian. 

If your skin is oily, has blackheads and/or hyperpigmentation,  cleanse well and massage in a drop of PHYTO5’s Wood element on the affected areas and apply Wood element Day Cream. If your skin is well balanced taking your age into account, now is the time of year for you, too, to enjoy Wood Day Cream. Extract of wheat and essential oils of lemon and rosemary activate the natural defenses of the skin to combat the effects of poor diet and/or lack of cellular oxygenation. Essential oils in this cream are antiseptic, toning and stimulating and help provide protection from weather’s high and low pressure and windy and changeable weather associated with Spring.

This article was originally published on April 4, 2016 and has been updated with additional information for greater comprehensiveness.

####

Liu, Zhanwen, et al. Health Cultivation in Chinese Medicine. People's Medical Publishing House, 2012.

In Holistic Lifestyle Tips, Health and Healing Tags Spring Season, Skincare, Vegan Skincare
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A beautiful African American woman and an opaque red dropper bottle of Fire element Phyt'ether Serum against the backdrop of a light cherry red Flower of Life symbol


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