Wood element

The wood element represents growth. The element of spring. Now that spring is coming again, you may also feel that you want to get more exercise. In the spring, all plants, flowers and trees bloom again. But you as a person are also growing more outward during this time. We leave the silence and tension behind us. The flowering outside can sometimes also cause tensions and emotions. In this blog, I will tell you more about what the wood element does to you and what yin yoga can do for you.

What happens during the season of the wood element?

Wood stands for growth, expansion and creativity. The growth of your life. Wood needs water to grow. That is why it is important that your water element is in balance to feed the wood element. Your drive connects to the wood element. The emotion that comes with it is anger.

Anger doesn’t have to be negative. In everyday life and certainly in the Netherlands, it is said that anger and rage is an energy that we would rather not feel or not be allowed to be present. But actually this is nonsense. We need anger to grow. Other patterns are created after a moment of anger and anger. Anger is therefore not necessarily negative, but necessary in order to make change.

It is an energy that wants to move no matter what.

You can allow energy to flow through you. May you feel what your soul desires tell you.

The liver and gallbladder meridians

The wood element is connected to the liver and gallbladder meridians. The liver is connected to the gallbladder and provides blood flow and life energy. The gallbladder is responsible for the removal of fats and the distribution of nutrients throughout the body. Together, these two organs create a balance.

The liver meridian starts on the outside of your big toe and runs from there up the leg to the femur (the inside of your leg). From your thigh, the meridian pulls up to your abdomen and ends in the middle of your ribs.

The gallbladder meridian starts in the corner of your eye and runs through your jaw through the side of your body down to your fourth toe and ends there on the outside.

Imbalance wood element

When these two meridians are out of balance, you experience emotions like anger, aggression, impatience, irritability and so on. From the liver, you feel discomfort and tension from the tendons and joints. Psychologically you can experience PMS, Hormonal fluctuations, emotions and depression. From your gallbladder, you can experience complaints such as gallstones, stiffness on the outside of your body.

Balance wood element

You can apply yin yoga to bring your liver and gallbladder meridians back into balance. When your liver and gallbladder meridians are in balance, you have focus, you feel creative, and you are empowered to grow. When your gallbladder meridian is balanced again, you will be able to make better choices.

Yin yoga exercises for the meridians

Liver

Inner leg stretches stimulate the liver. One posture you can use is the “Dragonfly with a forward bend”. You sit on the floor and spread your legs so that you feel the tension on your thighs. Come forward and use a block or pillow to support your shoulders. Your lower back is also stimulated in this posture, and we thus stimulate the base chakra. The place where many emotions are stored. In this posture, you focus again on your breathing to sink deeper and deeper into the posture. You leave the deepening to the power of your breath.

Gall bladder

For the gallbladder, we stretch the side of the body. Think of a ‘Lying Shoelace’. This is a twist posture in which we stimulate the side of the body. But we also stimulate the liver meridian in this attitude. Twists are good for stimulating the liver.

The exercise goes as follows. You lie on your back and your feet are on the mat. Place the right leg over your left leg and lower your legs to the right. Your arms are open to the outside. Turn your head in the opposite direction of your legs. You will feel the stretch on the side of your body, your lower back, your hips, your stomach and your neck. In this position, you continue to breathe calmly. After three minutes, come back to the center to rest and feel the changes. Here too, you breathe calmly. Then you switch sides.

If you want personal guidance, feel free to book a 1:1 guidance session with me. We will focus on your personal challenges.

Other things to do for balancing the wood element in you

In addition to yin yoga, it is good to keep moving. Walking, cycling, swimming. But it is also nice to get your thoughts organized. You can apply a writing exercise. Journaling is free writing in which you can put all your emotions on paper without thinking about what you are writing. You can do this every morning when you just wake up or after meditation. Are there changes you want to make in your life? Then this is the time to step out and indicate what is important to you.

Do you want to learn more about yin yoga and the meridians specifically? Then the online yin & fascia therapy trajectory might be something for you. You will also learn exercises aimed at balancing the liver and gallbladder meridians.

Retreat

Do you seek a get away in nature? Feel welcome at a Private Back to Nature Retreat or join the Detox & Feminine Awakening Retreat in the South of France.