Spring: The Season of the Liver
As many of my long-time readers know by now, the Spring is the season associated with the Liver. According to 5-Element Theory, each organ is associated with a season, a color, and an emotion, and a body part.
Here’s the quick and dirty on the liver:
- Season: Spring
- Color: Green
- Emotion: Anger/Frustration
- Body Part: Eyes
- Taste: Sour
The role of the Liver in Chinese Medicine:
According to TCM, the Liver is “The General” overseeing the flow of qi and blood in the body. It plays a special role in regulating normal qi movement to each of the organs and is responsible for both cleaning and ‘storing’ the blood at night. So it makes sense that it would play a big role in both fertility and menstrual issues. Additionally, the emotion of anger is often described as “liver qi stagnation”.
Free & Easy Wanderer
A whole host of herbs have beneficial effects on the liver, with the most commonly prescribed formula being Xiao Yao Wan or Free and Easy Wanderer. As one on my Chinese professors was fond of saying: “You Americans have too much qi stagnation: Needle Liver 3 (acupoint) and give Xiao Yao Wan!”
Foods for the liver
Honey mixed with apple cider vinegar (sour) has a particularly beneficial effect on the liver and can assist from a detoxifying standpoint. From a digestive standpoint, apple cider vinegar can affect and support the pH of the stomach and stimulate digestion.
