Do you feel it too? After a period of calm, life is blossoming again.
You may be pleasantly surprised by sparks of inspiration and feel like taking on all kinds of activities and projects. New exciting ideas present themselves, ready to be unfolded.
Within the cycle of the five elements, it is the wood energy known as the spirit of spring.
Learn how to harness the wood energy and tap into this season’s natural superpowers!
What is wood energy exactly and how can it support you best?
Wood has many beautiful properties.
Imagine a tree, its life starts with a seed and then starts to grow upward to the sky, independent and autonomous, confident, firm and flexible at the same time. A tree consists of an ingenious network of branches that reach high and strong roots that anchor deeply. Wood is the energy of networking, eternal growth and renewal.
Feng shui distinguishes two types of wood energy, each with their own specific qualities.
Young wood energy
When you think of lambs jumping in the meadow and flower buds bursting open, you can imagine a restless and active energy. Fully focused on growth, connecting and networking. This young type of wood energy is purposeful, ambitious and impatient, uninhibited and spontaneous.
It is known as hopeful, courageous and pure life force energy.
The powerful breakthrough energy can support you to:
Connect with others and build a network
Develop and thrive new initiatives
Hold your own in a challenging situation
Create a vision and manifest desires
Mobilize or enthuse others
Break old habits and start new ones
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Mature wood energy
There is also a mature type of wood, its the blossoming selfless energy of abundance and kindness, focused on sharing. Trees and shrubs protect us from sun and rain, and offer us fruit and nuts to eat. The energy of the mature wood is also extremely resourceful, creative and adventurous.
It is this sensitive and determined energy that you can use to:
Restore harmony (in relationships)
Maintain existing connections
Persevere in bringing a project to a successful conclusion
Encourage and support others
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Whatever objectives you pursue, spring is the time to put your plans into action!
How to bring the natural element of Wood into your home and life.
1. Add wood to your home Within feng shui wood is the element that brings vibrant and lively energy into your home. Embrace the spring season by adding a touch of green to your spaces. Wood energy manifests and expresses itself in the following design elements:
Color: Green and turquoise Shape: Tall vertical shapes, everything that is ascending and directed upwards. Material: Wood, plants, flowers
A simple and very effective way to instantly shift the energy is to change the color of your wall. Wood also expresses itself in floral, botanical and leavy artwork, prints and wallpaper. Bring wood into your spaces by choosing a piece of art that incorporates greenery, images of trees and nature.
Boost the wood energy in your home with tall rectangular shapes. Columnar objects or furniture, artwork with vertical lines or long window curtains.
Introduce the wood element by bringing in living plants and flowers. The pure material wood can be used creatively in your home, a tree stump as a side table or coasters made of sawn branches. Plant based fabrics such as linen and cotton are also strongly related to the element of wood.
It is good to know that wood qualities thrive by a sober, clear and functional environment.
Be careful not to bring excess wood energy into your bedroom, this energy is simply too restless for a good night’s sleep.
2. Colors of spring energy Embrace the spring energy and feel supported by its qualities through color.
The universal language of color touches us directly in our hearts. Color is a powerful and simple way of evoking and influencing true emotions.
All colors have their own superpowers and in addition to the well-known greens that so clearly represent wood, several other colors also let the spring energy flow in you.
Express these colors in your home, your clothes, accessories and your food, and let their beautiful qualities unfold in your life.
Green:
Green connects you with your heart and your heart's desires. Green supports making decisions and choices and setting boundaries by following your gut feeling.
Lime Green :
This fresh shade of green indicates growth, expansion and renewal. It encourages you to learn and develop, take on new adventures and spread your wings. Lime green is hopeful, empathic and confident.
Turquoise:
This sparkling and at the same time most relaxing color brings you in touch with your intuition and helps you to listen to your inner voice. Turquoise also supports playfulness and creative (green) communication (blue) such as writing, dancing and singing. Go with the flow!
Orange:
The color orange is about releasing the stillness of the winter energy and welcoming joy and enthusiasm into your life. Orange connects you with others and encourages you to seek adventure.
Yellow:
The happiest color! Yellow makes you shine with optimism, confidence and sparkling energy. It encourages you to explore and develop your individuality, 'who am I' and 'what do I want'?
Magenta:
This spontaneous and striking color is open to change and new adventures. Magenta brings out femininity, compassion and sensuality, it attracts attention.
Magenta has an eye for detail and reminds you to appreciate the little things in life.
3. Get moving outdoors
In winter we retreat and cocoon. Now that spring has arrived and everything is coming to life, it's time to get outside and get moving. This is a great time to develop a regular exercise program. Choose challenging sports activities, such as strength training, running, hiking and Pilates.
Exercise in the open air and preferably in a wooded area where the awakening of the trees and the blossoming of nature await and encourage you. Recognize the rhythm of nature in you, after all, you are part of nature yourself.
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4. Tidy and clean your home Spring is the season where Mother Nature tells us that it is time for a fresh start, for new beginnings. Wood energy excels in efficiency and practicality, so now is the moment to tidy up your living spaces and put your house in order.
Marie Kondo offers a structured method to declutter and let go of all unnecessary and unwanted things. After you have tidied up your home, the spring cleaning can begin!
5. Detox your body In Traditional Chinese Medicine, elements are also associated with body organs. The wood element of spring represents the liver and gall bladder. These organs are responsible for the smooth flow of Chi, they filter your blood, detoxify your body and regulate emotions.
When your liver's energy stagnates, you feel tired, angry, frustrated, and depressed.
Spring is the perfect time for a body cleanse. The better the Chi flows in your body, the more energetic you feel.
These are some simple self-care tips to practice at home.
Lemon water.
Each of the Five Elements has a taste associated with it, the taste of wood is sour. Add a touch of lemon to your drinking water early in the morning to nourish and support the function of the liver and gall bladder and activate movement of the Chi in your body.
Alternating showers.
Alternating showers stimulates the blood circulation in your skin, improves your resistance, refreshes and energizes.
Dry brushing.
The Ayurvedic practice of dry brushing is a powerful way to support the natural process of detoxification in the body. You gently brush your skin and massage your body in an upward motion. Dry brushing boosts blood circulation and helps removing toxins and pathogens more quickly. It will help you feel energetic and revitalized.
Ayurvedic hot water.
An Ayurvedic hot water cure gives your liver a great detox. In the morning, boil 1.5 liters of water and let it boil for about 10 minutes, boiling the water enriches the water with energy. Pour the water into a thermos bottle and, if desired, add fresh ginger, turmeric or some honey. Drink small sips of hot water throughout the day.
6. Create a vision Think of the crisp early morning, a full day ahead that you can schedule and plan however you like.
Springtime is about awakening and new beginnings, it is a hopeful blank page ready to be written. The wood energy stimulates a spark for new challenges, desires, and inspiration.
It is about creating a vision, a trigger to a future you love.
What do you want in life and how are you going to achieve it?
Wood is associated with writing and creativity. So, grab a pen and write down your plans. Small and big. Define your goals and the actions you can take to make them happen.
Create a vision board of all the things that make you happy and that you want to welcome into your life.
A vision board activates your wood energy and inspires to live your best life.
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