The Medicine of Springtime: The balance between being strong and being flexible!

In Chinese Medicine, Springtime is ruled by the natural element of Wood. Wood symbolizes new growth, envisioning possibilities, expansion, renewal, strength and adapting to change. Wind, which is the predominant climatic factor of Springtime, is both an agent of change and symbolic of change - harkening unpredictable changes and atmospheric changes that demand our systems adjust. New situations, ideas, influences are winds of change blowing in ideas from faraway places.

In fact, strength and flexibility come hand in hand: when you observe strong gusts of Spring winds challenge trees (or hurricane force winds batter a coastline), we learn quickly that strength is only as valuable as one’s ability to also be flexible and adapt (both physically and mentally). Did you know that being physically flexible actually imparts greater mental flexibility (and vice versa)? Of course, there is always a balance to strike between flexibility and strength - too flexible and you are directionless, rudderless, becoming instead a puddle of water; too strong and you become rigid (and uptight!) and break easily. Trees that are rigid, brittle, or have a shallow root system cannot bend with strong gusts of wind (aka big changes), and are thus liable to lose limbs and get snapped or toppled, in contrast trees that are soft and supple, with deep roots, bend and dance with the wind! 

True strength is not always strong - to always be anything is to actually be rigid. True strength has the wisdom and softness to yield when it’s necessary or to know when it's better to change course, and what appropriate action looks like. Life is a series of constant changes. Will you be ready to adapt to the winds of change when the time (or the weather) demands it?  Where in your life are you resisting change, and is this actually a strength or an area of weakness?