May Self-Healing Tips

As Spring expands its way slowly into Summer, Wood energy builds.  Now more than ever it is high time to cleanse and fortify the Liver.  The Liver wants to be relaxed.  It wants to be the energy of ease while we meander towards our goals. 

The Liver, in its greatest health, is not overly ambitious.  It has plans, it has strategies, but its tactics even if direct, are very calm.  They include the obstacles that come along in life; the Liver does not resist, but it yields, in its greatest health.  In Chinese medicine, the Liver houses the soul, so remember that anything you do to nourish your Liver this month is also going to nourish your soul.

An excellent herb for the Liver that is readily available in almost any back yard or farmer’s market is fresh mint leaves.  To soothe the Liver, clear the eyes, improve digestion and vision, and to vent wind-heat, try some fresh mint herbal tea.  Gather the leaves from your garden or at the farmer’s market.  Close your eyes and take in their delicious scent.  Wash and boil mint leaves in filtered water for 5-10 minutes, depending on desired strength, for a delicious morning or afternoon spring drink. 

Another great way to soothe the Liver is to soak your body in a mint bath before bed.  Try boiling 2 large handfuls of fresh mint leaves for 10-15 minutes in a large pot of water on the stove.  Strain the leaves out and add this liquid “body tea” to a warm bath.  To add extra help to nourishing the body with minerals, add 1-2 cups Epsom salts to your bath water.  Your muscles, tendons and joints will love you for it, and any sore tight areas or spasms should gently unwind.

To add to this Liver soothing regimen for the month of May, a little bit of acupressure on Gallbladder 4, Hanyan (Forehead Fullness), seems appropriate.  This point is located on both sides of the head around the temples.  If you look in the mirror at the hairline around your temples you will find a place where the hair seems to jut out a little bit into the face.  GB 4 is located about ½ inch within the hairline right where it sticks out onto the face the most.  Try massaging this point on both sides gently early in the morning when rising, or anytime throughout the day.  It is wonderful to treat tension, stress, headaches, migraines, sneezing, and tinnitus.  It also brightens the eyes, soothes eye pain, and clears vision.

Between this acupressure massage on GB 4 and the mint aromatherapy bath and tea, you may start to take extra notice of the greenery that surrounds you.  Are the leaves on the trees getting even more vibrant?  Are lawns seducing you into unplanned naps? 

This is the good health of your Liver opening up space for your soul to emerge and mingle with your daily life.  The health of the Liver determines the way that you see the world, which determines your perceptions, interpretations, and decisions.  As you bring greater health to your Liver, your choices will come from more vibrant health, and they will create more vibrant health.  Nourishing the Liver and clearing the eyes helps to construct a life that ultimately nourishes your soul and in doing so, gives it an opportunity to exist, to express itself, and to thrive in this lifetime.