The Neijing on Spring Explained

Spring is the time of the Wood phase, The movement of Spring is to give birth.

The image of Wood and Spring is that of a beginning.

Spring is the start of growth, the beginning of plants starting to come out of hibernation.

It is the time when the earth starts to warm and wake up from Winter’s slumber. As such, Spring is a time of Yang, as Yang symbolizes expansion and growth.

Likewise, in our body, we should assume the movement of Yang expansion and growth in order to harmonize with the season.

Thus, in the Neijing it says 春夏養陽, 秋冬養陰 – “in Spring and Summer nourish Yang, and in Autumn and Winter nourish Yin.”

The second chapter of the Suwen section of the Neijing is titled The Great Treatise on Regulating the Spirit with the Four Seasons (四氣調神大論).

This chapter gives basic descriptions of the four seasons and how we should specifically move with them. The description of Spring starts with, “The three months of Spring, they denote breaking open the old to create the new. Heaven and earth together generate life and the Ten Thousand things begin to flourish.” Here certainly we see the basic idea previously mentioned, that the Wood phase, which represents the beginning of life and the beginning of upwards and outwards movement, is associated with Spring.

This chapter continues with some basic recommendations.

“Go to bed later in the evening, but rise early. Upon waking take a walk in the courtyard, loosen the hair and relax the body, thus focusing the will on life.”

Since the Wood phase is Yang and represents the beginning of movement, this recommendation is understandable. While in Winter we should sleep more, in Spring we should be more active. Thus, getting up early is a good recommendation, especially with the lengthening days. Walking in the courtyard represents the admonition to do more exercise. Since the Wood phase relates to sinews (i.e., tendons and connective tissue), gentle exercises that relax and stretch the body such as yoga or Daoyin are appropriate. As the weather warms take more frequent walks outside, preferably in natural surroundings like parks and gardens.

The next section of the Nejing passage says something a bit more esoteric: “Give life and do not kill. Give and do not take. Reward and do not punish.” What does this mean? The Wood phase represents the beginning of life. Killing, taking and punishing all go against the movement of birth, creativity and freedom. So, in order to harmonize with Spring, even our thought patterns need to be adjusted.

Spring is the time to start new projects, or to encourage other people’s new endeavors. It is the time to think of new ideas and make new plans in all aspects of our lives. According to the Neijing, when we accomplish all of this, we are acting in resonance with the Qi of Springtime, and thus we have accomplished a Nourishing of Life. If we do not follow these seasonal recommendations we potentially harm the Liver, the Wood organ, and then suffer cold type diseases in the Summer that follows.