What does a healthy life look like? And what does it mean to have a healthy Liver? In this 3-part series, Grand Master Lu shares his wisdom on why the Liver and the Spring season are vital to year-round health.

In today’s modern society, most of the conditions we see are associated with Liver dysfunction: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, arthritis, diabetes, acid reflux, and the big one—constipation. But that’s just the physical end of things. Emotional conditions, like anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and insomnia, are also related to Liver dysfunction.

Beside emotions, three major things impact our health: sleeping, eating, and elimination. How many people today have an issue in at least one of these areas? These symptoms stem from an imbalance in Liver Qi. They are also the body’s way of talking to you. If you can’t sleep, eat or go to the bathroom, the body is sending you a message. It wants you to listen. If you ignore the message, the problem goes deeper. The body will continue to send you warning signs until you take action.

So how do we take action to attain a healthy Liver? The number one rule for a healthy Liver is this: Go with the flow. In Spring, we see Nature at its finest. Young shoots energetically push up from the ground. They don’t hold back, saying, “I’m not ready.” Petals flit off in the wind and land in streams. Trees sway to and fro in the wind with no fear of falling down. They trust. There is no fear in Nature. There is no worry in Nature. Nature goes with the flow.

You are just as much a part of Nature as the flowers, streams, trees and wind. Recognize your role as an energetic being. Learn to go with the flow. Don’t suppress your feelings and try to control them. Your feelings are energy—everything is energy. If that energy is suppressed, it’ll eventually manifest as a physical condition, like the ones mentioned above.

Natural Law says that before you receive, you have to give. Everything in life is about balance—in and out, out and in. If you can let out, it’s easier to take in. When you let out you make room for the new. But letting things go is difficult. Emotionally, we cannot let out and physically, we cannot let go. But everything in our bodies has to naturally flow, just as in Nature. This is part of Nature’s processing that allows you to follow Nature’s energetic patterns. You can use the Spring season of growth and rebirth as the vehicle. Use Nature as the medicine. After all, you are the child of the Universe.

Keep Exploring

Tune in over the next two weeks for Parts 2 and 3 of our Healthy Liver, Healthy Life series.

How does seasonal Qi affect you? Learn more here!