The season of renewal and rebirth, of setting intentions for the year and making plans to accomplish them. It can also be a time of great frustration and impatience, especially as Winter and Spring jockey back and forth weather-wise.

The Spring acupuncture channels are that of the Wood element - Liver and Gallbladder. When these channels are activated, we can have an uptick in issues on a wide range of things, from migraines and more intense PMS, be quicker to anger and feeling overwhelmed.

This is also the time of planting seeds and setting intentions for the coming season of light. Learning how to be clear about what you want, have the determination and flexibility to move through the inevitable resistance of life while staying open and curious about what life has to offer, are all deep teachings of this season.

Summer is the season of full life, of free expansion and reveling in the abundance that is around. It is the time to open hearts and enjoy the splendor of life in full throttle. We can be prone to overdoing it in summer, with FOMO and trying to take advantage of every opportunity available, and not taking the necessary time for breaks and rest.

The Summer acupuncture channels are of the Fire element - Heart, Pericardium, Small Intestine, and Triple Warmer. Lessons of boundaries, appropriately opening and protecting our hearts, of sorting through the chaos, and letting our soul shine bright are rich this season. Later in the summer, with the peak of humidity, we touch on the Earth element - Spleen and Stomach - which highlights our grounding, sense of home and center, and how we are nourishing ourselves.

The beauty of letting go, of endings, is rich in the season of autumn. This is the season to reap the rewards from all that we planted in spring and nourished in summer. We are tasked with preparing for the time of yin and darkness, storing up resources, letting go what no longer serves, and doing all with a deep sense of gratitude and purpose.

The Metal element of Chinese Medicine governs autumn - Lung and Large Intestine. We are asked to face our challenges of letting things go, having gratitude that they have fully served their purpose for us, and faith that new things will show up in the future.

Winter is the season of yin, of stillness, of going within. In winter, the natural world slows down and rests. While our culture tends to move at the same speed throughout the entire year, tapping into the season of winter invites us to settle into our deeper selves, go within and examine our shadow parts. This time of rest and stillness is vital to the entire cycle of the year. The Water element of Chinese Medicine, with its organs Kidney and Bladder, focuses on our depths and deep resources. This is the season for being slow, methodical, and introspective.