Course Index
Seasons Index
Spring

Spring

Spring is nature's season of birth, restoring everything to life. Our winter dreams surface and begin to bloom. Spring is new beginnings. It is time to clear out the past. Clean up your environment and your self. Dig into the closets, basements and attics. The best time of the year for a body cleanse.

Do This!

Exercise 56 • Exploring the First Day of Spring

Plan to spend part of your day on or close to March 21st outside. Walk around and observe your environment. Check out the plants, animals, birds and people. Sense the play of the elements at this time.

• How do you experience the increase of fire in your environment and body?
  
  
• How is the lengthening of the day affecting your mood and sleep patterns?
  
  
• Do you feel more or less energetic?
  
  
• What kind of thoughts or fantasies fill your mind during these early days of Spring?

SPRING ACTIVITIES

Cleansing

What is cleansing and why do we cleanse?

We cleanse to clear out congestion from our bodies. We cleanse to prevent a build up of congestion that is the breeding ground for many pathogens. Cleansing releases and flushes out physical, mental and emotional toxins helping to restore our natural energy level.

Fasting can be used during a right of passage. It produces a separation from ordinary experience. It can provide a threshold experience, where a peak will be reached and after a new integration found.

When ill, slow or stop your regular interactions with the world. Disease processes frequently contain information for us. Our modern culture wants us to ignore or silence this information with drugs or surgery. Disease causes disruption to our everyday life. This disruption affords us the opportunity to change and reorder to a new structure. Sometimes heroic measures like fasting may be needed to move us past the point of dissipation to integration.

Cleansing helps us deal with addictions in a positive and gentle way. The addictive dream figure can be coaxed into the cleanse. Whatever the addiction, the body will benefit from a break from it. We can renegotiate after the cleanse to see if it is time to give up the addiction permanently.

As the seasons gently flow into one another cleansing is easiest and most beneficial at the transition. Many indigenous cultures cleanse in the Spring. Nature brings the heavy accumulated toxins (Congestion) to the surface. As we delight in the ritual of Spring cleaning, we can delight in a body cleanse. I find that a fast at this time helps to balance my Fire constitution. I look forward to fasting each Spring. I think about ways that I can improve the cleanse and make it more enjoyable.

THREE SPRING CLEANSES

Clay

"Our Earth, the oldest healer, mother of all plants, is alive and providing health to the people." Micheal Abehsera

Clay can be marvelously effective as a healing agent. It restores organic functions to deficient organs by acting as a catalyst, helping them to fix needed elements. It can be used externally as a poultice, or internally. The clay should be obtained from a herbalist or any other source that can guarantee the clay has not been treated, baked or added to in any way. Green clay is the most common, but red, yellow, grey, and white clay are available and may be desired. Clay has the magical property of being part of the earth and when in contact with your body is connecting your process to the planet. Clay is a strong healer. Clay goes to where it is needed. It adapts itself to the needs of the body. Clay is alive and helps generate and maintain life.

Clay:

	carries a negative charge (-) giving it an electrical attraction for positively charged toxins (+).
	has a large (-) charged surface for attracting lots of (+) charged toxins.
	has a strong absorbent action. It has the power to attract, absorb and stimulate the elimination of toxic and non-useful elements.
	eliminates harmful bacteria.
	removes gas.
	retains and transmits a considerable amount of energy from the large and powerful magnetic entity of the Earth.
	oxidizes and fixes free oxygen.
	neutralizes poisons.
	is a powerful antidote for food poisoning. For emergency treatment, take one teaspoon in water every hour for six hours.
	neutralizes nitrogenous wastes and eliminates acids creating a favourable pH of the blood

Using Clay Internally:

For internal use I recommend green clay. One teaspoon a day in a glass of water is an adult dosage. Green clay is a fine greasy clay that is not gritty in the teeth. Important, clay should always be in contact with stable materials such as enamel, earthenware, porcelain, wood, or glass, never metal (aluminum, copper, stainless steel, iron) or plastic. Therefore use a wooden spoon or your fingers to put the clay in the glass. At first you may only want to consume the clay water leaving the sediment in the glass. After a week the Fire and Wind constitutions may take the sediment as well. The person with a Water constitution has enough water and earth in their constitution already and will not benefit from the sediment. If you are in confusion about your constitution, see the Constitution Questionnaire at the beginning of AYURVEDA.

It is best to take the clay before going to bed at night or in the morning one hour before eating. Clay can be taken 15 or 20 minutes before eating if necessary or two hours after eating. Clay tends to cause constipation if taken before breakfast. To remedy this, take small portions of the clay water during the day. Or switch to taking clay before bedtime. Take a laxative tea if necessary. To counteract the binding effect of clay drink lots of liquid between meals. I recommend four glasses of lemon water each day of taking clay internally. Adding maple syrup to your lemon water will temper it's sour taste. An excess of sour may upset Fire constitution.

Continue taking clay internally daily for three weeks. Then every week alternate until there is no appetite for the clay. You are listening to your body.

The External Clay Pack:

This is a very powerful way to treat the body. As such it should be preceded by laxative teas, simplified diet and taking clay orally to reduce the build up of toxins.

The same rules apply when mixing clay up for external use. Use porcelain or wooden bowls and implements, never plastic or metal. Remember that clay is very sensitive to what it contacts.

Clay can be put on; the large or small intestines, kidneys, spleen or liver. It can be applied to sprains bruises bumps and fractures. Mix the clay with water or oil and keep the mixture damp. If the area in question needs heat then the clay can be heated. Warm clay in a ceramic bowl, preferably in the sun. Clay exposed to the sun is more active. Clay can be warmed on a radiator or a stove if it's container is sitting in a larger bowl of water. The temperature of the poultice is determined by the organ to be treated. If the organ is inflamed, a cold poultice is in order and the normal temperature of the clay will be sufficient. For example, the liver will often respond well to a cold poultice. In other areas; notably the lower abdomen, a warm poultice is better tolerated.

Do This!

Exercise 57 • Using a clay pack

• Measure the area to be poulticed and prepare for that area.
  
  
• Figure out whether cooling or heating is necessary.
  
  
• Use a towel or cabbage leaf for the poultice (a cabbage leaf holds water longer).
  
  
• A poultice can be used for any part of the body.
  
  
• Some organs such as the liver should be poulticed at night as it is most active from 11:00 pm. to 3:00 am.
  
  
• The thickness of the clay pack applied may vary according to the amount of time it will be left on. The longer left on, the thicker the poultice.
  
  
• Wait at least two hours after eating before putting on a cold poultice. A hot one can be put on after one hour.

Exercise 57 (Continued)

• Apply only one poultice daily.

The effects of this treatment vary. There may be a flaring up of the problem due to the cleansing action of the clay. This is a temporary but beneficial effect. You need to use your intuition and vary the treatment according to the body's feedback.

There is a link between clay and the dream world. There can be an emotional reaction from the poultice.

• Record clay experiences:

The Lemon Cleanse

Lemon water is important for it's natural hydrochloric acid that the liver converts into some 6 billion different enzymes, easier than any other substance. The lemon and maple syrup mixture contains 49% potassium. It strengthens and energizes the heart. It also stimulates and builds up the kidneys and adrenal glands.

It's oxygen builds vitality. It's carbon acts as a motor stimulant. Hydrogen activates the sensory nerves and calcium strengthens the lungs. Phosphorous knits the bones and stimulates and nourishes the brain. Sodium encourages tissue regeneration and magnesium alkalizes the blood. Iron builds red corpuscles and chlorine cleans blood plasma. Silica aids the thyroid.

Do This!

Exercise 58 • Lemon Cleanse

Eat only fruits and vegetables for three to ten days depending on your constitution, time, present health and inclination. During this time drink 3 to 6 glasses a day of the lemon cleanse .

The basic recipe for the lemon cleanse is:

2 tablespoons of lemon juice (organic lemons are recommended)

1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup (organic, grade "C")

1/10 a teaspoon of ginger

For a more thorough cleanse you may want to do the following. Each morning of the fast: mix two teaspoons of salt (preferably organic sea salt) with a quart of warm water. Drink this mixture before taking your first glass of lemon water. This will gradually wash out impurities in your system. Wait for the purge, it will come. If this process becomes very painful ease up on your consumption of salt water. During my last fast (spring 93), I only did the salt water purge on about the 5th day. It worked!

Cleansing times for the constitutions:

Fasting creates harmony between our inner and outer lives. We need mental and physical clarity to make clear decisions. Our creative self gets the greatest impetus during Spring. It is important not to disturb your constitution.

Most Beneficial Amount of Cleansing Time:

The Wind person would benefit from no more than four days.

The Fire person may do five to seven days.

The Water person may do seven to ten days or longer.

Mental CLEANSING

Exercise 59 • Mental Cleanse

Reduce intake of new information. Process what you already have. Do some free flow writing. Sort, sift and discard irrelevant information.

• Record both cleansing experiences:

Skin Brushing

Feeling takes place in the second layer of skin. The top layer is mainly composed of dead skin cells. That is why you will often see safe crackers filing down their finger tips to make them more sensitive. You will enjoy the new sense of pleasure that you experience after skin brushing regularly.

The skin is the largest organ in the body and occupies the largest sensory portion of the brain. It weighs from six to ten pounds. It is the major eliminative organ that removes up to one-third of the impurities of the body! When the skin is clogged it puts strain on the liver and kidneys.

When skin brushing use a skin brush, loofah or ayate cloth (a rough cloth). Brush the body with firm motions from the feet up to the head. Avoid the sensitive parts of the body, the face, inner thighs and breasts. Brush for a short time (five to ten minutes), then rinse the dead skin particles off in the shower.

Skin brushing makes the skin alive. Brings blood to the surface and activates the nerve endings all over the body. After a session of brushing and showering try putting aloe vera juice on the skin. It contributes to the acid mantle of the skin. If you have very dry skin then apply a natural oil. Coconut oil is good as it washes out of clothing afterward.

Skin brush daily and remember to wear natural fibres for clothing such as cotton, wool and silk. Synthetic clothing is hard on your skin because it doesn't allow it to breathe. Now that your skin is alive experience more with the wonderful sensation of touch. Let the sun and the wind caress your skin. Spend more time naked if you are comfortable with that. Be sure to touch your loved ones often to assure them of your love. Touch is a stronger communicator than words.

Do This!

Exercise 60 • Skin Brushing with a Twist

Brush one half of your body (left or right) from your feet to your head but not your head. Set your brush down for a couple minutes and sense how you feel. After brush the other half .

• Record skin brushing experience:

This activates the different hemispheres of the brain. Brushing the left side activates the right brain. Brushing the right side activates the left brain.

SKIN PROBLEMS

(Ayurveda Differentiation)

Fire

Symptoms:

	redness, swelling, fever, infection and irritability.
	aggravated by heat or exposure to sun. application of oils.

Treatment:

	avoid possible allergens, nightshade family, tomatoes, peaches, strawberries and sour dairy products.
	Avoid heat and sun.
	apply coconut oil, aloe gel or ghee.
	use blood purifiers like Burdock, Plantain or Red Clover.
	cleanse the Liver.

Wind

Symptoms:

	dry, scaly, itchy skin accompanied with distention and constipation.
	aggravated by wind and dryness.

Treatment:

	take extra oil in the diet. We have found evening primrose oil capsules taken internally and applied externally to be excellent. Flax seed oil is also excellent. Ayurveda recommends sesame oil.
	use laxatives like castor oil or use an oil enema (see Fall section).
	lots of hugs and touching.

Water

Symptoms:

	oozing or weeping sores with congestion, edema and itch.
	aggravated by dampness and coldness, application or consumption of oils.

Treatment:

	avoid heavy, greasy and oily food particularly cheese and yogurt.
	avoid oil externally and internally.
	dry brush massage would be excellent.

SPRING HERBS

During Spring we lean towards cleansing herbs. Number one is fresh nettle greens. Next I focus on the young Horsetails for a great Spring tea (DO NOT EAT). My other favourites are Dandelion root and leaves, Milk Thistle and Gentian. Usually I focus on a clay treatment followed by a fast.

SKIN DREAMBODY

Skin defines our boundary of who we are. Our remarkable armour, container and major sensory organ.

Do This!

Exercise 61 • Defining Our Personal Boundaries

Find a friend. Stand facing each other. Now one of you take three paces back. The person who took the backward paces is going to be the active person. The person who is standing still is going to initiate contact. Preferably close your eyes and sense the other person. When you feel comfortable then signal them with a nod of your head to take one step towards you.

Once they have taken that step, sense their presence again. When ready give them a nod and they advance one more step. You can stop at any point in this exercise. When comfortable give them another nod. Now they will be standing right in front of you. If appropriate, give them one more nod and let them give you a hug.

When ready change positions and repeat the above. This can be a strong exercise for anyone who has experienced abuse issues. Use discretion and go very slowly.

I have found this exercise extremely helpful for participation in groups. It empowers my body to help me decide who I feel comfortable with and who I do not. Generally it has made me more comfortable with others.

SPRING BODY SYSTEMS

Liver: Yin

	may hold suppressed anger that can be injurious.
	craves sour taste.
	can regenerate itself.
	is a master laboratory which stores and distributes nourishment for the entire body.
	is involved in the formation of blood.
	filters toxins (unusable materials).
	makes bile (emulsifies fats). bile: greenish yellow liquid that contains water, bile salts,  bilirubin, cholesterol, fatty acids, lecithin and some inorganic salts. The inability to clear bilirubin turns the eyes and skin a greenish yellow.
	helps to keep the blood sugar regulated by changing fats (lipids) and proteins (amino acids) into glucose and back again for storage.
	forms many gamma globulins and plasma proteins that help the body's defense systems.
	manufactures enzymes.
	helps with blood clotting (pro-thrombin).
	prevents abnormal clotting (heparin and antithrombin).
	can form Vitamin A and store it with Vitamin D and B complex.
	stores copper, zinc and iron.
	turns nitrogen waste into urea (for the kidneys).
	deactivates hormones - thyroid and sex hormones.

Gall Bladder: Yang

	stores and secretes bile.
	concentrates the bile.

Symptoms of Possible Malfunction of Liver\Gall Bladder:

	Gas and cramping in the upper right abdomen.
	Referred pains to back and between the shoulder blades.
	Pain in the hips and thighs.
	Headaches.
	Trouble with the eyes.

LIVER DREAMBODY

Do This!

Exercise 62 • Exploring What Dreams May Be Connected to Your Liver

Place your hand on your liver just below your lower right ribs.

Press gently on it and breath slowly. Play with different pressures and pay attention to anything that comes up. You may just want to maintain a comfortable pressure and focus more on what comes up in the different paths.

• Record Your Experience:

SPRING ELEMENTS

Wood Element

In Chinese medicine, the wood element rules the spine, limbs and joints.

An imbalance in the wood element may cause:

	spinal problems.
	weak rooted, inability to settle down.

An attraction or repulsion to the colour green may show a wood imbalance. Having wood in balance enables us to have mental clarity with an ability to focus, plan and make decisions.

Weakness in the wood element is indicated by:

	poor judgment.
	bad planning.
	disorganization.
	inability to make decisions.

When the wood element is over-developed:

	there is excess mentality.
	may try to organize everything and everyone.
	have difficulty relaxing.
	prone to headaches, neck and back tension.
	People with a healthy wood element are early risers.
	Unhealthy wood makes for a sluggish, slow morning riser.

SPRING PLANT WALK

Exercise 63 • Observing the Plants During Spring

Go out and observe the local plants in spring. Notice how they respond to the energy of Spring.

SPRING DIET

My all time favourite Spring food is stinging nettles. My body cells seem to drink in the power of this herb. It is a strong food and often initiates a cleansing response with me. I start to add lemon drinks to my diet in preparation for my Spring fast. As the days warm up I eat less starches and proteins.

A powerful healing spring food is Ghee (clarified butter) made from fresh cream taken from free range (drug free) cows eating the new spring grass. We have such a powerful dairy association that it is impossible to buy directly from the farm here. If anyone has access to this type of butter (I will make it into ghee) please write me and we can negotiate. Ghee keeps for a long time so you can make enough in the spring for the year.

This is the best time to grow wheat, barley or oat grass. Harvest it when 3 or 4 inches and blend into drinks. Go easy at first as this is another powerful food. Sprouts are healthiest at this time of year.

Lots of the herbs will be sprouting up and many of them are tender and succulent at this time. This morning April 7th I was munching on young willow leaves. They were tender and lacked the bitter taste of salicin that they develop later on. Those of you with gardens can enjoy the early volunteers.