In Oriental medicine, the spring of the year is part of the "wood" element. It is the time of new beginnings. The things we have been working on in the dark winter now come to the surface and to our consciousness. Anger is the emotion traditionally associated with the wood element (the physical organ is the liver).

I found a passage from an ancient book on Daoist philosophy on transforming anger. I thought that for this spring it might be worthwhile to reread it.

Virtue and Transformation: Belligerence into Benevolence How is it that the liver corresponds to benevolence? The liver is the essence of the wood element and Benevolence likes to be actively productive. The East is The direction of wood and of active yang And is where all first things are born. —Bai Hu Dong

It appears that the key is the words "actively productive." When we feel like we don't have the opportunity to grow; anger and frustration are the result. Wood needs to grow. Deny someone the chance of change and see what happens. Our challenge this spring is find a way to allow opportunity for growth.

Spring is the perfect time to renew our physical livers. Herbs like Milk Thistle, Dandelion, and Chaparral are useful for this. To heal our livers we need to heal our anger and to address the physical organ as well.

Wishing everyone abundant new beginnings.

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Dr. Joseph Odom, O.M.D., L.Ac. is an acupuncturist in private practice in San Anselmo, California. He can be reached at (415) 258-9551 or jodomm@aol.com.