by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.
Once you’ve listened, click here to take our Five Element Personality quiz to find out which of the Five Element personality types, then leave your insights in the comments below.
Wood Energy
The Wood element naturally dominates the Spring season. In Japan, the Wood element is often called “tree” and this is fitting because trees ascend to the sky. Likewise, Wood energy ascends its Yang Qi or energy upwards to the head. When this Yang Qi is exuberant in spring, it can send too much Qi to the head causing allergies, hypertension, dizziness and headaches as the Yang Qi exerts a lot of heat when it becomes very active.
The emotions associated with Wood can also become more prevalent in Yang seasons of Spring/Summer, especially when Qi is pent-up. In extreme cases, we witness rage, anger and frustration as signs of overexertion of Yang Qi.
For these reasons, it’s important to address the energetics of the liver and gallbladder since they’re the main organs associated with the Wood energy.
3 simple ways to balance Wood energy:
The liver tends to accumulate a lot of heat. An effective way to counter some of the heat is through liver detoxification. Simply preparing cooked leafy vegetables or supplementing your diet with dandelion and burdock root can also help cool down the liver.
Avoid or reduce substances that may add to the heat, such as alcohol and coffee
Practice meditation—especially practices focusing on improving the breathing mechanism that can help cool and relax the nervous system.
Yin Wood & Yang Wood Personalities
We can also look at the Wood element from the Yin/Yang perspective.
A Yang Wood personality will often be expressive—they’re the leaders and commanders of society.
A Yin Wood personality, on the other hand, will often be intelligent but shy and less assertive with their dreams.
While wonderful when Wood personalities are in balance, like all Five Element personality types, off balance Wood personality types can become intolerable. Yang Wood type can become angry or temperamental when out of balance and Yin Wood type will resort to withdrawing and excessive daydreaming.
Although each of us possess a dominant personality type among the Five Elements, we’re all comprised of all five elements. Our individual personalities arise from the unique combination of the elements and it may change over time.
As the influence of the environment around us increases—especially during childhood—we may experience a shift in our personality. A person who was more Wood as a child may be reshaped by parents or those around them if they’re told to suppress some of the emotions as they are expressing their natural personalities.
Certain environments may also force us to take on attributes that are more suitable such as CEOs that strongly favor the Yang leadership and assertive personalities.
Tips to balance Wood personalities
Yang Wood types can temper bright clothing with pastel colors to express themselves.
Taking public speaking classes or expressive activities may help Yin Wood types that are feeling out of balance.
Exercise is generally a great way to keep Wood types in balance. Yang Wood types will find more gentle forms of exercise such as yoga and Tai Chi helpful while Yin Wood types will benefit from participating in more active sports such as martial arts.
Massage, acupuncture and meditation are beneficial to both Yin and Yang Wood personality types as a way to relax the nervous system and temper the common emotions witnessed in those with Wood energy imbalance.
Once you’ve listened to the episode, click here to take our Five Element Personality quiz to find out which of the Five Element personality types you most resonate with and leave your insights in the comments below.
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