Southside Shiatsu Spring Newsletter 2011

Spring and the sun has returned after it's long absence with a fierce luminance. Wind bends the cottonwood and catalpa. Tulips, prairie smoke, and anemone unfurl filling the world with subtle aroma and splashes of yellow, white and red hovering slightly above the green dress of the day.

The humble dandelion hides just below the lawn mower's blades and the yard looks like a field of fallen lanterns. The redwing blackbird awakens ancient pathways with it's piercing call, and the cardinal that never left sits on the telephone wire in his red coat watching young spring greens growing in the raised beds below.

Wake up! It's spring! Time to get up with the sun and move your body's vital energy. Qi gong, an early morning run, yoga, meditation, all good ways to start the day.

Spring is the season when the liver and gallbladder are most active in the body. The liver is responsible for many bodily functions including storing and filtering our blood, but also the smooth flow of vital energy (qi) in the meridians of our body. If the energy of these organs are stagnant it is easy to feel irritated, prickly, frustrated, angry. The yang of the Liver, if not grounded by sufficient yin, will rise and cause red eyes, and headaches. Stagnant energy in the liver and gallbladder can also lead to tendonitis and waking up in the wee hours of the night with our minds racing, unable to go back to sleep.

How do we bring these important organs in our body back to balance? Practice patience. Mindfulness. Eat lightly. Eat more raw foods. Adding bitter to our diet helps to stimulate digestive juices and cools that deep heat. Dandelion greens, french sorrel, endive are great additions to a daily salad. Start the day with squeezing one organic lemon into an 8 oz. glass of room temperature water. You can drink this straight up if you are prepared to wake up immediately, or add a teaspoon of maple syrup and a pinch of cayenne to take the edge off and add some depth. Try substituting your morning coffee with some roasted dandelion root. Dandelion root moves that stagnant liver energy without the racing heart or jittery hands.

Here is a meal that my family has been enjoying this spring, it comes to us from Heidi Swanson's cookbook: Super natural every day. (pg. 69)

Chickpeas & Dandelion Greens (Red pepper flakes & Hot Olive Oil Dressing)

• 2 cups/10 oz/ 280 g cooked chickpeas
• 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Fine-grain sea salt
• 3 to 4 handfuls of young dandelion leaves, stems trimmed
• Grated zest of 1 lemon.

Put the chickpeas in a medium bowl. Take out a large skillet, and while it is still cold add the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and 2 big pinches of salt. Stir over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle; it should not begin to brown. Toss the dandelion greens into the skillet and stir until they begin to wilt, 15 seconds or so. Stir in lemon zest.

Pour the greens over the chickpeas and toss. Transfer to a platter and serve warm or at room temperature.

And, as always, Spring is a great time to add the relaxation and balancing of Shiatsu. Shiatsu is a great ally in harmonizing stagnant liver energy to help the Spring unfold more harmoniously. Shiatsu is great for alleviating allergies, headaches, tendonitis, and for helping to smooth the emotional edges that come with the season.

This year will mark the seventh year of the Chalchiutlicue Environmental Justice Project that will be happening at Powderhorn Park on Saturday, May 21st at 1 pm. Southside Shiatsu will be inside the park building with a chair, sharing Shiatsu with the people who participate.

In Health,

David Miller

Southside Shiatsu
2721 East 42nd Street
Minneapolis, MN 55406

612 245-9834