Spring Awakening: How the Wood Element and Storytelling Can Revitalize Your Life and Purpose
In this post, I shared some unconventional methods to:
Unlock Hidden Trauma & Transformation – Discover how sleep, talking, and emotions are linked to healing.
Harness Spring's Energy – Use the Wood Element to refresh your life and purpose.
Break Free from Stagnation – Learn three powerful ways to release emotional blocks.
Rewrite Your Past, Shape Your Future – Get a free PDF guide on transforming your story.
The Language of the Unspoken: A Nighttime Conversation
"He was talking in his sleep again." His wife's voice broke the early afternoon silence. I turned my head to look at her, the weight of her words settling over me like a dense fog.
"What was he saying?" I asked, already sensing the unease in her expression.
She hesitated, then said, "He kept muttering about time. And he was using his left index finger to tap his right wrist."She mimicked the gesture. "Like he was checking a watch that wasn't there."
I leaned back, exhaling slowly. A combat veteran, he had seen it all—felt it all. But why now? Why, after all these years, was his body betraying secrets that his waking mind kept locked away?
Photo by Sven van der Pluijm on Unsplash The General and His Soldiers: The Liver's Command
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the liver is called the General (like Military ranking General). It commands, strategizes, and leads the body's army of functions. But when the General is burdened—when trauma and unspoken grief stagnate—the whole system falls into disarray.
And then? Then the energetic heart burns too hot, unable to hold the spirit in place. The spirit, restless and unmoored, drifts into the night. Sleepwalking, sleep talking—not just the body moving in dreams, but the soul searching for a voice.
The Hun, or ethereal soul, resides in the liver and governs our dreams, vision, and planning. During sleep, the Hun "leaves" the body to journey into the dream world. This allows us to process emotions, gain insights, and connect with deeper parts of our subconscious.
However, when the Liver Qi is imbalanced, the Hun's journey can be disrupted, resulting in vivid, excessive, or disturbing dreams.
The Hun helps us move forward with purpose. But when liver energy stagnates, and old wounds become burdensome, the Hun cannot move freely. As a result, we may feel stuck, unmotivated, and lost in past memories rather than exploring the possibilities of the future.
Photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash Spring: The Season of the Liver, The Season of Storytelling
Spring is the season of the liver. It is a time of renewal and movement. Just as the liver governs detoxification and the smooth flow of Qi, so too do our stories require a cleansing—a recalibration of purpose.
Imagine your life as a novel. What plotlines have you been repeating? What old narratives keep you trapped? And more importantly—what happens if you let go?
3 Ways to Balance the Spirit of the Liver and Reawaken Your Story
1. Nourish the General: Food as Medicine
The liver thrives on movement—both physically and nutritionally. This spring, align your diet with its natural rhythm:
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