A Spleen-supportive lifestyle
The stronger our Spleen is, the better we are able to absorb and put to use the food that we eat. So how can we strengthen and maintain our Spleen? This question can be answered at several levels.
Physically the Spleen likes to lead a sensual life, to touch and be touched, and to stretch. Stretching eases out constrictions in the soft tissue and brings relaxed tone to our limbs and organs. All exercise will help the Spleen provided it is balanced by stretching and relaxation. Massage will also help, releasing stagnation and obstruction from our muscles and encouraging us to soften deep inside ourselves. The Spleen likes nourishing physical contact and a ‘hug a day’ is definitely good Spleen medicine. So is bodywork: whatever our ‘treatment’ the impact of touch is to nourish the Spleen and ground us in our bodies.
Mentally it is helpful to train the mind just as it is to stretch and exercise our bodies. On the other hand, overuse of our mental powers (i.e. in prolonged periods of study, or in tasks that involve hours of sitting and processing information, or even habitual brooding on our problems) can weaken our Spleen. It is important to balance mental work with physical exercise and fresh air.
A structured life may also be seen as a Spleen-supportive life. Structure and routine can provide us with a sense of solid ground in the otherwise chaotic nature of daily life. Through routine we give ourselves a constant, safe and dependable place in our lives, an external support for our Spleen.
Emotionally we can explore and honour our needs. For some this may simply mean being kinder to ourselves, treating ourselves well; for some it may mean joining a supportive group; for some it may mean finding ways to deeper fulfilment in our relationships with others and self. Issues of safety and security, of trust and our beliefs around scarcity and abundance are also part of the Spleen’s emotional territory.
Finally, the Spleen belongs to the earth element, the earth being our provider of nourishment and support, our true mother. It is through our connectedness to the earth and to the divine mother that the Spleen finds its spiritual expression. We can do a great deal to support our Spleen by attending to our relationship with the earth.
Attending to our relationship with the earth may mean becoming more grounded, simply giving more attention to the ground beneath our feet both physically and metaphorically. When done with awareness, all activity which connects us more deeply with the earth, whether it be gardening or working with clay, simply being outdoors with the soil, the plants, the seasons, or learning to fall and roll around on the ground; all these can help ground us in our bodies and in the natural environment. In these ways too we can support and strengthen our Spleen.
As practitioners there are two key approaches to supporting a Spleen strengthening treatment strategy. We can a) help the client to become grounded in the body and b) help the client come into a nourishing relationship with themselves. These are the essential background conditions for strengthening the Spleen.
It is important to keep this wide perspective on the Spleen when considering dietary issues. We can strengthen our Spleen by working at any of the above levels, and change that takes place at one level will resonate throughout the Spleen’s whole sphere of influence. With this wide perspective in mind, we can go on to look at the dietary approach to supporting our Spleen.