I agree with Pannya. I can smell spring.  I cannot tell what exactly it is, but that fresh smell.  I notice trees have buds on them.  Little buds are coming out from wet earth.  After Chinese New Year, I feel Spring has arrived!

At my dinner prep hours, normally being 5pm to 6pm, it is getting light out.  Not so dark anymore.  After we get home from school, you have little more time to be outside.  I feel like I don’t need to stick with soup menus to keep us warm.

In Chinese medicine, Spring is associated with liver.  Liver is active organ for the season.  My constitution is Liver type so this is not the greatest season for me.  I feel easily aggravated, reactive, short tempered, and etc.  My husband who is acupuncturist told me that it would be helpful to massage my rib area to disperse this aggravation.  You use your both hands as rake to go along with your ribs to go back and forth.  You basically scratch your ribs with your both hands’ fingertip.  It kind of feels good. I will be doing regularly in this time of the year for sure.   If you seem me doing this, you know why.

Also in generally, sour food would be good to calm your poor liver Qi this time of a year.  I love pickle.  I guess this is why I craved sour food.  I make Japanese style quick pickle with the press.  It only takes few minutes to prepare and let the press do the work.  I will share recipe soon. I love having bit of it with every meal.  Fermented food is good for digestion too.  Lots of benefit.  Time to make another batch.

Happy Spring!

We will host “Ten Years Later: A Meditation Circle Honoring 9/11” on Sunday, September 11, from 2:00 to 4:00 P.M. The event is an opportunity for the community to share memories and reflections about 9/11 and experience a healing guided meditation. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted for a charity benefitting ongoing recovery efforts. The event will be held at the Green Phoenix Institute, 352 W. 12^th Avenue, Eugene.

For more information call the Event Coordinator, Hiromi Sieradski, at 541-579-1154.

The Mystical Symbolism of the Green Phoenix

Basically an overview of the symbolism behind the Green Phoenix, this paper presents the spiritual underpinnings of what we are trying to do at the Institute. An excerpt follows:

Fundamentally, my hope is that the Green Phoenix Institute will be a sacred space for healing, self-cultivation, and awakening. In my case, each of these elements – all fundamental aspects of our sacred human heritage – has been essential to my life. And each of these requires a time and place for us as human beings to experience – to connect to them. When I took on the job of remodeling this building, I felt – and still feel – that our community is in need of, and ready for, a temple, and traditionally a temple is a facility in which these three – healing, self-cultivation, and awakening – can transpire. A temple is the iconic and archetypal place to hold space and time for these practices, these elements of sacred life. I suppose it is due to our idealistic leanings that it came down to my family and me to manifest this space. But ultimately, that is just part of the dance of the one and the many. There is no separate me here to do anything, and in the course of events most of the work was and is done by others. This body-mind held the intention, however, and so I felt – when Joel asked me to begin giving talks for the Center – that I should first speak about the motivation and intention behind the Green Phoenix Institute.

However, the highest and most enjoyable roles are those relationships in which we can enter unity co-consciously. The relationship between Mother and Child, the relationship between Lovers, and the relationship between Master and Student are three main examples. There are other relationships where only one half of the equation is conscious of unity. Traditionally, the relationship between King and Kingdom was considered to be among these, although this tradition has been lost for the most part. Another important relationship is between Healer and Client. In the highest forms of healing, unity is realized on the part of the healer.

To live a realized life, we must see unity in all relationships. There is no problem in taking on roles. The problem comes with identifying with our roles. Then relationship ceases to be play and becomes a prison. This is the difference between nirvana and samsara, between heaven and hell. To live in heaven, simply cease taking yourself to be your role and recognize unity in all of your relationships.

Rumi says: “No one will find his way to the Court of Magnificence until he is annihilated.”

A peaceful world is available right now, in our own peaceful awareness. Conflict is the creation of our own mind. Cease making conflict by clinging to concepts of right and wrong right now and permanent peace will reveal itself. Ceasing striving in conflict with others and peace will spread out amongst the family of humanity. Failure to surrender effort to protect the self will result in only more discord. Conflict arises naturally and then subsides. Cease identifying with circumstance and the true balance will assert itself.

This is our choice and it is good news.

5:30 PM – 10:00 PM

This year, we are going to celebrate the Summer solstice with a drum circle.  Join us for a potluck followed by a martial arts demonstration and a drum circle.  This is family friendly event and everyone is welcome.  We will start potluck at 5:30pm so little ones can enjoy drum circle before they have to go to bed. Bring ear plugs!

Click below to schedule an appointment online:

In Health,

Matthew Branham, L.Ac.,