The movement of air across the earth!
It moves and bends trees, and has the potential to cool or warm an area, provide comfort from stifling heat but also the capability to destroy and damage.
Wind in the body also has these features, and wind arises where there is a deficiency of absence of either Yin or Blood, and also when there is excessive heat.
Wind manifests as involuntary muscle movements and twitching, itching of the skin, high blood pressure and pain which is inconsistent and moves from place to place.
The Liver organ is implicated in all instances of wind and it can be thought of as pathological qi movement, as the Liver is responsible for the free flow of qi movement but when there is illness, this movement can become much faster than it would normally be, comparable to a gale force wind in an area where there is normally just a cool breeze.
Wind can also enter the body from the outside world – usually via the neck – and brings with it other pathogens such as heat, cold, damp and dryness.
This is the basis in Chinese Medicine for the development of the common cold, flu or other virus – even hayfever can be considered a product of wind of either internal or external origin.
Chinese Medicine has a framework to diagnose and separate internal and external wind, and both can be treated with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs.
Wind is more prevalent in Spring, however it can impact the body at any time, and moreso if there is a Liver/Gallbladder disharmony.
