By Danisha Bogue, L.Ac. - February 6, 2023
Categories: General

If you were still feeling sluggish around January 1st this year, don’t worry because in Traditional Chinese Medicine the New Year has just begun. Chinese New Year is the second new moon after the winter solstice and is more aligned with the sun and the moon for new beginnings. So, whether you are already all-in on your 2023 resolutions or you’re still coming out of your holiday hiatus, this is the perfect time for a fresh start with your health and well-being.

Many people celebrate by lighting lanterns and setting off fireworks to ward off the darkness. They also clean their homes to usher out the old and bring in new prosperity. We can do the same by taking care of our health by cleaning up our eating habits and embracing the light of exercise and acupuncture in the still cold and dark days of winter.

The Year of the Black Rabbit

The changing of the years is also balanced through the Yin and the Yang. Last year, 2022 was a Yang Water Tiger Year with high-flowing energy. This year, 2023, is the Year of the Rabbit and a Yin Water element year. It is called the “Year of the Black Rabbit” because the Yin Water element is associated with the color black.

The Yin Water element is connected to sensitivity, enlightenment, and the way to inner peace. After the high-energy year of the Yang Water Tiger, this year will be a time to rest and reflect on what we have done and where we want to go. The rabbit is also a sign of good luck and gives us the patience to see our opportunities to embrace this luck.

Bringing Our Water Back into Balance

The water element in this year will bring some much-needed introspection into our lives. Also known as the Philosopher, it will help us focus less on outward happenings and overextending ourselves which can cause a loss of water and an imbalance. This can lead to a lack of self-confidence or even losing our sense of self. Fear is also a sign of water imbalance and has become chronic living through the pandemic. It is important to feel this fear and not try to ignore it or numb it through other means such as overeating, drinking, or overindulging in some other way. This year will give us a chance to feel these feelings and let them go.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, our kidneys are the center of our Jing, or our essence, and our source of our vitality and longevity. A water imbalance in our kidneys can cause problems with our reproductive health and regular hormone function. By balancing the water in our kidneys, we can improve our libido, growth, and endurance.

6 Ways to Find Balance and Perhaps some Luck in the New Year

 Clean Your Diet

  • Cut back on heavy foods.
  • Reduce your intake of meat and simple breads.
  • Add in warming soups and vegetables such as root vegetables, dark leafy greens, kidney and black beans.
  • Leave room for something sweet, though, that can sustain the stomach and spleen and boost your digestion and positive energy in the new year!

Simplify Your Routine

  • Assess your daily energy levels.
  • Where can you cut back or delegate?
  • Make space for the rest and reflection this new year brings.

 Meditate

  • Make at least 15 minutes for introspection a day.
  • Take a class or download an app if you would like guidance.
  • Sit in the most common Qigong Posture by crossing your legs and resting your hands on your stomach.
  • Take deep and slow breaths and let your body and mind rest.

 Focus on the Good

  • See the good around you in simple kindnesses to and from others.
  • See the good in yourself by speaking kind words to yourself and by doing for others.
  • Let this perspective help you see the good in most situations.

 Get New Clothes

  • Wearing new clothes has symbolized the fresh start of the new year for centuries.
  • Find something that makes you feel good about yourself and the year ahead.
  • Your inner energy will lift with your outer appearance.

Schedule an Acupuncture Appointment

  • Activate the meridians of your body to let your Qi flow more freely.
  • Balance the water element in your kidneys and bladder.
  • Reduce stress to focus on rest and restoration in the new year.

The Chinese New Year is an auspicious time for good luck and good health. Follow these tips to get your new year off to a great start. And call me to set up an appointment to take your Year of the Black Rabbit to the next level in not only your health but your entire well-being.

Be well.

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This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or illness. Please consult your healthcare provider prior to the use of this product if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications or have a medical condition. Individual results may vary.