Happy New Year 2017!
What do you envision for yourself in 2017?
Last month I participated in my first sprint triathlon. This was one of my health and fitness goals for the year. During winter our energy naturally slows down and we tend to become less active. It’s important to align with this natural resting state in winter in order to rejuvenate our body and connect deeply with our spiritual roots. We may find ourselves feeling stagnant or sluggish with low energy. It’s important to pay attention to such sensations and attempt to find some appropriate balance. For me, participating in a sprint triathlon was a great way to get myself moving in a healthy way during the winter. When we have a good understanding of our bodies, we can attune to and harmonize with our natural energy and stay healthy throughout the year.
The Ancient Wisdom of the Five Element Energy System
According to the five element system in Chinese medicine, we all have a unique makeup in our body and our nature. It applies to all aspects of our lives, including our tendencies for physical health and emotions, how we operate in life and interact with others, and at a higher level, our unique spiritual gifts. The ancient five element system helps us understand ourselves so that we can take good care of ourselves, thrive and fulfill our life potential. Understanding ourselves well, including our strengths as well as our weaknesses and challenges, can be a powerful tool for creating an effective self-care program for health and wellness. A proactive and preventative approach to personal health yields better results than a break-and-fix model.
What is your element: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water? Although we all have the five elements working within us, there is a dominant characteristic for each of us. My dominant element is Earth energy. Earth element provides a caring and nurturing quality, as well as the qualities of being agreeable and stable, like a peacemaker. One of the challenges for the Earth element dominant personality is stagnancy in various aspects of life. Knowing that about myself helps me understand how I tend to feel more stagnant and sluggish during winter. Having the triathlon to train for helped me stay more motivated and energized than usual in the winter. The accomplishment was rewarding, and it was fun to exercise with so many people!
As we welcome a new year, it’s a good time to check in with yourself on personal health and wellness goals for the next 12 months. Start by taking a health inventory! How is your energy? Your mood? Your sleep? Your digestion? Is your weight healthy? How is your immune system? Did you get sick often this past year? How is your exercise program? How are your eating habits, and are you drinking enough water? Are you happy?
We can work proactively to cultivate good health and reduce the risk of many illnesses by having good foundations of health such as those mentioned in the inventory list above. Keeping these founda-tions of body systems healthy will support healthy immunity, a healthy cardiovascular system, a healthy digestive system, effective inflammation management and healthy aging.
So what are your health goals for the coming year? At Tao of Wellness all of our practitioners would be happy to help you create and accomplish your new goals. We wish you a very happy and healthy new year!
For more information about the five element system, please check out www.infinichi.com or Live Your Ultimate Life by Dr. Mao.