Chinese New Year 2018
To The Point
Newsletter from the Traditional Chinese Medicine & Yoga Office of Hanorah Sullivan Houndalas
YEAR OF THE YANG EARTH DOG
Gun Hei Fat Choi (Cantonese), Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin)
A Happy & Prosperous New Year!
Just as you thought the holidays were behind you, millions of people are about to celebrate the Lunar New Year. In Chinese Astrology it will be Year Of The Dog on Friday February 16th, 2018.
In Chinese astrology each zodiac year is associated with an animal as well as one of the 5 elements. This coming Chinese New Year will be year of the Earth element. Its color is brown. It is grounding and supportive. The earth element brings stability. It is a good element year to take care of your physical health and start a new regimen supporting your total wellness. Working the physical body releases stress and clears erratic energy as well as builds a more stable nervous system so we aren’t thrown off course by life challenges.
Each astrological year either has a yin or yang emphasis. This is a yang year, so it is a year of action. This year of the earth dog correlates to stability, service, and health. These will be supported when put into action. Action is key. Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage writes that, “Without action, knowledge is often meaningless. As Aristotle put it, ‘to be excellent we cannot simply think or feel excellent, we must act excellently’.” The dog is an honest and idealistic sign, known of selflessness, service and protection. Likewise, the year that bears its name will bring increased social awareness and a desire to help and protect those less fortunate. This year, worry less about material gain and more about serving others, for that is where you will find true happiness and fulfillment.
Yogi Bhajan who brought Kundalini Yoga to the west prescribed acts of charitable service called Seva to anyone who was depressed. Emotions can be all consuming and when we are caught up in any emotion we cannot see the forest through the trees. Yogi Bhajan called it the commotion of emotion. Do something good for someone else or a good cause and it frees you simply by getting obsessive attention off of yourself.
There are many charitable organizations out there, so go ahead and find something that interests you. Since it is year of the dog consider volunteering at an animal shelter or rescue. The health of the planet and environment is also a good place to put your energies in an earth year. Being of service to those in need is powerful healing medicine. We all get caught up in our lives, myself included. If you are feeling overwhelmed and feel you don’t have the time to volunteer or take on a commitment, then start small. I like to do small secretive acts of service. For example, when I am in a public bathroom I wipe down the sink as one is asked to do in an airplane. I pick up any trash including pieces of toilet paper or paper towels on the floor and I leave the restroom better than when I arrived for the next person. Yes, it can be disgusting, but I want the next person to have a better experience than I. I also like holding the door open when I’m out and about and when driving I let others go first at an intersection. These are small acts that take no extra time and I feel good about them. My mother walks the beach and takes a bag to pick up trash. These are a few examples of what you can do to serve. Small acts of kindness and service have a subtle and quiet sense of purpose. They are a good thing to put out into the world especially during difficult times. For those of you who give too much remember that giving comes from what runneth over from your cup. What is in the cup is for you! For those that falsely choose to believe they have nothing to give or no time, get up and try it. A day of service can help get you out of that mindset.
Starting small is a great way to create new healthier habits in any area of your life. I too have fallen of the wagon so to speak. I’ve over eaten and have been emotionally reactive. Starting a New Years resolution that is too extreme will only cause the pendulum to swing back the other way. Instead let’s look at finding balance. One minute of meditation daily. 12 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. Start with what you know you can do and then when that becomes second nature you can build upon that. But do start taking care of yourself! Happiness, good health and peace are cultivated daily. They say dog is mans best friend. Isn’t it time we learn from dog and become our own best friend and be loyal to ourselves by taking care of ourselves. When we give to ourselves we set an example in the world about self-care and self-love. We share, teach and give what we learn and do for ourselves.
To your Health and Well Being!
