It’s the Year of the Earth Dog 2018….. and this may sound strange, but in Chinese astrology, each of the animals also aligns itself with the five elements (wood, water, earth, fire, metal).
Within the five elements, Earth represents emotional worry and overthinking vs. being fair… so keep it in mind to be fair to yourself and those around you. In Chinese Medicine the Earth element is associated with the Spleen (yin organ) and Stomach (yang organ), which means this year it is important to support your digestion.
The color of the earth element is bright yellow! so make sure to wear that color proud to help balance the element within your environment. The flavor associated with the element is sweet. If you are reading this on the west coast of Canada where it is very damp, sometimes the combination of too many bonbons in this Rainforest of ours can lead us to be sluggish and stay in watching Netflicks, instead of being with our friends and family (which is an important focus this year!).
As we know, dogs are beautiful, honest, giving and most importantly, loyal. If you are fortunate to have the love of a Dog, you will have it forever. They know how to play fair and can be very intuitive beasts. They are very protective, gritting their teeth at the first signs of danger and stepping up as a leader to look after their loved ones. As much as they can be social butterflies, Dogs do need time to sit still and reflect on their own life.
| Type of Dog | Year of Birth | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Dog | 1934, 1994 | Sincere, reliable, considerate, understanding, and patient |
| Fire Dog | 1946, 2006 | Intelligent, hardworking, and sincere |
| Earth Dog | 1958, 2018 | Communicative, serious, and responsible in work |
| Metal Dog | 1910, 1970 | Conservative, desirable, cautious, and always ready to help others |
| Water Dog | 1922, 1982 | Brave and self-centered, even seemingly selfish; well-versed in dealing with financial issues |
I wish everyone success and joy in the year of the Earth Dog. We will however have some challenges within the next 12 months, and it is important to not be cooped up in your cage, but to get out and play with your friends and family. It is a year of reconnecting with those you love, after last year, where the Fire Rooster could barely let us keep up with ourselves.
This year it is important to focus on your health, which means finding ways to help your stress levels. It goes without saying, that as an Acupuncturist, I would recommend Acupuncture to get those endorphins up!
You can click here for a list of foods to help stay relaxed and combat your stress levels. As we have also come into Spring within the Chinese calendar, we need to focus on the Liver. Throw some lemons in your water and have that tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before every meal. Stretch out your tendons and muscles every day… click here to go to my channel for qi gong. Meditate at lunchtime breathing in kindness and breathing out anger to help the Liver fire from rising up. At bedtime, I always listen to music or hynotherapy that relaxes my mind and body, please click here to listen to some suggested music.
