Friday, February 4, 2011

Self-care and the Year of the Rabbit

Happy Chinese New Year!  The year of the Rabbit, holds "a temperate year with unhurried pace."  That sounds wonderful!  Almost unimaginable in our always moving, fast paced society.  "A placid year, very much welcomed and needed after the ferocious year of the Tiger.  We should go off to some quiet spot to lick our wounds and get some rest after all the battles of the previous year."  Has a switch been flipped in your psyche?  Are you suddenly feeling very relaxed?
Chances are, your switch is still set at fast and furious.  We all need to remember to slow down.  Hopefully this year, Chinese astrology will hold true and we will have a little help from the cosmos.  Still need a little external help?  This is where self-care comes in.
Self-care should be a common thread in all of our lives.  We all need to learn to take care of ourselves and prevent illness.  Prevention is much easier than curing disease once it has already found you.  What will you add to your life this year to care for YOU?
Acupuncture is a great place to start.  Community acupuncture allows for a cost effective maintenance plan for your body and stress levels.  Come in once or twice a month for the price of four movie tickets.  Maintenance care will help you return to center.  Acupuncture has one side effect that almost all people feel:  relaxation and stress reduction.
Sometimes we wish we could do one thing, or take one pill and then - BLAM - we are well.  But reality shows that it takes multiple, positive choices to find ourselves happy and well.  So what else can you do this year?  Common sense is hard to hear:  eat well, exercise, and do what you love.   My big picture self-care regimen includes an almost daily yoga practice, my meals to be made of recognizable ingredients with a little chocolate thrown in, and having a job that feels more like a calling than work. 
Find your inner rabbit.  Be languid.  Relax.  Find time to take it easy.  Acupuncture will quickly bring you into the right mindset.  Exercise, good food and doing what you love will keep you on course.  Your body and mind will reap the benefits with better sleep, better digestion, and an overall sense of well being.  Call your acupuncturist today to get your Rabbit year started!

Year of the Rabbit info from www.theholidayspot.com