Author Archives: Dr. Sarita Cox

Water ~ Tone your vagal nerve

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Stimulation of the vagus nerve plays an important role in the management of anxiety and mental health issues. The vagus nerve is the longest running cranial nerve in your body. It is one of ten paired cranial nerves and runs from the stem of your brain all the way down to your gut. The word “vagus” translates to “wandering” in Latin, and the vagus nerve certainly does that.   As the longest and most complex of all the cranial nerves, it starts at the stem of the brain, behind the ears before it meanders down the sides of the neck, … Continue reading →

Water ~ Accept

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Accept. The critical first step in healing is accepting things as they actual are. We live in a world where there is plenty that requires our resistance. However, healing requires courageous honesty about ourself, our perceptions, our motivations, our circumstances and their cause. I have doubled down on my commitment to live a life in alignment with my core values and the elemental. My winter healing so far has looked like: Living without liquid stress. I had habituated a high quality jasmine green tea morning ritual. I would make one small pot of green tea then refresh the same leaves … Continue reading →

Water ~ Be like Water

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Be like water.   The highest good is like water, Water is good at benefitting the ten thousand things, And yet does not contend with them. It dwells in the places multitudes detest, Therefore, it is close to the dao. ~ Dao De Jing   The water element rules the kidney, adrenals and bladder according to Chinese medicine.    We are elements embodied in bones and flesh and skin.   A healthy water type is  Active yet calm Courageous yet gentle Accomplishes a lot without stress Balances assertive action with self-care         Each season invites us to … Continue reading →

Water ~ You are resilient

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

You are resilient. A loving reminder as many of us are finding new ways in a rapidly, ever changing world. What strengths the quality of resilience?   Healthy habits ~ Double down on restorative sleep, wholesome foods, clean water, exercise, autonomy. Invite real connection ~ In these days of the digital, the virtual, non-local, augmented & artificial realities bring your trusted & beloveds close. Adapt – Flow around obstacles; try a new way; circumvent the programming. Gratitude – Count your blessings daily; speak them; write them. Connect – Align with God, source, spirit, higher power. Slow down, be still, stop … Continue reading →

Earth: How sweet it is

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Did you know that historically the apple was the standard for the taste of sweet? We’ve come a long (not so healthy) way from those days. I love to substitute applesauce in recipes for cakes and pies to create the taste of sweet in healthier ways. Last year, I also perfected a sweet potato pie with just three ingredients: sweet potatoes, butter and coconut. just bake, mash and combine into a nut pie shell. What are your sweet tricks? Sweetness is associated with the Earth Element. Although a touch of sweetness can stimulate the spleen and pancreas, indulging in too … Continue reading →

Down to earth: writing prompt

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Down to Earth. What does the phrase ‘down to earth’ mean to you? Earth Writing Exercise Take a moment. Find pen and paper. Transcribe the phrase Down to Earth.  Place both feet on the ground. Take three deep breaths, expanding your ribs. Write free associations of what ‘down to earth’ means to you for 90 seconds. Wake the spleen, an earth organ with the exercise below.  Repeat the automatic writing exercise.   Wake the Spleen With both feet on the ground, raise your left arm. Wake the spleen organ by tapping on your left side, one hand width below the … Continue reading →

Earth: Don’t worry be happy

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

  Don’t worry, be happy.   How to soothe your nervous system: Take a cold shower or plunge Splash cold water on face & neck Sing, laugh, chant, hum, & hug Restore the microbe of the gut Relax jaw tension Meditate on loving kindness Positive Social Connect Stimulation of the vagus nerve plays an important role in the management of anxiety and mental health issues. The vagus nerve is the longest running cranial nerve in your body. It is one of ten paired cranial nerves and runs from the stem of your brain all the way down to your gut. The … Continue reading →

Earth: Too much sitting injures the spleen: qi gong

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

The digestive organs are injured by stagnation.  Desk or remote virtual jobs, long hours of studying, research and writing keep us seated.  Relaxing and decompressing may also become habituated to screen time, gaming or media binging. Fatigue sets in from lack of activity; a sedentary life is injurious. Frankly, it is killing us slowly. The combination of oversitting and overthinking is a harmful combination for the earth organs,  particularly the spleen.  The lack of healthy circulation settles dampness deep into our systems. If you are prone to oversitting, please build in healthy habits.  Set a timer at the desk for … Continue reading →

Does your yes serve the balance? Earth Sounds

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

HEALING SOUNDS FOR THE EARTH ELEMENT The earth element, is involved with digestion and transformation of food. It can get bogged down with overthinking, oversitting, worry, anxiety. This can result in weight gain or indigestion. When the earth element is weak we may say ‘yes’ when we mean ‘no’ or ‘can I get back to you on that? In this way, we create imbalance within by giving ourselves away to be liked or approved of, to avoid conflict, to fit into social norms or to get something from the other party. The earth season holds the energy of center, return, … Continue reading →

Earth: Shake into your muscles

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Learning to “shake it off” during times of stress could be as simple as practicing just that, shaking.   The traditional warm up before practicing a qi gong form is 5-15 minutes of shanking.  We progressively shake deeper starting with our skin, into the muscles, tendons, bones and organs. Read our blog post about Qigong Shaking: https://drsaritaelizabeth.com/fire-creates-earth/ A daily habit of shaking for five minutes will pave a path of wellness for you.  Need science to convince you? Check out this research on Qi Gong for the Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of COVID19 Infection in Older Adults       … Continue reading →