Category Archives: Earth Element

Water ~ Have a cuppa bone broth or chai

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Cozy up with a cuppa bone broth or chai tea.  How did you come to know and love tea? I grew up with a mom who always created an herb garden wherever she has lived and helped me develop a taste for herbal brews early on starting with spearmint sun tea and catnip.I learned so much about tea in the town I lived for medical school – Portland, Oregon. They actually have tea shops and tea shops within Chinese gardens. My Chinese Medicine teachers always packed their traveling suitcases with tea and spices. The ah too true joke with them … Continue reading →

Earth: Change is a constant

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Change is a constant. The epithelial cells lining the small intestine turnover every 2-3 days The epidermal cells of the skin change every 29-45 days Red blood cells are replaced every 120 days and then recycled Hepatic cells are exchanged between seasons up to one year Adipose fat cells are replaced around every 8 years Skeletal muscle cells turnover about every 15 years Cardiomyocytes heart muscle cells are made new around 40 years Neural cells don’t turnover after birth, but we can certainly re-wire them. Do these numbers clarify that we can most certainly change our health to the good?  … Continue reading →

Earth: Take a step back

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

photo by Pexels What if is the way forward is backwards?  What if time is a spiral not a line? What if space & time can warp? What if time is an illusion. Consider our common language: catch up, move forward, climb the ladder, hustle culture, get ahead. Sounds exhausting. Are there any signs that we may want to step back? Yes, of course. Do any of these sound familiar? I’ve sent out a hundred resumes but have gotten zero callbacks. I keep messaging but no one replies. I feel sick to my stomach every time I think of it. … Continue reading →

Earth Tip Sheet

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Here are some of my favorite ways to support the Earth Element.   The tips are appropriate for seasonal wellness and are helpful all year long for constitutional Element Earth types. Want to establish or return to care with Dr Cox? Book here!

Continue reading →

Earth: explore the arising & passing of sensations

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Sensations arise and sensations pass. Paying close attention to the coming and going of feelings within the body leads us to a deeper understanding of impermanence.  This mind-body understanding of impermanence guides us deeper into allowing.  Have you tried body scanning?  Enjoy a free body scan script here or choose from a free guided 20, 30 or 45 minute audio here   Body scanning is a widely used technique for stress reduction. As we practice this mindfulness act again and again, we may start to notice the sensation arise prior to an emotion or feeling.  The question then becomes, are … Continue reading →

Mandala for the Earth Season

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

One of the Ways to Play with Element Wisdom Cards is to create mandalas.  I first began making food mandalas when I lived in an ashram in California.  As we each took a shift in the kitchen, and I have always loved mornings, it was my delight to make fruit mandalas for the community.  It is also the place, I fell in love with persimmons.   Mandala for the Earth Season To create an Element Wisdom Card Mandala  Create sacred space through ritual. Design the space. Your sacred expression. Some of my favorite ways to create sacred space: Open with prayer.  … Continue reading →

Earth: Be spontaneous

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

What comes to mind for you when you hear the word spontaneous? Fun, going with the flow, adventure, excitement, allowing a natural unfolding? No way, Nope, No. Not for me. I just can’t. That’s crazy.  From the latin roots: sua – from + sponte – of (one’s) own accord Recall the last time you had a good belly laugh? True laughter arises spontaneously.  When was the last time you were spontaneous? A last minute yes to extra concert tickets? a trip to the beach without previous planning? dancing in the kitchen to a favorite song? a walk to clear your … Continue reading →

Earth: Return

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower. –Albert Camus Today autumn begins in the Northern Hemisphere, while the folks in the Southern Hemisphere are preparing for warmer, spring weather.  In 2025, the Autumnal Equinox arrives on Monday, September 22, at 1:19 P.M. Central Standard Time. The autumn equinox happens at the same moment worldwide marking the astronomical start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere – the moment when the direct ray of the sun crosses the equator to the South. After the autumnal equinox, nights begin to grow longer than the days until the winter solstice … Continue reading →

Earth: Cook & chop your way to wellness

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Food comes from the Earth.  Processed food is not food.  If it did not grow in the dirt or on a bush, vine, tree or graze on the earth, it’s not food.  Whole food is medicine.  Processed food steals your vitality. Ultra processed food creates chronic disease, offers pharmacy and invites slow death. One of the top three outcomes of the lockdowns of 2020/2021, in my opinion, was the return to or beginning of cooking at home.  We can choose better quality products than most restaurants are able to provide on small margins.  We are, therefore, improving our economic health … Continue reading →

Earth: Trust your gut

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

The gut is known as the second brain, or the enteric nervous system. More than 100 million nerve cells lines the digestive tract.  This system triggers mood changes, initiates functional bowel changes and communicates with the central nervous system (brain). Every felt ‘butterflies in your stomach”? Ever become nauseous at the thought of a situation or seeing a person? Ever had a “gut wrenching” experience?  These sensations may be fleeting or protracted.  How do we care for this intuitive, reactive nervous system?   Here are two ways to support the gut: 1.My favorite physical support is a yogic cleansing technique, … Continue reading →