Category Archives: TCM

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: 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 →

Water ~ Invoke your innate intelligence

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Invoke your innate intelligence. We have never had more immediate access to information. We can acquire certificates and degrees from the comfort of our own home. Opinions on most anything is available 24/7. Agenda and propaganda masquerade as news while dissenting voices are censored. Intelligence is the ability to acquire, filter, sort and apply information. There are many forms of intelligence: artificial, abstract, logical, emotional, social, creative, adaptive, self-aware, critical thinking, problem solving. Intelligence is not an agency. The proper place for human beings is between heaven and earth. Our birthright is heavenly connection and earthly incarnation. Our innate intelligence … Continue reading →

Water ~ Develop true humility

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Develop true humility. How can we develop healthy humility? Passionate curiosity is a start. In the asking, we engage the other and the ego is checked. Service is a good middle. How does it feel when we volunteer our best hours of the week, donate our most valuable items or fund a heart felt cause? In the end, seek original origins. Humilis is the Latin root meaning low.   By our own choice, consequence, or chance, true humility is often the outcome of experiencing great depth, deep troubles or profound sorrows. Water, the element of winter, teaches us how to … Continue reading →

Water ~ You are a visionary

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

You are a visionary. The water element paired organs that peak in winter are the Bladder and Kidney (plus adrenals). The bladder meridian travels from the inner canthus of the eye across the head down the back side of the entire body exiting out the little toe. It traverses all of us. Many of the point names indicate their function: bright eyes, supporting yang, supporting middle, celestial pillar, soul door, spirit hall, spiritual celestial connection, soul gate. Acupuncture treats all levels of the human – mind, body, spirit. Treating the bladder points can not only treat our organs like the … Continue reading →

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 ~ 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 →

Earth: Down to earth

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: 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 →

Metal: Mirror. Mirror.

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

In Chinese culture the circle shape is associated with the Metal/Fall season and represents oneness, unity and being fulfilled. Perhaps one of the most common circles we encounter in our daily lives are mirrors. It is in a mirror that we can physically reflect on ourselves, however it is possible to reflect without a mirror as well. Look for circles today, but more importantly, reflect on what makes you whole. One self-care practice that I invite my patients to incorporate into their daily lives is looking into their eyes in the mirror daily upon waking and speak ‘I love you’ … Continue reading →