Tag Archives: water

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 →

Water ~ Try a hot ginger foot bath

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Peak winter conditions are headed for Alabama this weekend.  Let’s combine our Water/Winter wisdoms with a nourishing, gentle Soup Cleanse for the stay at home and stay warm days of ice, sleet & snow. Ginger Foot Bath Instructions: Add ginger tea, decocted fresh ginger root or even ginger powder to hot water. Need herbal tea preparation tips? Click here…midway down the post to learn how to free their medicine. For a warm foot bath, water is warmed to 92-100F (33-38C). For a hot foot bath, water is warmed gradually and frequently tested with elbow to 103-108F (39-42C). Be particularly careful … Continue reading →

Element Wisdom Card Decks – Ways to Play ~ Mandala

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Check out the many ways to play with Element Wisdom Cards!   This is one of the amazing ways: Mandala ~ Create sacred space. Choose 5-8 cards. Arrange them in a circle within concentric rings of found or precious materials like seasonal fruits/vegetables, flowers, leaves, shells, stones, sticks, feathers, etc. Choose an elemental center piece: an earthenware filled with soil/clay, a transparent vase of water, a bell, a wooden bowl, an incense burner. Cards and objects may also be arranged by cardinal directions.     Did you know you can search the card titles on the Cultivating Wellness Blog?  Our … Continue reading →

Water ~ Discover hidden potential

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Discover hidden potential. Winter is the season of potential. The essence of the kidney is likened unto a seed. A seed hidden by soil or leaf litter or snow or ice. A seed in dark potential storing and protecting all of the necessary information and instructions to grow at just the right time. This is not the sprouting of the seed for that is spring. We all have latent abilities that arise situationally or can be developed. What are yours?Within the science of ourselves and the universe our potential, systemic energy is stored and dependent upon relative relationship forces like … Continue reading →

Water ~ Power, Drive and will

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Power, drive & will. The kidneys are the storehouse of will. They are our ambition, our batteries, our strength. The kidneys, adrenals and bladder are ruled by water. Water is the element of winter. Have you ever considered your power, your drive or your will like unto water? I was raised up on the Tennessee River. The singing river has been harnessed to provide hydroelectric power to the multitudes at the expense of snails and darters and such. In our highest, most healthy state our power is like a mighty river determined in it’s purposefulness. In our highest, most healthy … Continue reading →

Water ~ Supervise the storehouse of pure energy

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Supervise the storehouse of pure energy. The kidneys store jing – our primal energy. This essence is to be guarded, protected, treasured not squandered or frittered away. It determines our fertility, growth, development, vitality and longevity. It is one of the three treasures: jing, qi and shen. The kidneys are the expression of the water element in our bodies. Their energy peaks in winter offering harmonious opportunities for winter support and healing. Fulfilling our destiny is healing. The way of this deep healing summons and joins celestial jing with our terrestrial jing. In other words, jing is our DNA. In … Continue reading →

Metal: Hydrate

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Hydrate. It is always important to stay hydrated. In the colder months it is easier to become dehydrated due to the drier air, the use of indoor heaters, and because the colder weather generally makes you desire water to quench your thirst less than the warmer months where you may use cold water to help cool you off. If you are noticing that your skin is getting drier chances are you aren’t getting enough water.   How much water should I drink? A good formulation is to divide your weight in pounds by half.  Convert that number to ounces. Notice … Continue reading →

Earth: Eat Breakfast 7-9 am

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

We are just past the midpoint of the days of the Earth/Transition season which focus on Stomach, Spleen & Pancreas wellness. The optimal time to eat breakfast is between 7-9AM during the two hour energy peak of the Stomach according to the Chinese Medicine 24 hour clock. Breakfast is a great opportunity to jump start your health and nutrition goals each day. In order to optimize digestion, space your snacks and meals 4-5 hours apart.  This allows the MMC, migrating motor complex, of the small intestine to complete one full cycle, sweeping food into the intestine for digestion and sweeping … Continue reading →

Soup Cleanse: Lentil Cilantro

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

This Lentil Cilantro Soup exquisitely supports the water/winter organ pair of the Bladder and Kidney. This is the perfect soup to catch the tail end of winter in harmony food support. This pair of organs, when in balance, support our need to restore, unplug, dream and merge into higher states of consciousness.  The seeds of the year are planted during the winter, sprout during spring. come into full bloom in summer and return to the earth during fall. What have you planted this winter in the quiescence of the season? The soups can be created and enjoyed in any order.  … Continue reading →

Soup Cleanse: Butternut

Dr. Elizabeth Cox, ND, LAc Posted on by

Soup Cleanse recipes can be found  a few posts back (click here). Wanna dive deeper into the cleanse with spices, soup toppers and self-care actions?  Check back in for our upcoming posts or follow our blog to have the posts delivered to your email Water is the representative element of Winter.  The Kidney Bladder organ pair and the Adrenal glands (as the endocrine extension of the Kidney) are manifestations of Water in the landscape of the human body. *Read about lifestyle practices and self-care actions to take now for best Winter health* This energy of this trio peaks during the … Continue reading →