Make Your Resolutions Work for Your Element

Use the 5 Element System to Help You Make More Productive Resolutions

Confession time: I love New Year’s resolutions. I find the process of imagining the coming year and writing lists of things I would like to accomplish very, well, fun. What can I say, finding the fun in lists is part of my constitution.
One of the main principles of Eastern Medicine is observing an individual’s constitution and tendencies, which will indicate one dominant Element: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water. We all have aspects of each element in our personality, but by working to create harmony between them, we can live more balanced lives.

When it comes to planning the year ahead, we can use the 5 Elements to keep our resolutions balanced. For example, as a Metal type, I tend to be very organized, love to write out lists, but also tend to be a perfectionist. That often leads me to give up on any goal that I can’t accomplish perfectly. But if I bring aspects of the other Elements into my goals, that helps me to balance out those tendencies.

 

Take this fun quiz to find out which Element you are.

Wood

The Wood Element is very driven and goal oriented. This Element is very determined and benefits greatly from having clear goals to guide its efforts. Wood is all about action and movement and upward growth. Having a roadmap to follow helps this Element use its energy in an efficient and productive way.

This Element is also easily frustrated when they run into resistance. Wood types benefit from having soothing practices that force them to slow down- they need meditation, regular acupuncture, or breathing exercises to stay balanced.

Fire

The Fire personality is full of joy, love, and charisma, but easily distracted and discouraged. Include other people in your resolutions and create collaborative goals, especially if Fire is your dominant Element. Everyone should make a point of including joy and connection with other people in their plans. Without enough Fire, life can become dull and uninspiring.

The imbalance that most often afflicts Fire types is anxiety or insomnia. Make sure that rest and relaxation are part of your routine, and include calming practices such as shiatsu massage or languid nightly baths.

Earth

The Earth element is full of caring and nurturing. Many Earth personalities will have a difficult time prioritizing their own needs and taking care of themselves. Everyone should make their own health and wellbeing a priority, but those who find self-care to be especially challenging should include this in their goals.

The Earth Element also tends to find change to be very challenging. This type will do better with small, incremental shifts. If you struggle with making big changes, try breaking your resolutions into very small changes that slowly build on each other.

Metal

The Metal Element is very organized and particular but may tend towards perfectionism. To satisfy this Element, think about what your end goal is and build flexibility into your resolutions. If your resolution is to get to the gym twice per week, think about what you are trying to accomplish- to loose weight? Manage your stress? To have more energy? Keeping the final product in mind will help you be flexible enough to change your plan as needed but still accomplish your end goal.

Water

The Water personality is an internal explorer who loves to get lost deep in thought, self-reflection, and the spiritual aspects of life. Water gives us deep insight and poignant ideas, but makes follow-through challenging.

People with a lot of Water qualities usually don’t enjoy making resolutions, because they struggle with follow through. Try writing goals in terms of a feeling you would like to embody, such as grace or balance, and work towards bringing that quality into your daily life in the coming year.

Your Initial Consultation is Free.

Come in and meet us in person. Learn more about our approach and what we do. The free consultation is an opportunity to review your health history and goals and see if you’re comfortable with our philosophy and recommendations.

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"Amazing. Both acupuncturists I've seen here are wonderful, and I'm so impressed by the results. It's such a lovely atmosphere and comfortable experience!"​​​​​​​​​
Thanks, Sandy!
When I was first diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) in my early 20s, I was terrified about what it would mean for my future health and fertility. The doctor's advice at that time was to simply take the pill and consider IVF when I decided to conceive. ​​​​​​​​​
As someone who felt horrible on the pill and wanted to take a proactive approach, this advice didn't sit very well with me. I dove into the one (!) book I could find at the time, started acupuncture, visited a number of holistic health providers, and gathered all the information I could find. I was determined to understand the reasons behind my condition and find ways to address its root cause. I wished for a comprehensive resource that could guide me and help me tailor a plan that suited my needs.

When I established Four Flowers Wellness, I envisioned it to be the resource I had sought but couldn't find. Our mission is to help women solve their health and fertility challenges, not by handing them a magic pill (it doesn't exist), but by collaborating to find the best solutions for each individual and together crafting a clear plan to turn their dreams into reality. 

Over the past 20 years, the understanding of PCOS and women's health issues has grown significantly, offering a wealth of knowledge. However, with this abundance, there is also a flood of misinformation. At Four Flowers Wellness, we spend our days sifting through this vast sea of information so that our clients don't have to.

What has been the most significant obstacle you've faced while trying to solve your health challenges?
Trying to find a solution to your cranky injury, chronic pain, or stubborn tension?​​​​​​​​​
The answer could be a treatment using the humble soup spoon, known as Guasha! Guasha is a unique and effective form of soft tissue mobilization using simple, smooth tools such as these ceramic soup spoons. This therapy helps to transform your soft tissue injury back into healthy functioning tissue.

You may have never heard of Guasha before, but like many traditional Asian healing therapies, it has been rebranded in the West as "Graston" or "Astym" which are commonly used by professional sports teams and physical therapists.

Guasha is clinically proven to treat the following (and more!):

- Neck, shoulder, knee, and lower back pain
- Tendonitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Scar tissue
- Women’s health (post-Cesarean scarring)
“It’s like magic!”​​​​​​​​​
✨ This is one of my favorite things to hear from clients because even after years of practicing acupuncture, it really does still feel like magic! 

✨ Acupuncture is generally considered a cumulative practice in that we see the greatest results over time with regular treatments, but we can also often feel changes in the body immediately with even just a single needle. 

✨ These immediate changes with acupuncture treatment are most often noticeable when treating pain because the discomfort starts to change as soon as we place the needle. 
For more chronic issues, such as painful menstruation or infertility, we rely on tender areas that reflect the underlying imbalances. For example, many women with painful menstruation have a tight area below and just to the left of the belly button which corresponds to poor blood flow in the uterus and feels sore or painful with pressure. We will check in on this area throughout the acupuncture treatment to make sure that our points are changing the uncomfortable sensations in that area. 

✨ Often, these reflection areas change quite dramatically with treatment. When an area that was painful just a few minutes ago becomes perfectly comfortable just from placing a couple of needles, "It feels like magic!" ✨
Small joys, like flowers, are important reminders to stop, breathe, and find beauty in the moment. ​​​​​​​​​
What small joys can you find right now, in this moment?
8 Evidence-Based Ways That Acupuncture Improves Fertility. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So you know what acupuncture is. Your friends are all telling you to try it to help you get pregnant. Maybe you’re getting frustrated with your fertility journey – why is it taking so long? – or maybe you’re just getting started but want to know you’re doing everything you can to have a healthy pregnancy and baby. But you’re wondering - How will getting treated with tiny needles improve your fertility? Here are 8 ways acupuncture can help you get pregnant:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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1. Hormone Regulation 〰️ Acupuncture regulates hormones that play a role in the menstrual cycle and ovulation, such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estrogen, and progesterone.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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2. Healthy Blood Flow 〰️ Acupuncture can significantly increase blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, improving egg quality and the ability of a fertilized egg to implant. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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3. Stress Reduction 〰️ Acupuncture regulates the nervous system to improve stress resiliency, allowing you to bounce back from stress more easily and reducing the impact of stress on your hormones.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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4. Improved Ovarian Function 〰️ Acupuncture can improve ovarian function and promote regular ovulation, which increases your chances of conceiving.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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5. Sperm Counts and Quality 〰️ Acupuncture improves both the number and quality of sperm in as little as 4 weeks.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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6. Reduced Inflammation 〰️ Acupuncture reduces overall inflammation in the body and balances immune factors to promote conception and implantation.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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7. Egg Quality 〰️ Acupuncture helps eggs have enough energy (mitochondria) and internal organization (chromosomal integrity) to successfully fertilize and implant.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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8. IVF Success 〰️ Acupuncture can lead to an improved number and quality of eggs and may improve IVF success rates by up to 65%.

Your Initial Consultation is Free.

Come in and meet us in person. Learn more about our approach and what we do. The free consultation is an opportunity to review your health history and goals and see if you’re comfortable with our philosophy and recommendations.

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