2023: The Year of Healing

According to East Asian traditions, this is the year of the water rabbit. The rabbit is a sign of hope, peace, and abundance. The water element encourages us to go with the flow. We can expect the year to be calmer and gentler. With these energies, we can expand and contract when necessary, and to nourish ourselves. It is time to let life flow over and around you. Coming home to your energy and intuition is a vital part of allowing life to happen through you. This process may be unfamiliar territory, especially when we have contorted ourselves to “be” a certain way for a long time. It’s time to be more intentional about how we truly want to live and feel.

Rabbits have long ears, symbolizing close listening. Listen to your body. We live in a culture that emphasizes action, movement, hustle, and achievement. The body’s innate pace is much slower, much softer, much gentler. When we ask our bodies to be in constant motion without giving it opportunity to slow down, the body will sound alarms that may show up as pain. Listen to what your body may be telling you, instead of trying to bypass the discomfort. We do not need to be in an adversarial relationship with our bodies. What is suppressed often has a way of coming out in other ways that cause more suffering. An important part of healing is changing the relationship we have with ourselves. 

Rabbits years are considered to be the most fertile, an opportunity for us to sow and reap the results of the efforts we put in. Consider whether the day-to-day activities and obligations of your life are truly supportive and aligned with your values. Consider what, exactly you are valuing and where your own well-being falls in that lineup. You may find that you prioritize other things ahead of your own true goals. This year is auspicious for nourishing new goals, new choices, and new relationships.

If you’re finding yourself feeling stuck, especially with a physical, emotional, or mental issue that is keeping you from truly living a life you desire, seek out support with a skilled therapist, practitioner, coach, or healer to facilitate your transformation into a new chapter.

May your year be full of blessings.

-Shiopei Low, D.Om, L.Ac is clinical director at Patapsco Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine in Sykesville. The clinic specializes in difficult-to-treat conditions such as chronic pain and neuropathy in a supportive healing environment.