Tiger As My Nurse

What is the least understood and most overlooked tool that benefits human health and wellbeing?

Nature.

Nature is potent medicine. The sun, moon, and seasons have a powerful effect on our health. Just ask anyone who suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder or who has trouble sleeping during a full moon.

Wild animals are an integral part of nature. We often treat them as something outside of ourselves, separate from us, but they aren’t. We’re all made from the same matter. All interconnected. Animals have a lot to teach us about living in sync with the natural world and ultimately about being more human.

Today marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year celebrating The Year of the Water Tiger. The Tiger is one of the twelve animals in Chinese Astrology. Even if you weren’t born in a Year of the Water Tiger (2022, 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, 1938) you can still benefit from its powerful symbolism to make your year healthier and more pawsitive.

Difficult Conversations

A few years ago, I braced myself for a difficult conversation. You know what I mean; the one-sided discussion where someone shouts and rants and at the end of the barrage, all you want to do is crawl into bed and go to sleep for a week. Historically, my personality is more fire than water. More tiger than bunny. My underlying nature wants to fight back when I feel wrongly accused. But in this case, that was a sure way to create a wildfire. So, I tried something else. I became like water. Water finds a path around obstacles. Its fluid nature is not only tranquil but water is one of the most powerful substances on the planet. Just look at The Grand Canyon.

My friend’s anger was intense. But every time his outrage came towards me, I told myself, be water. I imagined a protective water bubble surrounding me, one that his temper couldn’t penetrate. With no fuel to light the fire, his rage eventually petered out. It was a tough experience, but I was still in one piece at the end of it and not wrung out like I thought I’d be.

Swimming With The Water Tiger

We live in a polarized world. Daily we read about crisis after crisis. How do we stay empowered? How can we change our world for the better? I believe the most powerful way to transform our planet lies in the everyday shifts we brave to make within ourselves. The Water Tiger symbolizes courage, passion, strength, leadership, creativity, confidence, generosity, and helpfulness. Why not borrow one quality of The Water Tiger, embrace it for 2022, and swim with it? What one thing can we do to be more courageous this year? If we embraced one step towards confidence, what might we achieve? Where can we be more generous?

Every year, I create a digital vision board to remind me of my aims, to keep me on my purpose, and to inspire me to live more pawsitively. This year, a picture of a tiger is at the top of my board. I’m borrowing the tiger’s passion to fuel me through the publishing of my next book, Junkyard Dog; a rescue story. And water will remind me to stay fluid in the face of obstacles.

I don’t live with a tiger. Instead, I walk in the world alongside my rescue dog, Grace, who seems to have embraced her own inner tiger and come out on the other side of adversity. Inspired by animals, I wrote Dog as My Doctor, Cat as My Nurse and Paws for the Good Stuff, to help us see that our animal companions can be powerful health and wellness allies. Our pets may not be tigers (though if you live with a cat, they may beg to differ) but like the animals in the Chinese Zodiac, each has a tremendous amount to teach us about staying connected to the natural world and leading healthier and happier lives. If only we listened.

Stay Healthy & Stay Pawsitive,

Carlyn MDO 💜 

PS: What one quality will you borrow from the water tiger and swim with during 2022? Courage, passion, strength, leadership, creativity, confidence, generosity, helpfulness- or something else? I’d love to hear your comment below.

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