Roar with Confidence in 2022, the Year of the Water Tiger
Roar with Confidence in 2022, the Year of the Water Tiger
In addition to evidence-based practices like psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, Barn Life Recovery utilizes Eastern healing practices like yoga and tai chi that have been a cornerstone of mental wellness for millennia. We also use Eastern philosophy and mythology to illuminate some of the concepts our clients learn during treatment. With the Chinese New Year fast approaching, we’re going to take a closer look at the symbolism behind the animal sign of 2022, the Year of the Water Tiger.
A Year of Action and Great Change
In Chinese astrology and mythology, the tiger represents confidence, energy, strength, leadership, and purpose. This tells us it’s going to be a year of action and great change. It also gives us a very good clue as to how we’re to meet these changes. That is, with confidence and purpose. As we move through the months to come, we should be on the lookout for those crossroads of opportunity that arise. We should also be cognizant of how we’ve met these opportunities in the past. Remember: the mind doesn’t like change. It’d be much happier going the “safe” route and maintaining the status quo. For those of us who struggle with mental health issues, though, the “safe” route means dysfunctional patterns of thought and behavior. How many opportunities have we missed by maintaining the status quo? If we’re going to love life again, we must confidently resolve to take the uncomfortable path.
Balancing with Water
The Chinese system also assigns one of the five elements to each year with 2022 corresponding to water. Water is associated with wisdom and provides a nice balance to the shadow aspects of the tiger. Without this balance, confidence and purpose are in danger of slipping into arrogance and intractable narrow-mindedness. How, then, can we cultivate wisdom? We start by knowing ourselves. When we work with our therapists and learn to recognize those thought patterns we mentioned above, we’re cultivating wisdom. When we honestly take stock of our strengths and weaknesses, we’re cultivating wisdom. And when we develop alternative coping skills and strategies to deal with these and put them into action, we begin to move through life with purpose. We’re confidently making choices to engage with what life offers us.
Love Life Again
Barn Life Recovery is a community care facility specializing in major depressive disorders, generalized anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorders, ADHD, ADD, dissociative disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. We are advocating for people suffering from these mental illnesses so that they can receive the same quality and length of care currently only reserved for other disorder types. Healing from mental illness takes time. However, when it is done correctly with a caring staff of professionals, the positive effects
We hope your takeaway from all of this is being motivated, empowered, and ready to start your self-love journey or continue on your path. Remember that you have survived this far and you will continue to thrive.
