Lunar New Year (February 17, 2026) marks more than the beginning of a new year — it opens a new cycle of energetic development.

As we enter the Lunar New Year and the year of the Yang Fire Horse, I’ve been sitting with what this energy truly asks of us.

There is no denying that 2026 carries momentum. Yang energy rises. Fire expresses. The Horse moves forward with strength and visibility. There is inspiration here, courage, and a sense that life wants to move.

In Chinese energetic medicine, movement without anchoring scatters the spirit.

🔥 Fire Must Be Rooted in Water

Fire naturally rises. And when Heart Fire rises without the steady nourishment of Kidney Water beneath it, we feel it in very real ways — anxiety that feels sharp and unrelenting, restlessness in the body, difficulty sleeping, palpitations, emotional reactivity, and a subtle current of urgency that doesn’t allow the nervous system to settle. 

Fire itself is not the problem. Fire is essential. It governs joy, connection, and expression.

The key issue is unrooted Fire.

The Heart belongs to the Fire element. It governs joy, connection, expression, and enthusiasm. The Kidneys belong to Water. They store essence — ancestral wisdom, reserves, and deep constitutional strength.

When Kidney energy is cultivated, it steadies the Heart. It does not dim the Fire; it refines it. Joy becomes sustainable. Expression becomes clear. Passion becomes embodied instead of frantic.

And this is why our energetic practice becomes especially important in a year like this.

🐎 The Horse Moves With Rhythm

The Horse itself is not chaotic. It is powerful and independent and It has the ability to respond to subtle cues and carry strength without frenzy.

The question for this year is not how fast you can move... 

It's whether you're moving from rooted steadiness or from overstimulation.

💧 Why Practice Matters in a Fire Year

In Medical Qìgōng, we always begin from the root. We nourish Kidney Yin to cool excess Fire. We strengthen Kidney Yang to support endurance. We circulate Qì between Heart and Kidneys so Water and Fire remain in dialogue rather than in opposition.

Without cultivation, amplified Fire can show up as heightened anxiety, compulsive urgency, sleep disruption, and emotional volatility. With cultivation, that same Fire becomes radiant presence, clear direction, sustainable enthusiasm, and leadership that does not burn out the body.

🌀 A 12 Year Cycle

The Horse returns every twelve years, but you are not who you were twelve years ago. You have lived, integrated, and strengthened. You carry wisdom now that can guide your expression rather than chase it.

This year is not about chasing momentum. It is about allowing your cultivated Water to guide your Fire.

• When Water supports Fire, joy strengthens you instead of exhausting you.
• Movement feels aligned instead of frantic.
• Expression feels clean instead of scattered.

If you begin to feel the stirring already — excitement, ideas, even that undercurrent of urgency — let it be your cue to return to your practice. To your breath. To your lower Dāntián. To the steady cultivation that keeps your system clear and fortified.

→ See you in class.

Dr. Maria

祝您身体健康
Wishing you good health

Do you know your corresponding element and animal year in the Chinese zodiac? ➞ CLICK here to view my chart and look for your birth year.