In this energizing episode of In Your Element, Kathleen Kenneally welcomes us into the season of Spring and the arrival of the Fire Horse year. She weaves together Chinese New Year, Imbolc, and the Wood element to paint a picture of a moment in time that is all about fresh starts, courage, and forward motion. The Fire Horse invites us to take risks, envision our dreams, and make a leap of faith even when the path ahead is not fully visible, while the Wood element brings vision, clarity, and the grounded leadership energy of “forward is the only way we can go.”

Kathleen explains how Spring and the Wood element live in the body through the Liver and Gallbladder, which she likens to a general and their detail-oriented right hand. After a season of winter hibernation, the liver can feel stagnant or congested, which may show up as irritability, tension, or feeling “off.” She offers simple ways to support this transition, like starting the morning with lemon water, eating more greens and fresh foods, staying hydrated, and getting outside for a gentle 30 minute walk. Connecting with trees, birds, and the color green helps move stuck energy so the body can detox, make clearer decisions, and step into the season with more ease.

Looking back at the intensity of the Snake year, Kathleen acknowledges how many people were pushed to confront what no longer works, especially old patterns of over functioning, emotional heavy lifting, and staying in dysfunctional dynamics. As we move into the Fire Horse and Wood season, she encourages listeners to honor what they can no longer “unsee,” and to focus their attention on what they love and what feels hopeful, like a tractor beam drawing in more of the good. She also invites local listeners to her Spring Seasonal Acupuncture event on March 22, a long-standing community day designed to plug people directly into the energy of the season and boost immunity and alignment as Spring fully opens.

To learn more or book a session, visit kenneallyacupuncture.com or call (661) 252-4100.

Episode 11 – Winter’s Cocoon: Water Element Healing & Preparing for What’s Next

In this tender, reflective episode of In Your Element, Kathleen Kenneally returns to share what it was like to move from healer to patient, as she navigated surgery and the months of recovery that followed. She revisits the energy of fall and the Metal element—the year of the Snake, a time of shedding and releasing what no longer serves—and then traces how that naturally flowed into the deep stillness of winter and the Water element. Instead of rushing back, she found herself in a true cocoon: offline, quiet, and invited to experience “just being” in a way she’d talked about for years, but never fully had to live.

Kathleen shares vivid stories from her healing journey, including a slow-motion trip to Trader Joe’s that completely changed how she saw the pace of everyday life. Moving at what felt like 33 RPM instead of her usual 75, she noticed how much more she could actually see when she wasn’t rushing. She speaks honestly about resisting the need to rest, trying to add too many new practices too soon, and the emotional meltdown that followed—ultimately realizing she was still in winter, still healing, and being re-taught how to move through life with mindfulness and presence instead of overdrive.

As she looks ahead to Chinese New Year and the transition from the Snake year (a 9 year of completion) into the Fire Horse year (a 1 year of fresh starts and forward motion), Kathleen invites listeners to use these final weeks of winter wisely. This is the moment, she says, to slow down, take stock, and let the Water element fortify you before spring’s outward surge begins. From her heart to yours, she offers this episode as a gentle reminder that healing has its own timing—and that moving more consciously now will allow greater joy, growth, and expansion in the season to come.

To learn more or book a session, visit kenneallyacupuncture.com or call (661) 252-4100.

In this deeply resonant episode of In Your Element, Kathleen Kenneally explores the Metal Element—the energy of autumn, discernment, and letting go. She describes this as the season of refinement, a time to evaluate what still serves us and what is ready to be released. Like the trees shedding their leaves, we are invited to pare back, to cut away what has become heavy or stagnant, and to uncover what is most precious and true.

Kathleen reflects on her own experience of physical and emotional transformation—facing an unexpected surgery during the fall season, where the literal knife of Metal became both a tool of healing and a symbol of release. She speaks to the paradox of this element: how the same sharpness that cuts can also clarify, refine, and restore balance. Through this lens, she invites us to see the sacred precision in letting go—how every incision, every decision, can be an act of trust in the body’s innate wisdom to transform.

As she prepares for her recovery, Kathleen’s clinic remains open, continuing to offer BioMat, red and blue light therapy, BrainTap sessions, and Reiki for those seeking grounding and renewal. This episode is both a reflection and a transmission—a gentle reminder that letting go isn’t an ending, but the necessary breath before transformation begins.

To learn more or book a session, visit kenneallyacupuncture.com or call (661) 252-4100.