Love is energy. It is energy given and energy received. Think about it. A positive, loving thought expends energy just as definitively as the action of lifting your arms to hug someone expends energy. There may be more energy expended in the act of giving a hug than in the firing off of synapses to carry this complex emotion of love around your brain, but both actions are utilizing your body's energy ... and energy takes fuel. And, although it is hard to conceive of, love requires a different kind of fuel than is commonly thrown around at it this time of year. (*Cough* Ahem, chocolate.) And so, in this season of love, here are a couple of quick tips to heighten your energy, mood, and confidence, to replenish your sense of well being and positivity so that you have love to spare.
Read MoreWe live in a fast-paced world, full of obligations, deadlines, and stressors of all sorts. It’s hard not to feel tossed about in a sea of worries. Many of us manage to meet our daily demands, but it is usually at the expense of our spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical bodies. Physiologically, stress can turn into a sort of ‘stuckness’, or what is termed qi stagnation in traditional Chinese medicine.
Shoulder and neck tension, depression, poor breathing habits, and digestive disorders are some common embodiments of stress. Stress-induced qi stagnation can also impede circulation and create constriction where we would like to see suppleness, as in the body’s tissues and organs. The reproductive system (and every other system in the body!) thrives on the healthy circulation of energy and blood. How can we release constriction and encourage the free-flow of energy and blood? That’s right, by moving our bodies!
As acupuncturists, we want our patients to have the most relaxing acupuncture experience possible. Of the 361 acupuncture points on the body, my personal favorite to create that "acupuncture calm" during treatments is called Yintang. According to Peter Deadman, author of A Manual of Acupuncture, Yintang was first discussed in the Su Wen, the classic book of Chinese Medicine, in the 3rd century BC.
Read MoreMy family has been on one long loop of illness for the past month. I think the stress and busyness of the holidays coupled with the erratic weather had us all a little run down and vulnerable, so when the germs moved in, they were there to stay!
Well, I am ready to fight back! Read below for my plan to get (and keep!) my family well this Winter season. My hope is that by getting back into a few simple habits and bringing a little more focus on taking care of ourselves, we can ease into a happy, healthy spring!