Mending Meditation

Today, I hemmed some slacks. I know, it doesn't sound earth-shattering. But for some reason, anything related to sewing seems to scare me. I tried making a dress in college. After cutting a hole in the (very expensive wool) fabric with a serger, I burnt a larger hole in the material while trying to patch the original damage. For years, I carried the dress around, thinking someday I would finish it and finally wear my creating. It never happened.

Basics of Rest vs. Exercise

I've been dealing with a cold for the past couple of weeks. The only symptom I have left is extreme fatigue, and that is finally easing off, too. I try to use any health problems that turn up to put myself in my patients' shoes so I can serve them better. My fatigue for the past few weeks made me think about the balance of rest and exercise.

Many people who come into my clinic are tired. Really, really tired. Sometimes they aren't sleeping well, but some sleep fine. Usually a well-meaning friend or medical practitioner recommends they exercise to improve their energy. Again, for some this does the trick. Others say "Exercise only made me more tired. Should I keep exercising, even if it exhausts me?"

Marvels of Moxa

My hand isn't actually this big--it's the angle!

I often feel the need to kick myself when I suffer needlessly from something I know how to fix. I usually think of all  the possibilities for my patients, but when I'm the one who's sick or hurting, my memory is not as wonderful. Today was one of those 'kick me' days. I have felt listless, tired, and achy off and on for a week or so, and yesterday had a headache and thought I was catching a cold. After moping around for the morning, I remembered the marvels of moxibustion.

Rising Like A Phoenix From Burnout

Burnout affects you in every area of life: food doesn't taste as good, people are not as much fun, memories are reduced to 'the time when I was happy' and 'the times when I was hurt.' Burnout is depression, disappointment, anger and sadness run together until you have no passion left. You're just here, and where you want to be is there, and no road seems to connect the two. The 'stuckness' and frustration that comes with burnout can be deadly when you decide it will never end. People have taken their own lives because they couldn't face another day of getting nowhere. As soon as you realize you are in a burnout situation, take steps to address it. Get professional help if you need it. These tips can also help.

An Awesome Autumn the Chinese Medicine Way

It seems like summer is barely over, and here it is time to write about autumn. Autumn is a time dominated by the Metal Element, which involves the Lung and Large Intestine function and meridians. Its quality is dryness, although as summer turns to autumn there can still be dampness afoot. Some schools of Chinese medicine see the first weeks of switching from one season to the next as pertaining to Earth element, in which Spleen and Stomach function is dominant. If you have digestive issues, they can flare up as your body makes the transition from one season to the other. A mild cleanse of broth-based soup and simple grains will warm your stomach and get your digestion ready for the heartier foods of winter. Eating warm, natural foods, with ginger, mint, or other mild herbs (oregano, basil, etc.) will usually calm mild belly jitters.

Summertime, and the Living is. . .

HOT!

It took a while for summer to be recognizable here in my home state of Virginia, but it's here now! We've had several days over 100 degrees, and many more close to it. The unusually low humidity we've enjoyed is also a thing of the past.

I once suffered with the heat much more than I do since I became a student of Chinese medicine. Here are some of the things I've learned that help me and my patients deal with the heat and make the hot weather more enjoyable.

Summertime has its own special challenges according to Chinese medicine. Here are a few of the problems that can be more pronounced in the summer:

Making Natural Healthcare Affordable

As an acupuncturist, I strive to offer top quality healthcare. Visits in a natural clinic take a lot of time, and of course the more time something takes, the more it will cost. I try to help those with income issues when I can. Here are a few tips you can use with me if you are local or apply the principle with your holistic practitioner wherever you live:

1. Look for discount promotions. I occasionally run promotional offers. I have one promotion with Amazon Local starting Friday, June 8. To see it, visit: http://local.amazon.com/richmond. If you are not in the Richmond, VA area, look to services like Amazon Local, Groupon, or Living Social to see if there are practitioners offering similar deals. 
2. Follow natural healthcare on social media. Most businesses offer discounts on their Facebook or Twitter pages. If you want to see a particular practitioner or health food/service provider, see if they have a Facebook page or Twitter account. (You can "like" my Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/Greenacuclinic, and follow me on Twitter  http://twitter.com/#!/taygreen ). If they offer a newsletter, sign up for that, too. I always let my email subscribers in on any special deals, and most other practitioners do, too!
3. See if there is a community practice or if a provider offers lower priced services. For instance, I offer ear acupuncture every Thursday evening from 4-6pm, and it only costs $20/visit. It may take a little longer to see lasting results than with a regular treatment, but it diminishes stress and manages pain well. For those who cannot afford "deluxe care," it offers an affordable way to get basic wellness treatments. Many acupuncturists and chiropractors offer discounted rates on certain days, or build their practice around community practice, where they offer a simplified treatment to several patients at once to lower costs.
4. Be up front with your provider. I work with my patients to put together a treatment plan that addresses their health, as well as time and money parameters. In my practice, we intermix ear and regular acupuncture, or focus more on herbal treatment to save money on the more expensive acupuncture visits (and herbal therapy has been a viable stand-alone therapeutic method for centuries). Talk to your provider to see if they have money saving strategies for you. Remember that going for "no-frills" care may mean sticking with a treatment a little longer to see results.
   
5. Take care of yourself. I give all my patients plenty of lifestyle recommendations. Those who follow them tend to see results more quickly and need fewer treatments. Ask your practitioner if they recommend certain exercises, or foods, or supplements to make your progress faster. 

I hope this helps. I am committed to helping you with your natural healthcare needs--whether you are a patient in my clinic or just want some advice to apply to your situation. Please feel free to comment or email me at greenacuclinic(at)gmail.com if you have any other questions!