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Thriving in Winter, by Allowing Time to Rest
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Anne Louise Smallen, Lic. Ac.
Winter is a time to rest! In our society, resting is sometimes associated with laziness or lack of motivation. But look at nature in the winter: it is dormant for a few months to gather enough energy for spring. Humans also need down time to perform at their peak.
Follow nature’s clues. The days are short and the nights long so
sleeping more than usual
is perfectly acceptable. We need to sleep for survival, for the nervous system to work properly, for memory and reasoning, to balance our emotions and to boost our immune system. Our brain updates and reboots at night. It is greatly important to kids as growth hormones are released during sleep.
“So what if I have
insomnia
?” Reading this might make you feel anxious and dysfunctional. You might have problems falling asleep, wake up during the night and be unable to go back to sleep, and/or consistently wake up too early. The cause may be temporary: anxiety and tension, over-stimulation before going to bed, and worries about the past or the future. Or you might have chronic insomnia caused by apnea, hot flashes and night sweats, etc... Research has shown differences in the brains of people with chronic insomnia (faulty brain connections) and science is hard at work to find relief. However many people with sleep problems do not want to regularly use sleeping medications because they cause habituation and require a higher dosage to remain helpful. In addition, certain sleeping medications like Ambien increase anxiety disorders and PTSD.
In the meantime,
lifestyle
changes (especially good pre-sleeping habits) help most people.. So here are a few
recommendations
you might consider:
·
No computer, television or smartphone stimulation at least one hour before bed
· Managing your weight to avoid sleep apnea which increases with obesity
· Meditation or breathing practices to manage sleep disturbing emotions like lingering sadness, anger or depression.
· Exercise especially outdoor exercises.
· Light dinner and no food after 7 pm.
· No coffee after noon
· Dark, quiet and cool bedrooms
· Regular bedtime
· White noise machine with nature sounds to help you ignore other noises
· A good mattress
· Herbal tea especially chamomile
· Give up smoking and drinking alcohol
And finally, an
old Chinese remedy for sleep, using onions!
I personally have found the following Chinese medicine recommendation most useful: crush an onion and put in an open jar near your bed. Inhale the vapor through the night. It will help keep your mind quiet. - From Henry C. Lu ,
Chinese System of Food Cures.
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The Water Treatment, Revisited
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On December 21st, during the Winter Equinox and what turned out to be a very rainy and oddly mild day, several people came to the clinic and received the Five Element Water Treatment.
Here is some of their feedback:
“This treatment was particularly calming, focusing, stabilizing and centering.. I hope it does not sound too strange but my body seemed to better cooperate with my hopes, plans and wishes. I slept better and faced the world more confidently the next day.” D. S. 53
“I went in feeling very tired but came out energized. I slept well that night. Since I am dieting I expected the tired feeling to return but it has not. In fact in the past two days I am able to do my normal activities with energy.” E. A. 82
“After the treatment I had a large bowel movement and felt a lot better. I slept well that night. The next day, halfway though my shift, I hit a wall of energy but it passed quickly and I had a productive day. I often crave sweets and carbs but currently have no desire for either. I hope this lasts!” L.C. 62
“At the moment, I feel comfortable with myself and that is a good feeling.” E.F.
“After the treatment, I felt very aligned and became aware of some major changes I need to focus on in my life.” A. B.
Stay tuned for information about our next seasonal five element treatment, coming up in the spring of 2019, featuring the Wood Element!
For more information about these unique special offerings at the clinic being offered by Five Element-trained practitioner, Anne Louise Smallen, click
here.
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Can Acupuncture Help....?
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Rachel Condon, Lic. Ac.
Not sure if acupuncture can work on more than one thing at a time?
Many of us are used to the modern Western medical paradigm, where you may go to your primary care doctor for a check up, and then you get sent to the urologist for frequent urination, the neurologist for migraines, the orthopedic specialist for knee pain, and the GI doctor to see what's causing your chronic constipation.... and it's true that there are many benefits to physicians specializing in one area, absolutely. Incredible advances in medicine have been made by such specialized work and research.
However, it can also feel like we are made of lots of separate parts and pieces, and when things start breaking down, that's a lot of different appointments with different doctors, who aren't always on the same page!
As we like to say here, using an adage of ancient healers and philosophers...
IT'S ALL CONNECTED!
And Chinese medicine, which has existed for thousands of years, has remained, more or less, a holistic medicine. That is, we see the body as one system, a vast, complex, sophisticated, interconnected system, where the body/mind/spirit is always trying to get back into
BALANCE
.
When you come to the clinic for a treatment, we welcome your sharing whatever concerns you have in your overall health, which includes physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health and wellbeing - it helps us weave all of the pieces together into a larger mosaic pattern that is YOU, and helps us determine what treatment will best help re-balance your unique system.
Here's a list of just some of the conditions that acupuncture treats, recognized by the World Health Organization:
* Asthma & Allergies *TMJ *Infertility *Back Pain/Sciatica *Arthritis *Sinusitis *Common Cold *Whiplash *Diabetes *Weight Control *Endometriosis *Poor Circulation *Thyroid Disorders *Smoking Cessation *Gastrointestinal Disorders *PMS & GYN Disorders *Insomnia *Headache (migraine/tension) *Addictions *Chronic Pain Management *Morning Sickness/Pregnancy Care *Menopausal Symptoms *Blood Pressure Regulation *Stress-Related Disorders *Anxiety and Depression *Side Effects of Chemotherapy
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Featured Point, Kidney 3 Taixi, Great Ravine
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This important acupuncture point in the body, used to treat a variety of conditions, is located on the ankle, midway between the medial malleolus and the achilles tendon. The meaning of the pinyin name of the point, Taixi, is often translated as either great ravine, great valley, or supreme stream. The point is indeed, located in a valley, between the large achilles tendon and the medial malleolus, the prominent bone on the interior of the ankle. Located on the major Yin Water meridian of the body, the Kidney meridian, it has a strong effect on many bodily functions involved with the fluids, along with its other main function, that of maintaining the structure/bones, with the low back being the central place of focus.
Kidney 3 is used to treat a variety of conditions that affect the kidney channel and organ systems, ranging from low back, heel and ankle pain, to fertility and gynecological issues, such as endometriosis, to the kidney's relationship in Chinese medicine to the lungs and breathing; so asthma, and the inability to take a full breath (the kidneys are thought to pull the Qi down from the lungs, in TCM theory, thus allowing for a full, deep breath).
Additionally, Kidney 3 can be very helpful on the emotional level, for anxiety and grounding, also insomnia, as the kidney organ system is most closely associated with the emotion of fear. The kidney meridian is also used to treat any adrenal-related imbalances, and this is one of the most powerful points on the kidney meridian, so can be used to help support adrenal function.
Kidney 3 is a wonderful point to use in acupressure techniques, and can be massaged on a regular basis to help with any of the above issues.
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