Summer is Heart Season

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, each season is associated with different organs. The season of summer is paired with the Heart.

While the season of the heart can bring the bliss of summer, some people can experience some adverse symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, irritability. Connecting to your heart, your truest desires is important medicine during this time.

Go out in nature. Be with the trees and the wildlife, see what comes up for you. Get clear with what you truly want. 

If you are experiencing any of the afforementioned symptoms and would like a little extra support during this time, you can book a Traditional Chinese Medicine appointment.

Acupressure for Abdominal Pain

LV 13 (Liver 13, Zhang Men, Screen Door) Run either your left or right hand along the opposite side of your rib cage. LV 13 is located on the end of the 11th rib. The point should be quite tender. Rub it for about 3 seconds, pause and repeat. You can do this 20 times.

This point helps with abdominal pain, food stagnation, and removes qi stagnation. It helps to support an enlarged spleen or stomach, and is a great point for issues with insulin when paired with KD3. Paired with LU1 it helps with LU-LV (Lung - Liver) block. 

Book your Traditional Chinese Medicine Appointment.

Summer Solstice and Traditional Chinese Medicine

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the summer solstice welcomes in the season of the Heart.

The summer solstice gives us the longest day of the year. 
This day gives us the greatest amount of LIGHT. 

The emotion of the heart is joy. This time of year it is easier to connect to nature in most places in the world. The cold of winter is gone and we can really ground and root with the earth. 

Book your Traditional Chinese Medicine Appointment.

Acupressure to support reproductive organs

LV 8 (Liver 8, Qu Quan, Spring At The Bend) is behind the knee. Bend your knee, the point is along the crease of the inside of your knee, right at the tendon.

You should feel tenderness here. Press the tender spot, rubbing it for about 10 seconds, pause and repeat. You can do this up to 10 times.

This point directs blood to our reproductive organs and bladder. It’s a powerful point for gynecology. LV 8 helps with any pain or discomfort in that region. It;s a great point for UTI and fertility as well as a powerful local point for knee pain.

Book your Traditional Chinese Medicine appointment.

Supporting your body during Liver Season

We are deep in Liver season and hopefully you are feeling the seeds that you planted starting to spirt and grow.

A gentle reminder that movement, increasing water intake and slightly detoxing herbs (dandelion root, milk thistle) are still beautiful tools to help you thrive. 

If you need a little bit more support during this time, Chinese Medicine can help support your body by targeting the root of the imbalance. Book your Traditional Chinese Medicine appointment.

Headaches? Neck and shoulder pain?

Headaches, neck and shoulder pain are sypmtoms of Liver and Gallbladder imbalance.

The Gallbladder pathway travels from the inner canthus of the eye, to the temple, around the ear, the back of the head and neck to the traps then down along the side of the body ending at our toe. This may be why when we are stressed, we often feel the “weight of the world” on our shoulders.

Hydration, movement, breath work, acupuncture; all of these are potent medicine to help shift our bodies out of pain.

Book your Traditional Chinese Medicicne appointment.

Anger, frustration, deep-seated resentment?

Anger, frustration and deep-seated resentment are all sypmtoms of liver imbalance.

The liver is responsible for the smooth flow of qi; when it becomes stagnated, it also stagnates our emotions. Anger and frustration tend to get stronger during moments of higher stress and overwhelm. When in balance, these emotions are a healthy part of our day to day experience. However, if these emotions are not expressed or not released - communication, music, exercise, journaling, creative outlets, etc - they stay stuck in our body. Long term they start to become feelings that are much harder to shift: deep seated resentment.

If you are experiencing an excess of these emotions, consider booking a Traditional Chinese Medicine Consultation to help get to the root of the issue.

Feeling tightness along your side?

Feeling tightness along your side? Or discomfort and pressure under your right ribs?
Both of these symptoms are connected to the liver and gallbladder.

The Liver and Gallbladder meridians run along the hypochondriac region (side body) of the body. The liver and the gallbladder organs are located at the right-upper quadrant of our abdomen. When these organs are out of balance these symptoms can arise.

Traditional Chinese Medicine targets the root cause of the symptoms you are experiencing. A TCM consult will help determine the best course of treatment, including acupuncture + herbs to help alleviate these sypmtoms.

Book your Traditional Chinese Medicine consultation today.

Herbs to Help Detox the Liver

The spring is Liver season and now is the time to let go of what the body doesn’t need. One of the main functions of the liver is to help rid the body of toxins.

Herbs like milk thistle, dandelion root and orange peel (Chen pi) help the body to supportively detox. We are constantly coming in contact with allergens, chemicals and pollutants - physically and emotionally.

For extra support for your body during Liver season, book your Traditional Chinese Medicine appointment.

Vision Board Workshop

Kim (Akashic Records + Soul Purpose Coaching) is hosting a
Vision Board Creation workshop on Friday, May 3rd from 6-8pm.

With all of the energy from the cosmos- now is a powerful time to get clear guidance on our goals, dreams + inspirations. 

The purpose of this workshop will be to hold space to come together in community + create uplifting connections while crafting a vision for how we want to navigate the next stage of our lives- be it short or long term, in a beautiful serene setting. 

Vision boards are a wonderful tool for activating your creativity, moving out of logical thinking into the realm of imagination and intuition. If you can imagine it, you can create it. A vision board is a tool that we can use to focus and direct our energy into what we wish to either let go of, affirm for ourselves or call in for our future. It holds us accountable to our own growth and gives us confidence and discipline to move towards our goals. At the same time, the ritual of creating our boards allows us to engage with our inner child and foster a dialogue between our subconscious and higher self in a setting that is upbeat, fun and safe. There is so much beautiful empowerment that can come from community connections and art.

 What you can expect:

  • Opening introductions and share circle 

  • Short talk on why we utilize vision boards, manifesting and releasing 

  • Vision board creation (all supplies will be provided) 

  • Optional share circle on our boards and sharing our vision 

  • Closing circle + gratitude

Sign up for the Workshop here.

What is an Acupuncture point?

Acupuncture points (acupoints) are located on energy pathways called meridians.

If you want to conceptualize these pathways, they are similar to our circulatory or nervous system. They are constantly flowing throughout the body.

Each meridian is connected to a different organ in the body. Each acupoint is located on these different meridians and is linked to help the proper functioning of that organ.

Modern CT scans and x-rays have shown that there is mirco-vessel clusters and increased microvascular structures at these points in the body compared to the areas where there isn’t an acupuncture point.

Book your acupuncture appointment.

Support for Time Change + Jet Lag

How to curb the side effects of time change (this can also help with jet lag or time zone shifts):

  • Get appropriate day time exposure. This will help your body understand the shift in the daylight hours.

  • Acupuncture- Acupuncture will reset your sleep/wake cycles, promote relaxation and support the organs so the transition is easier.

  • Good sleep hygiene. No screens an hour before bed, practice meditation.

  • Calming herbs - Chamomile, honey, valerian root, suan zao ren. 

Book in for a Traditional Chinese Medicine appointment to help reset your sleep/wake cycle.

Time Change + Circadian Rhythm

Ever wondered why the time change can feel so hard on the body?

The innate rhythmic flow of our body is dictated by a circadian clock. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, each organ in the body has a 2 hour interval when its qi (energy) is the most abundant and strong. When each organ flows into their time of abundance and is running at its full potential (no deficiency or excess) the body is in a beautiful balance.

When we travel between different time zones or when the time change occurs this innate balance is interrupted. The body then has to recalibrate to our new sleep and wake cycles. This can take a few days or a few weeks depending on the person.

Traditional Chinese Medicine can help support your body during this transition. Click to book.

Gua Sha

Gua Sha has had a lot of press on social media over the last little while for cosmetic purposes and part of our nightly skin-care routine but its origin is rooted deeply in Traditional Chinese Medicine channel theory and as a physical therapy to stimulate the body’s surface for:

  • Releasing the exterior for the common cold so that the pathogen can escape through the cou li and wei qi space = this means regulating the immune function as well

  • Increasing Qi + Blood flow aka circulation -- for stagnant Qi + blood felt as pain or discomfort trapped in the body through the musculoskeletal system – (e.g. tight traps, tight calves, overworked IT bands and treat acute or chronic injuries to soft tissues).

Gua means to: scrape with a smooth-edged gua sha tool made of bian-stone, buffalo or yak horn, jade or a house-hold spoon.

Sha describes the small, raised petechiae spots – which allows for more flexibility of the fascial system.

From a Western Medicine perspective, recent research findings have also shown that this ‘gua sha’ scraping technique can increase microperfusion by 400% and upregulate heme oxygenase 1 – through a mechanism called ferro heme metabolism. Meaning ‘gua sha’ has an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effect, meaning it guards against tumor growth and has immune regulatory effects in vascular cells .

This traditional technique is very different from Graston, as graston is not using the channel theory used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Book your Traditional Chinese Medicine appointment

AcuSculpting

AcuSculpting is a Cosmetic Acupuncture protocol for cellular regeneration, promoting collagen growth, stimulating healthy hair follicles, stimulating thermogenesis & trimming fat. Cosmetic Acupuncture is an ancient beauty secret.

After the age of 30, the body renews cells more slowly, our enzymes start to deplete and result in sluggish digestion and circulation can also slow-down, resulting in dysregulated body temperature. Lifestyle choices and life’s stressors can also contribute to why we may: hang onto the last 10 pounds, see tired and puffy eyes, or dull looking skin when we catch our reflection in the mirror.

In AcuSculpting, we insert small and fine acupuncture needles to the area of focus- This creates “micro-damage” in the skin, which will stimulate the production of new healthy cells.

This cell regeneration fills in wrinkles, triggers older blemished skin to restore and therefore improve the overall appearance of the skin. Some patients notice a difference after 1 treatment – but acupuncture is cumulative and does not use neurotoxins like Botox. Each treatment is building-on the last treatment, until the desired appearance is obtained.

Common testimonials include deep relaxation, better sleep quality, better digestion, better bowel movements + etc. – which all help to improve the overall appearance of the skin. Same goes for healthy hair stimulation – nourishing hair cells stimulate qi and blood – which will activate hair follicles + trigger regrowth. We can also focus on a desired goal or area for: lifting the buttocks, adding volume to breast tissue and trimming excess fat on the abdomen and thighs. Christina will combine both AcuSculpting + select traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture points on the body, to treat the root cause while honing in on the desired area of focus.

*** this protocol is for healthy individuals - this service is not recommended or contraindicated for: during pregnancy, skin diseases, cancer & patients on heavy medication(s) (e.g. blood thinners)

Book your AcuSculpting appointment with Christina

NADA + its benefits

NADA is a standardized auricular acupuncture protocol which has many well documented benefits. It is mostly recognized in its application for: pain relief & addictions (e.g., recreational + pharmaceutical drugs, smoking, alcohol, food & habits).

NADA stands for: National Acupuncture Detoxification Association - since the 80’s it has been massively helpful with the opioid epidemic, was used in the recent Hawaiian wildfires for trauma/ PTSD and for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and pain management.

The ear is a microcosm for the rest of the body; it is said in textbooks that a fetus sits inside the ear – the energetics of the organs can be reflected inside the ear. It is also a deeply relaxing protocol and can aid in insomnia, stress, anxiety or depression.

With 5 tiny needles on each ear – these potent points innervate or stimulate:

  • Sympathetic: turning the ‘off’ button for fight, flight or freeze

  • Shen Men: which is translated from mandarin as, ‘Spirit Door’ - - connecting to spirit

  • Kidney auricular point: rooting the mind

  • Liver auricular point: forgiveness and for direction and making plans for the way forward

  • Lung auricular point: connected to the Vagus nerve (inner concha) and could lower heart rate

NADA Protocol (also known as: NADA-nap) session takes about 30 mins.

Book your NADA appointment with Christina