Happy New Year - The year of the Green Wooden Sheep

The Sheep (Goat) is a Yin energy, a symbol of Peace, Harmonious co-existence and Tranquility.

What is of value in this year is intimacy, family and close friendships. We can be more caring, kind and sensitive with each other. Develop a gentle heart, open to love and acceptance on all levels. Another theme of Sheep year is to express your creative side. Now is the time for art, creativity and cultivation of beauty. If you ever wanted to explore your creative side, this is your year. Do not give up, be pessimistic or become discouraged because Sheep can only move forward! This animal is unable to move backwards or sideways. The upcoming 2015 year of the Sheep is the inspiring period. It will try to leave behind any unstable affair and connections with the aim to carve a new more honest pattern of relations.

Happy new year! The year of the Yang Wood Horse

Representing Yang, the spirited Horse charges into the new year with optimism and enthusiasm.
 The Yang Wood Horse requires us to temper our thoughts and actions to ensure they come with the Clarity of intention. Be vigilant and the fire energy will emerge with growth and success.

Happy New Year - The Year of the Black Snake

 2013 is the year of the black Snake begins on February 10^th. This 2013 year of Snake is meant for steady progress and attention to detail. Focus and discipline will be necessary for you to achieve what you set out to create.  It is the enigmatic, intuitive, introspective, refined and collected of the Animals Signs. The snake is a symbol of wisdom. It is asept at spotting new opportuniteis and posesses the skills need to act quickly on them when they arise and it is deceptively powerful when faced with a challenge.

Happy Chinese New Year - The Year of the Water Dragon

Of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac, the dragon is the most special and is sometimes called a karmic sign. Bigger than life is very much a dragon thing and in this context we can expect grand things to happen this year. There may be flames and failures, but there will also be spectacular achievements. For those born in the Year of the Dragon, this year is the time to pursue and act on the impossible dream, change the world or at least your life. And for the other signs, it is the best chance to make your dreams come true. The dragon sign is associated with spring and the dragon water sign is likely to become a flowing river rather than a stagnant lake, which means that you need to begin 2012 off to a fast start as things are expected to happen early in the year.

Happy Passover

Passover to me is about remembering to be free, to release yourself from (not be a slave to) old patterns and habits.
It is about the spring: new creation and rejuvenation.

Enjoy the season and enjoy your family and friends.

During Passover, Point-A Place of Wellness will be closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (4/5-4/7) and will resume regular clinic hours on Thursday.

I hope you have a happy and healthy Passover.

Happy Holidays!

I appreciate the trust you place in me and am happy I can share my knowledge and experience. Giving you the tools to create your own wellness is very satisfying.

Just a reminder, I am here during the holidays. My clinic hours are:

Monday Dec 21 thru Wednesday Dec 23
8:30 am - 3:00 pm

Monday Dec 28 and Tuesday Dec 29
8:30 am - 3:00 pm

We resume normal clinic hours on Monday January 4 2010.

Enjoy a safe, healthy, happy holiday!

St. Patrick's Day and Curing Formula

Curing formula - An Old Chinese Remedy for a Hangover

I hope that you are planning a fun and festive Saint Patrick’s Day. Celebration is fun but if you aren’t used to eating corned beef and cabbage, or have “one-too-many” beers, this is a good time to tell you about an old Chinese remedy called Curing Formula.

Curing Formula is a traditional herbal remedy for indigestion. It works well for post-celebratory discomfort because, besides herbs for upset stomach, it has herbs for dehydration, fatigue, sore eyes, body aches and the classic “morning after” headache a.k.a.: The Hangover.

The unpleasant physiological effects of hangover (headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, lethargy, thirst, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, irritability, trouble sleeping, lack of depth perception) can last up to 3 days but are reduced by taking Curing Formula both BEFORE AND AFTER the celebration.

Gentle but effective Curing Formula is used as a remedy for many acute digestive disorders (food poisoning, stomach flu, jet lag, food allergies, etc.) so it is a great addition to your medicine cabinet and travel kit.

Have a Safe, Healthy, and Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

What's your gut feeling?

The holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends. Having good food and connecting with people can give us energy, a sense of purpose, and fill us with happiness.

“Eating, feeding, being fed, and all of the concomitant sensations of sound, touch, smell, warmth and closeness quickly merge with the internal urges of appetite, the enjoyment of satiety, and the innately pleasurable process of ingestion, digestion, assimilation, and elimination.”[1]

One down side of that celebration is overeating. Instead of coming back uplifted, you can feel bloated, heartburn, sluggish, become constipated or have diarrhea, and/or gain extra weight. TCM defines this condition as “Qi Stagnation and Food Accumulation.” The lingering symptoms produced are hunger and uneasiness after eating, distention and aching of the abdomen, belching and flatulence, heartburn, irregular bowel movement and a loss of the ability to discriminate between unreasonable cravings and true hunger.

The main herb in the formula to reduce the food accumulation is Chinese Hawthorn Fruit which has enzymatic effects on protein (especially meat), fat and carbohydrates. Poria, Pinellia and Tangerine peel counter the Dampness and Phlegm that are generated by excessive amounts of food in the stomach and small intestine. Radish seeds and Rhubarb encourage the normal peristalsis and relieve constipation or diarrhea. Restoring normal digestive function makes you feel better and is the key to preventing illness.

The benefits of balancing your body with Acupuncture are great. The gut in TCM is under the governance of the stomach and spleen. The source of indigestion lies in the disruption of the Spleen Network: it is responsible for the processing of food and nutrients and distributes these constituents, upward and downward through the abdominal region, and outwardly to the four limbs. When these essential activities are impeded by over consumption of food, enzyme secretion and vigorous rhythmic peristalsis becomes disrupted leading to inefficient transformation and absorption causing gas and accumulated undigested food.

Qi Stagnation and Food Accumulation are very simple to correct and prevent, even at holiday parties. Some strategies you can use during the holidays to reduce digestion maladies (bad breath, irregular bowel movement, food allergies, food poisoning, hangover) and the results of other holiday overindulgences include:

• Have One Meal. Sit down to eat: one plate, small portion (no seconds).

• Don’t Graze. Survey what is offered and create your own menu. It’s o.k. to pass on some items. You don’t have to try everything.

• Take some time to enjoy your beverage. It is healthier to avoid sugary drinks (including some alcohols) but what ever you drink—sip, do not gulp. Alcohol dehydrates, have water in addition to other drinks.

• Get back to your regular schedule as quickly as possible. After a big party, avoid meat, reduce dairy and sugar intake. Eat light, easy to digest foods, small portions, and take an herbal supplement to restore your body.

Other illnesses occur when the body cannot absorb nutrients or eliminate waste properly. Please call Point - A Place of Wellness to schedule an acupuncture treatment and herbal consultation to restore your digestion system to prime function.
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[1]“Chinese Medicine Works Clinical Handbook” H. Beinfield, L.Ac; E. Korngold, L.Ac., O.M.D., Revised Edition 2007