On March 12th, two enormous events happened in my life. 1) In the early morning I decided to close my business and quarantine in my little Hatfield home. 2) In the early evening my very healthy and happy nephew arrived in the world. Unlike the nondescript sunny August morning that my niece entered the world […]
Reflections on Being Still: Quarantine Life Read More »
In Chinese Medicine there are four basic substances we attempt to balance: Qi, Blood, Yin and Yang. Qi and Blood are probably obvious, qi is the energetic material component of the body and blood represents all the blood and menstrual blood of the body. Yin and yang are lesser known substances though familiar concepts.
Nourish The Yin: Embrace The Feminine, The Stillness, The Quiet Read More »
In the world of alternative medicine the word “placebo” seems to hang over all our heads like a curse. It is very common for first time acupuncture patients to say to me “I don’t know if it is the acupuncture, but I am feeling better lately.” They are so busy fearing that they will be
The Dirty Word Placebo Read More »
We just got back from a glorious vacation. It wasn’t ten days in the Caribbean or Italy and it was certainly not all relaxation, but it was wonderful and we returned feeling deeply nourished. The trip included about 2,500 miles of driving, some exposure to Midwestern cooking and even a little road food despite our
Falling Off The Wagon: Routines During Summer Read More »
Lately, I am doing really well with periods. I’m a period specialist, but sometimes there are spurts of time when all the sudden something shifts and I have a break through in several patient cases all at once. It is fabulous. In the last few months I’ve worked with a patient to bring back a
Charting 101: Fertility Awareness Method Explained Read More »
One of my favorite aspects of Chinese Medicine (there are so many to love) is the theory on getting sick. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in germ theory. We all have to in this world of epidemics and infections. But the best epidemiologists (even my mother-in-law) will admit that there is a certain mystery
The Story of Getting Sick Read More »
This is a guest post by a patient, Nikki Thelan. Please read her story of recovery and return to a full healthy, active life after an amazing year of hardship. I am so priviledged that Nikki came into my life last winter because sharing in this journey has been truly inspirational. She is one powerful,
Journey To Healing (Guest Post): Recovering From A Brain Tumor With Acupuncture Read More »
As an Acupuncturist I have the seemingly mystical (even to me) talent of pulse reading. There is just so much to learn and differentiate and notice. Western Medicine finds their marker in the speed of a pulse which puts disease in the below 60 beats per minute (unless you are an athlete) or above 80
The Mystery of Pulse Diagnosis for Beginners and Interested Patients Read More »
One of the best perks of Chinese Medicine treatments is an increase in appetite. But when I tell my patients this some of them look at me in dread and beg me not to increase their appetite. They are afraid they will gain weight if I increase their appetite. I am here today to debunk
Hunger Part Two: Why Improving Your Appetite Will Help You Lose Weight Read More »
I recently discovered this article about hunger. Initially I was really excited because it was talking about hunger in a positive way, but it just started to disappoint me after a while, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and talk about hunger. The most important thing you need to know is you
Hunger Part One: Why A Good Appetite Is The Best Tool To A Healthy Diet Read More »