Grieving: Being Present To Love Not Strength

by: Carrie Nightshade, L.Ac., MSOM

grievingLove Not Strength While Grieving 

As fall barrels toward winter and the leaves race past Halloween, death and grieving have been on my mind. I feel like our white US culture is thin on healthy attitudes and healing around death. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer my senior year in high school. Being with my invincible mother as she was rocked by her terror of Death opened my eyes. Now, over twenty years later, my mother has been living with stage 4 cancer that has just come back for the fifth time. And she is no more comfortable with Death even though she has had him as a constant companion for a third of her life.

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Neck Pain: 3 Tips From An Acupuncturist

By:  Lisa Nelson, MA OTR/L, L.Ac., CIMT

neck pain

3 Mindful Tips to Ease Neck Pain

Acupuncture gets high marks in relieving neck stiffness and pain!

In addition, doing a self-assessment on how you sit at a computer desk can be a helpful way to see if how your environment and body position may be contributing to your neck pain symptoms. Read more “Neck Pain: 3 Tips From An Acupuncturist”

Fibroids: A Serious Issue for Black Women

by Joi Thomas, L.Ac., Dipl.O.M.

fibroidsFibroids Especially Troubling Amongst Black Women

Fibroids are a health issue that is very near and dear to my heart, partially because they are so common, but also because they can be treated so effectively by Chinese medicine.  Do you know what fibroids are?  You should!  They are non cancerous tumors which grow in and attached to the uterus.  Some of the issues that they can cause are heavier, prolonged and crampy periods, discomfort during sex, uncomfortable pressure on the bladder and challenges with fertility.  Due to the heavier bleeding, they can also result in anemia.
 
According to research, fibroids affect 40% of the general population of women and up to 80% of all Black women.  That means 8 out of 10 African American women deal with this issue.  Most of the symptoms of fibroids are more severe and they seem to affect black women when they are younger which can negatively impact their ability to have a baby. 

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Digestive Bitters Can Help Tummy Woes

by: Rachel Orman, CMT, NCBTMB

digestive bittersA Little Digestive Bitters Can Go A Long Way!

That fullness, bloating, and gassiness after eating can be alleviated with digestive  bitters.  Even after not eating.  Maybe you’re just not feeling right? Many things contribute to not digesting one’s food properly, but over and over, I hear this common complaint.
 
Our culture does a great job talking about the physical components of a good diet, plenty of whole grains and fresh veggies with a good bit of protein. But what about the flavors and energetics of food and herbs?  Within chinese medicine and western herbal medicine, five flavors are categorized; salty, sweet, bitter, pungent, and sour. Along with the flavors, the energetics or the movement the flavors elicit in the body, are important. Perhaps another day I can talk about each of the flavors and what they do, but because I want to address bloating and gas in the stomach, I will start with bitter and sweet. 

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This Simple Yoga Pose With Restorative Benefits

Take a load off and restore with this simple yoga pose!

simple yoga pose
Legs up the wall variation
simple yoga pose
Legs up the wall modification
simple yoga pose
Legs up the wall with bolster

Simple Yoga Pose:  

Legs up the wall

Duration:  

5-20min

Benefits:

  • The Heart
  • The Lymph Systerm
  • Swollen tired legs, Edema, Varicose veins
  • Calming the mind
  • Menopause, Stress, Exhaustion

Read more “This Simple Yoga Pose With Restorative Benefits”

Fall Newsletter 2015

fall newsletter 2015

Our fall newsletter has been harvested!

Welcome to our fall newsletter!  We hope that you have had a fun filled summer and are ready for a rich, fruitful autumn. Fall is a time of harvest.  All of the tiny seeds that are planted in spring are now bearing fruit.  We hope that your life is feeding you!  If not, this is perfect time to change course.  What I see reflected in clinic and my own life is that our physical, emotional, and spiritual health is our creation.  If we like the way our body, mind and spirit is behaving – great! If not, it’s time to make new choices, because the life we’re living creates the body we’re currently experiencing.

Click image to view full pdf!

Featured in this fall newsletter:

  • Upcoming classes at Red Cricket
  • New yoga instructor and class
  • Meet Rachel Orman, our TuiNa massage expert
  • Tips for better neck health (you mean sitting at a computer all day isn’t healthy?)
  • Warming and healing pumpkin chili recipe