Having fun.

Fun has been a theme in my world lately. Within my professional career, I have heard many times, “just have fun with it.”  But it was only recently that the words really sank in.  I have often found fun in following a map or logical steps. Now, I’m being challenged to have fun without structure. It seems odd to struggle to have fun, but not new.  

When my kids were younger, the advice is all about making it fun to get things done. I had to research specific examples of how to do this! One of our go-to games for getting ready for bed or getting dressed in the morning is for me to pretend to be a robot.  Said robot, would instruct the kids to get ready incorrectly. They thought this was hilarious and would proceed to not listen to the robot, but actually get themselves all set. 

Photo credit: CottonBro studio

 There are many things in life that are really quite serious. I bet that if we were to bring a little play, creativity, wonder into more areas of life, we could crack open a whole new realm of possibilities. Fun seems to me to give a real freedom to think outside of the box, rather than just talking about it. Out of curiosity, how do you make sure that you bring more fun into your day? And especially to more serious, mundane or everyday situations? 

Personally, I find that I can have more fun and more joy in my life when I am feeling balanced and my body is functioning optimally.  These days, I do that through getting acupuncture and theta treatments.  Reach out if you want in on it too!

“Find the beauty and joy in your daily rituals and you will find beauty and joy in your daily life. To love your habits is to love your days, and to love your days is to love your life.”

— - James Clear

Some of my favorite acupressure points

As we officially start summer I have been hearing a lot of my clients talk about getting active again.  And sometimes, we tend to go a bit overboard, either doing something really intensely or doing too much of it.  Sometimes it can be as simple as wearing cute sandals too long and our feet weren’t ready for the decrease in support. Or we’re more active in the garden since the sun is shining bright.  I personally can attest to doing both of these.  

Of course there are the typical recommendations - be sure to stay hydrated, stretch, do an epsom salt soak, and trigger point massage.  I am going to add one more for you today.  Acupressure. 

Acupuncture points on the hand are great at treating new and acute pain (among MANY other things).  They are also super easy to reach which makes it simple to treat yourself.

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Quick tips: 

• Apply pressure to the hand on the opposite side of your pain.  So if the left side of your neck is sore, press the following points on your right hand.  

• Rather than using just static pressure, make little circles. 

• Although the point descriptions are specific, find the most tender spot in the area and apply pressure there. 

• If the point is really tender, limit pressure to a 7/10 on the pain scale.

• The points closer to the wrist are more apt to treat lower body pain while the points closer to the fingertips are more likely to help relieve upper body pain.  However, both points in a group help each other, so press both of them. 

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Here are some of my favorite hand acupressure points: 

Ling gu + Da Bai (aka Spirit Bone + Great White)

These two are some of my favorite points because they are so versatile.  They are found on the top of your hand, along the metacarpal bone of the index finger. Really any tender point in the webbing between the thumb and index finger will work well. These two points are very broad in the type and location of pain that they treat.  Although not pictured, there are 2 points located on the palm side of these points that are excellent at relieving upper back and neck pain.  

Ling gu (spirit bone) + Da Bai (great white)

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Zhong Bai + Xia Bai (Middle White and Lower White)

Zhong bai and Xiao Bai are located between the metacarpals of the 4th and 5th fingers.  They are great at treating pain that the sides of the body.  Think: outer hip pain, or pain that goes down the outside of your leg. Even outer foot and ankle pain.  

Zhong Bai + Xia Bai (Middle White and Lower White)

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Hou Xi  SI3 + Wan Shun Er (Back Ravine + Wrist prosperous 2)

The name Hou Xi / Back Ravine refers to the spinal column.  So this pairing of points is really great from midline back pain as well as sciatic that travels down the back of the legs. It can also help to relieve posterior knee pain.  

Hou Xi  SI3 (Back Ravine) + Wan Shun Er (Wrist prosperous 2)

As always, if you have any questions, reach out! We're always happy help. 

Happy summer!
Kathryn + Mary

Science, acupuncture + space...

We don’t know exactly how acupuncture works, from a western medicine perspective that is. There are many theories. However, they are just that, theories.  And none of these scientific theories really encompass all that acupuncture can do.  

One theory is that acupuncture releases dopamine, the body’s natural pain killer.  We see evidence of this when dopamine levels increase during and after an acupuncture treatment.  But when Narcan® (a dopamine blocker) is given,  patients report to still have a decrease in pain. In addition, acupuncture can treat so much more than just pain. Other common ailments such as stress, anxiety, constipation, and hormone regulation are positively affected by acupuncture, to name just a few!
 
For me though, I don’t need to know exactly how it works because I see the results in my clinic all the time. People report that their pain has decreased and they are now able to get back to participating in their regular physical activities. Their stress is more manageable so they feel more like themselves and are more present with their family.  Or they find more peace throughout their day and are less anxious.  

Personally, I don’t need the science to prove that acupuncture works. Science doesn’t always know all the answers anyway, as it relies solely on what can be measured and proven. But there is so much more beyond that!  

It reminds me a bit of the physician Ignaz Semmelweis who was able to show that death rates in his maternity ward drastically decreased when physicians were mandated to wash their hands. And yet, Semmelweis was shunned by the medical community of his time. It took a century for hand hygiene to be widely recognized.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

My understanding and belief in science has made me somewhat hesitant to fully embrace the more energetic side of acupuncture. In the past, I’ve found that the scientific theories explained what I intuitively understood. Lately, I’ve been really excited to embrace the unknown a bit more.

I remember a friend of mine saying, the unknown and waiting is so hard.  I think it is in the unknown where hope, curiosity, excitement, drive and wonder live.  I love that my job allows me to explore this unknown every day.  What is your potential that we can unlock within an acupuncture treatment?

Speaking of ground breaking science, have you heard about the push to get acupuncture in space?  (Pun intended) 

Connection

Connection...

I’ve been thinking a lot about connection this year.
 

These musings started when I listened to a Ted Talk about an 8 decade long study that Harvard did on ‘Adult Development’.  It found that connection, in the form of good relationships, is a huge factor (if not the primary) to health and happiness.  The data is clear on this.   

Then I spent a weekend with 2 girlfriends.  One was telling me that she talks on the phone with friends and family daily, but only for 6 minutes because it’s the duration of her commute to work. This opened my eyes. When I think of talking on the phone, I think about the hour long conversations I typically have with a good friend whom I haven’t chatted with in a while. Those don’t happen as much as I would like.  But 6 minutes, that seemed more feasible. And of course, shortly after this weekend with girlfriends, New York Times published an article on the mental health benefits of an 8 minute conversation with a friend. It showed that these connections can rapidly reduce the sense of loneliness, depression and anxiety.

One of the many things that I love about being an acupuncturist is the connecting with clients. I don’t have a 7 or 15 minute time limit for how long I’m in the treatment room.  I get the opportunity to truly listen to you and understand your full story.  I get a peek into your life and how your pain, be it physical or emotional, takes a toll on your life.  Having that connection is a crucial part.  I listen to what you verbally tell me and I listen to what your body tells me through palpation and your pulse.

And on a deeper level, what I love about East Asian Medicine is that connection is a crucial element.  When one organ system is out of balance, it will affect the others.  The organ systems use each other to find balance in the whole.  Sometimes I will have a new patient tell me, “oh I’m a hot mess, here is the laundry list of what is wrong”.  From my point of view though, it’s only one thing. They’re all connected.  The puzzle is in finding the one or two strands that weave it all together and bring it back into balance.  More on this next time.

Connection...  We need it more than we think, but it doesn’t have to take as much effort as we think either.

Searching for better sleep.

As an acupuncturist, I have always enjoyed working with my contemporaries. You have spent years working at a challenging job, and/or raising a family, and now it’s time to take a step back, relax, and focus on preparing for life’s next adventure.

Part of that preparation includes rejuvenating your body, taking the time to improve your nutrition, healing those minor aches and pains, and unwinding from stress.

One such problem seen commonly in my practice is insomnia. Sleeping through the night, feeling rested are all important to your health and can be super frustrating when it doesn’t come easily. Without a good night’s rest, even a small problem can seem insurmountable!

In the clinic, I recommend to my patients some simple dietary modifications. By increasing your intake of specific nutrients, and eliminating hidden stimulants, you can develop better sleep patterns.

• Eat a diet high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and vitamins B and E.

• Avoid unwholesome preservatives, additives, and artificial colors.

• Do not eat anything for at least three hours before bedtime.

• Eat ample leafy green vegetables, whole grains, and low-acidic foods

• Eat plenty of asparagus, avocados, apricots, bananas, broccoli, brown rice, figs, salmon, basil, dill, and all types of squash.

If you’ve not been sleeping well for a while, you probably have tried these tips and others. Acupuncture and/or herbs might be the trick.

One of my favorite meditations I like to share with my patients is taken from Thich Nhat Hanh’s book “Touching Peace.”

Lying flat on your back (or with a soft pillow under your head)

Place both hands on your diaphragm and repeat until you feel calm and relaxed:
“Breathing in, I know I am breathing in.
Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.”
In/Out

Then place one hand on your heart and repeat several times:
“Breathing in, I see myself as a flower.
Breathing out, I feel fresh:
Flower/Fresh

Then place both hands on your stomach and repeat several times:
“Breathing in, I see myself as a mountain.
Breathing out, I feel fresh.”
Mountain/Fresh

Then place both hands behind back over your kidneys and repeat several times:
“Breathing in, I see myself as still water.
Breathing out, I reflect things as they are.
Water/Reflecting.

Then lay your hands by your sides, and repeat until you fall asleep:
“Breathing in, I see myself as space.
Breathing out, I feel free.”
Space/Free

- Warmly, Mary

What autumn teaches us

Autumn is my favorite season. There is still warmth in the air, bright colorful leaves on the trees and carpeting the ground. The beginning of turning inward.

The years seem to be going by faster. So what stands out to me is that the phases also go faster. I have a much more acute awareness this year that where I am in life right now, is not going to be like this forever. For better or worse.

In some ways I’m grateful to know that it will change and in others aspects, I’m not ready to let go. So instead, I’m going to remind myself to be fully present in those moments where everything flows. This [photo below] is one of those moments. One of the moments I will cherish forever.

The power of adding 1 small habit.

Have you ever had a goal to add a habit and just had a hard time doing it?  I see it a lot. Someone will come in and be really motivated to learn about various lifestyle changes that can help them decrease their pain and stress, increase happiness.  And yet, it can be really challenging to make those changes. 

We all know that there are things we could do to improve our health. And I would argue that we know WHAT many of the changes are:

• Eat healthy

• Drink enough water

• Be active

• Mediate,

• Get good sleep

• Find ways to manage stress

When we think about doing all of those, it’s too overwhelming.  If we choose just one goal, make it REALLY simple, we’re more likely to achieve it and make it a habit. For example, if you want to mediate, start with 1 minute a day instead of 10 or add just 1 particular nutritious food into your diet. “The difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding. Here’s how the math works out: if you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done.” James Clear

Now, HOW to make this a habit.  James Clear author of Atomic Habits, says that habits need 4 things – a cue, a craving, a response and a reward. First you need a cue, something to trigger a reminder of NOW is the time to do this habit. I think that this is where most of us fail. My recommendation is to write a list (yes, either type it out of hand write it) all the different times / cues throughout the day that can act as a cue for your habit. These cues can be times, locations, events, other people or even emotional states.

Some examples include:

-       As soon as you wake up, before you get out of bed.
-       After you brush your teeth
-       While you’re in the shower
-       After going to the bathroom
-       Each time you wash your hands
-       Before / after eating or drinking
-       Every time you get into or out of your car
-       When you’re waiting (online for something to load on your computer, at a red light, for the meeting to start)
-       Before or right after you check your email or social media
-       When you clear the table
-       After folding laundry
-       Before going to bed 

Once you have your list, decide which cue you think will be best.

Even though you have a cue, explore WHY you want to do that particular lifestyle change.  This is where you can find the motivation, your reason for listening to the cue.  Why or what do you want to be healthy for? This is your motivation.

So to over simplify, you want to make your cue obvious, you want to make the drive / motivation for your action to be attractive, the response / action / habit should be easy and the reward satisfying. 

Here is my example. I recently learned that as we age, our thirst trigger decreases. This means that our body has to become more dehydrated in order for us to realize that we’re thirsty. As a result, one of my goals is to get into the habit of drinking more water.  My cue is to have a full glass of water on my nightstand so that I can start the day off with a glass of water. It is one small simple step to drink more water from which I can build upon.

Acupuncture is one great way that we can keep living our best life.  However our life style plays a huge role.  So I’m curious, what is healthy habit you are proud of having incorporated into your life? What was the cue that worked for you? And how do you feel as a result? Or on the flip side, what is a life style change you want to start but are having a hard time with?