1.  If you find you are having difficulties turning your mind off before falling asleep, take a look at your digestion. In TCM terms the relationship between your Heart and your Spleen is Depleted in QI.   Have you been eating too many foods that are sweet or difficult to digest?  Are you eating too late in the evening, or not enough to settle your soul?  Ensure you eat your grains and greens (steamed!) to regulate your system.  As well, practice observing your breath and all sensations in your body as you drift off.

2. If you wake up throughout the night and/or have night sweats, you are Yin Deficient (dehydrated) .  Drink more water than you think you need, eat oils like avocado, flax, fish and vit.E.

3. If you are waking early in the a.m. and you are unable to turn your mind off, take a break from the stresses of your  life!  Stress and anxiety have taken over.  This is due to the Qi Deficiency between your Heart and GallBladder.  Meditate before bed, take time to exercise and talk about your stress and list of things you have to do.  Plan on getting one thing done from your list per day. Write out your list for tomorrow before bed and put it away until you wake up refreshed.

Acupuncture is helpful for all three types of insomnia.  Please come in to the office if you would like the extra sedation and balancing.

  After an extremely YANG/hot summer, we are moving quickly towards fall and YIN.  Yin is the substance, the fluids, the stillness, the cold, the blood.  If we are not filled with Yin as we move towards winter (pure yin), we notice the deficiency.  As the leaves dry up, so might we.   The key is to observe what nature does to survive fall and winter.

Autumns’s nature contracts, leaves fall, seeds dry, the sap of trees descend to it’s roots. It  is a time to look inward, to store up fuel and to reflect on the coming stillness of winter.  You may find that you question/change your direction or relationships, as it is a time to let go of the “extra” summer experiments (that we have abundant energy/yang for during that time) and to nurture the things that we want to see grow over this coming year.

Imbalances in the autumn will manifest as a “dry condition”, usually related to the Lungs. The health of the Lungs is manifested on the outside of our body.   Symptoms include thirst, dry skin, nose and throat, and itchiness.  Emphasize moistening foods: soybean products (incl. tempeh!), spinach, barley, millet, pear, apple, seaweeds, black and white fungus,almond, pinenut, sesame seed, honey, eggs, clam, crab, oyster, mussel.  Using a little salt in cooking also moistens dryness. Please book an appointment for more details, as it can be harmful to over moisten!.

The Lungs are also our defense  mechanism.  If you are one who has frequent colds, sinus problems, bronchial conditions, has asthma or who is wishing to avoid the next allergy season, please book an appointment today.  We can offer you more ways in which to strengthen your immune system.

May you breathe in clearly through your nose the smell of the rain ,

Yael

The giant pine tree grows from a tiny sprout.

The journey of thousand miles starts from beneath your feet.

Rushing into action, you fail.

Trying to grasp things, you lose them.

Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almots ripe.

Therefore the Master takes action by letting things take their course.

He remains as calm at the end as at the beginning.

He has nothing, thus has nothing to lose.

In joy

To be in harmony with our environment, we glide with nature.  Therefore, the foods we choose become bright in color.  We cook lightly and regularly add spicy, pungent flavor (inducing sweat to cool us down). As well, cooling foods (not cold like ice) are great for the hot days:  salads, fruit, cucumber, tofu, sprouts (mung, soy, alfalfa), chamomile and peppermint.  

 Use little salt (winter, kidney flavor) and more water!  Remember that as we sweat,  minerals and oils are lost and we must therefore replenish.

If you have noticed a change in your sleep, emotions, pain, digestion etc. please email or phone me to book an appointment so we can support balance.

In Joy

  In the “news” please look forward to  new insights and clues into how to live in harmony with the seasons to create  balance in your life.  Today we will begin with Spring…

  I met a lady on the slushy trails of Whistler on Sunday who had just seen a black bear.  Along with the purple buds and the singing birds, a hungry bear is an exciting reminder that spring is here!  :)

  In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theories our body is a replica of  the cycles of nature. To understand the role our Liver has, one can simply observe what happens in Spring or the Wood Phase. The sap, long stored in the roots, makes it’s journey up, and the buds push aggressively through the snow.  The Liver is what moves our conserved energy of winter. On a physical level, energy returns and activity increases.  On a soul level, the creation of winter ideas transforms into imagination, clarity and achievements.  When the Liver is in disharmony with the seasons, Qi will stagnate .  Qi stagnation can manifest as anger,  fatigue, pain in the joints,  allergies, depression, insomnia, anxieties, irregular menstruation and a lack of direction.  This is due to the fact that the Liver controls the movement in all systems (circulation, respiration, digestion, emotions, menstruation) . To support the liver and the production of our new buds, there a many things we can do:

1. Drink Peppermint tea throughout the day.  Our Liver loves the extra push and cooling.

2. Add lemon to your water every morning!

3. Eat sour foods, as this is the taste of Spring.  Rye, romaine lettuce, asparagus, amaranth and quinoa are some tasty examples.

4. Green is the color of Spring.  Build your liver with chlorophyl rich foods.  Kale, parsley and collard greens…

5. Eat less and cleanse.

6. Come in to the clinic for a seasonal session.  Acupuncture is a great way to help move your Qi!  If you suffer from Allergies, Acupuncture can relieve or cure your discomfort.

7.  Increase your heart rate on a regular basis.

8. And do not forget, as with all other seasons, do not eat greasy foods.  Sugar too should be avoided.  We can begin to include raw foods as it warms up, but do not do this excessively (steam your vegies).

I look forward to seeing you soon !

Be like Wood as it reaches towards the sun with determination.