Tag: Depression

Unplug, Get Outside! Get Acupuncture Before You Travel!

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I’m raising a young adult growing up in the techno generation.   This task is a wild ride for those of us who came in on different rockets, had phones that plugged into the wall, had to seek out a pay phone if out and wanting to call someone, had no computer, and oh yeah walked miles to school each day in the rain!  Imagine that, and it wasn’t so long ago – was it?!  How do we grasp this brave new techno world, navigate it, and help our kids do the same?   We are the test run my friends!

I think there is too much techno on the brain for some, perhaps for many.   I hear comments ranging from “that’s just what kids do these days,” to a lot of  “I just don’t know what to do” — “I’ve tried it all.”   The truth is all of that and more!  Kids are light years ahead of us in techno know how! . . . and personally I don’t know how or want to keep up.   So we talk to each other about what helps, what doesn’t, and know we will all survive, and even thrive, if we keep circling back to our roots and nurture our connections.  I take night walks with my teen, a tuck in at night with a gratitude practice to end the day, hands on a real book, face to face conversations, deep listening — the kind where we just listen, see, listen more, love and strive to accept and understand — connect.  You cannot influence a kid you are not connected too!

In Traditional Chinese Medicine we talk a lot about moderation. Too much electronic use creates imbalance issues in our nervous system, and throws other organ systems out of whack.  This and other excesses can produce anxiety, depression, attention deficits and other health issues.  It’s more important than ever to teach ourselves and thereby our children the healing power of striking a balance in life so our body systems stay strong and healthy.  Modeling healthy behaviors and communication for our kids is paramount.

Teenage children and many adults use their phones as a socializing tool.  We have the benefit of reaching our people at the touch of a finger on snap chat, instagram, twitter and more.  So, don’t get me wrong, I can see the benefits and I am grateful.   I use those tools now as I write this blog, sitting on the patio at one of my favorite outdoor food trucks, Picnik, watching the rain fall and people go by–who knew that would be possible when I was a teenager!  Years ago, reaching so many people was impossible!  However, As parents we know some of the greatest lessons we can teach our children come from striking a balance in ourselves, and thereby helping our kids do the same.  It feels more difficult in this age and time, but is it really?  Each generation had it’s hardships.  I want to hear how you nurture your balance?  Do you feel like idle time is a waste of time, or can you sit still, quiet, and contemplate just being here now, without electronics on?  How do you slow your pace and consciously create slow mindful living?  Do we need to be plugged in Now, or can it wait?  How important are you, your family?  How balanced are you?  Let’s think about how we can connect, market, communicate, thrive and just be, without electronics sometimes.

As for me, my best answers for balancing are generally found in nature, and in the eyes and hearts of my son, and my people.  I put away my computer and phone as often as I can or it makes me crazy and not so nice! I get outside, sleep on my porch, put my feet on the ground, in a river stream — the ocean, feel my hair in the wind and my toes in the sand, listen to the leaves crunch under my feet as I hike through the woods, watch the clouds roll by,  plant and nurture herbs in my garden, dance in the rain!  Then sometimes I take a real camera on my outdoor adventures – and share some of nature with my friends hoping to inspire you to get out in it too!  Excess electromagnetic field radiation on the brain is a real problem!  Love the place you are in,  and the One You’re With, not the thing you’re with!

The Chinese New Year is one of the greatest migrations on Earth!  This year, around 400 million people journeyed home to family roots, a family feast, and time celebrating together.  This year is the year of the Pig – which is a zodiac sign that is declared to attract luck and success, which I love, since my Chinese Zodiac is the Pig!   Point is remember your roots!  I grew up in Austin (yes, there are a few of us here!), and I take my child each year on our own journey to the high mountain desert of the Big Bend area in Texas.  My father took me there growing up and now my son and I do the things my father and I did — we swim in Balmorhea Natural Springs, hike the Chisos mountains, and the Canyons, drive the beautiful roads of Big Bend National Park.   We partake in the slow living to be had in the small towns there, the heartfelt people and their beautiful sun touched faces.  We bask in the cool dry climate of late summer and appreciate the Great Outdoors!  This is our annual migration home in a way, we sing, laugh, play and are recharged and connected!

I hope you are traveling some this summer, and experiencing the great expansive outdoors.  Take a journey, even if it’s experiencing your own backyard in a different way.  My yard has some changes upcoming I’m excited about – I will keep you posted on facebook and instagram!

So, remember — sit or lie on the ground, be still and quiet — you will feel and hear in the wind that you are connected to all things and you will find the peace you desire.

Acupuncture, herbal remedies and essence oils can help you stay calm and steady on a plane, in a car, with the kids arguing in the back seat of your vehicle, or playing their rap music loudly!  Get your travel calm on with Acupuncture and grab your holistic care travel kit before you venture out this summer!  More on Travel Acupuncture Here.

I am very excited to share that I am expanding my Home Visit practice — so I can come to you and it’s quiet affordable!! More On Home Visits Here.

Happy Summer Solstice, Breathe, Love, Get outside!

Charlotte

Make and Appointment or Contact me email Here.

EE Cummings said many wise things . . .  here are a few of my favorites . . .

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), It’s always our self we find in the sea.

For every mile the feet go, the heart goes nine”
― e.e. cummings, 100 Selected Poems

 

 

 

Acupuncture the Medicine of Peace, Calm and Carry On! Treating PTSD, Anxiety, Depression and Substance Abuse

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Our country  is experiencing trauma in the form of intense and vacillating changes in our political climate, as well as our actual climate!  Our nation’s schools don’t feel like the safe haven they should be.  There is far too much suffering.  Our brothers and sisters of the world are seeking a safe place to call home and in the difficult journey are being torn from their families.  This trauma can rattle the very foundation of our well-being. I certainly have felt it, and it’s trickled into every aspect of my life at times . . . So how do we remain unshaken in a world of such trepidation?

PTSD, chronic stress,  anxiety,  and depression are manifestations of imbalances  — these imbalances can come from our environment, our food, and from lack of self-care – typically all of these.  I try to stop often, take a deep breath and ask the question, “What do I need right now?”  At times, the answer is a little sunshine — I’m a solar powered girl; sometimes it’s as simple as  a glass of water (with lemon!), putting my bare feet on mother earth,  or a night under the stars . . . Find your go to self care ideas.

Top among the things I do to feel grounded in a place I can do the most good is The NADA Five Needle Acupuncture Protocol. When I want a deeply effective long-lasting remedy, I turn to NADA — a short and simple ear acupuncture treatment.  And I love to share this treatment with my patients and friends. NADA helps patients tap into their inner quiet and calm strength so they can experience the peaceful silence we all need at times to heal.

SOME ISSUES TREATED WITH NADA PROTOCOL

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Emotional trauma
  • Insomnia
  • Irritability, anger and agitation
  • PTSD
  • Pain
  • Substance Abuse  — Reduced cravings for sugar, alcohol and drugs, including nicotine (we have a vaping epidemic in our nation’s teens).
  • Minimizes withdrawal symptoms
  • Stress reduction, and more

Our personal wellness is easier to reflect upon when we approach it from a calm, steady place.  Admitting our brokenness is necessary to heal.  If we don’t honestly reflect upon ourselves,  we remain stagnant in our problems, both physical and mental.  Acupuncture moves stagnation!  Specifically it moves liver qi stagnation (stuck energy).  Then the magic happens — our body  goes into a deep relaxation, restoring the natural energetic flow to our organ systems which  nourishes our tissues and cells.  Through a more balanced flow, our mental function is positively charged — helping us get off the spinning wheel of worry!

Deep relaxed breathing has been used to soothe the mind for thousands of years, and is a key element of meditation and yoga.  BREATHE yourself to wholeness — peaceful calm is just a few deep breaths away!  I use a simple deep breathing technique called 4-7-8 which shifts you from fight-or-flight mode into your parasympathetic nervous system to rest and restore.   Each time we breathe out we have the opportunity to let go that which is not serving us. On our inward breath we can rejuvenate — pulling in all the love, light and calm we desire.  Try it!

Deep breathing also has a physiological affect on the body because the increased oxygen encourages a resting heart rate.  Dr. Andrew Weil refers to the method as a “natural tranquilizer for the nervous system,” and states, “Practicing a regular, mindful breathing exercise can be calming and energizing and even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders.”

HOW TO DO 4-7-8 BREATHING

Sit or lay with your back straight to allow your lungs to fill properly.  Make sure you are in a comfortable place.  Exhale all the air from the lungs before starting the following steps.

  • Inhale quietly through your nose to the count of 4.
  • Hold your breath for the count of 7. I like to imagine at this point the air moving through my body like a river to nourish my tissues and cells.
  • Exhale through your mouth to the count of 8, while making an audible ‘whoooosh’ sound.

Repeat this cycle a total of 4 times — this is one round; you can do two rounds.  Do this whenever you feel life’s stressors creeping in.

To close, I’d like to share a Poem by Rachel Naomi Remen that came to me recently through my  wonderful yoga teacher Anna at annagyoga  . . . It helped me tap into the silence and calm I needed for myself that day.  Then we can offer that peacefulness to others  . . .

“Perhaps the most important thing we bring to another person is the silence in us, not the sort of silence that is filled with unspoken criticism or hard withdrawal.  The sort of silence that is a place of refuge, of rest, of acceptance of someone as they are.  We are all hungry for this other silence. It is hard to find. In its presence we can remember something beyond the moment, a strength on which to build a life.  Silence is a place of great power and healing.”

If you would like to try a calming NADA treatment, or have a family or friend you feel would benefit, click here to set up an appointment. My appointments are affordable and very relaxing.  I also offer much more in my clinic — see my website for more about my Traditional Chinese Medicine practice.   I treat the entire family from babies to grandparents, and would be honored to be a part of your families wellness team.

I am grateful should you ever wish to share my blog with a friend.  They can sign up to receive their own here.

Onward into the peace and quiet of your heart and it’s steady beat.

Namaste,

Charlotte