SOS — Self Care Is Necessary for Good Health and Vitality

August 3, 2021Leave a comment

Do You Feel Hungover From The Ups And Downs Of The Last Two Years?

Over the last two years there has been so much transition. This is hard on our physical and emotional body – and our immune system to boot! I invite you to slow down and immerse yourself in self care — rushing head on can be dangerous after navigating difficult times. FILL YOUR CUP SEVERAL TIMES A DAY with deep self care for your physical and emotional body. Then, from that place of going inward – expand out to your community and all your to do’s.

In the beginning of the spring of 2020, I found myself with a lot of time on my hands to contemplate. After losing my contract job as an acupuncturist due to the pandemic, the stillness and time I spent outdoors reflecting upon what was next for me is something I’m now deeply grateful for. I spent time on my back screened porch watching fireflies in the early evening; I ate my breakfast and dinner on the porch, watching wildlife coming to take in the spring air with me.

A thoughtful patient gifted me an Audubon membership and I went on an early misty morning bird walk at Commons Ford Ranch this spring. I was impressed by the many species of birds I saw in just two hours — including a Yellow Billed Cuckoo! Yep, there really is such a creature and it predicts the rain with it’s loud call more accurately than our weatherman! This slowing and stillness amongst the sights and sounds of nature helped me sort things out, and let necessary things go. I found gratitude for things taken for granted in my busy day to day life – time with my precious son, our sweet cottage home, and my health and vitality in the second half of my life. I was inspired to create a pollinators garden — I built it, and they came! The bees, the butterflies, moths, hummingbirds and other birds are all participating in the natural habitat I’m nurturing for them. And, I built the wonderful Acupuncture Cabin for you! This has all connected me to something very important . . . .

We Are All Part of Nature And The Natural Process Of Things

In my garden I give to the planet that supports me . . . I never use pesticides inside or out, I plant native trees and plants for the abundant wildlife. Here, I watch the cycles of life that have always taken place on our planet unfold before my eyes and listen to what it has to teach. Hippocrates said, “When there is an imbalance on earth, look to nature for answers . . . ” We have experienced a profound look at a great imbalance over the past years. And still the cycle of life continues. Through my TCM practice, I have been the grateful witness of new babies coming into our world, and many on their way currently growing in the ever amazing mother’s womb.

My Masters of Science at AOMA Integrative School of Medicine was the beginning of my learning to think outside mainstream medicine whenever I can to support health, and to remember how truly powerful and amazing our innate immune system is when we nurture it.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and holistic healthcare offer tried and true methods for building a strong immune system, and for supporting immunity through a health crisis.

Connect To Nature — What Do You Like To Do Outdoors?

The Negative Ions In Nature Are Healing!

Put your body in moving water, a river, a waterfall, a natural spring. Lie on the earth and get your daily grounding in . . . If not in your own backyard, we have an abundance of beautiful parks right here in the Austin area. I recommend Austin’s very own Barton Springs, Pedernales Falls State Park, South Llano River State Park, and Blanco State Park. Further out there is Garner State Park, and Lost Maples. Oh my gosh so many to choose from — I recommend the book “The Swimming Holes of Texas” by Julie Wernersbach and Carolyn Tracy at University of Texas Press, Austin.

The gift of living a healthy lifestyle is priceless, as it helps our immune system do it’s job. Eat healthy, local and seasonal. Plant a Garden — get inspiration from Barbara Kingsolver’s Book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,” and any read by Michael Pollan who says, “Eat Food, Not too Much, Mostly Plants.”

Get plenty of sleep, move your body daily, drink spring water, (I like Mountain Valley) and they deliver it right to my door!

In that spirit, I would like to invite you to the Acupuncture Cabin, it is such a sweet place to come for a relaxing, deeply restorative self care session.

Now the wildflowers are gone but the pollinators garden is buzzing right along. My patients love the open air cabin on cool days, gentle rain sounds on the metal roof, sun filtering through the green vines at the window, birds singing in the garden, the music . . . come embrace the experience!

REMEMBER ACUPUNCTURE IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL!

Great for boosting immunity
Calms the Central Nervous System
Good before and after traveling — I can help you with a supplemental immune support travel kit!
Helps restore your parasympathetic nervous system’s resting state, and get you out of fight or flight patterns — treating anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
And I offer telemedicine Traditional Chinese Medicine and Holistic Healthcare consults, to promote wellness, or to support recovery from an illness.

I am here for you my Seasons Health friends. Just shoot me an email to make an appointment at the Acupuncture Cabin, or for me to come to you for a home visit. Please, share my blog with any friends or family you think may be interested. Thank you for supporting my practice.

Namaste, Charlotte

“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it“ Buddha

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

Leave a comment

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

Acupuncture and the Road to Recovery from Addictions, Stress and Anxiety

September 18, 2018Leave a comment

In spite of decades of research regarding the negative effects of recreational and pharmaceutical drugs, nicotine, alcohol, sugar and caffeine –people continue to use these dangerous substances to the detriment of their well-being and that of the people who love them. Why? Simply because they are profoundly addictive in nature. To overcome addiction, patients need a strong foundation of support. Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine can be an integral part of the road to recovery from addiction. It is important to note the support of a good medical doctor, therapist, a regular exercise program, and a healthy diet are of vital importance on a recovery journey as well.

There is a national opioid crisis in our country due to the overuse of pharmaceuticals to treat pain. Acupuncture is a well-documented method of easing and resolving chronic pain without the use of addictive pharmaceuticals – increasing the patient’s physical activity and ability to heal naturally. See more information on treating pain with acupuncture.

Create a Support System

Creating a circle of support takes the kind of focus that comes from a deep commitment and calm resolve. A calm and rested state of mind is not usual when patients are dealing with addiction. If the mind cannot turn itself off, it effects well-being profoundly — disturbing sleep patterns, frame of mind, and overall body balance. Acupuncture and prescribed herbal remedies offer a well researched modality to safely and effectively treat addiction and core issues that can accompany addiction, including pain, anxiety, stress, and insomnia.

Use Acupuncture to Make Your Body an Ally in Recovery

Acupuncture guides patients into a deep healing state of relaxation, while in this relaxing state the acupuncture needles work to resolve stressors that commonly come with addiction issues. Acupuncture points stimulate the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord and brain; these chemicals either change the experience of stress, or trigger release of other chemicals and hormones — influencing the body’s internal regulating system and stimulating its natural healing abilities. Obstructions in the body’s energy pathways are unblocked, restoring healthy flow to the tissues which naturally helps correct imbalances in the body’s brain chemistry and internal organs.

Acupuncture protocols often use ear points to help balance a patients overall constitution. Fine needles are inserted into a set of 5 acupuncture points on each ear along with other points on the body. Acupuncture treatment reduces symptoms associated with addictions, including withdrawal symptoms, cravings and anxiety.

The needles do not hurt, most patients feel only a minimal prick as they are inserted, many feel nothing at all and sleep on the acupuncture table, getting much needed rest and relaxation. Visits to an acupuncture clinic several times a week for the first couple of weeks is recommended to get the healing process rolling — however, recommendations vary depending on the patients condition.

I am a certified detox specialist and trained in NADA protocol (ear acupuncture for the treatment of recovery from addiction).

Low Cost Option: After establishing my patients health needs and goals in the first one to three treatments, I offer an affordable quick and easy 30 minute treatment plan to make coming 2-4 times weekly more affordable. One hour treatments are always available when a longer “acu-nap” is desired.

Some of the addiction related issues that lend themselves well to the 30-40 minute treatments include:

Addictions: Recreational Drugs and Pharmaceuticals, Alcohol, Nicotine, Caffeine, and Sugar
ADD/ADHD
Allergies, Asthma
Anxiety, Depression, Stress and Insomnia
PTSD
Substance Abuse Recovery
Weight Loss, sugar cravings and more . . .

Please share my blog with your friends and family – they can sign up for their own “health tips” and updates on the sidebar of most pages on my website. I am ever grateful for the opportunity to guide you and your loved ones on a journey to experience and maintain optimal health.

Learn More in Person

Come to my free talk October 29th on “Overcoming Addictions with Acupuncture” at 7:00 pm Peoples Pharmacy Wellness Center, Lakeline location. More details at http://peoplesrx.com/ seminar and event calendar.

Also, you can hear me on the “Let’s Get Healthy” Live Radio Show. See archive shows on various topics.

Don’t hesitate to email me cls@seasonshealth.com with any questions.

Make your appointment at Peoples Wellness Center North

Seasons Health

Austin Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

Tag: PTSD