Staying Healthy in Winter

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Ask Mary Beth

Q. Does acupuncture hurt?
A. Many patients report that their experiences range from feeling almost nothing at all to a brief ache, or sensations of energetic activity near the needle. Many people who have been fearful of acupuncture also report being amazed and surprised by the pleasant experience of complete relaxation. The needles, being the width of a human hair, are the finest needles and only shallowly inserted into the body.

Women's Health Concerns

How do acupuncture and Chinese herbals serve women?

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas are an all inclusive health care and wellness system. The work of the acupuncturist and the patient is to enhance wellness in the many facets and arenas of each person’s life. To that end, most people who receive regular treatment report that life is indeed better. Many women report that they come to a deeper understanding of what an appropriate balance is for them as they willingly seek to fulfill many roles—as primary caregivers in their families and extended families and as professionals in the workplace.

As women meet these obligations and other expectations that society has placed on them, it is crucial that they care for themselves. Women often tend to their loved ones first and themselves last. Unrelenting demands can surely manifest as stress and emotional imbalances, which, left untreated, can lead to cancer and heart attack, the number one cause of death in American women. All scientific data point to these facts.  Elevated stress hormones compromise all of the body’s self-regulation. The continuously circulating hormones that maintain a balance are no longer functioning properly, so that whether one chooses to acknowledge this imbalance or ignore it, one is in imbalance. If we take the time to see the signs, they are there. Perhaps, we hear it as a shout or a snarl or we manifest as sharp or short-tempered. The signs are there.

So, you ask, what is the work that we do together?

We examine what is appropriate for you; regardless of anybody else’s expectations for you—professionally or otherwise. We understand what stress is for you and what that feels like for you. With treatment with these thin filaments called needles—the gauge of a human hair or two—we have the opportunity to feel the life force in ourselves. As we pay closer attention to the life force, the qi within us, we come to an understanding of what moves us. We come to know what is authentic for us and what moves us, what makes life flow for us. We explore nourishment—what we take in from the power of the earth and from other forms of nourishment that allow us to thrive emotionally, spiritually, and bodily. For you it may be reading your child’s poem, or listening to your child making music, rather than a world class symphony. 

We identify the places in nature that make you feel the best. It may be a garden or park within walking distance of your home. It may be the seashore or the sounds of the great oceans; those then become “must do's” for you, or perhaps they become an annual ritual. Two thousand years ago the Daoist tended gardens for their well-being; currently there is the field of attention restoration theory, which has the underpinnings of scientific research, and which shows a correlation between wellness and stress reduction and being in, or experiencing, nature.

We always return to the basic truths of what makes you thrive. Is it eight or nine hours of sleep every night? Do we allow our bodies to rest? Really rest? What is good restorative sleep for you?

What is emotional upset for you? Could it be otherwise? Do you clear emotions on a daily basis? Or do you cling to ideas, thoughts, and feelings with the idea that you are right? And “they” are wrong and you are angry about all of it.

Do you have beautiful rituals in your life that create awareness of the beauty of life as the bestowed gift that it is? Observing the trees, a sleeping child, listening to music that is beautiful for you, or observing great art that you love.

Do you have movement in your life, or is life a conclusion of being “stuck?” Think of movement that will serve you, make you happy and glad to be inhabiting your body and being alive.

Do you have satisfying relationships and community?

One could ask well, these are nice things to do, and how do these practices have anything to do with my well-being or stress management?

All of these points of inquiry will guide you to the practices that are indispensable for your life, for your relief from stress so that you can enjoy living in your body freely, smoothly, and mindfully. In the past you may have felt chaotic in your body. With treatment and consistent practices you may live peacefully in your body. You will know what this feels like and never want to return to your former chaotic self, anxious self, or fearful self. Understanding the balance that you need in order to be able to participate effectively in your desired activities and responsibilities will alleviate stress and enhance enjoyment and ease. Coming into balance, the continuously self-regulating hormones and rhythmic functioning body systems are reset to do the work they were ordained to do. They are no longer out of alignment and vulnerable to disease or stressed to the breaking point. Together we will have channeled all of your potential and the healing power and body wisdom to create your optimal life.

More information:

Please also read the work of Zofia Zukowska, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at Georgetown University Medical Center whose work has identified the exact mechanism by which stress has been found to be the risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Chronic Stress Accelerates Atherosclerosis Following Angioplasty Procedure;
www.innovations-report.com/html/reportsmedicine_health/report-51721.html

For more information about the benefits of being in nature, please read about attention restoration theory. Attention restoration theory; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_restoration_theory