Category Archives: medical qigong

acupuncture, health, medical qigong, nutrition

The Free and Easy Wanderer

Spring plant

Spring, the time of rebirth. New sprouts of life springing forth, bright shades of green bursting out. The element is wood, the climate wind, the energy up and outward, yang energy is increasing,warming the cold yin energy of winter. It expands, warms, and grows from the cool hibernating earth. It is our first season of life, the morning hours, new beginnings.

In traditional Eastern medicine, the energies of the liver and gallbladder are associated with springtime, a wonderful time to do some spring cleaning, externally and internally. A free flowing energy, ‘springing forth from the east, the free and easy wanderer.
It manifests in our nervous system, which is always growing and expanding, inquisitive by nature. Wood energy is always thinking , analyzing, creating. When healthy and abundant, there is clarity of mind and the capacity to problem solve. It embodies freedom, happiness, ease (the opposite of dis-ease), and flow. If out of balance, the opposite emotions manifest as confusion, anger and frustration.

Finding healthy ways to express these high energy flows are extremely beneficial. Take some hikes in nature (barefoot is best), work on some vocalization (singing, toning, breathwork), adding activities to move this dragon-like energy.

The wood nature qi manifests in our muscles, tendons, hair and nails. The channels, encompass the inner and outer legs, hips, mid-back,the head, jaw, neck and shoulders. Some signs that may present during this season: a stiff neck, mid-back tension, tight diaphragm, tension headaches manifesting on sides of head or vertex, exhausted eyes from excessive screen time, sleep disturbances (especially from 11pm to 3am) including vivid dreams, hip pain, and joint stiffness. Make sure you are not sitting for extended periods of time, or if you must, set your alarm at the top of each hour for a movement break. Adding mindful movement practices such as qigong and mindful movement will keep the tendons and joints moving with ease and grace.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or insights!

health, manual therapy, medical qigong, reiki energy

Let’s Go To Vagus!

No silly, I did not mean ‘Las Vegas’, I am inviting you to explore your tenth (X) cranial nerve, your Vagus nerve, ‘The Wanderer’. It connects your brain to each of your organs. Also connecting your ‘gut’ to your brain, like when we receive that ‘gut feeling’. It is the main nerve of our parasympathetic nervous system, part of our autonomic nervous system, meaning we don’t have control over it, or do we?

By mindful practices, such as: yoga, qigong, receiving massage and acupuncture treatments, nature bathing, meditation, toning (OM) and breath work, they are finding that we can connect to our parasympathetic nervous system, allowing us to ‘rest and digest’. In fact, breath awareness is one of the most powerful practices to connect with our Vagus nerve, assisting us in reducing heart rate, enhancing our immune function and assisting digestion.

Reconnecting with our natural rhythms and taking the time to slow down, are essential practices to guide us to a more balanced state. This includes bringing more mindfulness to our sleep practices (put that phone away) and our dietary habits. We truly are what we eat! How many of us our multi-tasking while we are ingesting food, and then complain of indigestion? Our modern day mode, technology abound, truly throws us out of our natural state of being, creating imbalance.

This is why it is so important to adopt mindful practices that resonate for you. Making time to do what you truly love is essential to wellness. Connect with nature, breathe mindfully, shake off your shoes and ground, look at the trees, observe the colors, inhale the aromas, all are beautiful ways to restore balance. Treat yourself to a massage or Reiki session, a yoga class or workshop, all are wonderful ways to restore. Self-massage, especially on abdomen, is another excellent way to connect with your Vagus nerve. Simply place your hands on your abdomen and gently follow path of digestion by slowly moving clockwise. It stimulates serotonin which has a direct relationship with melatonin, a hormone which controls our sleep-wake cycle. Also, make sure that your room is completely dark. Even a small amount of light can disturb your melatonin production for up to 4 hours. The best time to go to bed is before 11pm, so that your nervous system truly gets the deep rest it needs to heal and regenerate.

The more we implement these mindful practices into our everyday lives, the calmer and more harmonious our lives become. You will feel more balanced, more energized, and resiliency towards everyday stressors. Train yourself to return to your original state of harmony and balance and allow that to resonate outward.

Namaste,

Carol Reed, L.Ac., MSTCM

health, medical qigong, nutrition, reiki energy, sound therapy

Stress Reduction Guidance during Covid-19

As we all ‘shelter-in-place’ during these challenging and intense times, it has never been more important to find ways to stay grounded and centered through all this uncertainty.

While there is so much out of our control, we must prioritize our self-care and personal practice. It’s even more important then ever to include activities and exercises which help to reduce our levels of cortisol and adrenaline. Living in a constant state of stress keeps us in the Sympathetic response: fight or flight. This affects our digestion, sleep, and overall anxiety levels. Activities which place us into the parasympathetic response (rest and digest) are critical.

While there are many amazing practices available, I find it is most beneficial to develop your own personalized program. One which resonates on a soul level. These may include: surfing, nature walks, and most definitely sound therapy! Activities that keep you tuned-in to the present moment, focused on breath-work, and mindfulness, will elevate your state of overall health.

Finding ways to improve your diet, through eating as many organic and all-natural foods, should also be prioritized. While it is very easy to fall into the pattern of ‘stressful’ eating, consuming certain foods and beverages can tax our immune system rather than benefit it. I personally have added a morning smoothie (recipe included below) and fresh squeezed juice as well (including carrots, beets, apples, ginger and cucumber).

Immune Boosting Smoothie – Recipe

1 cup almond, coconut or oat milk
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup coconut water
1 tsp. Spirulina
1 tsp. Moringa
1 tsp. Lion’s Mane Mushroom powder
1 tsp. Raw Cacao powder
1 tsp. Maca powder
2 T. almond butter

I hope you find this information helpful! I am available for consultations and energy enhancing practices virtually, until further notice. These typically begin with an intake and a personalized treatment plan to best help with any current health challenges you may be experiencing. These will include dietary recommendations, energy practices (Medical Qigong instruction), as well as Reiki Energy Transmissions.

*Sliding-scale discounts available

Carol Reed, L.Ac.
Carol Reed, L.Ac.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture
Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
Watsu
Watsu and Waterdance
Sound Therapy
Sound Therapy
Chi Nei Tsang
Chi Nei Tsang and Qigong
Reiki
Reiki