Healthy Living

New Year, New You? Not Necessarily. A Healthier Approach to 2024

The new year is often seen as a time for drastic change. I have made grand resolutions to lose weight, get fit, and overhaul my life.  What if this pressure to reinvent ourselves is actually counterproductive? What if, instead of chasing unrealistic goals, we focused on making small, sustainable changes that lead to long-term health and well-being?  This year, I want to approach things a bit differently.

In this blog post, I want to explore a different approach to the new year. We’ll ask some questions that can help you ditch the pressure and focus on what truly matters for your health.

1. What are your values?

Before you start setting goals, take some time to reflect on what’s important to you. What do you value in your life? Is it family, friends, your career, your health? Once you know your values, you can start to set goals that are aligned with them.

2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

We all have things we’re good at and things we’re not so good at. When it comes to your health, it’s important to be realistic about your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t try to change overnight into someone you’re not. Instead, Read More

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How deep do you put that needle? The nitty gritty on acupuncture needles and needling techniques

Let’s Talk Acupuncture Needles and Needling Techniques

  • How long are needles?
  • How do you get them in so quickly?
  • Why do you twist them around?
  • Why do I feel them sometimes, and other times not?

Even after inserting literally hundreds of thousands of needles, I am still in awe of this tiny little metallic ‘lightning rod’ that can initiate physical and emotional healing.

When I had my first acupuncture treatment, many years ago, I was all questions.  Trying to understand what in the world was going on, what they were doing, and why it seemed to be working.  Today I want to attempt to answer a portion of that question and tell you a bit about needling itself. Read More

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The Water Element

Who cares anyway, nothing matters, and life is a mystery, let’s just sit back and see what happens.

Water
  • I am content.
  • I accept what is.
  • Others think that I am lonely, but I like to be alone.
  • I am self-contained, often people don’t know what I am thinking.
  • I embrace the mystery of life and am interested more in wisdom than knowledge.
  • Sometimes I can be a bit self-critical
  • I can be afraid of the outside world, but I am not afraid of my internal world.
  • People can think I am indifferent.
  • I feel cold easily.
  • I tend to struggle with commitment and discipline (because really, who cares)
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Let me organize that…. Introducing the Metal Element

Cleaning Up and Letting Go:  It is Fall, the time of Metal.

Have you ever noticed that when fall hits you want to start cleaning out your closets?  This is the Metal energy in action.

  • I create order.
  • I can let go of what is no longer needed.
  • I crave organization and am thoughtful around decisions.
  • Sometimes I can be a bit rigid about the rules.
  • I can easily notice if others are doing something wrong.

 

I write this right after the equinox, the official start to the fall.  We have entered the season of Metal in the 5 Element paradigm. Read More

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