Happy Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year of the Sheep: February 19th

Was last year a doozy for you? Lots of challenges, struggles and uncomfortable shifting? Well, consider those growing pains - a painful transition toward a more settled and self-aware (and freer!) you. Sometimes it takes some discomfort to change for the better. As the year of the sheep/ram/goat approaches get ready to move away from what may have been a challenging past 12 months (at least for me and most of the people I know, anyway!) to a more peaceful, nurturing and creative year. The Green Wood Sheep symbolizes peace, community, goodwill and the arts. 

The sheep is of a Yin nature, which promises a more tranquil, loving and nurturing year than the previous one. 

This shall be a year to focus on healing - on all levels. Think about including more self-care practices into your weekly routine such as massage, art therapy, acupuncture, yoga and a good internal cleanse. For me I've started to take up a more regular yoga practice. After years of "dappling" here and there, picking up a class on a whim or when a friend asked, I've recently made a commitment to get on the mat with instruction at least 3 times a week. And man! I finally get what this whole yoga craze is all about!


I feel so clear, strong and centered than ever before. I still fall over (a lot) and am waiting for that day when downward dog feels like a "resting pose," but each week I notice an improvement and I'm looking forward to watching how the practice shall continue to shape my world for the better.

The Green color and the Wood element of this year's sheep both symbolize growth and creativity. This is a year of working consistently toward one's goals with joy, embracing the Chinese saying, "Diligence applied to hard work ensures prosperity." It is with gradual and steadfast efforts that our dreams will manifest, for the good of all. This is a year of community, banding together and joining forces with others who believe in making the world a better place. Is there an art class you've been wanting to take or a singing, gardening or political group you want to be a part of? Now is the time to go for it and do that thing that makes your heart sing or the work that feels like your calling.

Now's the time to find your outlet and your people to share that interest and nurture that bliss. Is it an African dance class or getting on that bicycle more or writing a blog for that organization you're passionate about? Join forces with others and work together toward this goal, or find your support team to cheer you on along the way. I recently started painting again, something I used to love as a child, that I put on a shelf as an adult, telling myself I was too busy (learning and practicing Chinese medicine) or that I wasn't good enough to make it worthwhile. But the truth is, when I do make time to play, yes "play" and draw, paint or doodle, it is always fun and worthwhile, and that is the true goal, not the outcome on paper, but how soul-fulfilling it is. So this year, I encourage you to feed your soul and play more!

It is also a time to get back to basics and to use a greater intuition to find solutions to problems. This would be a great year to start a meditation practice or to take an existing one a level deeper. Spend more time in nature, a surefire way to tap into the slower pace of life and its answers. Qi Gong is also a wonderful, effective practice for increasing intuition. (Keep an eye out for our future blog on Qi Gong and its benefits coming up soon).

Are you thinking, "But what about my busy life and demanding job which remain at a hectic pace?" Well, it just may be that they shall seem less so this year, or that coping seems a whole lot easier. Do not be afraid to reach out to others and to seek out those modalities and tools to bring more peace and harmony into your daily life. The year of the sheep supports this.

Once you feel tapped into that calming, nourishing, joyful spirit of the sheep share those vibrations with those around you. Radiate them out into the world around you, touching every soul you meet. That's what the year of the Green Wood Sheep is all about. Enjoy it!

Why I Love Gratitude (And You Should, Too!)

What does being grateful mean to you?

To me it means being present; it means being able to be alive in the moment and honestly count my blessings. Expressing gratitude gives me a feeling that lifts me and I feel that gratefulness has a high vibrational frequency that feeds your soul. 

Many of my patients and friends know about how I was lead to acupuncture and how I found this happiness that I now hold. And for those of you who don’t, let me share. About a decade ago I was in a marriage that was full of disharmony. There was fighting and discontent, and a new baby that came into the world at only 29 weeks. It was a difficult time. And it got more difficult when my son at 15 months old became seriously ill. My ex husband had left us, we lived in a house I couldn't afford, and my small baby was in the ICU. My son recovered fully after 3 months in the ICU and a year of recovery at home; during this time I quit my job, lost my house, and started a new path in life. 

My son Casey at 4 years old

Thankfully I have the most wonderful family; my sister let us live with her rent free and they all helped with my son. I am full of gratitude for the support they offered and because gratitude is reciprocal I truly believe that all their love and support bonded our family in ways I can't express in words.

During those years I found myself lost and honestly angry with God for taking away the "life" I thought I was building. It took many years for me to release that anger and transform it into gratitude. With my families support I finished credits at Pima Community College that I needed to get into acupuncture school and started that journey. While trying to decide what to do with my life to support myself and my son, I threw my hands up in the air and prayed for God to show me what I was supposed to do. I was sitting in front of the computer and hoped that God would guide my search; I was Google'd to the acupuncture school. This time I decided to listen and made my appointment to check the school out. The very second my feet hit the pavement at the school the interview day, I knew with every fiber in me that this was the path for me.

School was half about learning Chinese medicine and half about healing myself in order to best help others to heal. It was grueling and intense, and I often wondered if I would have the strength to get through it. I am so incredibly grateful for the strength that I was granted to survive and graduate. I must confess that the anger I held stayed with me even after school. It wasn't until I was telling my story to a patient who said "you seem very angry about this past, but it all led you here", that I realized it was time to change inside.

I started thinking about all the things that I feel grateful for.... and do you know what? There's so many things!!! 

• My families love and support 

• My precious son and his life

• My freedom from a crappy marriage

• An amazing career that allows me to help others love their lives

• A beautiful clinic

• And so many more things

I can break down my gratitude to things as small as being present for the smell of a fresh pot of coffee brewing in the house I can now afford where there is love and happiness. I can go big and think how much gratitude I have that we have such a beautiful Earth to live on and the vast possibilities for humankind to experience life fully. 

Now into my fourth year of private practice, it brings me to tears when I think how grateful I am for my life. The clinic that I created now employees some of my favorite people and helps so many in the community on several different levels; it has grown past me and now belongs to those that know us. This clinic has created a relationship with my sister (who is our magnificent practice manager) that fills me with joy. It brought Danube into our lives; and she is one of the best people I've ever met. Chinese medicine has allowed me to help my son heal more and carry less baggage with him through life. And to top it all off, this clinic (and some praying) brought a man into my life that makes my heart skip a beat and he has amazing children that I love. The gratitude I hold for this clinic which has helped heal me and so many others is simply magical.

When I found myself in the middle of turmoil and discontentment it was extremely difficult to feel grateful. At one point when my son was ill, I even thought about killing myself if he died. Being low is such a heavy burden, it can be hard to see the light. Through love and prayer I was able to persevere. And now as I look back I am thankful for this past decade, it allows me to be truly grateful for the blessings I hold and wish such happiness upon others.

Casey and I at Disneyland having a blast!

If you find yourself in the middle of a black hole, I hope my story will inspire you that life can be better. It can be amazing! 

Dig deep and think of something small or something big that you can express gratitude for... it'll change your life for the best. 

Try it now... what are you grateful for? Share with us...

You can share this on Facebook or Google+ with your comments about what you are grateful for!

How Acupuncture Helps with Grief, Sadness, and Loss

This is the time of year we pull winter boxes marked "sweaters" out of storage, replace chilled soups with hearty stews and gather around fireplaces in warm, cozy living spaces with our closest friends and family. 

It feels appropriate that in Chinese medicine, the emotion that is associated with the Autumn Metal element is grief, for it represents a time of consolidating and bringing things closer, like a big hug, that were scattered around during the summer.

There are a total of five emotions in Chinese medicine, one for each season and element:

• Fall - Metal - Grief
• Winter - Water - Fear
• Spring - Wood - Anger
• Summer - Fire - Overjoy
• Late Summer -Earth - Worry

All are appropriate for certain circumstances for a certain amount of time.

It is only natural for someone to grieve when they suffer the loss of a loved one, a pet, or the end of a relationship or physical ability. So, what makes any of these healthy emotions pathological or hazardous to our health? It is difficult to say just when someone should stop grieving, for it's such a personal issue and different for each individual.

Generally, as acupuncturists we see an emotion as pathological when it is in too extreme a state for too long a time, and the body will tell us when this is happening. Signs of imbalance will show up on the tongue and within the pulse. Acupuncture can be of incredible help to those suffering from grief or sadness, whether immediately after a loss, when it is a challenge to carry out daily activities; or months or even years later when one still feels the pangs of grief and struggles to "move on." 

By strengthening the Lung organ system and balancing the Qi, or energy, in both the emotional and physical body, the patient will began to feel more grounded, held and better able to cope with the loss.

Real Patient Experiences: 

I think of a young patient who came to see me two years after being in a plane crash. She survived but the pilot did not. For the first time in her 19 years, she was having asthma symptoms. It was clear after talking with her and reading her pulses that her sadness about the pilot's death was beginning to affect her lung function.

With regular acupuncture treatment and additional work with a counselor, she is back to playing softball and running. 

There has also been several instances when a patient who had come in for something unrelated, cried during a treatment. I've experienced this firsthand. Silent tears filled up my ears as I lay face up on the treatment table listening to the sound of soft waves crashing and thinking, "what is happening, why am I crying?," not knowing the cause of the release. 

Sometimes grief is lodged deep within and only when we "open the channels" and get the energy moving, do these emotions dislodge and rise to the surface on their way out. I remembered feeling lighter and having a great sense of peace after that treatment, as other patients have also shared who've experienced this. 

It is a belief in Chinese medicine that every physical condition has an emotional cause. 

With most sadness or loss, time is the best healer. Acupuncture can help make that time feel less overwhelming, more livable and help keep the body balanced during the transition. 

If you are interested in trying acupuncture for grief, sadness, or to overcome an old deep hurt our acupuncturists at Jade Star Acupuncture will be able to help. You can call 520-881-0827 to find out more or to schedule an appointment. Another great benefit is we do take insurance so we can take care of all the billing for you.