Many people ask exactly what it is that I do, like years of study, training and self awareness can be explained in brief, but I do have an analogy.

You know when your computer is acting all wierd and things just aren’t working right. Nothing you do seems to work. In fact, clicking the “x” to close a window then freezes up everything! (I mean seriously, how does something that insignificant freeze up the whole machine??). So the IT guy tells you first thing is…. restart the computer. Wow, suddenly most of the symptoms have gone away. If there are more significant issues underlying, they are now much easier to identify and address appropriately. All of the little stuff, the computer’s normal routines have sorted out and gotten back in line.

This, in my opinion, is the greatest strength of acupuncture and auriculotherapy. Although not the only benefit by a long shot, it is consistently the most profound effect I see, no matter what the client’s chief complaint is. That reset allows the body and mind to start over, refresh all of it’s settings back to your user defaults, and allows each of us to more accurately view our situations. If it’s a structural issue, the body can focus on healing that damaged tissue and rebuild it properly from the original blue prints. If it’s emotional, it allows the psyche to have that temporary break and flushes out much of the daily clutter and let’s us refocus on the issues at hand.

Now, I’m no ancient master, but this, to me, is one of the most important parts of the healing process for any of us, no matter what the issue is.

Thory

Hopefully everyone is having a great summer. I know for Calgary it has been a much more humid experience than usual. Most of us can appreciate the warmth, and a little extra water is great for the lawn and garden. What is important to note, is that this is a different climate than we are used to here. As nice as it is, our system is dealing with different conditions than is normal.

Now, if we are functioning on a very high level, we can deal with it quite well. For those people with sensitivities, deficiencies, or even just certain tendencies, this can be quite a different experience. In Chinese medicine, we call this dampness. Now, dampness is not inherently a “bad” thing, but it’s all relative. If you are not used to the relative humidity and for some reason your body is not effectively dealing with it, you may see things such as excessive nasal or chest congestion, aggravated  migraine attacks, even plain old common colds jumping on when it seems like they shouldn’t.

So, how do we deal with this? Specifically, there are different ways to treat this, depending on how a person is presenting. In general though, there are things we can do.

1. Keep active. Make sure you are being active. As my old master used to say, “A rolling stone gathers no moss.” By keeping the circulation flowing throughout the body, we help flush things out.

2. Drink plenty of water. This may seem to be a contradiction, but we want to keep our fluid metabolism functioning properly.

3. Stretch. Whether it’s a yoga class, a tai qi in the park, or a stretching routine you have of your own, open up your body. I know personally that the single most satisfying exercise for me is stretching. You can feel parts of your body that were “sleeping” and improve the circulation of blood to your whole body, including your brain.

These are just a few quick things we can all do for ourselves. Remember that you live in your body every day of your life, so treat it well. It’s the little things that we do daily that truly have the greatest effect.

Thory

Here is a link to a very interesting article on how electro-acupuncture is believed to work. It’s nice when modern science can reinforce what’s been proven clinically for thousands of years, but it’s even better when it can enhance our treatments!!

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/25117

Let me begin by saying I am not writing this to brag about me. My goal is to show that we can plant the seeds of a healthy lifestyle in our children at an early age if we lead by example. I also want to show that our kids see us for who we really are; we can’t hide behind masks for long around them.

My 3 year old made me so proud last night, and reminded me that what I do is good. She began by listing off on her fingers what she was going to be when she grows up. The conversation went something like this:

Daughter:  “When I grow up I am going to be these kind of people: 1. a baby doctor, 2. a nurse, 3. a regular doctor.”The funny thing was, she listed them on her first two, and then her fourth finger.

Me: “What’s the third finger was for?”

Daughter: “That’s the kind of doctor Daddy is.”

Me: “What kind of doctor is Daddy?”

Daughter: “A Chinese doctor…” she said, with that sort of “you know…” look on her face.

Me: ”What does a Chinese doctor do?”

Daughter: ”A Chinese doctor puts in needles to make people feel better. And they tell you to eat healthy food, like fruit, and vegetables and how to exercise and be healthy and ..”

She’s 3, so she continued on for awhile, but you get the idea. I am so excited that my kids already have that perception of who I am and what I do. Of course this is our lifestyle at home, but honestly we all slide a bit at times, and kids see all sides of us. This just reinforces to me that basic concept that has stuck with me since I began study of the human body/mind/spirit in my early teens: A healthy lifestyle is, indeed, the best healthcare plan one can have.

Well, I’m finally getting things together in the online world. Facebook group is alive and well. Be sure to join and keep in touch with our wellness community. Invite a couple friends and ask some questions using the discussion board. Let’s stir up some more interest in our own health and wellness!!

Of course it’s all around the news lately, H1N1, swine flu, whatever the flavor of the year is in the newest “flu season” vaccine. It really can sound scarey. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do. Do I go get the vaccination for this, or that, or all of the above? Do I travel or not? In my opinion, a lot of the answers are right in front of us.

Let’s get back to basics. How could a person catch something like this? Well, for these types of diseases, access is through the mouth and nose. Sharing a glass, shaking hands, coughing, sneezing; all of these things can pass on the disease causing agents. So how do we prevent this? Brace yourself… it’s all those things your mother probably hounded you about as a kid. Don’t touch your face, especially keep your fingers out of your nose and mouth. Wash your hands thoroughly, with warm, soapy water. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, preferably into your elbow, to reduce passing things on by touching that door handle or telephone on the way to wash your hands after that turbo sneeze. These are the mechanical things we need to remember, and should be doing anyways (Mom says so).

Our next line of defense is to maintain our own healthy immune system. Here we go with the rocket science again. Get a proper amount of sleep every night. Eat clean, healthy food (ie: lots of vegetables and fruits) and drink plenty of water. Exercise regularly. Manage your stress levels in an appropriate way such as meditation, a brisk walk or listening to some relaxing music. Once again, we should be doing these things all the time anyway.

Are there other things I can do to keep as healthy as I can? I’ve been quite busy and feel like I might be a bit “out of whack”.

Of course a healthy lifestyle is the best way to stay healthy. Acupuncture is definitely a valuable part of any healthy routine. By identifying minor imbalances in how your system is functioning, we can make adjustments and recomendations to help get things back on track and keep them there. In my practice I’ve noticed a significant number of people that come in for regular “tune ups” get sick much less often, and deal with illness and injuries in a much more timely manner than a lot of other people.

In the end, do some research before you let someone stick a needle in you (including an acupuncture needle).

Dr. Thory

Well, I just did my first class of Bikram Yoga today at Bikram Yoga Calgary south.

Some quick background on Bikram yoga: it is the “hot” yoga, done in a hot and humid room to warm the body completely through and help detoxify your system. There is much more to it then that so please check out the link to their website on our links page.

It was quite interesting and challenging. I found myself doing ok as far as flexibility, strenght and balance (still lots of room to grow to be sure, but for my first time I felt pretty good) but the heat kicked my butt! Several times I experienced light headedness. Once or twice when I fought through this, I actually got tunnel vision. At this point, of course, sat or lay down and breathe (to prevent passing out).

By the end of the 90 minute class, I was tired, but invigorated. I felt taller and cleaner from the inside out. I definitely recommend it. Cant’ wait for tomorrow’s class!

Welcome to our new website! I am so excited to have it up and running. Looking forward to brining you new and interesting tibits on Traditional Chinese Medicine and healthy living in general. Check back often for updates!