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A Recipe for Autumn

Gillian — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:00:10 +0000

Try this simple but delicious recipe for Carrot Ginger Soup which blends the nourishing, soothing qualities of late summer’s Earth energy, according to Chinese medicine, with Autumn’s pungent clearing energy found in ginger. Cooked carrots are very gentle on the digestive system and the nervous system, too. Serve this in a soup plate with a side of crusty whole grain bread and arugula salad made with roasted walnuts, apples and balsamic mustard vinaigrette. Or have it in a small bowl as a first course, followed by blackened cod and your favorite cooked greens and garlic– another pungent gem of Autumn’s healing energy.

CATHERINE’S CARROT GINGER SOUP
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or 1 Tbsp organic butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
6 cups water or vegetable/chicken stock
3 pounds organic carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small potato, quartered
3 Tbsp lime juice
Sea salt and black pepper
Handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Add olive oil to (or melt butter) in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ginger and sauté until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the water or stock and carrots and potato. Cover and simmer until the carrots and potato are tender, about 35 minutes. Working in batches, purée the mixture in a blender. Stir in the lime juice. Season to taste. Thin the soup with about 3/4 cup warm water if necessary. Sprinkle cilantro over each bowl of soup when serving.

The Pungent Power of Ginger

Gillian — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 03:36:59 +0000

As we head into cold and flu season, take advantage of one of Nature’s most powerful medicines for the lungs: ginger. It’s pungent, spicy quality is associated with Autumn and the Metal Element in Chinese Medicine and it is considered to be warming and clearing. Drink it as a tea with a spoonful of honey and a squeeze of lemon– it’ll make you sweat and help loosen any phlegm so that your body can move it out. Ginger is also great for soothing a queasy stomach, so enjoy!

FRESH GINGER TEA
Take an inch-long piece of fresh ginger and slice it up thinly, peel and all. Simmer in 4 cups of water for 15 minutes. Drain the pieces out (or not) and drink as hot as you can stand it for the greatest healing effect.

Ginger is peppery so if the tea tastes too spicy for you, mix in a spoonful of local honey and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy this anytime you feel chilled or have a cold or respiratory illness. This flavorful, old-fashioned remedy has been used by East and West alike for centuries!

Treating Allergies

Gillian — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:25:52 +0000

Allergies are back in full force! Our immune system is in overdrive, trying to remove allergens from our body with itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, and a profusion of phlegm. Acupuncture can be extremely helpful in regulating our immune response - both to strengthen it against viruses and infections, and gentle it when it overreacts to harmless substances like pollen or wheat. Limiting exposure to the offending substance decreases the allergic response, and a Neti Pot can be used to cleanse your sinus passages of pollen, dust and mold.

POINTS TOWARD HEALTH
For symptomatic relief, use your thumb or forefinger to press on these acupoints for 30-60 seconds. Stimulate points on both sides of your face, several times per day to ease your symptoms.

B2 Collect Bamboo: In the depression at the inner end of the eyebrows, directly above the inner corner of the eye. Relieves colds, sinus congestion, frontal headaches, and tired eyes.

LI 20 Welcome Fragrance: On either cheek, just outside each nostril. Relieves nasal congestion, sinus pain, facial paralysis, and facial swelling.

ST3 Great Cheekbone: Located at the bottom of the cheekbone, directly below the pupil. Relieves stuffy nose, head congestion, burning eyes, eye fatigue, and eye pressure.

Symptoms of Imbalanced Spring Energy

Gillian — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 23:45:35 +0000

Physical Symptoms of Imbalanced Spring Energy:
Abdominal bloating
Acid reflux
Aversion to wind
Blurry and/or weak vision
Breast tenderness
Bruising
Constipation
Flatulence
Floaters in front of eyes
Gallbladder issues
Headaches or migraines
Hemorrhoids
Indigestion
Irregular menstruation
Lack of flexibility/ stiffness
Liver issues
Menstrual cramps/PMS
Nausea and/or vomiting
Painful menstruation
Pain on right abdomen
Stiff neck
Stiff muscles
Stiff shoulders
Weak and/or brittle nails

Emotional Symptoms of Imbalanced Spring Energy:
Aggressive behavior
Anger and angry outbursts
Bitterness/Depression
Emotional repression
Frustration
Impatience
Inability to plan or organize
Indecision
Irritability
Jealousy
Moodiness
Negative outlook
Nervous tension
Over-fastidious planning
Resentment
Rigid and inflexible attitude
Shouting
Timidity

The Rise and Fall of Anger

Gillian — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:35:26 +0000

Anger is a normal part of our emotions. It is a healthy response to an appropriate situation, it rises and falls and, when allowed to be expressed, is released and forgotten. Anger that is unexpressed, repressed, or held onto is unhealthy and begins to have negative consequences for one’s overall wellbeing. Learning when and how to get angry is one of the difficult challenges of life. Many people learn to contain their anger so completely that they don’t feel angry even when they should. This lack of anger is as much an indicator of an imbalance as is the constant feeling of anger and irritation that can come from blocked Spring energy.

Try venting your anger in a constructive way: punch a pillow, chop wood, shout, jump up and down, sprint, write a letter to your congressman…whatever it takes to get it out of your body without destroying anything.

Update on Community Acupuncture

Gillian — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:36:12 +0000

Well, it’s been a very busy couple of months! We opened the Crossings Community Acupuncture Clinic in downtown Silver Spring, MD and it’s been a wonderful success. We’ve been treating folks with conditions ranging from the common cold to anxiety, back/shoulder/neck/leg pain, depression, chronic infection, addictions, exhaustion, dizziness, impotence, heart palpitations, and digestive troubles. We spend 15-30 minutes with each client, talking and needling, then let them rest for the rest of the hour. The sliding fee has allowed folks who would never be able to afford regular one-on-one treatment to be served. It’s been a gift to us to tend our community with the skills we have while being financially inclusive - so it works for everybody!

Community Acupuncture

Gillian — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 19:10:16 +0000

$15-35 sliding fee
Individual Acupuncture in a Group Setting

Starting in September 2007, we will be offering individually tailored acupuncture in a group setting at Crossings Community Acupuncture Clinic in downtown Silver Spring, Md. We offer a sliding scale of $15-35 per treatment so cost doesn’t get in the way of you receiving the care you need. No insurance hassles, no referrals necessary - just affordable care to help you feel better in body, mind, and spirit.

Check out our Community Acupuncture page for more information.

The Gifts of Summer

Gillian — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 16:10:00 +0000

In Chinese medicine, the gift of the Summertime is our capacity for love and the joys of friendship and intimacy. With the increase in sunlight and warmth, we spend more time in pleasurable pursuits: sharing time with friends, closeness with lovers, vacationing with family.

When our summer energy is in balance, we are able to share our heart with others, make choices true to ourselves, and be resilient when we take an emotional blow to the heart. We are warm and caring and able to connect, communicate, and partner with our loved ones.

Out of balance, we tend toward extremes of either cold/joyless or manic and obsessively happy. We cannot sort right from wrong, appropriate from inappropriate, ‘this’ or ‘that’. Our socializing doesn’t quite connect with others no matter how hard we try. And our heart is wounded out of proportion to the comment or arrow aimed at it. It’s a very lonely place to be.

If these symptoms/qualities tend to be your Achilles heel, consider acupuncture as a tool to help you navigate life more smoothly. If you’re not ready to see an acupuncturist, I’ll be posting recommendations on diet and activities to support you through the summer. So keep checking back!

Physical Proof of Acupuncture Meridians?

Gillian — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:54:06 +0000

There have been several studies illustrating the physical detectability of acupuncture points such as radioisotope tracing and low electrical impedance at the acupoints. There has been less scientific proof of the meridians that link the acupoints throughout the body. The “Use of Magnetic Nanoparticles to Visualize Threadlike Structures Inside Lymphatic Vessels of Rats” study brings to light a threadlike structure within lymphatic vessels that may be the first visualization of acupuncture meridians. Using fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles, the team was able to illustrate a new tissue previously undetected by simple stereomicroscopes (image A). The bottom image (B) is a line drawing to clarify the magnetic imagery.

If this does indeed show the anatomical structure of an acupuncture meridian, it will advance the science of acupuncture and bring acupuncture even more into the western medical model - which has positives and negatives for both acupuncturists and consumers alike. But that’s another story altogether!

Movements for Change

Gillian — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 22:33:46 +0000

Following are exercises to help you cultivate and nourish the gifts of Spring on your own. Adjust them to suit your style.

• Make a list of your goals for today. Feel the satisfaction as you check off completed tasks.

• Think of something you are angry about. Vent your anger so that the emotion can move up and out of your body - yell, jump up and down, punch a pillow, sprint, crush cans.

• Practice saying “No.”

• Reorganize your work area. Remove anything you do not regularly use. Start in one corner or drawer and work your way through the task over time.

• Write a poem, make a collage, plant a tree, sing a song, paint a picture, do a dance - use your creative gifts.

• Practice your ability to bend physically and mentally. Stretch your body and mind. Do ten minutes of stretching and then put your mind to a task. Notice the difference in how you feel and how your mind works.