TCM Tongue Diagnosis Many people are surprised when asked to show their tongue during an acupuncture treatment so I thought I’d shed some light on it. The tongue is an incredibly important diagnostic tool in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The color, coating, shape and texture of the tongue reflect the state of your health. The color of your tongue can change daily and will tell a lot about what’s going on inside your body. The sensitive tissue of the tongue reacts to changes in digestion, pH, circulation and immune function. Here’s what your tongue is telling you… Color A healthy tongue will be pink or light red with a thin white coat on the surface. If there is excess heat in the body due to fever, inflammation or infection the tongue will be a bright red color. A purple tongue shows poor circulation and blood stagnation. A pale or white tongue can indicate low energy, fatigue and a weak immune system. The different zones of the tongue reflect different areas of the body. For example, the tip of the tongue reflects the health of the heart. A bright red tip can indicate a ‘restless heart’ causing insomnia. The mid-section of the tongue reflects the digestive system and a greasy coat here can indicate poor digestion. The sides of the tongue reflect the health of the liver. Bright red sides with no coating can indicate stagnation in the liver and high levels of stress. Coating Many people brush their tongue when brushing their teeth but it’s best to avoid brushing your tongue for 24 hours before your appointment. Your practitioner will...
Finally, Fall Qi Gong Class! We are finally offering Qi Gong here in Victoria! It has been a real struggle trying to find the ‘perfect space’ and the ‘perfect time’ that will work for everyone, but we will start with Wednesdays at 6-7pm. Qi Gong is a simple exercise, similar in appearance to Tai Chi, but easier to do and focused on building your health. It really only takes a few hours to learn the basics, and only a lifetime to master them! Qi gong does something, in my opinion, that no other exercise does. It helps to truly relax your body and mind, and gives you a deep sense of well being when practiced correctly. It helps you feel calm and clear minded, but energized and enlivened at the same time. If you would like to give Qi Gong a try or if you know someone who would benefit from it send us an email or give us a call to...
Should you buy organic? Is it worth the extra premium you pay? If you have the option experts suggest organic produce is healthier, cleaner, and more nutrient packed. I have to say I am “healthily skeptical” of the health claims that some suggest. Something that I do clearly see is that non-organic produce have a signicantly higher amount of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides that sometimes cannot be washed away. Here is a list of the dirtiest and cleanest produce. I would try to get the ‘dirtiest’ from organic sources. It surprised me that celery was on this list! (source: www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/) Until next time… ~Think...
Welcome to 2012! I was watching people mope around in the rainy Victoria sidewalks today and noticed that there is a definite “holiday-worn” look that many people are wearing. We ate our plum pudding, buried our mashed potatoes in gravy, and drank bubbly grape juice at the stroke of midnight, so it must mean the holidays are over. The beginning of the year is a great time to reflect on the previous year, take note of what we have learned, and plan the year ahead. While I don’t like the term “New Years Resolution” I think there is tremendous value in goal setting. We should be goal setting at least once a year. Highly productive people goal set and make a plan of action at least once a month. Studies show that by simply writing down your “intentions” for the year make you 70% more likely to achieve them, even if you put them in a drawer and never think about it until this time next year. So, if you could fast forward to December 31, 2012 and you could look back and say, “That was a great year!” what would have needed to happen? Do you need to stop smoking? Lose weight? Improve your diet? Start exercising? Manage stress? Sleep more? Do you need to change careers? Change your outlook? Change the people you surround yourself with? Do you need to travel? Take a vacation? Build that invention that you had stored in your mind? Learn French? I would encourage you to ask yourself that simple question. If nothing comes to mind, it’s OK, just wait. Often people...
It is a very busy time of year with parties, “must-do’s” and “should-do’s.” Having an acupuncture practice is a great opportunity to see how all sorts of different people from a variety of backgrounds respond to the holidays. Some have really busy schedules, others keep the season low key. For those who whip themselves up into a frenzy I offer this idea I heard from a lecture about being creative, and highly productive. There were 8 steps to follow to help free your energy to focus on being creative and innovative. The first and most important step is to “Terminate.” At first I thought I heard wrong, but the idea was to stop doing what you DON’T need to do. Many people give a whole lot of energy to tasks that won’t bring them any closer to their end goals. So you may be able to put that extra set of light on the 50ft tree in your front yard (makes me think of Clark Griswold!). Or you may be able to make a turkey, ham, salmon, roast beef, and lobster for dinner. You probably could make a four story gingerbread from fair trade ingredients from scratch! But, do you really need to? When you “Terminate” tasks that you don’t need to do you will free up energy to be fully present for what you really want to do- like visit with important people, enjoy traditions, or simply relax and rejuvenate during the holidays. ~Think...
