Winter is here and with the cold weather come all the deep blessings of the darker months. Cultivating inner warmth, more silence, and a turning within are all gifts winter brings. Hard to feel it, I know, when we're all out running around crazy to check things off our lists in time for this party and that trip and this meal. But the spirit and energy of winter can be felt even in the midst of the bustle, and this is particularly true for the Water element in Chinese Medicine.
Do you want more insurance coverage for acupuncture?
Do you think Medicare/Medicaid should cover acupuncture?
Would you like to see Acupuncturists working in hospitals?
Does our healthcare system need more coordination with Complementary and Alternative Medicine?
A new program launched by the North Carolina Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCAAOM) is going to directly tackle these issues.
Starting out the New Year at TAC, we have some exciting news--help us welcome our new acupuncturist, Richard Oberg! Richard comes to us from Wisconsin and has a wealth of experience treating pain, women's health, and infertility, among many other general health concerns. His warm and peaceful nature, coupled with his years of experience in Eastern medicine, will be a wonderful addition to our Raleigh clinic.
Have you ever tried to talk a friend or loved one into getting acupuncture, someone who you know really needs it, only to hear something like: “Oh, I don’t think that would work for me, I don’t believe in it.” or “Oh, I believe in acupuncture, but I’m afraid it won’t work for me.” Well, this book review may provide some answers to sway such folks.
Unless you've been living under a rock these days, you've heard about the importance of gut health. Everyone from Harvard to Whole Foods is making sure we know that the state of our gut influences every aspect of our health. From the strength of our immune system, to the integrity of our skin, and even our mental health, if the gut ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. This could be an intense and exhaustive article about the different conditions plaguing our guts these days, but it's not. The point here is to explain that, whether you're dealing with IBS, IBD, Crohn's, colitis, GERD, or SIBO, acupuncture can help.
Patients ask us all the time for suggestions on products, books, and other stuff we like. As acupunturists and herbalists, we have to keep abreast of all things alternative-health. We read about supplements, nutrition, home and skin care products, meditation techniques, and more and more and more! In this newsletter article, we've compiled a list of some of our favorite sites for the things we love to read about, learn about, and buy.
"When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created.
When people see things as good, evil is created.
Being and non-being produce each other.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low oppose each other.
Fore and aft follow each other."
- Dao De Jing
One of the guiding principles in Chinese medicine is the concept of yin and yang. Though not necessarily a complex idea, the concept of it can elude patients and sometimes even their practitioners. Yin and yang are fundamental opposites, and yet, between the two ends of that spectrum, yin and yang are the dynamic, creative, and interdependent forces upon which all health, according to Chinese medicine, relies.