Five-Element Acupuncture

Entering Winter

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:55:00 +0000

Autumn is changing to Winter in Seattle. Most of the leaves have fallen and are waiting in piles if they have not been taken away. All that energy from the sun, rain and soil went into the production of so many leaves. Oak leaves in particular are so sturdy; thick, hard to even tear apart. As they sit in a compost pile, laced with horse manure, they break down slowly, becoming rich soil thanks to the worms and microbes. As the pile gets one last turn before it is tucked in for a winter slumber, I think about the yucky stuff in each of us that melts slowly into enriching insights if we are willing to give it some air and proper attention. Like jealous feelings that lead us to realize that in the light of consciousness all positions are equal, all is one. Or the intense grief and heartbreak felt when we are rejected. It shows us the depth and capacity for love that exists in our hearts.

As we move into Winter, are there any areas of difficulty that you want to unearth and explore, and then allow to soften and melt during the dark months, liberating and enriching you for the Spring?

Autumn Practices

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:15:00 +0000

In Autumn we Let Go.
Move downward.
Seek Inspiration.

Here are some great practices to make use of the energy of the season:

Clean out the old:

Go through your home and work place. Clear out places where clutter collects. Clean out closets, filing cabinets & medicine cabinets. Comb through your bookshelves for items that you no longer need. Sell, give away or recycle as much as possible.
Assess your schedule - clear out any activities that you are done with - pare down to essentials.
If there is any unfinished business in your relationships, clean it up
Let go of pain that causes you unnecessary suffering. If appropriate, write down the things you need to release, then burn the paper.
Autumn is a great time to cleanse the body. Eliminate toxins from your diet and eat simple, whole foods.

Receive the pure energy of the season:

Go for a walk and breathe deeply - experience the clear, crisp air and feel how much energy it gives you.
Honor the friends, relatives, pets, colleagues who add to your life.
Seek out things that inspire you - read an inspiring book, listen to music that moves you, view art that touches you.
Is there anything that you want to add to your life to enhance your health, energy or soul? Meditation, regular breathing exercise, a gratitude journal are some examples.

Engaging with this season also prepares us for the deep stillness of Winter, when it is appropriate to be more quiet and restful. May you have a rich and beautiful Autumn!

For more information about Five-Element Acupuncture, see the Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Practices for Late Summer

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Late Summer is almost gone...

While its still here:

Go apple picking

Do a gratitude meditation - focus on all that you are grateful for or spend a few minutes at the end of each day feeling gratitude for specific people, events or moments.

Take a long slow walk outside, really taking in and savoring all that you smell, see, hear.

Bake a pie or crisp - share it with loved ones.

Slow down and let the magic of life and Nature feed you.

Let pear juice run down your wrist as you take a sweet bite.

Have an acupuncture treatment to facilitate balance and being in harmony with Late Summer.

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Late Summer

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Aaahhh! Late Summer! A sweet time! The harvest is flowing in - plums, pears, & apples are literally falling from the trees. Tomatoes are popping off the vines. Blackberries are sweet and abundant, slipped warm from a branch into our mouths. The earth is feeding us.

Chinese philosophy recognizes five seasons - Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Late Summer. It is Late Summer in Seattle right now. The heat of Summer is gone - the earth is cooling and Nature is pouring forth a great harvest.

The energy of Late Summer exists in each of us. When it is in balance we truly receive. We feel nourished & satisfied with our lives and the abundance that we have. There is a sense of gratitude for our health, family, and friends. We feel delighted with life!

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Practices for Summer

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Celebrate! Take advantage of the natural enthusiasm of the Summer and do things that bring you Joy.

Play! Join a team, get on a swing, paddle a boat, laugh with friends, build a sand castle, play hopscotch and blow bubbles.

Work from the Heart. Recall your passions and express yourself from your Heart in everything that you do.

Notice the unique fragrance and presentation of the flowers in bloom. Let yourself blossom and show yourself to the world. See the beauty in those around you.

Rise early in the morning.

Connect with people you may not have seen in awhile. Reach out to neighbors and extend yourself just a little further than you might in cooler months.

Eat summer fruits - raspberries, blueberries, cherries. Focus on what is fresh and growing near you.

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Summer Lovin'

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:00:00 +0000

Summer is here in Seattle. The rapid rising of Spring has given way to the full energy of Summer. The days are long and plants are maturing rapidly. Small fruits will ripen soon; larger fruits are growing and maturing. The tall trees are in full leaf - able to gather huge amounts of energy from the sun. Early summer flowers are in bloom and many plants are buzzing with bees carrying information from flower to flower - connecting them all together.

There is a tremendous amount of energy available right now - this is a great time of year to rise early and get going with the day. If you rested well in the Winter, and sprouted your vision and laid plans in the Spring, Summer is the time to busily fulfill your vision. Its a time of action. Its also time to play and be with loved ones. The warm weather brings people out onto porches, balconies, and into parks. Socializing and connecting with friends and neighbors is a natural activity.

Living in a place where Summer is often short makes it all the more important to really fill up on sunshine, fun, love, and play.

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Spring!

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:24:00 +0000

Its clearly Spring here in Seattle! Plants are growing inches a day and nature is busy. The deep rest of winter has given way to a flurry of activity. It is happening inside of us, too. If we are well and in balance it is natural to rise early, to lay plans for the coming year. We look into the future and see a clear vision for our lives. Its time to launch ideas that have been gestating. Favorite springtime activities include:

A visioning exercise - create a vision board - a collage of images that embody your dreams and plans for the future.

A deep spring clean, internally with a cleanse, or externally in your space.

Trying a new activity, joining a class, or stretching into something you have never done before.

Making decisions and moving forward in any areas of life where you have felt stuck.

Happy Spring!!

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle

Late Winter

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:51:00 +0000

It is late Winter here in Seattle. The first bulbs are flowering and buds are beginning to swell on the trees. All of a sudden the days are lengthening - in fact the rate of change speeds up this time of year - it is getting light faster! You can feel that the energy is starting to change.

There is caution needed this time of year. Although things are changing quickly, it is still winter. Professor Cheng, the great Chinese physician and T'ai Chi Master, used to caution that this is the time of year when many people get sick because they do not keep warm. The earth is still quite cold. Just sit down on the grass and you will feel it! I often see people with the flu this time of year and sometimes ending up with pneumonia or a bad sinus infection. It is time to use energy wisely. Sleep as much as your body needs. Be inside in the evening. Let small projects begin to flower, but keep ambition in check. Spring is coming, and with it plenty of energy and momentum.

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Questions for Winter

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:45:00 +0000

Winter is the season of stillness & inquiry. Time to go deep inside and reflect on the essence of life.

Some questions to ponder at this time of year:

What is the state of your reserves of energy? Do you have plenty or have you run yourself down? Take the time to build up your reserves if needed. Rest. Stay warm. Drink lots of water.
What practices do you have in your life that create space for stillness and reflection?
A mountain lake that freezes in the winter is storing its power - when it thaws it fuels that tremendous growth of spring. Are you aware of your personal power and how you use it?
Do you manage your energy wisely? Do you contain your energy well or do you spill it out in your life? Are your boundaries appropriate, allowing you to hold your own energy and use it consciously?

Practices for Winter include:

Sleeping as much as your body needs.
Gathering with close friends and family - time to go deep with those who mean the most to you.
Taking a conscious rest vacation or retreat.
Eating cooked foods - warming stews and roasted vegetables.

For more information about living in harmony with the seasons and Five-Element Acupuncture see the Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Winter

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:45:00 +0000

Winter is a time of quiet and depth.

Trees are stripped of their leaves; the activity is internal.

Animals hibernate. Perennial plants lose their branches and leaves, appearing to be dead.

There is stillness. Things are down to their essence, stripped to their core. This is the time of darkness.

Mountain lakes and rivers freeze - storing their power to fuel the growth of spring.

This is a time for internal work: containment, meditation, collection, and storage of energy. Now is the time to restore our reserves of energy, to gather strength for the year ahead. Snowy days force outward activity to stop. We must be indoors. Once we let go of our attachment to cancelled plans, these days provide a much needed Winter rest. Time to sleep, relax, restore..

For information about Five-Element Acupuncture see the Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

For information about Tai Chi see taichiseattle.com

More Practices for Autumn

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:00:00 +0000

In Autumn we
Let Go
Move Downward
Seek Inspiration

Some Seasonal Practices:

Resolve old gripes with those around you so that you can move on. Let go of pain that causes you unnecessary suffering. If appropriate, write down the things you need to release, then burn the paper.
Clear out spaces where clutter collects. Do a deep clean and organize medicine cabinets, filing cabinets, storage closets.
Autumn is a great time to cleanse the body. Do a short fast or eliminate toxins from you diet.
Pay special attention to your lungs and breathing - exercise outdoors with an emphasis on filling your lungs with pure air and energy.
Seek out things that inspire you - read an inspiring book, listen to music that moves you, view art that touches you.

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Autumn is here!

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:16:00 +0000

Autumn has definitely arrived in Seattle. Chestnuts and acorns are dropping, leaves are beginning to turn, the sun is lower in the sky, and the garden has stopped ripening summer fruits. Having provided a harvest, Nature now makes everything bare, letting go of its abundant creation in a beautiful, final display. The old leaves fall to the earth to enrich the soil for future growth and a new harvest. Sap is drawn inside. This is a time for turning inward, moving away from outer-directed energy.

We can learn from Nature about our own cycles of creation and letting go. It is natural and appropriate to step back from our lives from time to time - to assess what is of value to us and what no longer serves us. The energy of Autumn, more that any other season, supports our letting go of the waste, the old and stale in our lives, leaving us receptive to the pure and the new, granting us a vision of who we are at our essence.

Some great Autumn practices

Clean out the old:

Go through your home and office - clean out any old junk, clothes you no longer wear, papers that have piled up, books you no longer want. Sell, give away or recycle as much as possible.
Asses you schedule and clear out any activities that you are done with - pare down to essentials.
If there is any unfinished business in your relationships, clean it up.

Receiving the pure energy of the season:

Go for a walk and breathe deeply - experience the clear, crisp air and feel how much energy it gives you.
Is there anything you want to add to your life to enhance your health, energy, or soul? Meditation, regular breathing exercise, a gratitude journal are some examples.
Honor the friends, relatives, pets, colleagues who add to your life.

Late Summer

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:50:00 +0000

Chinese Philosophy recognizes five seasons - Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Autumn, and Winter. We are now in Late Summer in Seattle - its harvest time! Tomatoes, peaches, pears, & plums are literally falling off the trees and vines. There is a sweet smell in the air. The heat of Summer is gone, the air has turned cooler, the days are shorter. Its time to take in and savor all that Nature gives us, as well as appreciate our own hard work and all that we have accomplished.

When the energy of Late Summer is in balance inside of us we are able to truly receive, to feel nourished, satisfied with our lives and the abundance that we have. There is a sense of gratitude for our health, our family and friends.

Great Late Summer activities include:
Picking fruit
Baking crisps, pies, tarts
Making jam
Expressing gratitude
Walking slowly in Nature - really taking in the experience
Letting peach juice drip down your arm as you savor the sweetness

For a great blog entry on Late Summer see Mixedgreensblog.com
For more on the Five Elements see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

A Tool Bag for Health

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:11:00 +0000

We evolved completely connected to Nature - knowing that we are part of Nature. Today, as we commute to work, spend much of the day sitting and thinking, feeling concerned about the future and burdened by the past, we are not exactly living in the moment, connected to our bodies and Nature. We all need a Tool Bag - a set of activities, ideas, reminders to keep us healthy. Here's my prescription:

1) A form of movement that you love, do outdoors, and is easily accessible - walking, running, skateboarding, biking, skipping - getting outside, fresh air in your lungs, the sights and smells of nature all around. Ideally, use it as your mode of transport.

2) Cultivate a spiritual practice that also includes movement - tend to your own energy by learning to do Tai Chi, yoga, or Qigong. Once you know how to practice, you can do these virtually anywhere - 10-15 minutes a day or several times a week will contribute significantly to your long term health. Notice how healthy long term practitioners of these arts appear!

3) Eat fresh food as much as possible.

4) Socialize with a few or many people at least once a week.

5) Drink your water.

6) Recruit your own health care team. Fill it with providers you trust who you can turn to when you need help. It may include great body worker, a physician, an acupuncturist, a counselor - whatever you need to help you stay in great condition - ask trusted friends or health care providers for recommendations.

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Summer - The Season of Fire

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:45:00 +0000

Summer - the time when the sun shines for hours, the flowers bloom, the small fruits ripen. There is a lot of light and energy available. Trees have their full crown of leaves and are gathering massive amounts of energy from the sun. Plants grow very quickly now - sometimes inches a day.

There is a lot of energy available to us as well. When we are in balance we feel happy, vibrant, and social this time of year. If we rested appropriately in the winter we now have abundant energy for work and play. A healthy person can do with less sleep now - often waking early to a sunny day. Our hair grows more quickly at this time of year and we naturally want to be active and outdoors. Time to take advantage of the light and play with friends, work on projects, and gorge on summer produce.

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle

Eating in Season

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:43:00 +0000

The Chinese theory of the Five Elements guides us to live in harmony with the seasons. This means eating food that grows near you when it is fresh and in season. Many of us have to learn how to do this since we have grown up eating food that comes from all over the world. Poppy Barach has a fantastic blog that is inspiring, beautiful, and educational. She writes about cooking foods grown in Seattle as well as gardening and living well in our Northwest region. Check it out - http://mixedgreensblog.com/

For more information about the Five Elements see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

An Acupuncture Treatment Story

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:13:00 +0000

Sarah came in for acupuncture because she was not feeling her best. At age 50, with her kids launched in the the world, a successful career and a nice circle of friends she had a lot going for her. However, she was feeling tired, unfocused, and flat. "I used to get enthusiastic about things and always had creative projects going. I'm really worried about my lack of focus - what if I can't perform in my work anymore?" she told me at her initial visit.

I began treating her with acupuncture weekly - helping to nourish her energy and spirit. At her third visit she appeared much brighter, more alert, engaged. "I can't believe it!!! I have so much energy! I'm refocused at work - even my colleagues have been noticing! I'm not sleeping all weekend - in fact I cleaned and reorganized my entire house! When I came here, I really didn't know if it could help me - I'm blown away by how much better I feel."

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Spring

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:28:00 +0000

"As the days become warmer and brighter, nature rouses from her winter slumber and looks ahead to the new growth of spring. The Wood, which has been at rest, storing and concentrating its energy under a winter blanket, now bursts forth with new buds, new life piercing Earth's crust. The swelling Wood of spring initiates rebirth - a surge of rising energy, like the young lamb staggering up to nurse, like the dandelion whose growing edge can burst through concrete if it must. Wood is the energy of youth and growth: a new beginning, a vision of a whole new cycle. The Wood energy of spring is an expression of life at its strongest.

"If we have followed nature's way and taken a winter rest, we too emerge into spring 'raring to go' with clear vision and a sense of purpose. This is the season to plant seeds for a future harvest, to look ahead and make new plans, formulate new ideas, make decisions, and
determine our direction for the coming year - and to take action."

- Neil Gumenick

This text is from Neil Gumenick's site - an amazing resource for information on Classical Five-Element Acupuncture.

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Fascinating Study

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:02:00 +0000

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people had better results from a medication when they believed that it cost more. The finding emerged from a randomized, blinded study, in which 82 healthy paid volunteers were given what they were told was a new opioid and asked to rate its effect on painful electric shocks. In fact, the volunteers were all given the same placebo, but some were told its price was $2.50 a pill and others were told the cost was discounted to 10 cents a pill, the researchers reported.

Those who got the perceived expensive pill had significantly greater pain reduction than those who thought they were getting the cheaper version.

This study is fascinating to me - it illustrates clearly that what we believe creates our experience.

Sources:
Journal of the American Medical Association
Source reference:
Waber RL, et al. "Commercial features of placebo and therapeutic efficacy." JAMA 2008; 299(9): 1016-17.

A placebo Effect for Pricey Placebos in Placating Pain
By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today
Published: March 04, 2008
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle

Acupuncture and Healing from Disease

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:33:00 +0000

“Classical Five-Element Acupuncture recognizes that when our internal organs are working in balance and harmony as Nature ordained, it is impossible to be sick in body, mind, or spirit. Every disease throughout the whole of the world is caused by one or more of these organs not functioning correctly. As the organ starts to go out of balance, disease will result - either disease of the mind, or disease of the body, or disease of the spirit. Basically, all we have to do is to correct the imbalance – bring these organs as near to balance as we possibly can, and the disease will disappear.” - JR Worsley
For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle or The Worsley Institute of Classical Five-Element Acupuncture

Tips for Staying Balanced in Autumn

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:51:00 +0000

Taking our cue from Nature, Autumn is the time to clear out the old and value what is precious.

*Prepare for Winter by going through your closet, desk, garage, medicine cabinet - any cluttered storage area - and discard what you no longer need. Then donate, sell, or give away what might be of value to others.

*Examine your schedule and remove items that are not valuable to you any more. Pare down to what is essential.

*If there is any unresolved "stuff" in your relationships, address it and move on.

*Take time each day to breathe slowly and deeply. As you inhale the clean autumn air, feel yourself energized and purified. Exhale toxins and anything you need to release.

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Longevity

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 19:37:00 +0000

From an interview with 105-year-old Tai Chi Master Wu Tu-Nan:
"Is Tai Chi practice the reason for your longevity?"

"Not directly. Tai Chi helps cultivate a relaxed spirit. Having a relaxed spirit is the secret of longevity."

For more information on Tai Chi in Seattle see www.taichiseattle.com. The unique thing about Five-Element Acupuncture is that it can give people the experience of having a relaxed spirit - even before they learn how to cultivate it on their own.

Autumn

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:05:00 +0000

Autumn is the time of year when the harvest is over - the light changes - the air smells differently. Leaves begin to change color and the trees let go. Sap is drawn inward. Acorns and chestnuts fall from the trees - a bit of precious DNA and enough energy to grow a whole new tree. Having provided the harvest, Nature now makes everything bare. In this season Nature lets go of its abundant creation of the past year in a grand final display. Autumn marks the end of the growing season - a turning inward, a falling away of outer-directed energy. Leaves turn color and drop. The old leaves go back to the earth, enriching it to promote the coming of new leaves, a new harvest.

Nature instructs us about our own cycles of creating and letting go: Trees in autumn don't stubbornly hold onto their leaves because they might need them next year. Yet how many of us defy the cycle and hold onto what we've produced or collected - those decayed leaves, that old negativity? How can we hope for a harvest next year unless we let go of the old and start afresh?

The energy of this season, more than any other, supports our letting go of the waste, the old and stale in our lives, leaving us receptive to the pure and new, granting us a vision of who we are in our essence.

For more information see The Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

Some of this text is from Neil Gumenick's site - an amazing resource for Information on Classical Five-Element Acupuncture.

Does Acupuncture help with Non-Physical Problems?

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 04:18:00 +0000

Yes, definitely. We must emphasize that classical acupuncture views the body, mind, and spirit as a whole. All physical disorders will cause an imbalance in the mental outlook and spirit of a person. This may manifest as depression, anxiety, anger, sadness, and the like. Mental disturbances, stress, and emotional conflict will cause effect in the physical body such as insomnia, lack of appetite, fatigue, menstrual disorders, migraines, susceptibility to disease, aches, pains, and any labeled disease one can imagine. Any imbalance must manifest on all levels, all part of the whole. All classical acupuncture treatments aim to restore the harmony of body, mind, and spirit. Thus, the physical and non-physical sides of a patient are treated together.

For more information see the Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

What Happens at the Initial Acupuncture Visit

noreply@blogger.com (April Hulvershorn) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 04:11:00 +0000

The initial examination takes up to two hours and includes a thorough medical and personal history, description of complaints, a review of the functioning of the systems of the body, and a physical examination. This includes taking the Chinese pulses [usually felt at the wrist] from which we can determine the state of the energy in each of the major organs and functions. Using the diagnostic tools of classical Chinese medicine, which include analyzing a patient’s predominant facial color, vocal sound, emotion, and odor, we assess the condition of the Chi energy and determine the underlying cause of the condition. From all of this information, a treatment plan is developed, unique to the individual patient.

For more information see the Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.