tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756264949134913082025-03-08T15:34:47.903-08:00This blog has been created to accompany www.roots-of-life-acupuncture.com.Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-7160367993569557342010-09-23T20:43:00.000-07:002010-11-08T19:26:42.656-08:00

The acupuncture community in British Columbia was rocked on Tuesday, when CBC's investigative journalism revealed some extremely unethical behavior by some our colleagues. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/09/20/bc-acupuncturebilling.html For many years now, alternative medicine treatments from chiropractors, naturopathic doctors, registered massage therapists,

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-36782007375356379592010-07-27T08:41:00.000-07:002010-07-27T08:42:20.438-07:00

The amount of sleep required by the average person is five minutes more. ~Wilson Mizener dog tired Sleep - highly coveted by some, an inconvenience that gets in the way of life for others.  We all do it, but how much do we really need?   According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, that varies depending on the season.  One of the foundational philosophies of

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-43291611166970185752010-07-19T19:58:00.000-07:002010-07-19T19:58:31.743-07:00

Too much alcohol is not a good thing for your body.  Anyone who has overdone it will confirm that for you the next morning.  In ancient China this was also a known fact - the Huang Di Nei Jing states that the over-consumption of alcohol will make the energy of the body rush to the head.  Amen to that. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, food, drink and herbs are categorized by

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-70629857570308094642010-07-12T14:39:00.000-07:002010-07-12T14:39:00.631-07:00

A client of mine, who is getting ready to begin an IVF cycle, confided in me that her mom was not in favour of her undergoing the procedure.  Although her fallopian tubes are both blocked, and therefore IVF is her only chance of conceiving a child, her religious mother was having trouble supporting her as she felt her doctors were Playing God. I told her that while it may appear,

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-81363585198216709182010-07-08T12:04:00.000-07:002010-07-08T12:04:00.609-07:00

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting a man in his golden years.  He was born in Asia and has lived in Canada since the 1960s.  He had never experienced acupuncture in his life, and I feel priviledged to be the person who is introducing him to this ancient form of therapy. He told me that when he first came to Vancouver, he became friends with one of the city's first acupuncturists.

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-4645230534936076262010-07-02T10:57:00.000-07:002010-07-02T11:11:02.161-07:00

A continuation of the previous blog on advice from TCM sages. SunSiMiao - "Cultivate the disposition to preserve health" A very important TCM doctor who wrote the great work QianJinFang, or "Presciptions from the Golden Cabinet", a book of Herbal Formulas which are still widely used today.  Sun SiMiao also wrote Zhenzhong Fang, or "Handy Prescriptions for Life Cultivation".  Sun SiMiao

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-76692905105852359732010-06-30T09:35:00.000-07:002010-07-02T10:51:44.699-07:00

Throughout Traditional Chinese Medicine's 2000+ years of documented history, there have been several famous "masters" of strengthening health and prolonging life.  Here I will briefly summarize some of their philosophies. Lao Zi - "Cherish no worries and keep away from fame and gain" Lao Zi was the founder of Taoism and the writer of the TaoTeChing.  "Cherish a mild character", "

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-90820218702404024272010-06-29T14:49:00.000-07:002010-07-02T10:53:36.041-07:00

It is true that Chinese Herbal Formulas often do not taste very good.  But Chinese Herbal Teas, on the other hand, can be much more palatable. Based on a Chinese Herbal Formula often used for fertility, this herbal tea is designed for easy drinking.  Chinese Herbal Formulas are custom made for each person; Chinese Herbal Teas are less individualized.  This tea is crafted with

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-30500993261201635042010-06-24T18:22:00.000-07:002010-07-02T10:56:52.327-07:00

In the Huang Di NeiJing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine), it is said that life consists of Qi. For a review of what Qi is all about (because it is more than just an unmeasurable "life-energy"), please click here.  The internal environment of the body, the unity of the body as a whole, and the external surroundings of humans all allow life to exist.  A balance between these things

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-11524633814724589802010-06-22T07:49:00.000-07:002010-07-02T10:59:29.715-07:00

Not many of us can actually "feel it" - the summer solstice shift in energy as the rising Yang becomes the declining Yang, and the declining Yin becomes the rising Yin. Our days are now officially getting shorter and our nights longer. We may not feel it unless we really look for it, but it does affect us all. And this morning (in Vancouver anyways), the sunrays are actually hitting the earth,&

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-40364680450254234902010-06-17T12:26:00.000-07:002010-07-02T11:02:14.160-07:00

Most of us in the West use Medicine only when we fall ill. Health care is often viewed as a way to fix us when we break - why would you go to a doctor when you are feeling well? Indeed, both modern biomedical medicine and ancient Chinese Medicine can help the healing process, repairing the effects that the process of living sometimes has on our bodies. However, one of the cornerstone philosophies

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-85553451136646011342010-06-16T07:43:00.000-07:002010-06-16T08:26:02.630-07:00

It's been a while since I've had a chance to blog - I just returned from a week-long trip to the east coast of Canada. Taking a "red-eye" flight last week, I hopped on a flight at 11:00 pm, and as we headed east I watched the sun rise a mere few hours later. I was flying to meet the sun - minimizing that night's Yin and maximizing the next day's Yang. 4 hours of dark, 20 hours of light.The Yang

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-22705750416989502812010-06-04T10:43:00.000-07:002010-06-04T22:30:34.189-07:00

The question almost always will eventually come up, "If I come see you for acupuncture to help boost my fertility, are you going to put needles in my private parts?" Some practioners will use a point that is close to the genitals, namely Conception Vessel 1 - "Hui Yin, the Meeting of the Yin" when treating fertility. I prefer points that are closer to the uterus and ovaries, and closer to the

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-17422805878434221532010-05-28T10:22:00.000-07:002010-05-28T15:49:22.904-07:00

Ginseng is probably the Chinese Medical Herb that is best known in the west. It has infiltrated itself into our culture in many things as an energy tonic - from 7-11 coffee to the newest energy drink of the week. But most people in the west probably don't know that there are actually 2 different kinds of ginseng that are used in Chinese Herbal Medicine - American Ginseng, and Korean/Chinese

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-41034673019092349682010-05-21T10:06:00.001-07:002010-05-21T10:37:27.675-07:00

ever since hearing of yesterday's scientific miracle breakthrough, my mind has been racing. so we have figured out how to synthesize DNA, graft it into a bacteria cell, and by-golly, it replicated itself. truly amazing.but what does this really mean? what does that say about the origin of life? what are we going to do with this new technology? how is our species, our planet and home, going to be

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-73225272443357919642010-05-19T08:49:00.001-07:002010-05-19T09:20:31.746-07:00

north american ginseng has some slightly different properties than chinese / korean ginseng does. north american ginseng is cooler, and better helps nourish the Yin as compared to the warming, stronger Qi tonifying effects of Chinese ginseng.one of my masters used to say that those foods which are grown in soil near where you live are the most appropirate for you - our environment knows how best

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-34857675244384893152010-05-15T08:49:00.000-07:002010-05-15T09:14:09.618-07:00

to create the website that i am seeing in my mind's eye, there is a lot of work i have to do. i am feeling pretty good, though, that i feel the first section of the site, the "chinese medicine" section, is pretty much complete. that includes all of the sub-sections of it (yinyang, qi, vital substances, five elements, zangfu, causes of disease, patterns of disharmony, tongue and pulse diagnosis).

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-64043650984453148472010-05-12T13:58:00.000-07:002010-05-12T15:08:21.478-07:00

one of my favourite chinese medical herbs is dong chong xia cao - "worm winter, summer grass". or, "in the winter it is a worm, and then in the summer a fungus grows out of the carcass." this insect / fungus hybrid has been used for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years in china for health and well-being. it became more widely known in the west after the 1992 olympics, when 3 world-record breaking

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-84284193580781605152010-05-07T16:04:00.001-07:002010-05-07T17:51:14.722-07:00

on a beautiful sunny day such as this, the open brightness of the new clinic can't be ignored. being in a corner suite on the 4th floor of a building that faces northeast, we have a beautiful view is of the north shore mountains. and to the east we see the treetops from the opposite side of the lot beside us. view from my treatment room view of my treatment roomwaiting room outside of building (

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-30753552827558669442010-05-04T09:08:00.000-07:002010-05-04T09:23:00.715-07:00

the remaining element of spirit, as anthro-pomorphized through my blog fish, is Yi of the Spleen, or intellect. you know that feeling in your gut when you are anticipating or antagonizing about something? perhaps it is your Yi, as overthinking can cause imbalance in this organ's aspect of spirit.the Yi encourages conceptual thinking, analyzes inhibitions, and helps to form intention. when

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-85738456759050903682010-05-01T09:25:00.000-07:002010-05-01T10:12:07.347-07:00

being early in the spring, my first journey over the georgia strait in the boat caused some concern in regards to wind warnings, the waves they create, and my susceptibiity to sea-sickness. i was a bit nervous.but this trip i tried out the "relief band medical device". a wrist watch that emits electical pulses of variable strengths. the placement of the pulse emitter is important; the

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-37307738238522214202010-04-30T08:43:00.001-07:002010-04-30T09:03:28.493-07:00

OK, back to the spirit fish. we've discussed the ethereal soul (Hun) which continues to exist after we die, the corporeal soul (Po) which dissolves as our body decomposes, and will (Zhi), the strength to keep going day to day. these are all, ultimately, under the umbrella of the powerful minister spirit. the heart governs each person's Shen, or that part of their consciousness which is tied to

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-11375637511443051392010-04-28T16:16:00.000-07:002010-04-28T18:42:50.728-07:00

a client of mine called early this morning, feeling down and out that her dreams of becoming pregnant hadn't happened yet. she lamented that it was really difficult for her, because she had always been able to control things in her life, and this she had no control over. i reminded her that creating life is not something any of us have any control over. whether it is done in a petri dish with

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-3259197967617300602010-04-26T13:20:00.000-07:002010-04-26T13:36:58.417-07:00

This is Hun, Po & Zhi from the clinic. Shen & Yi will be introduced when the time is right. Our fish-colouring scheme does not quite match with Chinese Five Element colour theme, but that's just how it goes sometimes. In Five Elements, Zhi should be black. In our aqaurium, he is orange.Zhi is the spirit of the Kidney system. It is responsible for will, and is in charge of intention and

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1675626494913491308.post-33525297746554553932010-04-24T20:37:00.000-07:002010-04-24T21:02:58.374-07:00

i liked this fish gadget i could add to the right side of my blog. in my new clinic, an aquarium has been recently added. so far it is the home for hun, po, and zhi. yet to arrive are shen and yi. but my bloq-quarium has all five fish, and in their corresponding elemental colours!hun, po, zhi, shen, and yi are the five spirits, according to traditional chinese medicine five element theory. the

Dr. Erin Flynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00563382572254812449noreply@blogger.com0