Wellness

People have many questions about acupuncture. Most people ask how the ancient Chinese figured out where to put the needles. Great Question! It turns out that the oldest tradition is through meditation, known as Qi Gong. These ancient meditation practices were passed down to interested persons, mostly those who study martial arts or the healing arts.  The health benefits of Qi Gong have been long recognized in China.

Everything you see around you, and everything you don’t, can be described by 10 pair of opposites. In Sanskrit they are called gunas (qualities, or attributes).

  1. Heavy/Light
  2. Dull/Sharp
  3. Cold/Hot
  4. Oily/Dry
  5. Smooth/Rough
  6. Dense/Porous (or liquid)
  7. Soft/Hard
  8. Still/Moving
  9. Gross/Subtle
  10. Cloudy/Clear

Look around you to find examples. No recall how these qualities have been present in you, across the majority of your lifetime.

One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires, causes proper matters to catch fire.

Tantra, it might surprise some, is a science. One of the meanings of the word tantra is “treatise,” and that accurately describes it as a massive body of knowledge. Tantra doesn’t ask you to spend endless hours and years studying books on the subject. Rather, it is by its very nature practical. Tantra means that when you do a certain thing (an action or practice), it spontaneously gives rise to a higher level of awareness or a greater sense of freedom. When you do a tantric technique, it automatically produces a positive effect, a spontaneous effect, regardless of your beliefs. That is, by nature, what makes it tantric.
 

Breakfast is an important opportunity to set the tone of our day and nourish our senses and tissues, yet we usually don’t make time, or choose easy and quick over simple and healthy. Try an option that's easy, quick AND healthy!

As a yoga and mindfulness teacher, my ultimate mission is to help others help themselves. I often tell my students that they have to take care of themselves in order to take care of others. This sentiment is echoed by both the airline safety videos (“Secure your mask before helping others”) and thought leaders such as the Dalai Llama.

“If you don’t love yourself, you cannot love others… If you have no compassion for yourself then you are not capable of developing compassion for others.” —Dalai Lama

I'm only in week 2 of my online "Mindful Communication" course given by Mindful Schools, and I already feel a shift in how I'm communicating with my family and co-workers. The foundation of the course is built on the Non-Violent Communication (NVC) technique founded by the late Marshall Rosenberg PhD, who also founded the Center for Non-Violent Communication.

Click here to watch a short video of Dr. Rosenberg to understand his work.

What Really Matters

Six years ago, I went to visit a friend from college who was teaching English in Kyoto, Japan.

A day or so after I arrived, she took me to an outdoor market in the city.  Wandering together through stalls of artwork, antiques, handicrafts and food, I was drawn to a table where a woman was selling daifuku, sweet rice cakes filled with red bean paste.

As my friend spoke Japanese and I did not, she kindly did the work of ordering one for me.

Acupuncture, as part of the ancient practice of Chinese medicine, has been used for thousands of years and is still commonly used today.

There are several reasons why acupuncture is so popular. It balances a person so they feel better.  Acupuncture has no negative side effects. It is relaxing and it works!  In addition to desired results, acupuncture is cost effective and covered by many insurance policies.

Acupuncture has no negative side effects.

Used as an herbal pharmaceutical for centuries, this aromatic, green (and brown) spice turns your coffee into a medicinal treat to counter negative effects of caffeine, while boosting digestion, increasing energy, and reducing pain. It brings light, dry, clear and pungent qualities to life.

A member of the Ginger family, Cardamom has been used in Ayurveda for over 5,00 years – the ancient texts laud its ability to break down difficult-to-digest foods, and enhance taste, turning ordinary into exceptional.
 

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