by Nicole Johnson, MFA, CHHC | Adrenal Fatigue, Anti-Inflammatory, Covid-19, Fatigue, Health and Wellness, Immune Health, Kidneys, Pain Management, Prevention
We are living through stressful times. It’s time we elevate our lifestyle to incorporate a foundation of health that will keep us healthy, grounded, and centered in our everyday lives. If we follow this three basic practices, we can come back to center as we navigate through our everyday experiences. If we get triggered, we can come back to center. With a simple daily practice we can bring these into our everyday lives helping to keep us healthy, our immune system ,strong and our spirit resilient. It’s what we need in these times.
The three essential components to staying conscious, mindful and at ease are
- Breathing
- Hydration
- Sleep
The breath is the Organizing Principle. Proper breathing allows the body to extract Qi (Chi) from the air just as we extract nutrients from food. When we practice mindful breathing we connect the brain and the heart with the kidneys and all the organs can communicate. We feed our life force. Now more than ever, we need to recognize the shift from self-care to essential practice.
A Simple Way to Begin.
- At night before sleep, while resting in bed, place one hand on the belly and one hand on the heart.
- Take a deep cleansing breath and exhale strong. We are ready to begin,
- With your hands still in place, breathe in slowly into the abdomen, feel the belly rise. Inhale to 60% capacity.
- Exhale long and slow. The exhale should be double the length of the in-breath. (Want to know why? In stretching we stretch deeper, we release on the exhale. In Martial Arts we kick or punch on the exhale. The action or the release happens on the exhale.)
As you practice nightly, you allow your body to come into the Parasympathetic state (rest & digest). This was considered self-care prior to 2020 and it is now essential.
You can also watch this Video: Qi Gong Breathing: 7 Minutes to calm body and mind
Proper Hydration is critical for all of the functions of the body. When dehydrated, the fibers of the muscle look like a dry lake bed. They lose their conductivity. This makes pain feel worse and can hinder or delay recovery. Even if sub-clinical, dehydration can cause muscle pain and tightness. Even if you drink water regularly, you can become dehydrated.
How much should I drink?
Everyone’s hydration’s needs are different. But here is a general idea from what The Mayo Clinic recommends:
Around 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men
Around 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for womenAn easy way to get your water in is to pre-fill your bottles of water for the day and make your way through them. Often we need electrolytes as well so as not to over tax the kidneys. Always be sure to drink clean, purified water without chlorine or fluoride.
Now, more than ever we need adequate sleep. Life is stressful in a macro way, not just a micro way as it used to be. We are all affected by what’s happening in the collective, we need to sleep, to rest and to recharge our body, mind and spirit. Everyone’s sleep needs are different. Some need 8 hours, some need 10 hours. Experiment and see what helps you feel well-rested in the morning.
See what bedtime works best for you. Often climbing into bed by 10pm allows for deeper rest even if reading for 20 minutes. For a good night’s rest, be sure that all cell phones are off and out of the room. Turn off the wifi in your home. Disengage from electronics, news and other stressful events 30min to 1hr before rest. Try some gentle yoga stretching with the lights low, drink some warm decaffeinated tea, practice deep breathing and then rest and repair.
If you’d like support with a breath work daily practice, learning more about hydration or help with better sleep. Call us, we can help.
by Nicole Johnson, MFA, CHHC | Acupuncture, Adrenal Fatigue, Anti-Inflammatory, Digestion, Fatigue, Gut Health, Immune Health, Integrative Therapy, Pain, Pain Management, Sports Injuries
Packaged Treatments with Products – Great for loved ones, someone new to acupuncture, or yourself!
We’ve been working hard to create quality value-added gifts for you and your loved ones this holiday season. In the coming days we will be officially rolling these out.
We are finalizing all the details right now – please contact us to get on the pre-sale alert list.
Support for chronic and acute back pain.
Includes: 90 min Treatment Session*, Herbal Bath Soak, Pain Cream, Plasters/patches, *Add-on Treatments Optional
At the computer all day? Come and get some overdue treatment support for eyes, head, neck, shoulders, brain and body.
Includes: 90 min Treatment Session*, Magnets for daily treatment, Shungite, Free and easy wanderer herbal formula, * Add-on Treatments Optional
Need Some Serious Self Care? Now you can Stress Less and Sleep More
Includes: 90 min Treatment Session*, Sleep Supportive herbs, Rose Hydrosol, Lavender Essential oil, Lavender Chamomile Tea from Asheville Tea Co, *Add on Treatments Available
Come in for a deep immune boosting session and get everything to support yourself and family at home.
Includes: 90 min Treatment Session*, Home Moxa Set, Skin Brush, Gan Mao Ling Herbal Formula, Cold/flu tea, * Add-on Treatments Optional
Got foot pain? Arch issues? Plantar Fasciitis? Toes run amok? Come in and get support for your foot pain.
Includes 90 Treatment Session*, Silver Ball Foot Magnets, Foot soak – Sinew Relaxing Zheng Gu, * Add-on Treatments Optional
Curated by Chad, this on the go kit has everything you need – take it camping, hiking, traveling and more. Details soon.
by Chad Johnson, MS, L.Ac | Acupuncture, Health and Wellness, Immune Health, Pain Management
Water affects every system in the body.
When we see muscle tissue that’s slow to heal –or the healing mechanism doesn’t spark in the body quite as well– often the culprit is dehydration.
Water helps keep the the muscles pliable. The muscle has a more difficult time healing itself after treatment if the person is not properly hydrated. If your body is well-hydrated before acupuncture the healing potential is heightened. It usually takes 2-3 days to become fluid. Many of us are chronically dehydrated.
Water helps keep the blood alive and healthy. Without water the blood gets sticky.
The body’s tissues are what holds the water in the body. The way to get the water into the tissues – here’s the secret: Drink a bunch of water and then stretch. If you sit still it will go right through you, if you move it will go into the the soft tissue of the body – the muscles and the fascia.
If the fascia is dry, the conductivity and communication in the body is hampered.
Whenever you have enough water in the fascia system – the connective tissue– the body can work more efficiently at immunity, tissue healing (muscle repair), oxygenation, brain function, and heart health to name a few.
Hydration goals: Drink half your body weight in ounces per day – for example 140lbs = 70 ounces water per day.
The quality of water is important. Taste and cleanliness are paramount (no chlorine or fluoride) opt for local spring water.
Drink mindfully, good water.
Read more about healthy hydration techniques in article 4 Ways to Make the Most Out of Water.
by Chad Johnson, MS, L.Ac | Acupuncture, Pain Management
NEW Knoxville Clinic Location
Starting February 15, 2021
110 Westfield SW Suite 1 Knoxville, TN 37919
by Nicole Johnson, MFA, CHHC | Pain, Pain Management, Research
Research: Acupuncture for Cervical Health
A study conducted by the Tzu Chi University in Taiwan demonstrated that cupping, a modality of Traditional Chinese Medicine, provided significant pain relief for chronic neck and shoulder pain. The participants in the study received a total of four cupping therapy treatments that lasted 10 to 15 minutes. They also received acupuncture and massage. The effects were measured using skin surface temperatures, blood pressures and pain intensity levels of each participant. Overall, the surface temperatures increased, indicating better blood flow to the area, while the blood pressure measurements and the pain intensity levels decreased. This study confirms acupuncture and specifically, cupping therapy, can be provide effective pain relief without the harsh side effects of pharmaceuticals. (more…)
by Nicole Johnson, MFA, CHHC | Education, Illness, Immune Health, Pain Management
Large Intestine 4 is one of the most important and influential points in the entire body.
The Chinese name for Large Intestine 4 is “He Gu” meaning union valley or converging valley. The point is located on the hand in the web between the thumb and index finger, also described as the depression where the index finger and thumb bones part. This area of the hand is often described as “valley like” hence the name converging valley.
The large intestine has many important functions in the body. Connected to the Western medicine function of the large Intestine, it is vital in digestion and bowel regulation, but it also has many functions above and beyond that in Chinese medicine. The large intestine is associated with the emotions of sadness and grief, it can help build immunity as it works as a paired channel to the lung meridian and has a big effect of the flow of Qi and blood in the body.
Large Intestine 4 is a strong point for building the immune system and can be used for when someone has a cold or the flu. It can be used to treat febrile illnesses, rashes from wind or heat, allergic reactions causing rhinitis, as well as sore throat and difficulty swallowing. It is the command point of the face, nose, jaw and mouth and can be used to treat many problems associated with those. Toothaches and TMJ can be painful, but Large Intestine 4 can reduce the pain without even going near the affected areas. It is one of the main points for headaches and many people instinctively press it on their hand when they have a headache, without even realizing it is an acupuncture point. If someone has suffered a stroke, this point can help with paralysis and aid in recovery.
The large Intestine has a great effect on the flow of qi and blood in the body and Large Intestine 4 is a very strong point to get everything moving. Pain, in Chinese medicine, is often when the Qi and blood are stuck and Large Intestine 4 is critical to move this stagnation, especially when coupled with another point called Liver 3.
Coupled with Liver 3, this pair of points is called The Four Gates and together they are a powerhouse in getting the Qi and blood circulated.
They can effectively treat pain, depression, constipation, promote labor, expel retained placenta and help alleviate menstrual disorders caused by stagnation such as endometriosis.
Large Intestine 4 is contraindicated in pregnancy because it is so powerful and moving, but it can be effectively used to induce labor. Used in conjunction with another powerhouse acupuncture point Spleen 6, these two points are commonly used together to start labor, often with electroacupuncture to stimulate the points even more than needles alone.
Once labor has started, Large Intestine 4 can be used if labor is stalled or prolonged as well as used after childbirth to expel the placenta, decrease postpartum bleeding and decrease the time between childbirth and the discharge of the placenta.
Large Intestine 4 is an exceedingly influential point and one of the most commonly used points in acupuncture treatments.
It can also be effective in treating a range of emotional issues such as depression, insomnia, stress, irritability and severe PMS. This point should not be underestimated and its alternative name of Tiger’s Mouth is barely descriptive of its strength in acupuncture treatments.
