Alexandra, Author at Mend Acupuncture

Cry! Sing! Scream! : Grief + The Lung in Autumn
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Cry! Sing! Scream! : Grief + The Lung in Autumn

Mood, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Cry! Sing! Scream! : Grief + The Lung in Autumn

By Alexandra|2022-11-15T14:05:19-05:00September 28th, 2021|Categories: Mood, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: breath, emotion, fall, grief, lungs|

Since the start of the pandemic, grief is something we've been experiencing on such a large collective scale. The transitional season of autumn is linked to the Lung, which is the yin organ specifically related to the emotion of grief. The Lung’s corresponding yang organ is the Large Intestine, associated with physical and emotional ‘ letting go.’ In this season, we may carve out time to acknowledge and feel our grief, and perhaps find ways to help us process and release it. First of all, we have to let ourselves and others know, IT’S OKAY TO FEEL OUR GRIEF! [...]

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Drain Yo Dampness: Spleen 9 for Late Summer
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Drain Yo Dampness: Spleen 9 for Late Summer

acupoint, Acupressure, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness

Drain Yo Dampness: Spleen 9 for Late Summer

By Alexandra|2022-11-15T14:05:35-05:00August 16th, 2021|Categories: acupoint, Acupressure, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: acupoint, acupressure, dampness, sp 9, spleen 9|

The season of late summer is associated with the Spleen organ, which is related to dampness. (If you live in Baltimore, you are no stranger to the pathogenic factor of humidity!) Dampness in late summer injures the Spleen organ and can affect us with symptoms of fatigue, heaviness in our bodies, foggy heads, low appetite, bloating, loose stools, UTIs and yeast infections. In this context, we are talking about how the climate of dampness can affect us, however, it must be said that we can also have symptoms of dampness due to our constitution or from diet (most notably [...]

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Ba Duan Jin: The Eight Brocades
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Ba Duan Jin: The Eight Brocades

Movement, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness

Ba Duan Jin: The Eight Brocades

By Alexandra|2022-11-15T14:05:37-05:00August 3rd, 2021|Categories: Movement, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: ba duan jin, Chinese medicine, movement, qigong|

Medical Qi Gong for Health & Vitality I was recently digging through my things and found some old notes on the Ba Duan Jin (also known as The Eight Brocades) from my Qi Gong classes in acupuncture school. A set of eight exercises that my classmates and I often used in between classes, before exams, in an attempt to slow down and tune in. I have since gotten out of the practice of doing it, but would like to integrate it back into my life because it is such a simple and relatively quick set of gentle exercises/stretches that [...]

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Alternate Nostril Breathing
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Alternate Nostril Breathing

Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness

Alternate Nostril Breathing

By Alexandra|2022-11-15T14:05:37-05:00July 19th, 2021|Categories: Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: breathwork, centering, Chinese medicine, nostril breathing|

Alternate nostril breathing technique (aka Nadi Shodhana) is a favorite go-to of mine for quick n’ easy centering. It’s a helpful tool to have in your pocket when you are feeling anxious, unfocused, ungrounded, or just “off.” This particular breathing technique balances the right and left hemispheres of the brain and calms the nervous system. It can be used at anytime, but can be especially useful during the summer season. In Chinese medicine, the summer season is the most yang of the seasons and corresponds to the Heart organ and the element of Fire. The Heart is associated with [...]

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Why Do Acupuncturists Ask SO MANY Questions?!
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Why Do Acupuncturists Ask SO MANY Questions?!

Diagnostics

Why Do Acupuncturists Ask SO MANY Questions?!

By Alexandra|2024-04-11T10:44:10-04:00June 1st, 2021|Categories: Diagnostics|Tags: Chinese medicine, diagnostics, pulse-reading, TCM|

You may have noticed, particularly on your first visit, when you come in for acupuncture you are bombarded with a plethora of Q’s from your acupuncturist. It may seem as though we are quite nosey, asking all sorts of questions from the minutiae of your bowel movements to quantity and quality of your sleep. So…..WHY? Why the multitude of queries? The short answer: it helps us figure out how to treat you. The long answer: in Traditional Chinese Medicine, instead of making a “diagnosis” like in Western Medicine, an acupuncturist is taking all of those questions, along with taking [...]

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Gua Sha for Spring (and every other time of year!)
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Gua Sha for Spring (and every other time of year!)

Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness

Gua Sha for Spring (and every other time of year!)

By Alexandra|2022-11-15T14:06:03-05:00March 30th, 2021|Categories: Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, gua sha, modalities, spring, TCM, wind|

Let me start by saying, holy cow, I love gua sha! Here’s why: it provides immediate relief (as we know acupuncture can sometimes be subtle and take time to yield results). Also, like cupping, it is diagnostic depending on the color of the skin after the treatment. If you look up gua sha, you may find that the images that come up look rather…severe, but don’t let that deter you! Gua sha may feel similar to having a massage in that it might feel tender, but also AMAZING at the same time. Let me tone down my excitement and [...]

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There’s Something About Moxa
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There’s Something About Moxa

Moxibustion, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness

There’s Something About Moxa

By Alexandra|2022-11-15T14:06:05-05:00February 16th, 2021|Categories: Moxibustion, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, modalities, moxa, moxibustion, TCM|

Many of you who come to Mend have very likely smelled moxa in our treatment rooms and hallways (and perhaps exclaimed to yourself or your acupuncturist “it smells like pot in here!”). I've found that so many patients have never experienced it or have no idea what it is. However, moxa is a HUGE part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is quite often used in conjunction with acupuncture. Moxa is refined mugwort, a plant that literally grows all around us here in Maryland. Moxibustion is the burning of moxa over acupuncture points or specific areas of the body. It [...]

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Winter + The Kidney + Fear: An Interpretation
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Winter + The Kidney + Fear: An Interpretation

Organ, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

Winter + The Kidney + Fear: An Interpretation

By Alexandra|2022-11-15T14:06:19-05:00January 19th, 2021|Categories: Organ, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, emotion, fear, kidney, TCM|

As you may know, in Chinese Medicine, each season corresponds to an organ and to an emotion. Winter is associated with The Kidney and Fear. Winter, historically, is tied with ‘survival mode,’ scarcity, storing up for winter, making sure you have everything you need to pull through until spring. Winter is the most yin of the seasons because it is the coldest and darkest time of the year. It is a season known for depth, slowing down and going inward, which for many of us, can be…. scary! Let’s examine this. The Kidney and Fear relationship in Chinese Medicine [...]

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Our Favorite Holiday Stress-Less Tips for 2018
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Our Favorite Holiday Stress-Less Tips for 2018

Holidays, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care

Our Favorite Holiday Stress-Less Tips for 2018

By mca_sarah, Kim, Nikki, Alexandra|2022-11-15T14:08:19-05:00December 13th, 2018|Categories: Holidays, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care|Tags: Baltimore, Holidays, Mend Team, Stress-less, Winter To-Do|

‘Tis the Season This time of year can be stressful. So much to do and so many people to see. And yet the days are shorter, darker, coaxing us to slow down and stay in. As practitioners and supporters of Chinese Medicine, we encourage listening to the rhythm of the season (not the holidays). And we of course encourage scheduling time for some acupuncture, to allow for letting go and a moment of adrenal rest. In addition, we offer this year's round of our Favorite Holiday Stress-Less Tips to help you get through the last days of 2018. [...]

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GB41: A Love Story
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GB41: A Love Story

acupoint, Acupuncturists

GB41: A Love Story

By Alexandra|2022-11-15T14:08:21-05:00July 30th, 2018|Categories: acupoint, Acupuncturists|Tags: DIY wellness, gb41, how does it work?|

Every acupuncturist has a handful of points that really resonates with them and which they use frequently. Out of those points, there is typically a favorite point, a point that is simply the acupuncturist’s jam. Let me tell you about mine: it is GB (Gallbladder) 41. If you’ve had a treatment from me, the likelihood that you have received this point is very high. This dynamic point, and its ability to treat so many different things, fuels my passion for it. GB41 is located on the lateral aspect of the foot. The indications of any given acupuncture point is [...]

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