mca_sarah, Author at Mend Acupuncture

The Dog Days of Mothering: Parenting Burnout
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The Dog Days of Mothering: Parenting Burnout

coronavirus, Parenting, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

The Dog Days of Mothering: Parenting Burnout

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:06:40-05:00September 1st, 2020|Categories: coronavirus, Parenting, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, coronavirus, covid, damp, five element, Late Summer, parenting, seasonal changes, TCM|

It’s been 5 months since our kids came home from school and haven’t left. At the time, we thought it would be 2 weeks until routines returned to normal. Or maybe until the summer. Now many of us are collectively confronting that there’s no date for going back to the usual places our children go to. It feels like the longest snow day on record – at first a welcome break, an introspective pause, then the trappings of the “weather outside” taking on new gravity. A familiar feeling has surfaced, one that I recall from infant days and toddler [...]

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The End of Innocence: A mid-year reflection letter from an adolescent small business.
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The End of Innocence: A mid-year reflection letter from an adolescent small business.

Clinic Updates, Mend 2.0

The End of Innocence: A mid-year reflection letter from an adolescent small business.

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:06:43-05:00July 29th, 2020|Categories: Clinic Updates, Mend 2.0|Tags: coronavirus, covid, Erik Erickson, joy, letter from the owner, Milagros Phillips, reflection, Sarah O'Leary|

We closed the doors to our acupuncture clinics mid-March and cracked open again in June, with all new processes and feeling like a wobbly new business again after 14 years. Two months in and we’re grateful for each day that we can open up shop and offer some TLC. And of course, we’re humbled by the year, too. Recently, Milagros Phillips (a wise human and race literacy facilitator by trade) shared her observation that many people and businesses are experiencing an “end of innocence.” We are facing uncertainty in our individual and collective economic state, concerns for our public [...]

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2,300 Years Later (and the same rules for Summer wellness still apply)
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2,300 Years Later (and the same rules for Summer wellness still apply)

Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

2,300 Years Later (and the same rules for Summer wellness still apply)

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:06:43-05:00July 21st, 2020|Categories: Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: breathwork, coronavirus, covid, emotions, Huang Di, joy, sadness, seasons, summer, TCM, The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, tips|

Over 2,000 years ago, The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine was written by Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor), who reigned around 300 BC and is considered to be the highest authority on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This body of knowledge was, and continues to be, an essential primary for any TCM practitioner. Based in Taoist philosophy, this classical text recognizes that the body follows certain natural rules – that health and disease are influenced by one's environment which includes seasonal, political and societal factors. For example, Huang Di writes, In the three months of summer there is an abundance of sunshine and [...]

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Summertime Sadness
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Summertime Sadness

Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Summertime Sadness

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:06:43-05:00July 15th, 2020|Categories: Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: emotions, joy, sadness, seasons, summer|

There is an imbalance in Chinese Medicine we call, “Lack of Joy.” The imbalance can be seasonal and is more commonly experienced in the summer months. The name says it all: 'lack of joy.' One can feel flat, disconnected and, at times, downright sad. This experience can feel incongruent with the seasonal shift. Winter is over, shouldn't the blues have lifted? Everyone else seems happy? Why aren't you happy? If any of this feels familiar, a seasonal acupuncture session can be a lovely way to help open a tight chest and empty a burdened mind. In addition, consider the following [...]

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Home Remedy: Kidney 1
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Home Remedy: Kidney 1

acupoint, Acupressure, Self-Care

Home Remedy: Kidney 1

By mca_sarah|2024-01-08T13:10:39-05:00June 11th, 2020|Categories: acupoint, Acupressure, Self-Care|Tags: acupoint, acupressure, anxiety, calm, consciousness, home remedy, insomnia, kidney 1|

Located on the sole of the foot, Kidney 1 is the lowest acupuncture point on the entire body. This is a powerful and effective point to shift consciousness (literally and figuratively). We consider this to be a great "home remedy" point because it responds well to pressure (think barefoot walking) or to a warm foot soak (consider adding vetiver or lavender essential oils). This point proved its potency on consciousness in a 2010 study when it effectively sped waking time for patients in a coma state due to a traumatic brain injury (Yiu, 2010). In Chinese Medicine, it has [...]

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Mend for Black Lives: Recognizing Disparities in Healthcare and Our Commitment
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Mend for Black Lives: Recognizing Disparities in Healthcare and Our Commitment

Clinic Updates, Mend 2.0

Mend for Black Lives: Recognizing Disparities in Healthcare and Our Commitment

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:06:59-05:00June 5th, 2020|Categories: Clinic Updates, Mend 2.0|Tags: black lives matter, commitment, message from the owner|

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” -Letter from the Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. This is what we know: Black infant mortality rates are 2.5x that of their white counterpart Doctors are less likely to prescribe pain medication and appropriate treatment to black patients vs. white patients Data suggests physician bias/assumptions that black patients won’t comply with medication changes Black men with chest pain wait longer for an initial EKG than white [...]

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A reflection of Spring in the time of COVID
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A reflection of Spring in the time of COVID

coronavirus, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

A reflection of Spring in the time of COVID

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:06:59-05:00April 22nd, 2020|Categories: coronavirus, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, coronavirus, questions, reflection, seasons, spring, wisdom|

Since the start of the pandemic, it's felt like everything has changed. And indeed it has. However, the world continues to turn and change its relationship with the sun. And the season continues to offer its infinite wisdom for us to learn from. It is Spring. And with it all the joys of re/birth, creativity and potential, as well as its coordinated emotion of restless frustration. In this time of uncertainty and as our usual rhythm has been disrupted, it may be even more imperative than ever to lean into the laws of nature and the lessons of each [...]

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Perhaps If We Get This Right, We’ll Never Go Back to Normal
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Perhaps If We Get This Right, We’ll Never Go Back to Normal

coronavirus, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

Perhaps If We Get This Right, We’ll Never Go Back to Normal

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:06:59-05:00March 22nd, 2020|Categories: coronavirus, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, coronavirus, pulse-reading, trust, wisdom|

In TCM, pulse-reading is an observational tool that evolved from a time when there was little to no capacity for “internal inspection” (bloodwork, scans, blood pressure readings, etc). It allows the practitioner a sense of how a person is doing in regards to various systems (digestion, immune function, the hormonal picture, one's level of fatigue, and even one’s mood). There have been so many moments in these past few years, when I listened to someone’s pulse * and thought to myself, “We weren’t built for this.” I’ve been practicing for 14 years now. Coming out of the gate [...]

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Beat the Bug
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Beat the Bug

Immunity, Self-Care, Take Home TCM

Beat the Bug

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:07:00-05:00March 6th, 2020|Categories: Immunity, Self-Care, Take Home TCM|Tags: cold, Emily Telfair, flu, immunity, prevention, tips, treatment|

The following take home remedies are some of the most effective options for prevention of viral infections. And when prevention is not possible, potent formulations can help shorten virus duration and severity. Thanks to our go-to local Naturopathic expert, Dr. Emily Telfair of HeartSpace and to our own Chinese Medicine team for bringing these evidence-based remedies to the forefront in a key time to stock up and stimulate immune function. Please note: Flu and the recent COVID-19 virus both have the potential to be mild and quick or to become more serious and lead to further complications such as pneumonia. [...]

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Wei Qi & Tips to Boost Immunity
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Wei Qi & Tips to Boost Immunity

Immunity, Self-Care

Wei Qi & Tips to Boost Immunity

By mca_sarah|2024-01-24T13:18:38-05:00March 2nd, 2020|Categories: Immunity, Self-Care|Tags: immunity, tips, wei qi|

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the immune system is called Wei Qi (pronounced “way chee”). The Wei Qi is closely associated with the internal organs, specifically the lungs. When the energy of the lungs is well-balanced, Wei Qi is strong and can easily fight off any external attacks. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the lungs dominate the skin and breathing. If lung function is deficient or compromised in any way, then the body is more open to external pathogens like viruses and bacteria. Common symptoms of decreased Wei Qi or immunity include coughing, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, sore throat, headaches, [...]

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