Mood Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Mend Acupuncture

Leveraging Spring Energy
Gallery
Leveraging Spring Energy

Mood, Prompts, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Leveraging Spring Energy

By JaimeRoslyn|2023-05-01T15:30:22-04:00April 10th, 2022|Categories: Mood, Prompts, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: building, Chinese medicine, emotion, gallbladder, growth, leveraging, liver, new beginnings, renewal, spring, TCM, tips, walking|

A Season of New Beginnings and Growth In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the seasons hold a powerful symbiotic relationship on our body, mind and spirit. And while Western culture certainly is influenced by seasonal aspects, TCM goes much deeper. At the heart of Traditional Chinese Medicine lies the Five Element cycle which symbolizes the continuity and stages of life. Each season, and its corresponding element, represents a stage of development. Spring, aligned with the Wood element, is the first in the cycle and signifies creation – birth, life and its subsequent evolution. The rest we took in the winter [...]

Comments Off

Acupuncture Improves Sleep Affected by Anxiety
Gallery
Acupuncture Improves Sleep Affected by Anxiety

Mood, Research, Sleep, Wellness

Acupuncture Improves Sleep Affected by Anxiety

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:05:15-05:00March 16th, 2022|Categories: Mood, Research, Sleep, Wellness|Tags: insomnia, mood, research, sleep, wellness|

That feeling in the pit of your chest in the middle of the night... We find it interesting when patients come in droves for the same condition or issue. For many, it's anxiety, specifically the kind of anxiety that is affecting sleep. It seems anxiety has been winning and sleep is bearing the burden. Sleep quality can make or break the whole day, not to mention affect the entire system pretty seriously when the issue persists (think heart disease, weight gain, poor decision-making, etc). Acupuncture improves sleep affected by anxiety Research has shown a significant improvement in sleep quality from acupuncture [...]

Comments Off

Cry! Sing! Scream! : Grief + The Lung in Autumn
Gallery
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! [...]

Comments Off

The Fundamentals of Fall
Gallery
The Fundamentals of Fall

Mood, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

The Fundamentals of Fall

By JaimeRoslyn|2023-09-14T09:44:40-04:00September 21st, 2021|Categories: Mood, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, fall, grief, large intestine, lung, metal|

"The forces of Autumn create dryness in Heaven and metal on Earth; they create the lung organ and the skin upon the body...and the nose, and the white color, and the pungent flavor...the emotion of grief, and the ability to make a weeping sound." - The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine Fall is the season when the days become shorter and the leaves begin to change, presenting us with their beautiful colors before they fall off the trees to prepare for the coming winter. It is the time of year that we go from the relaxed and carefree attitudes [...]

Comments Off

The Five Different ‘Looks’ of Fatigue: 5 Element Acupuncture Approach to Fatigue
Gallery
The Five Different ‘Looks’ of Fatigue: 5 Element Acupuncture Approach to Fatigue

Acupuncturists, Mood

The Five Different ‘Looks’ of Fatigue: 5 Element Acupuncture Approach to Fatigue

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:05:34-05:00September 7th, 2021|Categories: Acupuncturists, Mood|Tags: fatigue, five element|

Photo by Liza Summer from Pexels In 5 Element Chinese Medicine, there are different types of fatigue stemming from different types of activity, environments and constitutional factors. The different types of fatigue can cause specific variations of imbalances. Can you identify your own causes of fatigue and/or different variations of fatigue in yourself? What activity do you observe as the most draining in your day-to-day life? What type of fatigue do you observe in your body and mindset? Wood Type Fatigue (Spring energy) Feels like: irritable, moody, impatient expectations of ourselves and our growth, perceived as ‘aggressive’ OR like a doormat Physical [...]

Comments Off

The Version of Us That Is Tired
Gallery
The Version of Us That Is Tired

Acupuncturists, coronavirus, Editorial, Mood

The Version of Us That Is Tired

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:05:34-05:00September 6th, 2021|Categories: Acupuncturists, coronavirus, Editorial, Mood|Tags: fatigue, pandemic, reflection|

After babysitting my 4 month old niece this week, I was reminded of the lesson my own kids taught me in their infant and toddler years: we are not ‘ourselves’ when we are tired. When babies are well rested and fed they are observant, social, joyful, curious; when they are tired, they are restless, agitated, even inconsolable. Toddlers too, when past their limits, become the absolute worst version of themselves – we have all seen midday public meltdowns when naptime has been missed. We adults also become a different version of ourselves when we are tired. I am tired. [...]

Comments Off

Bladder 58 – Fly and Scatter
Gallery
Bladder 58 – Fly and Scatter

acupoint, Mood, Pain, Take Home TCM

Bladder 58 – Fly and Scatter

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:05:36-05:00August 3rd, 2021|Categories: acupoint, Mood, Pain, Take Home TCM|Tags: acupoint, anxiety, bladder 58, pain|

Photo by Sohel Patel from Pexels Bladder 58 is a point I was trained to consider when a patient describes feeling “scattered,” specifically when the scatter comes after a period of overwork or stretch of active anxiety. From this overtired place we can scatter our energy ineffectively, the mind can fly off in a thousand directions, and we can catastrophize all that could happen unless we do something about it all. This point is thought to restore order and containment and calm the urge to react and over-do. A glass of water is only a useful resource when in [...]

Comments Off

The Year I Took Antidepressants
Gallery
The Year I Took Antidepressants

Acupuncturists, Mental Health Awareness Month, Mood, Self-Care

The Year I Took Antidepressants

By allysonschurtz|2022-11-15T14:05:59-05:00May 10th, 2021|Categories: Acupuncturists, Mental Health Awareness Month, Mood, Self-Care|Tags: anti-depressants, Mental Health Awareness Month|

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels If there was ever a year to break down the barriers of stigma around mental health, it’s this one. My journey to becoming an acupuncturist was very much rooted in my own personal mental health struggles. For years, I tried with little success to manage persistent symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and general difficulty with executive functioning. As time went on, I became increasingly frustrated with the lack of long term, sustainable treatment options within Western medicine. It was this struggle that eventually drove me to seek alternative care as a patient almost a [...]

Comments Off

It’s Okay to Feel However You Feel
Gallery
It’s Okay to Feel However You Feel

Mood, Prompts, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

It’s Okay to Feel However You Feel

By JaimeRoslyn|2022-11-15T14:06:03-05:00April 5th, 2021|Categories: Mood, Prompts, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, covid, emotion, pandemic, spring, TCM|

Image by Karolina Grabowska “I feel like I’m in quicksand,” reports one interviewee from the New York Times’ article We Have All Hit a Wall: Confronting late-stage pandemic burnout, with everything from edibles to Exodus. The feeling of being exhausted all of the time is a common complaint, i.e. pandemic fatigue which encompasses physical, mental and emotional exhaustions. Malaise, burnout, stress and depression...all have risen due to 13 months of this mess, according to a recent Metlife study. And no wonder, this has been a sustained year of loss, tragedy and hardship. In addition, memory lapses, forgetting what day [...]

Comments Off

Themes of Winter: Rest & Nourish
Gallery
Themes of Winter: Rest & Nourish

coronavirus, Mood, Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Themes of Winter: Rest & Nourish

By allysonschurtz|2022-11-15T14:06:18-05:00January 22nd, 2021|Categories: coronavirus, Mood, Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: bladder, Chinese medicine, emotion, fear, kidney, nourish, nutrition, rest, TCM, water, winter, yin|

Photo by Annie Spratt Lately in the treatment room, patients are reporting feeling extreme fatigue, lack of motivation, and depression. This admission is typically followed by the question, “what’s wrong with me?” Nothing is wrong! For many of us, our nervous systems have been under stress for a long period of time and this can have a significant impact on our health. The remedy is to lean into the wisdom of the season and allow ourselves the space to rest. This year, it’s more important than ever. Rest According to TCM, much like many animals in nature, Winter is [...]

Comments Off