Year in Review from our Acupuncture Team
The New Year holiday is a wonderful time for reflection and celebration. It turns out 2016 wasn’t all bad. The acupuncture team at Mend had quite a year indeed. Sarah, Kim, Michael, Kristy and Claire reflect on the year behind and the year ahead. Their quirky and heartfelt responses are the pulse of the practice at Mend.
Q: Tell us something wonderful that happened in your life this year
Kim: This past year I challenged myself to do a few things that were WAY outside of my comfort zone, I took improv classes and I trained for and completed a triathlon. The significance of this to me was that I found putting myself out there in vulnerable and uncomfortable ways was incredibly empowering.
Michael: This year, I became the proud legal guardian and caretaker of Mina the world’s most adorable snowshoe cat, as her previous owner finalized her relocation and marriage plans in Brazil. She’s 18 and has had a challenging and tumultuous life, and I’m honored to be able to give her a ‘Golden years forever home’ for her well earned retirement.
Claire: In addition to Mend, I’m excited to be working at an addiction recovery center in West Baltimore. It’s a very special place. It’s a strong community where hearts are open and bureaucracy takes a back seat. It’s a place where I go to find my center and remember what’s important, perhaps just as much as the clients passing through the program.
Q: What does New Year’s mean to you?
Sarah: The way the light hits the windows in my house this time of year makes me want to get rid of all of my belongings (or maybe just dust). For me, it’s a chance to decide what didn’t work last year and shed it. Last year I got so excited and occupied by our move to Remington I decided I could let physical activity and strength-building slide. That doesn’t feel like it’s working for me anymore. I’m at a gym “appointment” twice weekly now. Those shaky planks and wobbly burpees remind me that I have just this one humble body.
Claire: A new year to me is a time to step back, get quiet and dust off my journal or any piece of paper and scribble a bit. The old me used to just write the things I thought I had done wrong and how I could fix them in the new year. That piece of paper started looking strangely the same year after year. Over the past few years, I have changed my language a bit. I honor what I’ve done in the last year, where I’ve stumbled, and note where I’d like to put my energy in the coming year.
Kristy: For so many clients and myself, this has been a year of reserving energy, and refocusing goals. Frustration and anxiety often run alongside those moments where we realize that our current reality is not where we ultimately want to be. But the realization, or x-factor, is exactly what we need to provide momentum to take steps toward our vision.
Q: This has been a year of transition for Mend, tell us how it’s going from your perspective
Michael: I love hearing from our patients and volunteers, how our expansion is seen through their eyes, as a reflection of their own esteem for what we do and the impact we’ve had on their lives. It’s really heartwarming, and sustaining, to hear how much we mean to so many people, and the chance to bring that to another location is validating to the whole experience.
Claire: I think it’s going great – being able to refer a client to a massage, a private session or a community session is powerful. It allows the mom and pop feel of this business to stay strong. I very much look forward to practicing in the community space when it opens up in Remington.
Kim: I am thrilled about all aspects of this transitional year for Mend! The seeds that were planted are starting to sprout and I think we’ll see tremendous growth this year. It’s very exciting! Our group of practitioners all complement each other in meaningful ways, our support staff has expanded and is dedicated to helping us grow, our clients are engaged in their health care process and the health care providers that we have presented to this past year are interested in learning about what acupuncture has to offer their patients. We are poised for a phenomenal 2017 thanks to the collective efforts of all of our Menders, both clients and staff alike!
Sarah: I have learned a lot this year. Mostly I have learned that there are some ideas in Acupuncture theory and TCM that culturally we are not just ready for, but need. My mentor Bob Duggan (the co-founder of the acupuncture graduate program here: Maryland University of Integrative Health, formerly Tai Sophia) passed this year. He would say, “We are losing common sense in healthcare.” He’d quote his mentor (philosopher Ivan Illich): “To hell with health…it’s a modern addiction.” He’d ask his faculty and students, “How are you? Are you getting enough movement? Have you had enough water today? Are you breathing? Are things harmonious in your relationships? Have you had a good meal today?” It is so simple really. He would say acupuncture is simply waking-up the body or reminding us of what we already know. My shoulder hurts if I sit for too long. My migraine comes on when I don’t go to bed by 10pm. I feel overwhelmed when I haven’t had coffee with a friend or when I don’t have time to myself. It may not be an MRI or a steroid injection; it may be the thing I know I crave.
Q: What’s your sign? (Zodiac or Chinese version) How do you think this year will go? What about last year?
Michael: Apparently I share a zodiac sign with our president-elect and twit’er-in-chief. The thought of a Gemini president is truly terrifying. God help us all.
Sarah: I was born in the year of the monkey. This was a Monkey year. Monkey years are unpredictable, fast changing and full of shenanigans; this year reminded us to keep a sense of humor. That it did. This is the year of the Rooster ahead of us (beginning late January which marks the Chinese New Year and the beginning of Spring on the TCM calendar). Being detail oriented matters this year more than others. This year your action will determine more than the placement of the stars. For a monkey like me, this is a great exercise! It’s a good reminder to be conscious of where to hunker down and put energy and to also conserve and be intentional (and less distracted!).
Kim: My zodiac sign is Virgo and I’m an Ox. Although last year was one of great personal and professional growth I also feel like 2016 was laden with a collective anxiety fueled by relentless media exposure, global instability and social injustices both here and abroad. My hope for this year is that despite the big problems of the world we remember kindness and equity right where you are is very powerful.
Q: Tell us a little about your journey as an acupuncturist this year. What was something you learned? What do you hope to change or improve on in the coming year?
Kristy: I have learned so much from clients this year about how acupuncture nourishes the inside changes necessary to make the outside changes we crave for our lives. 2016 was the rest and reserve time, 2017 will be the year to fully step into the vision we see for ourselves.
Kim: This year I realized that I enjoy reading about acupuncture research, something I never would have anticipated enjoying. I’m passionate about trying to move our profession forward and believe that educating both the public and health care providers about acupuncture is an essential part of that evolution. I have a lot to learn about being a proficient educator and look forward to dedicating more time to honing that skill. One of the reasons I became an acupuncturist is because there’s always something new to learn and integrate into the actual practice of acupuncture. Improving my skills so that I can provide good care for my clients is always my greatest motivator.
Sarah: This year I learned a series of points used by the military (they call it “Battlefield Acupuncture” and train their medics in the points for pain primary). It’s been great for patients who are dealing with pain they’ve had for decades. It’s been a great new tool.
Michael: The biggest lesson I can share from this year is the importance of self-care and professional boundaries for everyone in healthcare and human services. It’s one of the things I think many of our patients seek from us, and are so grateful for – that we hold space for their healing in such a gentle and uplifting manner. 2016 has been a reminder for me, bringing a slew of tests of my ability to seek out and maintain spaces and activities to appropriately maintain such a level of personal balance as to be able to authentically show up in clinic with the energy for our patients. Having had my ideals and sanctuaries challenged by factors beyond my control has emphasized for me the need to plan ahead and be a bit more proactive about defending, and cherishing, the sacred things in our lives.
