Sacred Space Acupuncture

Calm in the Chaos

2009-07-23T21:07:00.002-05:00

“Every adversity carries with it a seed of greater benefit.” If anyone knows me, they would tell you that this is my daily tag line. I read it for the first time 10 years ago in a book written by Napolean Hill but didn’t really understand it until adversity slapped me in the face, knocked me to the ground and dragged me through the streets of NYC’s financial district on September 11, 2001.

I entered the twisted, internal psycho-emotional world of Dante’s Inferno, otherwise known as Post Traumatic Stress. It wasn’t pleasant to be afraid of the sounds of trucks backfiring, or having panic attacks while sitting on a subway train or contemplating how I might stop my scalp from forming bloody plaques of psoriasis brought on by stress.

I had no idea that the beneficial “seed” of a 5,000 year old origin was taking root in a classroom in the middle of the same great city that imposed on me my biggest adversity. One day before 9/11, I began my official academic quest into the eastern healing art of Oriental Medicine. The words art and medicine are rarely ever found in the same sentence however I learned early on in my career as an eastern practitioner that there is indeed a need for creative interpretation of someone’s symptoms of complexity. The human landscape is complicated, diverse, highly individualized with each of us beings holding our own unique set of blueprints.

It is quite fascinating to learn that Oriental medicine is an intricately woven thread of philosophy, culture, mysticism and empiricism. What appears to be as simple as the insertion of one needle into an appropriate acupuncture point on the skin, it could become the actual compass that points you on the direction of internal balance. When a mind-body and spirit-mind are equilibrated, the dance of life is rhythmically in tune with being healthy and well.

So, I ask you, could you be open to finding the calm in the middle of your chaos? Could you allow yourself to become the architect of your own life by being ok with the scaffolding and infrastructure that you were given? Could you welcome the needle that might in fact direct your very own “true north”?

ABC News Acupuncture For Low Back Pain

2009-05-29T21:54:00.004-05:00

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=6838907

http://tinyurl.com/n7xkgz

By Dr. Jay Adlersberg

NEW YORK (WABC) -- People who suffer with back pain often try many treatments to get relief--like acupuncture. Now, a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine looked at this ancient Chinese treatment as a way to help aching backs. The study found it worked better for chronic back pain than standard physical therapy and exercise. What's not clear however is if the relief is permanent.

For sufferers like Elizabeth Dobney-Hoch acupuncture sometimes works almost immediately. But what caused her aches and pains is unclear.

"It was one of those things where I was sitting in the same position for a few hours and i got up and said "uh-oh," said Elizabeth. .

She found relief from acupuncture when a month of standard physical therapy and exercise failed. Interestingly, the acupuncture study found the same thing: acupuncture compared to standard therapy worked better for cramped back muscles. .

"Going into tissue with needles allows the muscle to relax and release," said acupuncturist Bianca Beldini. .

In addition, acupuncture may also release endorphins, natural pain killers. .

The acupuncture study looked at over 600 people and there was also an unexpected finding. Doctors used toothpicks, not needles, on the skin of one group of patients and they improved as much as those treated with acupuncture needles. .

If toothpicks work, does that mean acupuncture's effect is all in head, just a placebo effect? There may be another explanation: the toothpicks may stimulate acupressure points. .

So for now, there's no answer to how the needles work, or even if they do anything more than toothpicks, but just that toothpick touching itself may be healing. .

"There may be a place for that, it may be placebo like but if it reduces pain, it may have a place in medicine," said Robert Gotlin with Beth Israel Medical Center. .

In just two acupuncture sessions, Elizabeth said her back muscles relaxed and the pain disappeared. The study authors concluded that acupuncture and other similar treatment can be better for back pain than standard methods, especially when the standard approach fails.

Huffington Post May 27, 2009

2009-05-27T23:59:00.003-05:00

written by Sharon Glassman

Women who have trouble sleeping will often report that they wake up during the night and can't back to sleep.

This experience, to quote an old Kris Kristofferson song, "makes a body feel alone."

A PR exec named Judy Schramm responded to my request for experts on the topic to say that she's an expert on the subject of mid-night waking...

Hi Sharon, Boy, if you find the answer, I really need it.

I have been having that waking up at 2am or 3am and staying up for
2 hours problem for YEARS!

I thought I was the only one.

The good news, for those of us who greet the dawn at 1 am, is that we are far from alone. But that's small comfort when we're tossing and turning in the dark -- again.

Why does this happen? we may wonder. And whether we're sleeping alone, or not wanting to wake the sleeper next to us, there's really no one around who can offer answer.

Enter the experts.

Some MDs I've heard from ascribe women's ongoing wake-up to our being at a low-point in our sleep cycle or possessing bladders in need of emptying.

I don't know about you. But "answers" like these leave me searching for better answers. Not sleeping because I'm not sleeping strikes me as a no-win diagnosis. And I'm not the gallon o' Gatorade before bed type.

Acupuncturists, however, see the women-and-night-sitch differently.

Bianca Beldini, an acupuncturist in NYC, explains women's late-night, early-morning awakenings as a result of imbalanced Yin and Yang energy. (I know, that sounds kinda of Woo-woo. But please, bear with me for another line or two.)

The "do-do-run-run-run!" outward energies of the day are Yang. The "let-it-Zzz" of sleep are Yin, in this model.

In a perfect sleep set-up, our outer buzzy mode would transition into a calm, restful mode, in a living version of the Yin-Yang symbol's light into dark (and back again).

But when our daily Yang invades our nightly Yin, the imbalance forms an unwanted wake-up call at a specific time of night.

Here's Bianca:

The internal organ systems [...]relate to a specific "time" of the 24 hour clock and the Liver is most active during 1-3am. It is stated in classic Oriental medical texts that when you are healthy, the Qi and Blood return to the Liver at night because it no longer has to nourish the muscles to act as your armor and defense system. However, if the energy is stuck (lack of free flow) it will become turbulent, thus causing awakening of the body during this particular time of night leading to insomnia.

Acupuncuturist Becca Seitz seconds this idea.

I love that you mention the specific times of the morning when women tend to wake. According to Chinese Medical theory, each organ has a 2 hour segment of the day where it is functioning the strongest (12 organs, each with 2 hours = 24 hours of the day) The Liver's time of the day is from 1am to 3am. If a woman is experiencing an imbalance of Liver Qi, symptoms will tend to be exacerbated during this time.

Common symptoms of Liver upset are: sleep disturbances, eye problems, stress, fatigue, diarrhea, emotional irritability, PMS symptoms, menstrual cramping and SO many more!"

That last exclamation point could feel like a needle in the soul to those of us with sleep disruptions. But having identified the problem, our resident acu's offer a solution:

Says Bianca Beldini:

Some strategies that I have used in my clinical practice that work for insomnia:

Soaking your feet and ankles in hot water right before bedtime. In reflexology and Vitaflex charts, the reproductive system resides around the inner ankle bones. By soaking the feet in water, it "relaxes" these areas thus causing a calming effect on the nervous system. As mentioned earlier, the reproductive system relates to a woman's uterine blood which is controlled by the energetics of the Liver. If the Liver is calm, the reproductive system runs smoothly and a woman is feeling balanced.

A variation on this tip was suggested by stress management author Debbie Mandel:

From Chinese herbal medicine - to help you unwind before sleep: Put feet in a pot of hot water ( you can tolerate) for one minute and then alternate in pot of cold water for 30 seconds. 3XThis releases toxins from your feet - the body's foundation. The heat circulates the blood and the cold water reduces the swelling. The cold pulls out toxins in the contractive phase and the heat brings blood and nutrients in the expansive phase.

Can bathing our feet before bed stop the mid-night wake-ups?

I'd love to know. But so far, I haven't found out. Asomeone who doesn't think about not-sleeping until she bolts awake at 4 am, I haven't been able to schedule a foot bath into my pre-bed routine. And, interestingly, I'm not alone.

None of the Boulder Media Women testers of non-pharma sleep tips has opted to do it, either. I'll keep you posted as volunteers arise.

If you're willing to test out the tip and Comment back below, I'd love to hear what you find.

ps: I received a rather, er, zesty comment from a gentleman wanting to know why the (&(*&@ I am focusing on women and sleep in this series as opposed to Humans and Sleep.

The short answer is that I was inspired by the number of women I know who report sleep problems. And it seems I'm not alone in my observation.

A representative from Duke sent me a link to a study by Edward Suarez, an associate professor studying the issue of women and sleep specifically.

Why?

"The study suggests that poor sleep - measured by the total amount of sleep, the degree of awakening during the night, and most importantly, how long it takes to get to sleep - may have more serious health consequences for women than for men."

"Suarez says that while women are twice as likely as men to report problems with sleep, most sleep studies in the past have focused on men, a phenomenon that has been slowly changing in recent years."

Positive change on the women and sleep front. Sounds dreamy to me!

Lavender Lemonade in the NEWS!

2009-05-13T13:05:00.005-05:00

Summer is here! I just found this...enjoy and lets get cooking and drinking LAVENDER!!!
July 11th, 2009 is Lavender Harvesting time at the Young Living Farm in Utah...anyone up for a 5k run through the Lavender fields?

To order this therapeutic grade Lavender, find the YL link on my website: www.sacredspaceacupuncture.com

The Path...

2009-04-17T15:26:00.003-05:00

The theory of Oriental Medicine goes like this…you and I were created through the intricate weaving of the threads of our Ancestral Essence. In our mothers belly we relied on the perfection of what is called the “Extraordinary vessels” to guide our way through nine months of incubation. These “vessels” transport energetic information to us during our time of growth and development and they are extraordinary because they enforce our flawlessness in body, mind and spirit. The moment of birth releases us from our core support system and with our first breath we begin creating a protective screen to the outside environment while we drift farther away from our state of pure grace.

The shield of armor that we all possess is unique to each of us. It is our energetic thumbprint. It is fueled by the strength of our own personal Qi (vital life force).

We start our journey without mapquest, without street signs, without any language to communicate that we might be lost. We stop to eat and sleep along the way because we somehow know that this is the only way to refuel. We live in the wonderment of the present moment enforced by a circus of sensory delights and we are not aware yet that there is an illusion that waits for us. This illusion is called LIFE.

The paradox is this…the more aware you become of the outside world (fueled by thoughts and emotions) the less connected you remain to your extraordinary self. The illusion plays a funny trick with us by sending us down paths that might have trick doors, funhouse mirrored walls, glass ceilings or floors that seem to be made of squeaky wood.
Every bump, turn, jug-handle, u-turn or dead stop that we make in this journey causes us to lean on those vessels that originally made us perfect. We do have access to the ancient roadmaps of our very own existence however most of us have chosen to drive on the roads of life with blurred vision.

Stop and visually take in your surroundings daily...
Breathe in deeply to open the senses of smell...
Pause after you listen to someone’s words to clear your ears to hear...
Wrap your arms around someone to enliven the touch receptors on the tips of your fingers...
Chew slowly and savor the flavors of prepared nourishment from Mother Earth...

2009-02-20T14:06:00.003-05:00

Although the USA is touted as being the most progressive society, it is also a mecca of poor eating habits and refined and adulterated foods. The oil companies, genetic engineering companies and the chemical companies all seem to be snuggled together under the same blanket (I would also throw BIG Pharma under the sheets with them too if I had my druthers). Also, most of the soils being farmed upon have lost their nutrient density due to overuse and chemical pesticides.

I happen to work in New York City. A metropolis, which sits on a small island of hustle and bustle. There are at least 4 restaurants on every city block and maybe more on each avenue. There are ethnic neighborhoods including those cultures from remote areas of the world and the possibilities of finding foods that seem unique and strange are sometimes easier than finding the simple epicurean delights.

Even within a city offering many nutritious food possibilities, many people are still suffering from symptoms that are caused by vitamin deficiency. After studying fat-soluble vitamins (Vit A, E, D, K, F), it is made clear to me that for the past 20 years, our “dieting” society has gotten it all wrong believing that LOW FAT DIETS could possibly be healthy. What has become even more clear, is how important it is to eat healthy fats (olive oils, fish oils, flax oils, raw butter, raw dairy, etc) since fat soluble vitamins NEED fat in order to be processed through the system! And this processing means: neuron communication, brain function, joint lubrication, digestive health, cardiovascular health and REPRODUCTIVE health! So, throw that “fortified Vit D skim milk” out into the trash because guess what? You are getting little to no Vit D in that milk if it is skim or low fat!

Vitamin A happens to be known as the “eyesight” vitamin. It is found in animal foods (meat, milk and eggs) and in plant foods (carrots are what we probably associate as the most common vegetable with beta carotene). Unfortunately many things inhibit the absorption of Vit A, included are: MINERAL OIL (aka BABY oil or Petroleum jelly), coffee, fluorescent lighting, xrays, broad spectrum antibiotics, antacids and alcohol.

The typical symptoms of Vit A deficiency include: poor sense of taste and smell, acne, hardened bumps of keratin found on the upper back of the arm, poor digestion, ear infections, peeling or ridged nails, eye infections, poor vision, dry eyes and eye strain. Poor night vision is the first symptom to usually occur due to a lack of seeing the color purple. So, break out the Cod and halibut Liver oils (1 tsp p/day) BUT make sure it is from a reputable source that does not use fish filled with heavy metal toxins! I have been using www.drrons.com for their combination Cod Liver oil and Butter oil. If you can’t do the fish oil, start munching on ½ cup of raw carrots daily!

Vitamin E is actually a group of fat-soluble compounds also known as tocopherols. The gamma type is most commonly found in foods and is the most easily absorbed by the body. It functions to help boost our anti-aging possibilities, heals skin and scar tissue, supports reproductive health, reduces the need for insulin in diabetics, protects the thymus gland, protects the eyes and helps to boost the immune system.

In order for the body to absorb Vit E, it is imperative once again that the diet is not low in fat! Other things that could contribute to poor absorption are the use of birth control pills, chlorinated water, air pollution and cooking with rancid oils. Deficiencies of Vit E typically include poor reproductive health, heart disease, dull hair, muscular disorders and increased fragility red blood cells.

To ensure proper daily intake of Vit E, the best is 1 TB of wheat germ oil daily.

Vitamin D is known as the “Sunshine Hormone”…yes, it considered both a HORMONE and a vitamin! Vit D is actually a family of related compounds that are important for normal cellular growth, regulation of the immune system, assimilating and regulating calcium and phosphorous blood levels, protecting against food additives, leads and pesticides from entering the blood stream and helps to balance the thyroid and parathyroid glands.

The best form of Vit D is called SUNSHINE! The average American living above the horizontal line bisecting Georgia is not getting nearly enough (UVB ray) sunshine thus causing us to become Vit D deficient. The advent of the scare of skin cancer and the overuse of sunscreen (by the way, SPF 8 is enough protection, provided you do not sit in the hot sun for hours and hours wishing to become a bronzed god(dess), has led us to be even more deficient.

Vit D is super important for bone health so one very common deficiency symptom seen in this country is osteoporosis in adults and poor bone formation in children.

So, get on those walking shoes, try to expose at least ¼ of your skin to the sun and get outside for at least a minimum of 20 minutes per day!

Mineral Oil: OH NO!

2009-02-10T10:03:00.006-05:00

I was thrilled to have been asked to give a lecture to RN's a few weeks ago about the Efficacy of Essential Oils in the Health Care Model at Fairleigh Dickinson University. I just finished my Certification in Aromatherapy and spent countless hours creating a highly visual and enlightening power point presentation. Unfortunately my 2 hour talk happened right after lunch in a dimly lit room. As any teacher knows, this is the hardest time to keep students interested as they are often going into a carbohydrate slump. Fortunately, I had my Peppermint Essential Oil and passed it around for a sniff every 1/2 hour to help boost alertness!

As I was preparing for this lecture, I found myself sidetracking into reading about the non vegetable and non nut oils that we put on our skin daily and how these are wreaking havoc.

Most people do not understand that our skin is like a sponge. They do not realize that when you apply lotions and use hair products that the chemicals in them seep into the superficial blood stream and then get carried throughout the body and the organs alike.

Here is a good test about skin absorption if you are willing to possibly smell like an Italian Restaurant :-)

Take a few cloves of peeled garlic and place them into a vat of hot water. Soak your feet for 10 minutes in the garlic water. You will notice that 20-30 minutes after your soak, the pores of your skin will begin to emit a garlic odor. That is how fast it takes garlic to make its way through your body! Luckily the chemical constituents of garlic (allium sativum) is excreted in a natural way.

I want to shed some light on Mineral Oil. This is also known as Petroleum jelly (Vaseline) and mineral oil laxatives. It is even more well known as the branded name of BABY OIL. Mineral Oil is a byproduct of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil. It is considered a "left over" liquid and is readily available and very inexpensive. It has been used in the cosmetic industry, personal care and baby products and the baking industry (think additive for glazing in white breads/doughs). I am including a link from the FDA about Mineral Oil http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~rdb/opa-g040.html

Mineral oil DESTROY Vitamin D in the body. This petroleum byproduct interferes with the absorption of Vit D.

Let me explain what Vit D is, just in case you don't know.

Vit D is actually considered both a vitamin and a HORMONE! It is imperative for normal cell growth and proliferation. It helps to regulate the immune system. It assists in regulating blood levels of calcium and phosphorus from the GI tract (which is why it is important for its role in preventing tooth decay and keeping bones strong). It regulates the function of the thyroid and parathyroid glands!

The best way of getting Vit D into your system is through natural sunshine! 20 minutes of exposure per day is ideal! We have now become a society in fear of the sun. We slather on the sunscreen in fear of Skin Cancer, but we need to keep two things in mind: 1. Is our sunscreen riddled with mineral oils? 2. If we keep ourselves fully blocked from the sun, we are not receiving adequate amounts of Vit D. Now, this is in no way an intent to tell anyone to burn themselves or to lay in the sun for hours without a protectant! It is just me playing the "what if we don't buy into the commercial machine" game.

My suggestion...instead of using commercial lotions filled with chemicals that we can't pronounce or eat for that matter, use a vegetable based oil or nut oil to use on the skin to help keep it soft and supple if you are plagued with winter dry skin.
Obviously if you have a nut allergy, keep away from the nut oils! You can replace them with vegetable oils!

I keep a bottle of organic Sweet Almond oil in my bath tub. After showering, with my skin still wet, I put about 1 tablespoon of almond oil into my palms and rub it into my skin. I then pat dry. Almond oil mimics the human sebum and is a very thin oil, so if used correctly, it will absorb into the skin and not cause any staining on clothes. I then add different Essential Oils to the almond oil base depending on my mood that day!

Keep yourself informed! Read the labels in all of your body products for Petrolatum, Petroleum or Mineral Oil.

If you have any questions about this post, please send me an email!

The Power of Essential Oils

2008-06-26T10:10:00.006-05:00

I just returned from the magnificent Greek island of Syros. I was there for 10 days on an expedition to learn about the benefits of medicinal plants. Not only did I experience the plants and flowers in all of their glory, but I was honored to have learned how to harvest and distill them.

Let me tell you about some of the amazing properties of Essential Oils in general:

1. Plants create essential oils to detract insects from itself...(kind of like it's very own insect repellant!)

2. Plants create EO's to sometimes decrease the ability of it's neighboring plants to flourish...so they can have primary access to the water supply and nutrients from the soil (call it survival of the fittest, or greed!)

3. EO's have a chemical makeup with properties that can incorporate any or all of the following: antifungal (Tea Tree Oil), antiviral (Clove) (yes, antiviral!), anti-inflammatory (Lavender), pro-circulatory (Cypress), antibacterial (Roman Chamomile), expectorant (Eucalyptus globulus), carminitive - stimulates digestion and relieves gas (Anise), analgesic (Wintergreen), diuretic (Juniper Berry), astringent (Frankincense), diaphoretic - induces sweating to eliminate toxins from the body via the skin and to dispel a fever and chills (Ginger), emmenagogue - promotes and regulates menstruation (Clary Sage), sedative (Neroli), wound healing (Calendula).

The most important thing for a consumer to understand is that the majority of EO's that are distilled are sold to the perfume or food industries where they often become adulterated. The adulteration of these oils is to increase the amount of material so that they can "stretch" the end product thus increasing profits. The typical adulteration method is to add synthetic chemicals to the original EO, which in a nutshell is BAD! We all know and understand (hopefully) that synthetically derived chemicals are just that: SYNTHETIC...meaning NOT from us, but made in a laboratory! Many of these chemicals are carcinogenic (cancer causing) or irritants (to the skin) and wreak havoc on the body. SO, not all smell pure!

While taking a class titled "What smell is that?" we were all subjected to the original plant extracted chemicals and then its synthetic adulterated form. Since we live in an over chemically scented saturated society, I was shocked that I was preferring the synthetic smells over the natural ones. Our olfactory senses (our smell receptors) are accustomed to chemicals! This was very disconcerting!

So, before you go off and buy an essential oil OR a detergent OR a perfume with "oils" make sure of a few things:
1. All EO's should be labeled with their latin name (e.g...Lavender is Lavendula angustafolia)
2. All EO's of a single product line should not be priced the same! (e.g...if you are paying $10 for lavender AND $12 for Damascus Rose, you can be sure that there is major adulteration going on! 2 oz of a pure Rose oil could cost you upwards of $150!) The reason for oils to be so expensive is the amount of plant material versus the amount that has been distilled. If there is little amount of distilled oil versus a large amount of starting plant/flower material you can almost guarantee that the price of the oil will be high!
3. "Perfumed" oils are NOT pure.
4. "Organic" oils are not always pure.

I hope this sheds some light on Essential Oils. They are earth's medicine!

Oded's Fascia Song

2008-03-15T23:48:00.009-05:00

No one really understands what goes into being a teacher unless you become one. There are countless hours that go into preparing for each class. There is the duty to find clarity and simplicity in regards to translating something complex and overwhelming. There is a juxtaposition of having a love of a subject with the passion to express it fully and unadulterated.

I have been teaching Anatomy and Myology at Tri State College of Acupuncture for four years now. I have witnessed countless of "a-ha" moments which makes every teacher proud to watch the coming together and integration of information into logical thought patterns.

With that being said, I was blessed and astounded by a song that was written and sung for me by one of my students (Oded Schneiderman) in the class of 2010 from Tri State College of Acupuncture.

I share it with you here, on my blog, as THE proudest and most gracious teacher!

I titled it: "Oded's Fascia Song"...an "ode" to my persistent and relentless teachings on the importance of understanding the connective tissue system (a.k.a. fascia), scar tissue and twitch responses from trigger point dry needling.

Enjoy...

Embracing Alternative Care: Top hospitals put unorthodox therapies into practice

2008-02-22T19:46:00.003-05:00

Embracing Alternative Care
Top hospitals put unorthodox therapies into practice
By Avery Comarow
Posted January 9, 2008

I am pasting the link about a 5 page article that was written by a journalist with US News and World Report...

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2008/01/09/embracing-alternative-care.html

The Beauty of Essential Oils

2008-02-06T10:19:00.000-05:00

Just recently, I was asked to test my ability to write a poem about the many facets of the plant that produces Essential Oils...here is what I came up in all of my poetic glory...

The triad of the mind, the body and the spirit
Lives within, and without form
Like the Qi, the Blood and the Essence
Our plant counterparts are made to survive throughout environmental storm

Entangled and far reaching towards vital nutrients
The stabilizing nature of the root anchors one to the ground
Its oil is the energetic connection
In which all of life’s stabilizing sustenance is found

The strength of wood allows the pillar of growth
To remain straight and erect
Its essence coaxes our “path” towards the Heavens
Making sure we allow no room for neglect

The breath of the wind infuses into the leaves
Allowing the rhythmical dance of respiration
Its life force captured the imprint
Of natures evolutionary shift in creation

The fertilized embryo stuck in a time/space continuum
Is encapsulated and protected by the structure called a seed
This nugget holds within its hard outer shell
A sophisticated double helix of vital information indeed.

The wound healing properties of resin
Can be found in many shrubs and trees
Its gum might not be palliative to taste
But its Essential oil aroma will soothe the soul with ease

The ripened ovary of a plant is called its fruit
In which some open when mature
Nourishment and creativity are its connection
Enabling its species to endure

Lastly welcome the highly spiritually evolved flower
Which produces a scent that nature treasures
It attracts not only buzzing insects for pollination
But our sense of olfactory pleasures!

~ Bianca

Acupuncture Facial Rejuvination Article (NYTimes Dec. 13, 2007)

2007-12-14T11:24:00.000-05:00

Hold the Chemicals, Bring on the Needles
By NORA ISAACS, The New York Times
Posted: 2007-12-13 23:30:57
Filed Under: Health, Healthy Living

Jane Becker, a composer and solo pianist, celebrated her 50th birthday at the dermatologist, paying $1,500 for shots of Restylane and Botox. But three months later, their wrinkle-smoothing effects wore off. So, she turned to a less-artificial youth tonic: facial acupuncture.Like many women who have tried acupuncture in pursuit of beauty, Ms. Becker hoped that having needles strategically inserted into her face would be cheaper and last longer than her birthday injections.Ms. Becker, now 53, started with 10 sessions in five weeks ($1,000) and has gone for monthly maintenance since ($105 a session).Acupuncture didn't end up being much of a bargain, but it pays in other ways, she said."I can really see a difference in my face," said Ms. Becker, who sees Steven Sonmore, a licensed acupuncturist in Minneapolis. "It looks younger, smoother, brighter and uplifted."Early adopters like Ms. Becker first spread word of the virtues of a so-called acupuncture face-lift. Then before the 2005 Academy Awards, a crew of facial acupuncturists descended on Soho House, a makeshift celebrity hangout in Los Angeles, and A-listers jumped at the chance to transform their skin from the inside out.

Now, thanks to more robust marketing, cosmetic acupuncture has caught the attention of more of the wrinkled public. Its holistic approach appeals in particular to women who want to slow signs of aging, but don't want to undergo surgery or to inject chemicals.Whether it is called facial rejuvenation, acupuncture face-lift or cosmetic acupuncture, the aim is to tackle wrinkles, muscle tension that may be causing unsightly lines, as well as systematic issues standing between you and glowing skin. Just as with traditional needling, putting needles on acupuncture points stimulates the body's natural energies, called qi, but with added benefits.Whether cosmetic acupuncture works has yet to be proved. Some randomized, controlled studies have shown that acupuncture is an effective adjunctive treatment for hypertension, chronic pain, headaches and back pain. But there is no peer-reviewed research demonstrating that acupuncture diminishes wrinkles.Still, an industry devoted to needling for youthful skin has grown in recent years."There's a rise in interest all over the country," said Martha Lucas, a licensed acupuncturist who helped create the Mei Zen cosmetic acupuncture system in 2003. She teaches a dozen seminars annually to rooms of more than 30 budding facialists. "L.A. used to be the biggest market. But now we get people from the Midwest calling."Practitioners of this style of cosmetic acupuncture called Mei Zen ("beautiful person" in Chinese) offer their services in 16 states.Mary Elizabeth Wakefield, a licensed acupuncturist who headed the 2005 Oscars event, has trained more than 2,000 teachers in 40 states in her technique: constitutional facial acupuncture. This year to date, she has trained almost 1,200 practitioners, up from 100 in 2001, she said. "For centuries, the ancient Chinese have promoted health and beauty," Ms. Wakefield said, "but we've taken it to another level."Part of the reason is savvier marketing: Ms. Lucas's monthly seminars include pointers on taking effective before-and-after pictures, and creating fruitful relationships with dermatologists. She even passes out T-shirts that proclaim "Cosmetic Acupuncture Works."A half-dozen women interviewed for this article said they have seen puffiness decrease, under-eye bags disappear and lines diminish or soften.Dr. Richard G. Glogau, a clinical professor of dermatology at University of California, San Francisco, said these changes were quite possible. "It's obvious that people carry around a lot of muscle tension in their face, which gives them frowns and wrinkles," he said. "My take on this is that they are producing relaxation in the muscles."But Dr. Glogau doesn't believe that facial acupuncture can increase collagen, another claim of some practitioners.
Copyright © 2007 The New York Times Company

Essential Oil Highlight for Fall Allergies / Sinus Congestion

2007-09-06T22:45:00.001-05:00

R.C., which stands for "Respiratory Conditions" is the NUMBER ONE Essential Oil used during this time of year for nasal and bronchial congestion. It is a blend created by Young Living (http://www.youngliving.com/) to give relief from colds, bronchitis, coughs and respiratory congestion.

The ingredients are as follows:

Eucalyptus globulis - a powerful antimicrobial and germ killer. It also acts as an expectorant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antiseptic.

Eucalyptus radiata - antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory.

Eucalyptus australiana - antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal

Myrtle - supports the respiratory system

Pine - opens and disinfects the bronchial tract. Supports respiratory function and fights infection

Spruce - anti-infectious, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory

Marjoram - supports the respiratory system and reduces spasms

Lavender - antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic

Cypress - promotes blood circulation and lymph flow. Anti-infectious, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic

Peppermint - a powerful nasal and lung decongestant with antiseptic properties. Improves airflow to the lungs by opening the nasal passages, kills airborne bacteria, fungi and viruses.

How to Use R.C.

You can diffuse the EO into the air by way of an atomizer or diffuser. (Remember: EO's should not be heated...they will make the oils become volatile and non effective!)
Directly inhale (place a few drops into the palm of one hand, rub palms together, bring your hands to your nose and mouth and inhale deeply for a few breaths...make sure you do NOT touch your eyes or they will BURN!)
Rub a few drops over your chest, neck, throat, sinuses throughout the day
Add a few drops into a steaming hot bowl of water...place a towel over your head and inhale the steam

How to Purchase R.C.

http://www.youngliving.com/ If you become a new customer, you must sign in under customer and use the sponsor number 893450. You can find R.C. by way of the Essential Oil link. It will be found under the subtitle Essential Oil Blends.

Flush those Sinuses!

2007-09-05T21:00:00.000-05:00

Fall allergy season is about to creep up on us and with this comes the onset of rhinitis, sinusitis, post nasal drip, runny nose, watery eyes, dry mouth, sinus and chest congestion, scratchy throat.....

This blog is dedicated to understanding the importance of clearing environmental pollutants from our nasal passages.

There are tiny hairs that line the inside of the nose. These hairs help to trap polluted debris from the environment before they enter into the sinus cavities above the bridge of the nose and skull. Unfortunately, those of us that live in the New York metropolitan area (a.k.a. the concrete jungle) are being bombarded by exhaust fumes, dirt and city grime. These particles can irritate the nasal cavity. The irritation will then cause an inflammatory reaction and the body's immune system will kick into gear and create more mucous. This mucous will coat the tiny hairs and the lining of the nose in order to defend against any more invading pathogens.

Environmental allergens including pollen, dust, animal dander, weeds, etc. will also cause the body to react with an immune response that will result in sinus congestion and mucous production.

I was introduced to using a Neti Pot 5 years ago and I have been a daily fan ever since. The learning curve takes up to two weeks, so be patient! Even if you feel like you are drowning yourself, keep up! It will be worth it in the long run!

So, here goes the instruction:

1. Purchase a porcelain Neti pot (often found in Whole Foods Bath and Body Dept., any Organic Food Store., online you can find a travel pot that is made from durable, dishwasher safe plastic at http://www.omsmedical.com/ )

2. Use organic sea salt (I prefer the finer grade salt). You will use 1/4 tsp in the pot.

Procedure:

Place the 1/4 tsp of salt into the pot

Fill the pot with warm water

Place the tip of the spout up to one nostril (e.g...if you are rinsing the right nostril, you will place the tip of the spout up to the right nostril while tilting your head slightly backwards and slightly to the left)...this head position will allow the water to pour more easily into the right nostril, make its way over the top of the septum and drain down and out of the opposite nostril

Alternate left and right nostrils until you have a bit of the saline water left in the pot

Use this remaining water to gargle (this allows any mucous that filtered from the sinus to the back of your throat to be expelled)

Happy snorting!

Lemon Water

2007-08-07T11:11:00.000-05:00

So, the hot weather is now in full force and we are losing fluids quickly. We must replenish the fluids lost but we are bombarded on our supermarket shelves with a wide variety of "vitamin waters", "smart waters", "electrolyte waters" and the ever so present tap water that has been bottled up and sold in expensive stores that has the word "organic" or "natural" stamped on it so that we feel justified for spending so much money on WATER!

I understand that some of us prefer to taste something other than plain water. If that is the case, myself included, why not add a half of a lemon or lime to your glass?

Now, why add the whole half of lemon to your water instead of just squeezing the juice? Research supports that the essential oils extracted from the rind of the lemon has the following medical properties: antitumoral, improves microcirculation, immune stimulant (increases white blood cells), improves memory and enhances relaxation.

Lemons, limes and grapefruits are low in sugar. Although they are chemically acid, they have an alkalizing effect when metabolized in the body. Using these fruits will help to maintain a proper pH of the body. Remember...highly acidic tissues have more inflammation. Inflammation means more irritation and typically pain. So, those of you that suffer from muscular "pain", drink less coffee (highly acidic) and more fresh lemon, lime or grapefruit water (highly alkanizing).

Lastly, after acupuncture or deep tissue massage, it is important to drink water. The reason for this is to flush the body of the residual toxins expressed from the tissue during the procedure. Acupuncture can cause the muslces to release lactic acid (this is the tissue irritation or "soreness" one often feels after a strenuous workout). So, in order to metabolize and flush this acid more quickly, water must be drunk. Now, add your lemon, lime or grapefruit and you have improved microcirculation!

One can overhydrate, particularly those on medications that specify monitoring liquid consumption, so drink accordingly if you are under the guidance of a physician!

Happy late summer!