Gentle Tiger Acupuncture

Yep, Spring is here! it’s here! woo hoo! It’s important to maintain our energy levels on an even keel while the winds and rain of Spring are blowing and washing winter out of nature’s nooks and crannies. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the prevalent pathogenic factor in Spring is wind. Wind is a yang (meaning it’s a dynamic energy that is more moving than a “yin” pathogen, which would be more static and unmoving) pathogenic factor. A natural feature of wind is it’s unpredictability, it rises and falls, can catch you as you turn a corner and stop as suddenly as it starts. This metaphor of unpredictability explains how wind moves in the body. As an Oriental Medicine practitioner when I see wind affecting someone it is most often in an outward and upward fashion. This means that usually symptoms of wind appear in the head, body surface and limbs. There are several different characteristics of wind in the body. In this blog I am going to talk about acute and chronic wind and talk about how the metaphor of wind translates from western medicine into eastern medicine aaaaand what you can do to protect yourself from a wind invasion.

           An example of a western pathology that translates easily in to wind is Bell’s Palsy (BP). BP comes on quickly (even as quick as overnight onset) and last 24 hours or 24 months, only to disappear sometimes as quickly as it arrived. A side note with BP - In order to get the best treatment with Oriental Medicine, seek out treatment from a qualified licensed acupuncturist as quickly as possible – the longer you wait the more difficult it is to alleviate and recover from BP.

      While in direct contrast to acute wind diseases, the chronic wind pathogen usually takes a long time (over several years) to manifest and can be the results of  long term damage caused by (this list is not all inclusive):

1. Excessive western medication use. 

2. Not wearing the appropriate clothes for inclement weather, such as wet, cold and windy weather.

3. Excessive consumption of fatty and acidic foods.

4. Excessive consumption of highly processed foods.

        Most of the issues I run into with wind are more often acute and involve neck and shoulder pain, headache in the back of the head (sometimes the front), blurry and/or red eyes, runny nose with white or clear discharge, post nasal drip, nasal stuffiness, facial pain, allergic responses to seasonal change, difficulty turning the neck to the left and/or right, difficulty breathing, an aversion to wind, sore throat or laryngitis. There are definitely other reasons for these problems, but the big give away is the sudden onset. I ask, “How long have you had this problem?” And the answers involve the following details, “I went to bed this last Sunday and woke up with it on Monday.” or “I was outside over the whole weekend on my boat, because it was so nice and I’ve been cooped up most of the winter because I can’t stand the cold.” 

     So I’ve included a list of what I strongly recommend during this glorious springtime to keep yourself out of the wind. These are some VERY simple cost effective solutions that can keep you from having to endure any of the acute wind syndromes:

1. When outside in the Spring, make sure that you cover your neck with a scarf or a gaiter (a gaiter is a neck sleeve that goes over the head and sits on the shoulders completely encircling/encasing the neck and  usually has a drawstring to tighten it).

2. Cover your head with a hat. (I thought long about whether or not to include this one, because I figured everyone knows, but better to err on the side of too much info than not enough, so thank you for bearing with me)

3. Zip up your jacket…you’d think it’s a no-brainer, but I’ve seen more than my fair share of people walking in BLUSTERY weather, holding their jackets shut when I’m sure not ALL their zippers could be broken.

4. Eat warmer foods on windy days, it helps speed up your metabolism, thereby keeping your body warmer and better able to keep cold, wind and dampness (humidity) out of your pores. 

5. Keep your abdomen covered, I’ve also seen younger women wearing midriff baring shirts or ill-fitting shirts that show mid-section skin. Wind loves bare skin, because it’s so much easier to get into the body through bare skin than it is through a couple layers of fabric. Wind on the mid-section can cause lower back pain, menstrual problems or digestive disorders such as constipation, bloating or cramping.  

6. Don’t sleep directly in front of an open window or fan. It’s okay to have circulation in your room at night, but keep it off any part of your body, esp. the head, neck and face. At night our yin energies come to the forefront and the yang energies (which push out into the world and keep pathogens at bay) become more dormant, this makes us more susceptible to things like a breeze coming from an open window (who knows how much the wind will pick up while you’re asleep?) or a ceiling fan.

7. When riding in your car during windy days that are partly cloudy (meaning they shift between warm and cold temps all day – like they do in the Spring, when the world is trying its darnedest to shake off winter) do not ride with your windows all the way down. I highly recommend opening your window 5-6″ on the passenger side (if riding alone) and roll down your window 1/2″ – 1″ a little breeze to cool off your car is okay, it’s also nice to smell the foliage blooming, the fresh Spring air and hear the bugs buzzing, etc. Note: #7 is based on my experience of driving and however you arrange the windows, the point I’d like you to take away from this tip is thus: Avoid wind blasting directly into your face and stressing your eyes, ears, nose and throat. Leave the wind in the face experience for your dog; They have all that fur to protect them. – LOL!

8. Finally, even if it seems like a GREAT day and a coat, scarf, etc. won’t be necessary, keep it on hand in your car, office, breakroom, wherever, because as I said, wind especially in Spring is unpredictable and can get into your body where you leave yourself open.

thank you. I’ll talk to you again, soon!

Hey all! - I am already planning the next talk topic in regard to spirit work. It’s about how to recognize, remove and defend against psychic attack. Sometimes we are psychically attacked on purpose, but I believe that for most, in this busy crowded world that we live in it’s mostly accidental on the giver’s part as well as the receiver’s. Stay tuned for more details.

The talk will happen on Saturday April 25th at 9 a.m. at Gentle Tiger Acupuncture in the Quarry Arts Bldg, right off University Avenue on Hill Street. The suite number is 250 (on the second floor)

Greetings, I have met several people in my practice who have asked me about getting  in contact with their spirit guides (sg) and/or power animals (pa). I keep thinking about holding a little talk in my Quarry Arts office in regard to this matter, because it’s important to know your spirit guides and power animals, especially if you thinking about or currently are working/walking in the world of spirit. It’s a big place and it’s good to have your team that knows the terrain much better than you, included in this team can be anywhere from 1-2 sg/pa up to hundreds…don’t worry, you probably won’t encounter and work with 100 spirit guides if you’re new to shamanic practice. I personally have about 6-10, but I think even as I write this I will probably be meeting more soon to help me as I begin to instruct about spirit work.

A few notes for you about meeting your “peeps” (that’s what I call my group of spirit guides/power animals).

1. If they are truly on your team, there is nothing to fear, quite the contrary – they are here to help in ways that you can’t even imagine.

2. If you are currently talking with them, but the answers you’re getting aren’t as clear as you’d like, maybe your questions are not as succinct as they could be. Simply put, if your question is vague, the answer will carry the same energy, thus it will be vague, If your question is clear with specific details, your answer will be the same. – ex: I’d like to know a better way to meet people that are empathic (vague) vs. “I’d like to know exactly where I can go in my town to meet people that are empathic like me and are looking to meet me, because I am empathic, too.  (more specific)

3. If you hear voices others don’t, see things others don’t, understand things that it seems you couldn’t possibly, don’t worry – it’s real and you’re not alone.

4. Be respectful, you’re looking to create a relationship, if you’re careless with your questions or demanding, these energies do not go over well with spirit and will probably result in zero or unintelligible responses.

Okay, I know that those of you who have already spoken to me will sign up. Remember it’s first come first serve, so sign up right away. There are only 10 slots, the talk is free. Donations are optional.  I don’t know how long it will take to fill up the slots, but don’t hesitate because I have a feeling this will fill up quickly.

thank you ever so much – Miguel

p.s. I will get back to you in the next few days about the EXACT date/time.

 …in my own hearing of others experimentation with coconut oil.  The first one I heard was putting coconut oil in coffee or tea. It changes neither taste nor texture. What is noticeable is the mild rainbow of the oil if you catch it in the right light. It’s been relayed to me that putting it in your oatmeal also helps with the consumption of coconut oil. On a less dietary note, but definitely worth doing is using coconut oil as a night cream right before bed. I use it on my daughter’s skin to help with excema that she is dealing with and it helps with the redness. I am pleased with everyone’s willingness to make coconut oil (such an important saturated fat – see post on 3.26.09) fit into their lives and that they are benefitting in ways that I couldn’t imagine and are giving me new ideas. thank you. Please feel free to share with us any of your own remedies, recipes that use coconut oil. I appreciate it very much, thank you – Miguel