Nervous system reset: A short case study

I had a great experience over the weekend. A patient who has been busy enough this spring that I haven't seen her in a while came for an appointment. She has had a lot of ups and downs lately and realized that she needed to rest and recharge with some self-care. We caught up on how she's been doing since her last visit, I put in some needles for relaxation and to boost her qi, and I left her to rest on my heated table in the warm dark room for about half an hour. The first thing this patient said to me when I came back in the room was, "I feel as though my nervous system has been reset." It was what she needed to restore focus, calm her mind, and feel energized. I was so pleased to be a part of her healing.So what does this mean for you? Well, it gives you an idea of the type of things acupuncture can do. Even if your body is feeling pretty good, your mind and spirit can be a little run down. It happens to all of us sometimes just from living our busy lives. One hour-long session (at the beautiful Tribe Healing Arts Center) can be enough to lift your spirits, smooth out tangled emotions, or help clear your mind. If you've never had acupuncture before, this little story might help you see that you don't need to feel sick or have any definable health problem to make an appointment with me. If you have had acupuncture but it's been a while, check in with yourself and see if you're due for a tune-up!You can book a first-time or returning patient appointment here on my website, from my Facebook page, or by going directly to my Square booking site.

What are yin and yang?

Yin and yang are the basic tenets of traditional Chinese medicine, yet when I am asked in clinic what they are I find myself fumbling to explain them. They are so basic and underlie almost everything I do, so much so that I don't often question how to describe them. I wanted to give an idea of what they are and an illustration of how they work together, especially since this time of year provides such a good example.At both their most simple and most complex, yin and yang are opposites. Everything and anything you can think of can be described as either very yin, very yang, or more commonly some degree of a mix between the two. Things which are more yin are hidden, darker, quieter, perhaps wetter. Yang types of things are bright, energetic, growing, moving, and changing. Yin is a feminine energy and yang is more masculine. Picture a hillside in the early morning: the side being warmed and brightened by the sun is more yang, and the side still dark and covered with dew is more yin.You never have yin or yang alone--they always work as a pair. Now, sometimes you'll have a situation where something is skewed so strongly in one direction or the other that imbalance starts to occur (and you need to visit your acupuncturist!). But one of the more interesting aspects of yin and yang is that at their extremes they begin to transform into one another. This can be explained using the example of the solstice.The winter solstice, which we will experience on December 21, is a time of ultimate yin. We are deepest into our journey away from the sun. The days are shortest and the night is longest. We're inspired to hibernate. But I always like to take note of the solstice because it is then, even if we can't sense it at first, that the days begin to lengthen toward spring. Like a pendulum beginning to swing in the opposite direction, yang is returning to our lives. I find it comforting to note the couple of extra minute of sunlight we begin to receive, even as it gets colder here in Chicago. If you're feeling the winter blues, I invite you to join me in finding and celebrating yang elements in this cold, yin-predominant season.