There are countless articles and research papers on the benefits of acupuncture, but did you know that it can also be used to combat the signs of aging? A natural alternative to surgery or Botox, facial acupuncture is merely an extension of traditional acupuncture and Chinese medicine philosophy.
Unlike an injection of Botox or some other filler, facial acupuncture addresses not just the signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles but it also helps to restore your skin’s overall health. Now, you might be worried about acupuncture needles placed in your face, but acupuncture is safe and effective and is recognized by the World Health Organization and there are established guidelines for practice just like any other health profession. Practitioners are also licensed by their state’s department of health so you can be confident that you are in good hands. continue reading
Yin Deficiency is a condition in which the Yin fluids in the body become depleted and the body begins to show signs of overheating. You can think of it as a car that has run out of oil and its engine begins to give off plumes of smoke. These fluids include blood, sweat, saliva, lymph, hormones, intracellular fluid, and fluid between joints (bursa). When our level of Yin gets low, we can start to “burn up”, and the body begins taking resources from our Jing (Essence) that cannot be replenished. Our Essence is the constitution that we are born with, which is inherited from our parents. I’d like to think of Essence as the battery pack that powers us our whole life.
Xi gua, or watermelon as we call it, is a beloved refreshment for summertime, but did you know that it is used as food therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine? TCM views food from a standpoint of energetics, or how the food affects the body and its processes. Watermelon is cold in energetic temperature, sweet in flavor and it enters the Stomach, Heart, and Urinary Bladder channels (there are 12 main channels that run throughout the entire body). According to Five Element Theory, the flavor of sweet is harmonizing, tonifying, moistening, contains Fire, and directs Qi to the Spleen. It is especially good at clearing heat, resolving water accumulation, and is used to treat overexposure to the sun, kidney infection, liver disease, kidney disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.