The Damp-Heat of Our Midwestern Summer 🌞❣️🌦️🌈

Summerheat and Summer Dampness...

How's your Midwestern Summer going? If you're living in Wisconsin, it is hard to miss the experience of intense heat and humidity. In this newsletter, we are going to explore the impacts of heat and humidity on our bodies through the lens of the Chinese Medicine paradigm.

Climatic Qi in Chinese Medicine

I often speak a lot about the 5 Elements of Chinese Medicine with my patients and in these newsletters: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. The 5 Elements have associations with the Seasons more broadly and help Chinese Medicine clinicians make sense of your symptoms as they might present on, around or throughout the punctuations of the cyclical Seasons. 

In Chinese Medicine we also utilize and acknowledge the clinical relevance and impact of the changes in weather and how that can produce or contribute to any number of symptoms. Perhaps you've noticed a headache or joint pains come on as a storm front approaches? Or your symptoms worsen or improve in dry or cold conditions? Or perhaps you feel amazing or you simply cannot stand the heat? 

Enter the 6 Qi in the Chinese Medicine framework: Wind, Heat, Fire, Dampness, Dryness and Cold. 

In Chinese Medicine, the qualities of Qi (aka Energy if this happens to be your first email!) can combine and you can have something your Acupuncturist might classify as a Wind-Heat or Wind-Cold Invasion. You may experience Damp-Heat or Damp-Cold. We refer to these as patterns of imbalance in Chinese Medicine and they help us pick our Acupuncture Points and our Chinese Herbal Formulas.

For the purposes of our exploration, we will dwell on Dampness and Heat (and Damp-Heat) as they pertain to our most recent weather patterns.

Dampness...

Chinese Medicine often relies on metaphors and imagery rooted in the natural world to illustrate concepts as they pertain to health and illness or wellness and imbalance. 

So when you think of Dampness what images, qualities or feelings come to your mind?

To some degree you can intuit how you might feel (or how you are feeling given the rainfall we have had!) if you were trying to combat Dampness as a pattern of imbalance in your own body.

Among many things, Dampness encumbers. It is heavy and fatiguing. Dampness can be very physical and cause swelling of the tissues, weight gain, nasal congestion, frequent urination, diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite, lethargy, brain fog or depression as some examples. Dampness can be Cold or Hot, depending upon the circumstances or our constitutional tendencies. 

Heat...

When you think of your physical experience of Heat, many of the signs and symptoms are also intuitive. You sweat, your skin flushes, if overexposed to the sun your skin may become red and even peel. 

Sign and symptoms of trapped Heat or a Heat pattern of imbalance may also include skin irritations or rashes, systemic inflammation and all manner of inflammatory responses from superficial tissues like a stye on your eyelid, acne, gut irritation with bowel irregularities, urinary tract infections, sinus infections, or fever. Heat can contribute to chronic headaches, painful menses, or frequent spotting. 

So when we combine the pathologies of Damp and Heat, we call that Damp-Heat (I know you never would have guessed?! :)). Damp-Heat presentations can look like any combination of the above imbalances: redness AND swelling, fever AND diarrhea, feeling NO appetite and then feeling ravenous, having a headache AND feeling fatigue. 

Supporting Vitality in Summer

Utilizing Acupuncture Points and Chinese Herbal Medicine, your Acupuncturist does things such as Clear Heat and Drain Dampness to ameliorate your symptoms, improve your access to your vital life force and to restore your whole body to a sense of relative ease and balance. 

Here are some of my favorite acupuncture points to Soothe Fire, Drain Dampness and Clear Heat. You can apply acupressure all on your own for an increased sense of well-being: 

Heart-8
Spleen-9
Stomach-44/Large Intestine-11
Pericardium-6 (for nausea and low appetite)

I hope everyone is staying cool, staying safe and enjoying how lush and green it is outside (a wonderful side effect of all this moisture and humidity). If you need anything or have questions please don't hesitate to reach out or book a consultation! 

Ushering in Summer ❤️🌻☀️✨

Hello, Summer!

The Summer Solstice arrived Friday June 20th and we have most definitely been initiated into the heat of the season here in Madison, WI!

The Fire Element in Chinese Medicine

In Chinese Medicine, the Summer Season is associated with the Heart and Small Intestine systems, also referred to in combination as the Fire Element. 

The Heart and the Small Intestine have many familiar correspondences from the Chinese Medicine perspective. Physiologically, the Heart governs the health of the cardiovascular system while the Small Intestine manages elements of the digestive process and has a responsibility to your immune system.

Emotionally, the Heart and Small Intestine systems help us metabolize, manage and relate to our experience of not only anxiety, but also to our expression and experience of joy. As such, an imbalance of the Fire element can also limit our ability to experience joy and can be a contributing factor to depression or depressive episodes. An imbalanced Fire Element can also contribute to our experience of anxiety or panic.

{I find it's always important to note: the transient experience of ANY emotion whether deemed "positive" or "negative" is not pathological. I tell patients with great frequency: emotions are physiological, NOT pathological.

Healthy emotional expression, supported in your own relatively resourced state or in the context of professional or personal relationships ultimately moves Qi like anything else. Honest emotional expression is deep self-care. 

It is the stagnation of an emotional state over lengths of time that can create greater issues both internally and within one's behaviors and relationships. Your acupuncturist most certainly cares about your emotional state of being!}

Spiritually, the Heart and Small Intestine systems evoke and engender our capacity for conscious awareness. Just like your Heart must keep pumping in order for you to be alive/awake, the spiritual capacity of the Heart (and Small Intestine) is integral to your ability to awaken a la conscious awareness. You know, consciousness - just the thing that we need now more than ever <3 

When Fire Blazes...

There's also a classical saying in Chinese Medicine "all pain, sores, swelling and itch belong to the Heart."

If you or someone you know suffers from anxiety-induced hives or gets caught up in some poison ivy or poison oak, there are acupuncture point combinations and herbal remedies that can help to alleviate those symptoms efficiently while also supporting the health of your immune system! 

Boils, bug bites, cystic acne and breakouts can be treated and soothed utilizing Chinese Medicine. Part of our focus will be always be on balancing the Fire element. 

The Winds of Spring Build Healthy Fire

Part of the what makes Chinese Medicine so uniquely validating and particularly useful is that, like many ancient traditions, this medical system honors cycles. Here we are again: moving from Spring to Summer. 

Have you noticed in your own life, emotionally or physically, that your symptoms arise with some regularity or in the context of a particular Season or at a certain time in the year?

Have you noticed that Seasonal transitions can be a bit of a bugger? While your headaches/PMS/sleep cycles/immune system/mood were once well-managed, symptoms have reappeared lately?

Each Season has a unique energy or Qi and sometimes imbalances can express themselves in a particular season. 

How Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine can help

The Seasonal energy of Summer is "the height of Yang energy". Yang energy is warmth. It is the force that animates this bag of bones. :) It is cellular metabolic energy. Yang energy is active and mobile and it circulates warmth in order to prevent any (Cold) accumulation. 

Specific to Heart and Small Intestine imbalances in Chinese Medicine, I often see people experience any number of the following: headaches, poor sleep or insomnia, anxiety or panic attacks, depression.

People may experience swelling of the ankles or face, heart palpitations or irregular heart rhythm, excessive sweating/night sweats or lethargy.

Many digestive complaints can stem from what we would refer to as "Cold" in the digestive system and lead to the experience of nausea or loss of appetite, chronic loose stools, diarrhea, bowel irregularities, frequent urination or decreased thirst.

If your immune system feels challenged or you find yourself suffering from a Summer cold, Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine are always here to aid in your speedy recovery!

Summer Retreat

Given the energetic quality of the Summer, our lives tend to be busier and our days a little bit more full of activity. Coming in for regular Acupuncture treatments can help maintain your energy in this Season to support your experience of wellness in real time while also supporting greater balance leading into the next Season. I look forward to seeing you soon for any grounding or symptomatic relief you might need! Until then, I hope you take great care and get to enjoy the simple pleasures of these warm Summer evenings <3

💘 A little something to support us in February

And we have arrived at February...

I hope this email finds you safe, healthy and well 💕

Always, but especially given the current quality of time, I hope you feel supported by your communities, your callings and your networks of care.

It’s always time for Love 

However you care for yourself daily or in moments of high stress will have a cumulative impact on your vitality and sense of well-being. Not only that, it will help you respond appropriately when certain actions are called for 🙏🏼

There are numerous ways to care for yourself: a deep breath, a brief moment of stillness, a glass of water, a home-cooked meal, a good cry, a good scream, a good chat with a friend or a trusted professional. 

The return of the Heart-Shaped Cups💕

This month, in the spirit of levity, frivolity, self-care and good clean fun, I wanted to offer the return of the Heart-Shaped Cups 💕

For folks who are already a fan of Cupping, you know the health benefits of the modality: it works to release muscle tension patterns and provide pain relief. 

The procedure of Cupping involves suction which creates space in the fascia, allowing the tissues to find freedom from stagnant tension patterns. It also intentionally breaks the superficial blood vessels - leaving marks - so that blood flow increases to local tissues. When you improve blood flow to local tissues, there is more oxygen and more nutrients available for any necessary repairs.

I have used Cupping throughout the years to help people get relief from musculoskeletal pain, migraine headaches, sinus congestion, asthma, and tension headaches. Cupping can also offer relief from emotional tension and stress. 

This month, because we can, the Heart-Shaped Cups are coming off the shelves 💓 So if you’ve got your Cupping appointments on the books, just let me know if you would like to incorporate them into your treatment! 🥰

Luminous Rose 🌹 at Ahimsa Wellness Collective ✨

I am delighted to announce that I am carrying a select line of Luminous Rose skincare products at the clinic for sale!

I stocked a few of my personal favorites:
the Deep Hydration Facial Tonic,
the Vitamin C Brightening Serum,
the Renew + Restore Face Cream, 
the Gentle Face Cream,
the Glowing Skin Facial Toner,
the Acne Relief Gel,
the Nourishing Facial Cleanser,
AND the Green Tea Hydra Milk Mask.

Maria and I also collaborated on a Facial Cupping Oil which I have been using very much to the delight of my patients! It has the most subtle Red Mandarin scent and works really beautifully for Facial Cupping and Gua Sha.

Products are available in limited quantities and everything is available for sampling in the clinic. I have yet to see anyone leave in a full Green Tea Hydra Milk Mask but I would very much encourage it. :)

The Spring Equinox is On Its Way ✨🌱✨

Spring is almost here

The Equinox will arrive March 20th, 2025. You might already be feeling that internally in various ways. A seasonal and energetic shift is afoot.

Across many traditions, Spring is a season associated with renewal and rebirth. What was resting and fallow is now being energized and invigorated for new growth and new life. 

The Wood Element in Chinese Medicine

In Chinese Medicine, the Spring season is associated with the Liver and the Gallbladder systems - The Wood Element. 

The Liver and the Gallbladder have many correspondences from the Chinese medicine perspective. Physiologically, they govern the health of the muscles and the tendons. The Liver-Gallbladder systems also have a role in a regular menstrual cycle, in reproductive health and balanced hormonal regulation. Together they help with mood regulation and the Liver Blood (a concept specific to Chinese medicine) supplies your neurological tissue. In this system, the Liver has a responsibility to the healthy and appropriate function of your nervous system, as well as its capacity for regulation and its responsiveness to stimuli.

Emotionally, the Liver and Gallbladder systems help us metabolize, manage and relate to our experience of anger, frustration and resentment. I think we are hard-pressed to find someone who does not experience those emotions (in this political climate, etc) with some frequency and that is not in any way pathological. It's the stagnation that being in that (or any) emotional state over lengths of time that we want to be mindful of <3. 

Spiritually, the Liver and Gallbladder systems evoke our capacity for creativity. This could be our capacity for creative inspiration, creative expression, making art, problem solving, idea generation, innovation, the ability to envision a new path forward.

A stark energetic contrast

Moving from Winter to Spring is no small task. The energy conservation and consolidation that is called for in Winter is so variable and personal. I find in clinic people rarely report feeling rested or being able to take the time they want for rest in the Winter. And each year, Spring comes bursting forth, demanding that we begin anew whether or not we feel ready for all that it brings. I am always impressed by how people notice this phenomenon for themselves each year, time and time again. People really feel the impending arrival of Spring. 

How acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can help

The axis for the energetic movement (really since the Winter Solstice) is "up and out". Like a seed planted below the earth, finally it is sprouting shoots. We want the seedling to also have a well-developed root system and we can nurture a balanced system with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs. 

Specific to Liver and Gallbladder imbalances in Chinese Medicine, I often see people experience any number of the following: headaches, migraines, hormonal imbalances, menstrual cycles irregularities, tremors, Bell's Palsy or other neurological presentations, unexplained anxiety, difficulties with mood regulation, or depression. 

Often times around the changes of the season, conditions that were once well-managed become less managed or a little unruly for a moment in time - but this can be especially true in Spring due to the stark contrast in energies between Winter and Spring.

If you are naturally feeling called to this kind of support and holistic medical care, I look forward to seeing you soon! In any event, I hope you take wonderful care of yourselves and others and many Spring blessings to you and yours <3

Ancient Wisdom for Natural Beauty ✨🌹✨

Ancient Wisdom, Natural Beauty 

I am super excited to announce that I have received my Advanced Certificate in Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture from the one and only, Michelle Gellis!

The practice of Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is indeed ancient, mentioned in some of the earliest texts about Chinese Medicine. 

It turns out, people have always wanted their skin to look healthy, vibrant and youthful :) and they've been using Acupuncture for thousands of years to do so.

What does Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture do? 

When we are inserting needles into the face, we are stimulating collagen and elastin production and increasing local blood flow, while also relaxing the facial muscles.

Fun fact: your face is the only place on your body where the muscles attach through a tissue network onto the skin - everywhere else the muscles attach to bones via the tendons. This direct connectivity is why we are able to make facial expressions.

When the muscles of the face are used over and over, they become tight in a particular pattern. The skin ends up developing folds and we start to see the appearance of facial lines. 

While something like Botox paralyzes the muscles so that they cannot be overused, Acupuncture relaxes and nourishes the muscle tissue to help the muscles relax and recover. 

Our faces tell our stories

Something that has really stood out to me in studying and applying Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is the surprising depth it brings to understanding the stories that our faces might have to tell.

There are entire books written about what the lines of the face have to say about an individual's lived experience, what they have been through, what they have survived, what emotional experiences might predominate. 

It doesn't seem appropriate to me to assume that I know what someone has been through just by looking at their face but it is interesting food for thought. It brings another lens to the various diagnostic skills we learn to apply as clinicians of Chinese Medicine. 

In my humble opinion from the courses of study I have pursued, it is always the case that our lived experiences reside in our bodies. From the high highs to the low lows, the joys, anxieties, all across the spectrum of human emotions, our bodies are the containers that respond to and process whatever we experience as we move through the world. 

I often have that particular conversation with patients in my clinic, and to apply it via Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is no different. 

A unique application of Chinese Medicine, and yet it is Chinese Medicine all the same 

While the amount of needles inserted in the face increases, we always tailor every treatment to the individual person, the same way every Acupuncture treatment considers your unique patterns and imbalances. 

You still receive a full body Acupuncture treatment. While collagen production is being stimulated, we are still supporting the health of your tissues and organs and balancing your hormones and nervous system. When you feel and function better, your complexion will reflect that. It is indeed a natural skincare approach that nourishes you BOTH inside AND out. 

Not dissimilar to a focused Acupuncture treatment plan, improving the health of the skin and stimulating the raw materials for a healthy, balanced complexion does take time. After every treatment, collagen production has been stimulated and yet it does take time and consistency to get that collagen to remain. It can take 12-20 once weekly treatments to establish a healthy, functioning foundation of collagen (all while receiving the whole body benefits of consistent Acupuncture treatments). 

There are a few conditions that are contraindicated for Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture such as a patient with migraine headaches, high blood pressure, bleeding disorders, or for patients who are pregnant. So if you have any of these conditions or are currently pregnant, it would be advised for us to first have a consultation so we can discuss.  

The Beauty of Facial Cupping and Gua Sha...

Another important revelation I have had recently is that so much of our communication is non-verbal.

Our faces transmit a lot of information on our behalf. We furrow our brows when we are in thought. We raise our eyebrows when we are surprised or caught off guard. Our eyes communicate our level of presence, pain, joy or sadness. 

Outside of your traditional facial or self-massage practice, when and how can we tend to the muscles and fascia of our faces that are working so diligently on our behalf day in and day out?? 

Enter: Facial Cupping and Gua Sha. Unlike traditional Cupping and Gua Sha on the rest of the body, when we do Facial Cupping and Gua Sha we are NOT trying to create marks. 

Every Facial Rejuvenation session ends with both Facial Cupping and Gua Sha. It is an impactful procedure that temporarily creates space in the fascia, relieves tension from the muscles of the face, increases healthy blood flow to the skin, stimulates collagen and elastin production and also allows for healthy lymphatic drainage. 

I have been offering Facial Cupping and Gua Sha as an add-on to your Traditional Acupuncture Treatment for about 2 years now and to really wonderful results. Every person who has experienced Facial Cupping and Gua Sha remarks on how it is so supremely relaxing to the whole system.

It will for sure make things "plumpy"! :) You really can feel and see the collagen benefits for a solid 48 hours afterwards! 

We have a local skincare Maven in our midst!

Maria Henry is the founder of Luminous Rose. 

She crafts small batch, all natural and organic skin care and hair care products, locally in Waterloo, WI.

Since beginning this course of study, I have learned about the importance of using skin care products as a crucial part of maintaining the health and well-being of my skin. 

I have been using Maria's products for about 8 months and have been really pleased with how gentle and effective they are. My winter favorites are the Deep Hydration Facial Tonic - paired with a pump of the Vitamin C Brightening Serum - for a daytime treatment, the Velvet Skin Barrier Balm for my walks in the woods, and the Night Pressed Recovery Serum for my evening routine. As an adult who still has the occasional blemish, I have found her Acne Relief Gel Heaven-sent! A few dabs a day and those blemishes disappear so quickly.

In general, I have found that a little goes a long way with all of her products. The lovingly crafted small batch goods last quite a long time, even with daily use. 

Everyone's skin care needs are so different, and Maria is so generous with her consultations and her knowledge. If you have questions about what might be a great product or few products for your routine, you can always inquire about specifics and visit her website for more details.

The combined practices of Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture, Facial Cupping and Gua Sha and all natural + clean skin care products support the health of your skin in every season and at every stage of life, while also having profound benefits to your overall well-being <3