What:        Pop Up Community Style Acupuncture!

When:      Sunday October 23rd from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Where:     5 Elements Martial Arts & Wellness Center
                 7036 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, CA 92115

Cost:        Donation!  (cash or check please normally $40) 

Specifics: Come join us for a Pop Up Community Style Acupuncture! An excellent way to try acupuncture for the first time or to take advantage of this cost saving opportunity.  
What to wear? Loose comfortable clothes that can be rolled up to your elbows/knees. 
Come check out a wonderful center and a great acupuncturist!

Moxa, Moxa, Man, I want to be a Moxa Man! 
Moxa is awesome!  What is Moxa you ask?  Moxa is Mugwort  (Artimesia argyi) that is burned either directly on the skin (commonly the back, shoulder area and belly) or indirectly, as shown on the left.  What is it good for? Here are a few benefits of note:

• Arthritis
• Back Pain
• Headaches
• Migraines
• Muscle Stiffness
• Menstrual Cramps
• Digestive Problems
• Ulcers
• Cancer
• Infertility
• Tendonitis

This post is just an introduction to make you curious about moxa!  Please be sure your practitioner is properly trained so you can relax and enjoy the benefits!  My thanks to all of the practioners over the last two millennium and to the Village People.  Here is a link to an article on moxa in Acupuncture Today.
Breathe Deep and Be Well!

Finally you can relax and enjoy your Wednesday knowing that Tin O' Sage has finally arrived!  What is it you ask?  Just the thing you have been missing!  It is 4 products in one!  What is this miracle product?  Sage (Salvia Apiana)! The great Sage used by Native Americans for space clearing.  It also has many medicinal uses. The three you can try are as follows:
For a sore throat:  one leaf in a cup of boiling water, let steep for 10 minutes, Gargle for 1 minute (WARM not HOT!). For an upset stomach: One leaf in a cup of boiling water, let steep until COLD, slip slowly until finished.  Also  can be used for daily immunity boost & cleansing: one leaf in your water bottle and sip throughout the day.
Finally you can burn one leaf in a fire safe dish to purify the air in your space.  You can buy it HERE.

Breathe Deep & Be Well.

Here is a great article on the subject from Acupuncture Today by Jake Fraktin.   Breathe Deep & Be Well.  

The long wait is over!  The Travel Trio has arrived!  It was going to be called the Menage a Trois, but that name was already taken for something else!  The perfect traveling companion during the cold/flu season or any time!  Not traveling?  That's okay too.  You can bring to the office, the car, a friends house or heck, just have some for the house in a small convenient size! Yes, size does matter! Makes it easier to carry with you where ever you may go.  What does that mean?  You can meditate on it or discuss with a friend over a cup of coffee (see previous posts) or an amazing cup of caffeine free delicious tea!   Be Well.

Welcome to the Year of the Horse!  If you did not like your New Year last September, or your New Year earlier this month, you can start all those New Year's Resolutions TODAY!!!  So, enjoy yourself as you gallop through the year!  What does that mean? You can either meditate on that by yourself or find a friend to share a cup of coffee (see previous posts) or a warm deliciously fabulous cup of tea. Be Well.

Is this the End??? No, just the end of my 30 day Blog Challenge and the beginning of regular blogs with awesome tips and thoughts on Acupuncture and Life in general. As Elton John once said "don't let the sun go down on me..."  What the heck does that mean?  You can meditate on it or discuss with a friend over a cup of coffee (see previous post) or an awesome always caffeine free cup of tea! Click on the pictures below to enlarge.  Be Well. 

I was going to call this post Shut the #$%@ Up! But cooler heads prevailed.  What am I being so harsh about? Hiking with your music on without head phones.  There are so few places to enjoy the great out doors in Southern California and a surprising amount of people think this is a great place for them to share THEIR favorite playlist.  I say NO!  Your music may be YOUR inspiration, but for the majority of us out on the trails, Silence is Golden.  I am not saying you can't listen to your favorite jam while you are hiking, walking, or running on the trails.  I am saying I (and most of the people sharing these resources) do not want to hear it.  Take that opportunity to hear your breath as you walk up the hill.  Maybe you can hear the cry of the hawk circling above, or the deer rustling through the brush. What a great time to contemplate the wonderful world of nature.  What the heck does this mean?  Well you can either meditate on it or find a friend to enjoy a cup of coffee (see previous post) or a wonderfully awesome delicious cup of tea and discuss.  Be Well.

People are often surprised when I tell them how many professional acupuncture/Chinese medical theory class hours I completed during my graduate program (3250). This degree, by the way, is an MSOM-Master of Science in Oriental Medicine. Am I telling you this as an ego boost?  No! I am making people aware that this is a profession with extensive requirements. 4 plus years of training goes into preparation to become an acupuncturist in the state of California (3000 hour minimum and usually more with prerequisites). It takes time to learn medicine of any kind including acupuncture. What does this all mean?? Find a friend and discuss over a cup of coffee (see previous post) or a cup of wonderfully delicious tea. Can't find a friend right now? You can meditate on it instead. Be Well. 

Let's get to the point right away (point, cactus.. hee, hee, ha, ha).  No need to be a prickly pear when you are out in the world. Sure we all have our bad days but no need to take it out on people who very may well only get to meet you once. And most of all don't take it out on the ones you love the most (wife, husband, children, partner, brother, sister, mail man etc)!  What does this mean??? Discuss with a friend over a cup of coffee (see Previous blogs) or tea! Be Well.