Northern Coast, Barbados

We need time away from our routines to learn to ‘listen’ to the language of our bodies. They are like instruments always playing the ‘music’ we need to hear to bring us to healthier places That ‘music’ can be a feeling of well-being telling us we are right where we are suppose to be. It can also be a headache,  an anxiety, some irritability, or a pain that calls us to take a closer look at our lives. Sometimes the answer is as simple as cutting down on sugar to relieve a headache. Other times it is more complex and may require medical attention.

Last week I was in Barbados. The waves crashed and the warm trade winds blew as I sat under the stars and wrote, “We are headed to hear some reggae and feast on catfish and breadfruit under the stars. I have only been here a few days, but I already know the places I carry my New York tension–my right hand (the one I needle with and use on my computer) and my shoulders which have a tendency to creep closer to my ears when I overwork”.

I am all for vacations, staycations, retreats, a day of rest–whatever it takes to get an idea of what we need to ‘hear’ when we finally get off the treadmill. Often it is easier to assess our lives ‘from a distance’. Sometimes all we need is a new perspective to help us shine some light in the darkness and other times we need help from a trusted friend or professional. Giving the space to become aware of unhealthy patterns in our lives takes commitment, but looking at it as an adventure in self discovery and change for the better is a good attitude to inhabit.

As for me, the week away was enough for me to realize I need to relax my wrist more when I work and to take time out for some deep abdominal breathing when my shoulders start to rise. That is my medicine for the moment. What is yours?

WINTER

The cold weather has arrived. Winter is the time to reflect on how our lives match up to what we envision for ourselves and for pondering how to close that gap in the coming more active seasons. Here are some tips to help recharge your psyche, spirit and body:

REST: In Chinese Medicine, we try to adjust our body’s rhythm to the season. Just as the trees become dormant to gather energy to prepare for the burst of spring to come, so should we. It is the season to slow down. Of course we are all busy, so perhaps just making it a point to get a good eight hours sleep is the best we can do.  This is a good time to try a less strenuous form of exercise like restorative yoga, tai chi or qigong.

DIET:  Hot soup warms the core, helps to clear phlegm and moistens the nasal passages.  Chicken soup and miso soup with scallions are good for colds. Black beans, bones filled with marrow, ginger and garlic, roasted peanuts and walnuts are all foods that nourish in the winter. Try some new recipes and invite someone to join you in trying them out.

MOXA: In winter, Chinese medical practitioners use a lot of moxa which is an herb that is burned close to the skin in order to warm the channels and promote a smooth flow of blood and qi. Ask your acupuncturist to teach you how to use it. It is especially good to warm the immune points and a specific point between the two kidneys in the small of the back. Always get direction from a licensed professional to show you where and how to use it.

GUA SHA: This ancient technique is great for breaking up congestion in the chest from a cold and wonderful for aches and pains. It involves gently rubbing the affected area with a smooth edge.

WASH YOUR HANDS: One of the easiest ways to stop the spread of colds and flu is by washing your hands. If you don’t have access to soap and water, buy a small bottle of Purell to carry with you.

STRENGTHEN IMMUNITY: If you are prone to allergies in the spring, now is the time to get several acupuncture treatments to help support your immune system to decrease your body’s sensitivity to allergens.

BE GRATEFUL: Gratitude lifts the spirit and is good for the mind and body when we start to “sweat the small stuff”. Try to make it a habit to be in a positive frame of mind. If you find it difficult, begin to count your blessings, be kind to yourself, bundle up, and enjoy the cold!

WELCOME, 2012

The festivities are over. Extreme socializing done. Now is the time put into effect the means to achieve the intentions that will find us  in better shape next year at this time–physically, economically, emotionally—any aspect of our lives that is begging (maybe even screaming) for help.

Having a clear intention is a skill I have learned to hone as an acupuncturist. When I insert a needle to reduce pain, relieve anxiety, or improve sleep, I am always crystal clear on what I would like to achieve. Here are some tips on improving intention.

STAY PRESENT. What is it you would like right now? And then you might ask yourself, “Where would I like to be with this in a month from now, a few months, and then, next year at this time?” I know when I insert a needle in the foot to reduce irritability that it will take more needles to achieve my goal, and most likely, more treatments. But being present with my intention sometimes produces miraculous results.

BE REALISTIC. So you would like a million dollars? How about beginning with making the same amount that you spend? I have a friend who had a two year campaign called “operation get out of debt by 2012”. She just announced that she did it! It did not happen overnight, but with a slow and steady pace, and when she finished it was with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and pride. Try to use the same grounded approach with weight loss, relationships, work, etc.

FALL DOWN SEVEN TIMES, GET UP EIGHT. I love this Japanese proverb because it speaks to our humanity. Most goals that have meaning for us require clarity, discipline, hard work, and perseverance. Keeping our intention clearly in mind with confidence in success helps dispel discouragement when the things do not happen immediately.

Finally, learn from your mistakes, don’t be afraid to take some risks, and be sure to ‘keep it real’. Here is to your happiest, most joy-filled New Year. EVER. Go ahead and make that list of intentions now and let next holiday season find you in the ‘shape’ that you envision yourself in.  ONWARD!

ACROSS THE STREET

This is the scene that I see when I stand in front of my office building and look across the street. When I moved my practice from the bustling streets of Soho in 2008, my intention was to create a healing space where frazzled New Yorkers could let go of their busy world in a quiet, clean and nurturing environment. Even the block where my office is located is relaxing to walk down—a Greenwich Village neighborly feel with a beautiful mix of residential and commercial.

I am looking forward to 2012 and will have lots to offer. Please let me know if you would like to continue getting the health tips, updates and inspiration that I offer regularly in this blog. If you do not, please hit unsubscribe. In the meantime, wishing you the Happiest Holidays and the healthiest New Year ever! Hope to see you.

Rick Weisbrot

Rick Weisbrot worked with the tennis players at the US Open last summer using his skills as an acupuncturist. I was interested in hearing about his experience and asked him some questions:

Were you part of a medical team?
I was a USTA consultant with player medical services. The only people who had clearance to work with players in the player treatment medical offices were the physical therapists, doctors and me. This meant no coaches or other modalities such as massage. The players would either come or request acupuncture or were evaluated by the doctors and, if it were deemed the right course of treatment, they were given acupuncture.

How did your work differ from the medical doctors?
While the doctors could evaluate a player and send them for an MRI or x-ray or blood test they really could not provide any immediate hands on treatment. This left the door wide open for me to treat on the spot and deliver a quantifiable result, whether that was less pain, more range of motion, or stress relief.

Given the tennis players are in top physical shape, did you find it much different that working on those who regularly come to your office?
Well number one, I could immediately identify anatomical land marks when needling due to low body fat and toned muscle. They were also very much into getting a hands on instant result. There was not the usual trepidation that one might encounter with quote, unquote civilian patients. The players are all about getting ready for the game, whatever it takes.

What type of issues did you work on?
I worked on a lot of rotator cuff problems, strained quads and adductors, tight spinal erectors and players wanting to chill out before an upcoming match.

What was the greatest improvement you saw in your days of work there?
The greatest improvement that I had the privilege of delivering was a player who could not raise their arm to serve and ten minutes later they were good to go.

How long was a typical treatment?
Treatments were anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes long with the longest 30 minutes for general stress relief.

Did you do any constitutional work or was it all for local issues?
Most of my work was local with a small percentage being constitutional.

What type of needling did you use?

I mostly did trigger point needling for tight or painful muscles to release the spasm. I also treated painful areas by needling points distally using the formula treat right side for left pain, up for down, and back for front. All of the players were suitably impressed, as was I.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience?

The biggest take away from my experience was what I brought to the table, pun intended. I was treated as an equal by the doctors, as it should be. It gave me a chance to see how skilled I am and what I can do in a pressure situation, where I had to deliver the goods. It was a huge confidence builder to produce positive immediate results by one’s own hand. I left knowing what I am capable of as a practitioner and that will translate to future patients.

PURSUING THE BRUSHSTROKE

In ancient China, most doctors had an art form in which they were proficient—calligraphy, painting, poetry, playing a musical instrument, martial arts or others. It is important to exercise the part of the brain that is intuitive, creative, non-linear, and irrational when using the skill of Chinese medicine in supporting others to heal.

Balancing healing work and art is another skill in itself. As most of you reading this know, a good part of my week is being spent writing. In the morning, this is easy but come three in the afternoon, I need support. I often go to a neighborhood café where other writers are working. Together, we form a silent community, each working on our own individual projects. We listen to the music being played and enjoy our drink of choice (mine is mathca green tea at the moment) knowing that we are not alone. Sometimes it is hard to imagine that our words may some day inspire others but our faith in ourselves keeps us going. This is a “shout out” to all artists who believe in their work no matter their mood, what others say, or the reality that they may not experience success. The work is its own reward. At the end of the day, after I have had the discipline to put in a few hours without a given structure, a boss telling me what to do, or pay to validate my work, I feel a sense of accomplishment.

And when someone called me last week with an emergency because she was experiencing acute pain in her mid-back, I was happy to help and felt energized from my hours of artistic pursuit. How this works, that is, balancing the use of different parts of the mind to enhance one’s skills for healing, would probably require a dissertation. But for me, I just know it works.

TAKE A HIKE

The holidays are only a couple of months away. Time for some Fall wellness inspirations.  Here are 4 suggestions:

If you have seasonal allergies, consider consulting with an acupuncturist. Resolving allergies, according to Chinese Medicine, is not a one time treatment, and it is best to begin at least a couple of seasons before. A good acupuncturist can help you by coming up with a good treatment plan in addition to determining what changes might be needed in terms of your diet, lifestyle and exercise to support a resolution of symptoms.

Take a hike. The leaves are golden, orange and red and the air is crisp. It is the time to head for a trail in the woods, a park or the High Line. The weather is perfect to work up a sweat with a fast walk and fill your lungs with fresh air. Go alone or with a friend. There is something much healthier about pumping fresh oxygen through your blood when you do it outdoors rather than in a gym. Take advantage of the season.

Get rid of it! “How many winter coats and jackets do I really need?” I asked myself as I continued my vow to lighten my load. Spring and Fall are the best times to get rid of the things that clutter your living and work space. If you have not used it in the last year, give it away to someone who needs it or throw it away. Cleaning up really does reduce stress.

Try something new. A class, a way of being, or a recipe can all be ways to break patterns that keep you stuck. I tried the following recipe last Sunday for my family and they loved it. It was easy and nutritious and I used the freshest, most local ingredients to make it:

Cook up some linguini. Cover the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil. Cut up some sweet white onions (I used some small ones from my friend’s garden), slice up 2 peppers, 2 native tomatoes and swirl in the bottom of the pan with medium heat to make a ‘sauce’. Add salt and pepper to taste and then add the cooked pasta to the pan mixing up the ingredients. Serve with grated Italian table cheese on top. Go ahead and improvise. It is fun and nourishing.

Feel free to share any wellness tips or special recipes for the season. Enjoy the changing leaves.

BALANCING IN THE SAND, 2011

The day before yesterday in yoga class my ‘tree balancing’ posture was near perfect. I focused on some sun dappled leaves outside the third floor studio on 13th Street and my mind seemed as quiet as a still lake. I’m not sure why because I woke up late, unable to address the issue of my missing credit card because I had a deadline to finish before racing out the door for the 7 minute walk-run to Integral Yoga. I must have tapped into an inner calm because my surface was flooded with a frantic frenetic energy.

I use yoga, dance, and qigong practice as way to keep my energy balanced and strong. Qigong is different from the others in that although there are some gentle movements, the ‘work’ one does is mostly internal, that is, to focus the mind on different parts of the body, to become aware of the breath, and to ‘learn’ to be still. It is based on Classical Chinese Medicine and works to balance and build vital life energy (qi).

The following is a good qigong balancing exercise. If you would like to see a similar one  you can find it  in a video I released in 2005:

Find a time and place where you will not be disturbed. Take a deep breath in and when you exhale relax your shoulders. Take another breath in and let your belly expand. Let it naturally contract on the exhale. Place your hands in the prayer position in front of your heart and focus on a stationary point in front of you at eye level.

Move your arms out to the sides so they are shoulder level with your hands relaxed as you bring your left foot into the right ankle, and balance for a few seconds on the right leg.
Place your left foot down, and bring your palms back to center.

Do the same exercise as above only balance on your left leg this time.
Come back to center with both feet on the ground and your hands in the prayer position in front of your heart. Repeat 8 times (4 times to each side).

You can gradually increase the balance time according to your comfort. Don’t forget to breathe, smile slightly and enjoy!

Please note: Qigong exercise does not help you to break a sweat or bring you to the edge of your physical strength and flexibility. It is best done in conjunction with other forms.

BRINGING IN THE CANOE

We had a frost last night. The first of the year. I thought it the perfect time to republish the article I wrote for the September 2010 issue of Westview: The New Voice of the West Village. It is a good introduction to how Chinese Medicine considers the seasons, body, emotions and spirit an integral part of assessing health:

Fall—the air gets crisper, the days shorter, we finish up projects started in the spring and begin to prepare for new ones. We harvest the fruits of summer’s heat—apples and mums, pumpkins and corn. It is time to let go of long summer days, open windows, vacations, cookouts and swims in the sea. One of the most inspiring things about Chinese Medicine is becoming aware of the connection between the seasons and the organ systems, our emotions and the spirit. Autumn, in this ancient eastern paradigm of philosophy and medicine is the season of ‘letting go’. The lungs, which are the organ that predominates this season, must be healthy and vital in order to protect the body from colds and flu, allergies, asthma, bronchitis and decreased immune function. Each organ has an associated emotion and the lung is connected with sadness and grief. Sadness that has run well past its normal course can weaken the lung, and unacknowledged or suppressed grief will interrupt its normal function. Like all of the other emotions, a Chinese Medical perspective gives us a different, more expansive and even poetic view of sadness, letting go, and grief. The process of grief is not far removed from a sense of precious beauty and completion whether we are dealing with the end of a loved one’s life, the season of summer or even things like a job or apartment we had our heart set on. It makes us return our focus to what we do have. Lao Tzu, the famous Chinese philosopher writes, “Only in losing do we gain.”

A good practitioner of Chinese Medicine will strengthen the lung with a variety of techniques. Needling a point on the inner side of the arm about two inches above the wrist helps to release constrained emotions. Particular points on the back help to strengthen lung function. Cupping (do you remember the field day the press had when Gwenyth Paltrow was photographed in the backless gown with large round black spots on her skin?) removes dampness. Burning the herb mungwort (moxa) over certain points also helps strengthen the lung. Dietary suggestions will be made according to each person’s unique presentation and constitution. In the best case scenario, one who is prone to colds, flu and allergies will have these issues addressed in the summer before the fall and winter when they become more vulnerable. In ancient China it was the physician’s job to keep his patients healthy. When a patient became sick and died a lantern was hung outside the doctor’s door to let the village know.

As you can see, Chinese Medicine is different from the Western Medical view of disease and its treatment. It is neither better nor worse. The two very often work well together and complement the others way of restoring health. I like to think of Eastern Medicine as Integrative rather than Alternative. After all, it is the oldest and most widely used medicine on the planet and the body of knowledge from which it is derived is thousands of years old and huge. The fact that it is practiced in just about every New York City hospital today is very good news. It means we have the beginning of a dialogue which might just result in a much needed improvement in our mainstream health-care system. I am sure everyone will agree that this would be a good thing, indeed.

On the wall at Callen Lorde

“In the end, for each individual, it is as rational to believe he or she WILL be among the survivors as it is to assume that he or she won’t…
We must fix our hearts and minds on a clear image of the day when AIDS is no more.
Make no mistake about it,
That day will come.”……….Michael Callen

This is the quote that fills two entire walls in the reception area at the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center where I volunteered every Tuesday for a year. The majority of my patients were HIV positive or had AIDS.

“So what is going on?” I would ask when a patient sat before me. We did not have the luxury of an hour like in private practice so the conversation continued as he or she got on the table as I would gently wash their feet with a warm towel. I listened deeply and then used my skills to reduce the anxiety of the newly diagnosed, alleviate the cravings of those afflicted with addictions, and treat the unpleasant side effects of the medications. I never mentioned once that I had a front row seat when AIDS first reared its mysterious head in the 80’s relentlessly claiming the lives of friends and acquaintances day in and out.

“It is a different disease today,” the doctor I shared the office with told me. And it is. My patients inspired me—the recovering crystal meth addict writing and performing in plays, the newly diagnosed young man gearing up for his first art show, and the man with AIDS for two decades who arrived for his fifth treatment grinning from ear to ear because he had just done a handstand for the first time in his yoga class.

Volunteer work is good for the soul especially when it has meaning for the giver. At the end of each shift I would wipe down all surfaces, put the table away and walk home with a spring in my step and a smile on my lips. Work like this lifts the spirit, and if it has the power to do that, just think of what it can do for the mind and body. In the meantime, try to find a way to give your time and talent even if it is only an hour a week or once a month. You will feel energized from it.

P.S. Thank you for the warm and generous response to last week’s blog post. Most people chose to e-mail me personally. My suggestion is this: if you are so inclined and/or think it might benefit other readers, please consider replying at the end of the post. Either way, I appreciate and read each and every one.