Sprout Acupuncture

Every trip has its routine stops, to cafes, galleries, or visits with people. Since I only go every 4-6m now, I really look forward to each stop so much. I’ve mentioned some of the cafes and galleries I go to in Mcbride and Valemount – Well here are some photos from the Whistle Stop Gallery. There are so many things to see at this Gallery, that I made a separate collage of many of the cool ceramics, paintings, carvings there! I don’t have space to list the artists here, so please visit https://www.whistlestopgallery.ca/our-artists to see more. The beautiful horseback painting is on a bench just outside the train station. Bellow that is a photo of the cooler contents at ‘Uncle Marks’, a neat little butcher grocery in Mcbride – this is where I pick up fresh smoked bacon to share with the people I stay with. Both of these stops remind me of how much I wish Grande Cache had a Gallery, a Butcher, and a health food type store! The red building is the church I work out of in Mcbride. They have a lovely little thrift store attached that I always check out. You never know what you’ll find in these tiny secluded towns. The bottom left is a beautiful wide shot of the black burnt forest and the contrasting morning light colouring the fields bellow. Underneath that, are outbuildings a local lady named Kate, has built on her off grid property. Both of these views are part of every morning walk with Larry- again something I strive to find time for every visit! Larry preceded to tell me about the history of some of his families outbuildings in his neighbourhood, and how the Rainbow falls creek irrigates all the properties in his subdivision. Can you see the 2 white swans in the top right photo? Along with every trip in Mcbride, I always stop in to Irene’s for a foot detox, and here you can see how the water gets murky from all the toxins that come out through the skin. In Valemount I mostly stuck to Jans property before and after work. Here’s a photo of Charlie, their Bull, and all his ladies in the field! Seeing beef cows close up is still a novelty for me and worth capturing in a photo. This was the first time in 2 years that I actually made it out to explore the lower perimeter of Jan’s family farm. Every walk-about on her land comes with her personal stories growing up on the farm, and lessons she’s learned over a life time. This indeed, is what I look forward to most when I visit…and of course, the delicious fresh baking that she insists on sharing!

I'm about to head on another week long trip, and that reminds me! I didn't post about the last year OR the last trip...my goal this year is to keep up with creating a collage for each adventure.
This last trip was full of beautiful Autumn colours and so many great conversations. On this trip I let all my patients know that I'll only be returning 1x in spring and autumn, and I was surprised to hear they still want me to return! I barely had any cancellations so it was such a smooth trip work wise. I also got to visit and spend time with my favourite people in those towns; Brittany and her family, Zach, Yvonne, and Joan. This time I hit up the last 2 farmers markets in Chetwynd, got to receive 2 PEMF sessions with this Colleen & her amazing Magnawave Machine, go on a day long hike into goat territory [can you see the tiny white blobs?], followed by camping out in a cabin with Yvonne that evening. My favourite things about each trip are hearing what patients have been up to over the last 4-6m [and of course, giving treatments!), all of the great jovial conversations with hosts and friends, new hikes in every town, and new experiences..for example this time Joan helped me review some paramedic skills, and Zach took me on the trail around Mackenzie. It's the perfect mix of new, to keep weekly routine from getting too...routine. I always return feeling refreshed, inspired, and ready for some quiet time to contrast these full trips.

This summer I went on an incredible Horseback Adventure. I remember wondering "what will my brain be like after 9 days without service, constant stimulation, and day to day responsibilities." I thought it would be so calm, subdued almost, but I think that only happens with your completely alone in the woods, or out there for a much longer stretch of time. Instead, we had the constant buzz of lovely conversations, simple entertainment [like watching the dog chase a squirrel], the attentive effort of riding horses for 4-5hr each day, and the steady routine of wake-eat-packup-ride-unpack-eat-sleep each day. It reminded me of just how busy even a simple life in the wilderness can be. How much more "living" and enjoying life we could all use more of. How much "rest" we really need. We laughed so hard everyday, ate amazing food, explored some beautiful lakes, and stared at the incredible peaks of the Persimmon Range. Life was simple yet so full! Friendships grew, and spirits did settle into a gentle peacefulness. Being in nature is healing and we all need more of it. I'm hooked, and hope to go into Wilmore every summer. I hope everyone out there gets to experience this kind of opportunity.

Wow, I can't believe it's been a year since I've posted anything on here. Life got full and social media slid off the priority list. It filled up with all sorts of simple life things that I neglected while I fuelled most of my energy into establishing my practice. Simple things that I've dreamed of and wondered what it would feel like to take part in, like meeting people that live 'here', going outside, hiking mountains, doing less travel-work while building a stable practice at 'home', joining search and rescue, enjoying day to day life in this kind welcoming community, and my first summer filled with vacation-like activities.
1 of the highlights I'll start with from this past year was airing on my favourite Chinese Medicine Podcast! Qiological Episode 408 [available on any streaming platform] explored what's all involved working on the road, setting up a mobile practice offering Acupuncture in 6 different remote communities. My intention was to inspire and promote this kind of work for other practitioners. All the remote communities in the north need more health care practitioners, be it massage, physio, chiropractics, or any other health related modality. Although it can be exhausting in some regards, every trip fills me up with awe, wonder, and gratitude. It's the perfect mix of new adventures, new people, and new cases to keeps me engaged, curious, and excited for what’s to come. It breaks up the routine just enough that you never lose interest. There's so much more I could say of how it’s helped me grow as a person and professional so I'll share 1 big takeaway from hitting the road and serving others. You learn to trust yourself, your journey, the kindness and good-will of others, and what life has in store for you. It's made me trust the process of growing into the practitioner I am today, and the journey that IS life. Everything really does work out the way it’s supposed to, and when you go out there - courageously searching for a way to make business and lifestyle mesh - it's truly incredible how many amazing people you meet, unique stories you hear, beautiful places you stumble upon, and how you develop a knack for stepping into the unknown and trusting what's to come. I'd recommend anyone with a "service" to offer - who dreams of visiting other beautiful areas in northern Canada - to ponder the possibility of blending work with travel.

Here's a collage of the last time I hit the road for work end of June. Just finished the newsletter and sent it off...full of animal visits, hikes, and fulfilling work and great conversations. It's like a Vacation and Work wrapped into 1. I feel so blessed to have this kind of opportunity and be able to take what I do to different communities. Thanks to everyone that's a part of this Journey.

Gee, the busier I get, the LESS I want to go on fb and post anything...its been over a month. Funny how that happens...

This July, I took the time to visit family and use that time wisely to reset my sleep routine, rest & exercise habits. Its been about 2 yr that I’ve been thinking about work every day all the time. It’s amazing how I don’t even notice how much I’ve over thinking or over working until I carve out enough time to literally stop, do nothing, rest, exercise and sleep! I slept 12hr a day for almost a week straight, and started waking up early. I told myself in my head “exercise is a non-negotiable!” and promised I’d stick to some kind of regimen for the rest of the summer. It’s been 2 weeks of running 5x a week. Maybe if I go to sleep earlier each night, wake up early before the world wakes up, and focus on “what do I need to do for myself right now” for about 1-2hr, it can help build the self-care I need to amplify how good I feel. One thing I’ve learned over and over, is you can’t wait to feel better to change habits. You have to change the habits that create the dysfunction and patiently observe as little shifts start to happen. This time, I hope these changes stick. Here’s a great little graphic of how to truly rest and have a great sleep routine!

Another favourite herbal formula! This is THE formula most young adults can benefit from. It combats our high stress, go-go-go lifestyle, combined with the way-too-much-thinking, over-stimulation norm of the 21st century, and fast-food processed sugar-filled diets. When I was in school I think all of us were taking mega doses of this to get through mid-terms and finals.

It's hard to believe It's been a year since I started the travelling work. Here's a snippet of the 7th newsletter I've sent out. I started creating this to help remind patients of when I'll be in their area, to keep in touch with friends and family, and to share some of the joy of working on the road. When you put your trust in what's to come, and in the communities and people you meet on the way, it's amazing what can transpire in just 1 year. If you'd like to join a lovely bi-monthly recap and aren't on the list already, call or message me!

San Qi Formula is a herbal remedy we give to help with stopping bleeding, that can be a nosebleed, cut, traumatic injury, or from colitis, fibroids, certain presentations of heavy periods, or peptic ulcers. It’s a great remedy to have at the ready and definitely one I wish everyone carried in their back pocket.

Here’s one of my favourite graphics. The power of Chinese medicine lies in how it understands fluid physiology in the body. It maps out organs and the multiple functional relationships they have with each other. It uses multiple theories through which to view the body. Which one to look through depends on which ever theory helps you best understand what’s going on that specific moment in time. Sometimes organ relationships are most relevant, other times 6 levels or meridians [I prefer calling them channels, like a river system of channels], or principles like hot cold, excess [constraint, stagnation, perfusion] deficient [depleted, empty, fatigued]. Our diagnosis relies on what we see, feel, and hear from our patient. We don’t have diagnostic imaging at our disposal, so the better we learn to read the body and all of it’s subtle [or not so subtle] clues, the more we can help our patients. It’s an art that takes decades to master and the journey is so rewarding!

From the last trip through the Robson Valley! Definitely able to prioritize some outdoor walks with the beautiful spring sunshine!
I went a few new short trails, including Anette Lake in Jasper, Little Lost Lake just outside of tete-Jaune, Swift Creek Trail in Valemount, and Kinney Lake Trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park. I went on a walk with my host in Mcbride and he found a clump of Morrel mushrooms! I bet there's tons out there this season and I wonder if I'll find more next trip!