Kirsch Method Acupuncture & Bodywork

“Grandma, how do you cope with pain?”

“With your hands, honey.
If you do it with your mind instead of relieving the pain, it toughens even harder.”

“With your hands grandma?”
“Yes, our hands are the antennae of our soul.
If you move them; knitting, cooking, painting, playing or sinking them into the ground, you send care signs to the deepest part of you and your soul lights up because you’re paying attention to it.
Then signs of pain will no longer be necessary.”

“Hands are really that important?”
“Yes my daughter. Think of babies: they start to know the world through the touch of their hands.
If you look at the hands of old people, they tell you more about their life then any body part. Everything that is done by hand is said to be done with the heart.
Because it’s really like this: hands and heart are connected.
Masseurs know well: when they touch someone with their hands, they create a deep connection.
It is precisely from this connection that healing comes.
Think of lovers: when they touch their hands, they make love in a more sublime way.”

“My hands grandma.... how long I haven’t used them like this!”
“Move them, my love.
Begin to create with them and everything within you will begin to move.
The pain will not pass away.
And instead what you do with them will become the most beautiful masterpiece and it won’t hurt anymore.
Because you have been able to transform its essence..

~Elena Bernabe ~

Artist Credit : Claudia Tremblay

Perhaps one of my more favorite depictions of yin and Yang ☯️

“There are two people you’ll meet in your life. One will run a finger down the index of who you are and jump straight to the parts of you that pique their interest.

The other will take his or her time reading through every one of your chapters and maybe fold corners of you that inspired them most. You will meet these two people; it is a given.

It is the third that you’ll never see coming. That one person who not only finishes your sentences, but keeps the book.”

— Unknown

[ Artist • Aldous Massie ]

A little juicing nudge. fresh organic raw juices always give me a lasting kick of energy and rolls into detox benefits over the next few days. When they become from new, to regular to ritual, it can enrich our long term health. Healthy habits 😊

Some healing poetry.

AS TIME GOES BY

As time goes by,
You will loosen your grip on that rock,
The one you always thought was home,
And you will realise that home is not a place,
It’s a state of mind.
Let it go.

As time goes by,
You will learn to see yourself more clearly,
The girl who was always too much of one thing,
And too little of another, was actually
Everything she needed to be.
Let her out.

As time goes by,
You will let the simple things become the big,
And you will allow the big things to become the simple,
And that readjustment will be,
The day you really start to live,
Let it be.

As time goes by,
You will be forced to say goodbye many times,
And your soft little heart will shatter but,
It will still beat and that will bring you,
All the purpose you need.
Let it beat.

As time goes by,
You will stop choosing wealth over peace,
You will stop choosing money over time,
And you will see that the treasures you need,
Are in the smiles and the laughter.
Let them in.

As time goes by,
The moments you remember when your life flashes past,
Are never the awful memories my friend, it’s the joy,
The summer nights, the lazy days with loved ones,
The midnight chats and the morning hugs,
Let them happen.

Let them all happen.

Donna Ashworth

From ‘The Right Words’:
UK: https://amzn.eu/d/8yFXDJr
US: https://a.co/d/8KKVbYI

ART by Diana Chelaru (the passing of time)

THE FOUR LAWS OF A SHAMAN

The first says:

"The person who comes into our life is the right person"

In other words, no one comes into our lives by chance, all the people around us, who interact with us, are there for a reason, to make us learn and advance in each situation.

The second law says:

"What happens is the only thing that could have happened."

Nothing, but nothing, absolutely nothing that happens to us in our lives could have been otherwise.

Not even the most insignificant detail.

There is no: "if I had done such a thing, such another would have happened...".

Nope.

What happened was the only thing that could have happened and it had to have been so for us to learn that lesson and move on.

Each and every one of the situations that happen to us in our lives are perfect, even if our mind and our ego resist and do not want to accept it.

The third says:

"Anytime it starts is the right time."

Everything starts at the right time, neither before nor after.

When we are ready for something new to start in our lives, that is when it will begin.

And the fourth and last:

"When something ends, it ends."

Just like that.

If something ended in our lives, it is for our evolution, therefore it is better to leave it, move on and advance already enriched by that experience.

I think it is not by chance that you are reading this, if these words came into our lives today; It's because we're prepared to understand that no snowflake ever falls in the wrong place."

~Author and Artist: Unknown

Always be kind.

Did I mention we have Tongue plushies on my store?

Why we ask to look at your tongue.

Tongue observation is an essential part of diagnosis of Chinese Medicine.

"Did you know that an unwounded oyster does not produce pearls?
Pearls are a healed wound.
Pearls are a product of pain, the result of a foreign or unwanted substance entering the oyster, such as a parasite or a grain of sand.
The inside of an oyster shell is a shiny substance called nacar. When a grain of sand enters, the nacar cells go to work and cover the grain of sand with layers and more layers to protect the defenseless body from the oyster. As a result, a beautiful pearl is formed!
An oyster that has not been wounded in any way does not produce pearls, because a pearl is a healed wound."

Connecting energetically to cerebral spinal fluid in craniosacral work to contact and help the flowing expression of the entirety of one’s story - “your story is water”

by Victoria Erickson, Writer

(instagram: victoriaericksonwriter)

Good stretching / yoga tips and info.

Discover the unfolding story as a lightning bug does just this is Flicker: Light of a Lantern. Available at www.ublightbooks.com.

Please drink the liquid boredom anyway. A friendly PSA from your acupuncturist

Support my work on Patreon! Patreon.com/theawkwardyeti

Oh the psoas. This long stretch of muscle is what allows us to bend forward or raise our knees to our chest. It comes off the transverse process of the T12, L1 - 4, and inserts on the inside of the leg to what is called the lesser trochanter.

Emotionally, when we feel ashamed, or shamed upon, and our energy shrinks and we shrink into a ball, this muscle contracts, and pulls on the diaphragm, our solar plexus, all the digestive blood supply in that area and the kidneys. The remedy, big big energy like the new song that is out. Expand again and don’t shrink for anyone.

🔈 WHY ARE THE PSOAS MUSCLES CONSTANTLY CONTRACTED DURING PROLONGED PERIODS OF STRESS?

Whether you run, bike, dance, practice yoga, or just hang out on your couch, your psoas muscles are involved. That’s because your psoas muscles are the primary connectors between your torso and your legs. They affect your posture and help to stabilise your spine.

The psoas muscles are made of both slow and fast twitching muscles. Because they are major flexors, weak psoas muscles can cause many of the surrounding muscles to compensate and become overused. That is why a tight or overstretched psoas muscle could be the cause of many or your aches and pains, including low back and pelvic pain.

👩‍🔬 ANATOMY

Structurally, your psoas muscles are the deepest muscles in your core. They attach from your 12th thoracic vertebrae to your 5 lumbar vertebrae, through your pelvis and then finally attach to your femurs. In fact, they are the only muscles that connect your spine to your legs.

Your psoas muscles allow you to bend your hips and legs towards your chest, for example when you are going up stairs. They also help to move your leg forward when you walk or run.

Your psoas muscles are the muscles that flex your trunk forward when bend over to pick up something from the floor. They also stabilize your trunk and spine during movement and sitting.

👩‍🔬 THE PSOAS AND FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE

The psoas muscles support your internal organs and work like hydraulic pumps allowing blood and lymph to be pushed in and out of your cells.

Your psoas muscles are vital not only to your structural well-being, but also to your psychological well-being because of their connection to your breath.

Here’s why: there are two tendons for the diaphragm (called the crura) that extend down and connect to the spine alongside where the psoas muscles attach. One of the ligaments (the medial arcuate) wraps around the top of each psoas. Also, the diaphragm and the psoas muscles are connected through fascia that also connects the other hip muscles.

These connections between the psoas muscle and the diaphragm literally connect your ability to walk and breathe, and also how you respond to fear and excitement. That’s because, when you are startled or under stress, your psoas contracts.

In other words, your psoas has a direct influence on your fight or flight response!

During prolonged periods of stress, your psoas is constantly contracted. The same contraction occurs when you:

➡️ sit for long periods of time
➡️ engage in excessive running or walking
➡️ sleep in the fetal position
➡️ do a lot of sit-ups

💡 Here are some tips for getting your psoas back in balance:

✔️ Avoid sitting for extended periods
✔️ Add support to your car seat
✔️ Try Resistance Flexibility exercises
✔️ Get a professional massage
✔️ Release stress and past traumas
✔️ Stretch

💡 HOW TO STRETCH

Roller Psoas Stretch
Use a foam roller for this passive, relaxing stretch that lengthens your psoas, one of your deep hip flexors.

1. Place the roller perpendicular to your spine and lie with your sacrum (the back of your pelvis) — not your spine — on the roller.
2. Pull your left knee toward your chest, keeping your right heel on the ground. You should feel a stretch on the front of your right hip.
3. To increase the stretch, reach your right arm over your head and open your left knee slightly out to the left.
Hold for 30 seconds, then switch legs. Repeat as needed.

A look into anatomy.

Cholesterol clogged artery

Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood rich in oxygen throughout your body. They go to your brain as well as to the tips of your toes. Healthy arteries have smooth inner walls and blood flows through them easily. Some people, however, develop clogged arteries. Clogged arteries result from a buildup of a substance called plaque on the inner walls of the arteries. Arterial plaque can reduce blood flow or, in some instances, block it altogether.

Clogged arteries greatly increase the likelihood of heart attack, stroke, and even death. Because of these dangers, it is important to be aware, no matter how old you are, of the causes of artery plaque and treatment strategies to prevent serious consequences.

Plaque that accumulates on the inner walls of your arteries is made from various substances that circulate in your blood. These include calcium, fat, cholesterol, cellular waste, and fibrin, a material involved in blood clotting. In response to plaque buildup, cells in your artery walls multiply and secrete additional substances that can worsen the state of clogged arteries.

Source and more information: http://bit.ly/1xC9v79

What a beautiful way to describe it.

Only a heart that has truly love can understand...

A healthier Valentine’s chocolate smoothie. Yes, you can omit the spinach if you like, the smoothie still works.

If chocolate avocado pudding and a vegan milkshake had a baby, this smoothie would be it. This treat has gotten some rave feedback from my Inner Circle Wellness members and I wanted to share it with you.

Just grab these simple ingredients and blend baby blend!

- 2 small bananas, frozen
- 1 to 2 pitted Medjool dates
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1/4 Hass avocado
- 1 3/4 cup almond milk or nondairy milk of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup baby spinach, tightly packed

The US is failing to care for traumatic brain injury survivors, experts say

I personally find articles on post concussive syndrome and TBI interesting so also sharing here:

The US is failing to care for traumatic brain injury survivors, experts say Every year, nearly 5 million Americans are evaluated for traumatic brain injury in emergency departments across the country.

Food as medicine.