WELCOME TO OPEN CIRCLE ACUPUNCTURE & HEALING “Water is the softest thing, yet it can penetrate mountains and earth. This shows clearly the principle of softness overcoming hardness.” –Lao Tzu Welcome to Open Circle Acupuncture’s first blog post! I am so excited to begin this conversation with you all about many different topics of health and wellness. I truly hope all of these many topics we will explore can be a dynamic and inspiring conversation for years to come. For me, starting Open Circle Acupuncture is the culmination of many years of practice, learning, listening and experiencing all that this amazing medicine has to offer. Kim and I are so thrilled and excited to be starting on this new journey together and with all of you! One of the things I love most about Chinese medicine and acupuncture is the theory that optimal health comes from aligning your lifestyle and mind with that of nature. If you’ve ever gone for a walk in the woods and truly quieted yourself, don’t you just feel healthier, more aligned? So, in that spirit, I’d like to start with writing about winter and the water element since this is where our practice is born. When the New Year arrives, even though it is cold and yin we all feel a sense of newness, of rebirth and the desire to set our intentions for the year. Maybe it’s to exercise more, or eat healthier, but maybe this intention can be more internal, to complain less, to get more quiet and peaceful inside. Personally, I think those types of New Year’s resolutions are more natural to this time of year. When I want to get going on a cleanse or a new exercise routine, it always feels more natural for me to do this in the springtime, whereas renewing a meditation practice, yoga, qigong, writing in a journal or reading a new book seem much more natural in the winter. There is good reason for this. When you are truly aligned with the winter season, which is the most yin or introspective time of year, we are allowing life to slow down, and this is not always easy. It is commonly thought that the water element is associated with the emotion of fear, but this is not completely accurate. When the water element is finding its balance, it comes from the ability to transform fear and doubt to wisdom and trust. By knowing when to conserve energy, draw back from the overstimulating and busy world we live, we can tap into immense power and energy that we will have to give back to our life. In this spirit of the water element, here are a few tips for staying well this winter:
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