Acupuncture

With summer just around the corner, many people are looking to ramp up their summer health plans. Whether it is a fitness plan or a vow to eat less heavy food and eat more greens, the warm weather has ignited a fire under us and the spark of motivation has been lit.

With that said, what most people neglect in their efforts to prepare for the activities of summer is a full body check up. Not your yearly G.P. visit, although that’s always a good idea too, but an in-depth look at your physical and mental health. Maybe it’s an old shoulder injury that gets flared up every time you push too hard, or digestive difficulties despite your best efforts to eat well, or perhaps it’s that nagging feeling of anxiety or sadness which isn’t fading with the improving weather. Not only can Chinese medicine and acupuncture help address the roots of these issues, it can also act as a support to your spring/summer health plan by preventing injury, aiding digestion, improving heart and organ health, managing stress and helping you stay happy, healthy, motivated and prepared for what the summer has to offer.

Read Full Entry…

While there are a multitude of different yogic pranayama (breathing exercises) the highest is also the simplest: savour the breath.

It is quite easy, if one pays attention for a short while, to become aware of the subtle nuances of the breath. This naturally encourages a deeper, more steady breathing, without the use of force. In this breath there is a richness that in turn feeds consciousness: the process of becoming aware postively feeds back on itself.

Begin to notice the brief pauses between the inhale and exhale. The moment of stillness in fullness at the top of the inhale and the moment of stillness in emptiness - a touching on the creative void - at the bottom of the exhale. Hang onto none of these states but allowing your awareness to pass freely through the full range of experience, growing deeper and richer with each passing breath. When you feel you have connected with the breath sufficiently, rather than absent-mindedly falling off into unconscious breathing or thoughts, choose to take three last full breaths before consciously returning to your ordinary awareness and activities.