Posts In: Traditional Chinese Medicine

guest post by Heather Fenwick

How does your meditation practice look and feel? We’re highlighting stories of meditation in everyday life to help de-mystify this life-changing practice and share simple meditation techniques with those just getting started. Share your experience in the comments or by email, info@yogaonesandiego.com

My meditation practice lately is not as regular as you might think – some days on, some days off. I meditate for up to 20 minutes, or as little as 3 minutes. Even just three minutes, (as Amy Caldwell reminds me, “any amount”) is helpful.

I have a meditation altar, which I love. It’s a place that always invites mindfulness when I see it. Kuan Yin, the goddess of compassion, sits atop the triple India guide book throne. The Dalai Lama, Chinese medicine accoutrements, and Himalayan salt lamps (to neutralize the ions put out by electronics) complete the scene.

Sometimes I just observe the monkey mind in disbelief (when your thoughts are restless and swirling) and I try to cultivate amusement or acceptance, or some combination of both.

Other times, I drop into a breathing practice that I learned from Sarah Clark:

Breathe in and feel the height of the inhale in the upper palate, lifting to the crown.
Exhale, engage a light root lock, feel the seat heavy on the ground.

Breathing is so simple and so profound.
~ Heather

Even just enjoying a conscious  breath can be meditation. Give it a try?

From the first time you meet Kathi Diamant (or see her on KPBS TV) her sparkling eyes alert you to her intelligence and vibrant energy. That energy further manifests in an apparent and tangible eternal youthfulness. As Franz Kafka stated, “Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.”

Come to her Qigong class on Wednesdays at 9am to try this wonderfully vibrant practice. Check out our full class schedule here.

1. Let’s start with the basics, what is Qigong?

Qigong translates as “energy” (qi or chi) and “work” (gong), but I prefer to think of it as “energy play.” It has been used for centuries as an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, prescribed both for the prevention and cure of chronic illnesses. Comprised of flowing movements designed to balance both hemispheres of the brain, Qigong is exercise that works from the inside out.

It truly is a practice available for everyone, at any age. It can be practiced sitting or standing, and no prior experience is required. We learn three things in Qigong: balance, letting go, and feeling our own energy. Through Qigong, we learn to differentiate between the Yin and Yang energy flowing in the body, and to integrate mind and body in a moving meditation.

2. What first attracted you to Qigong when you began your practice?

I took a Qigong class through the YMCA and I loved the experience of relaxation and focus at the same time. It was a perfect complement to my yoga practice, but also a different sort of workout. In Qigong, there is no effort, no force, you build strength and balance through letting go.

My real practice began in January 2000 when I started lessons in Tai Chi with Henry Cheng, a Fifth Generation Master in Wu-Style Tai Chi Chu’an at the YMCA Mind-Body Center. Master Henry specializes in developing, cultivating and increasing one’s own energy. Qigong is the concept, or idea, behind Tai Chi which is known as a form of Qigong.

3. What is your favorite place or time of day to practice?

My favorite places are outside, especially near old trees, which intensify the feeling of energy. But my absolute favorite is on the beach, at sunset. Sunrise is good, too, but it happens far less often!

4. What’s the most challenging aspect for you?

Focusing my mind. While my body has gotten much stronger and healthier, focusing my mind on my breath and movement is the real trick. New studies have shown that thinking about what you intend to think about produces higher levels of happiness, satisfaction and peacefulness. So the mind aspect of this mind/body exercise is the most challenging.

5. If you were an animal, you would be: a dolphin, definitely.

6. Describe what Qi Gong means in your life using just 6 words: playing with energy keeps me healthy.

7. What might your students be surprised to learn about you?

I have written a biography entitled “Kafka’s Last Love” which has been translated and published in ten countries, and since 1998 I have been the director of the Kafka Project at SDSU, where I lead the international search for Franz Kafka’s literary treasure, stolen by the Gestapo in 1933.

8. Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

By practicing Qigong, you can improve your health, your happiness, and the quality of your longevity. Without effort, without force, and without any special equipment!

Book a private session or come to our Community Acupuncture sessions on Wednesday afternoons from 3-5pm. (Last appointment available is 4:30pm, treatments last 30-45 minutes, cost: $20.) Check out our Acupuncture FAQ for more information on this incredible healing modality.

1. Why did you decide to become an acupuncturist?

My undergraduate major was Athletic Training, which dealt with injuries and their related examination, assessment, and physical interventions – basically, injury rehabilitation. After I graduated, I worked as a personal trainer for three years while I was figuring out what my next step was and that’s when acupuncture found me, in a way.

In the span of three months, I met over a dozen people who were graduates or current students at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. One was the mother of a close friend; a girl from a weekend workshop; three students in a Mandarin class I was taking at a Buddhist temple (because “why not?”) and several other friends of friends.

As soon as I enrolled in the 11 semester master’s program, I knew that I was in the right place. Through my education and beginning my practice, I have been able to see the beautiful and profound way that acupuncture can change lives. I get to help people, day in and day out, and that’s why I became an acupuncturist.

2. What benefits have you or your clients received from regular acupuncture treatments?

Every patient has a different treatment plan and set of goals, but there are several things that most patients will experience with regular acupuncture treatments. There is an overall sense of calm, relaxation, and de-stress that comes from acupuncture – it is felt during and after a session, and can carry on into the rest of the week.

Whether it is headaches, back pain, muscle soreness, or menstrual cramps, most patients notice an alleviation of pain in their body. Acupuncture can improve digestion and establish greater regularity of bowel movements, especially the morning after a treatment.

Many patients experience improved sleep patterns: falling asleep easier, staying asleep longer, and waking feeling more refreshed. Better sleep often leads to more energy and a greater ability to “get everything accomplished” on a day-to-day basis. There is often a more clear sense of mental clarity and ability to focus at work and at home.

Overall, every patient gets up off the table and walks out, “feeling really, really good right now.”

3. Describe what acupuncture means in your life using just 6 words: My purpose in helping other people.

4. Something interesting your clients might not know about you is:

I have been an athlete all my life, through several sports and many different acute and chronic injuries. I’m grateful to combine my personal experience with an acupuncturist’s extensive, detailed knowledge of the body in order to better treat patients experiencing pain, injuries or other physical ailments.

5. What would you say to encourage someone who has never tried acupuncture?

For starters, acupuncture is safe. The FDA approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners in 1996, and requires that sterile, single-use needles be used only by qualified practitioners. To become an acupuncturist, one must attend an accredited Acupuncture college (3000-4000 hours of study – approximately 4 years, full time study) and pass a licensing exam which includes standards of hygiene, clean needle technique, and anatomical knowledge.

Acupuncture doesn’t hurt. Receiving an acupuncture treatment is nothing like getting a shot or having blood taken. An acupuncture needle varies in diameter from 0.16 mm to 0.46 mm, which is just a fraction of the thickness of a typical hypodermic needle. You may feel a slight prick as the needle enters the skin, but there shouldn’t be an residual discomfort.

You can be a skeptic! In fact, I more than welcome hearing your questions and doubts – acupuncture doesn’t require belief for efficacy. The modern study and practice of acupuncture combines thousands of years of empirical knowledge about how to treat the body with western medicine’s current understanding of how the body works and functions. And acupuncture does work!

Yoga One offers acupuncture! Award-winning Yoga One has been honored to enhance the well-being of individuals since 2002.

Our goal is to help as many people as possible live happier and healthier lives. To this end, Yoga One provides traditional group yoga classes, semi-private yoga experiences, corporate yoga classes, yoga teacher trainings, private instruction, meditation, massage therapy and acupuncture all in a positive, non-competitive environment.

 Click here to schedule an appointment.

This is Part 2 in the series, Acupuncture: Frequently Asked Questions, answered by expert licensed Acupuncturist and Massage Therapist, Jacintha “Jaz” Roemer. Read Part 1 here.

Often new acupuncture patients inquire about the needles used during treatment. Acupuncture needles are sterile, disposable and used only once and the risk of complications is very low. We at Yoga One Wellness will always work within your comfort zone and do our best to alleviate any stress you may have about acupuncture.

What if I am afraid of needles?

A reservation regarding needles is understandable, but rest assured, even people with needle phobias can receive acupuncture! The needles used in the treatment are very small. They are not the hollow hypodermic needles most of us are familiar with from Doctor visits. In addition, Yoga One Wellness therapists are trained in a variety of methods that can be used to help clients relax prior to treatment. Another option is not to get needled but to receive acupressure, or moxa, only.

Do the needles hurt?

As mentioned above: acupuncture needles are extremely thin, often about the thickness of a hair. While some people feel nothing at all, others experience a brief moment of discomfort as the needle penetrates the skin that can be followed by a mild sensation of cramping, tingling, numbness, traveling warmth, or heaviness. These are typically pleasant sensations, and most people find the experience extremely relaxing and even fall asleep for the duration of the treatment.

The needles can often bring relief to symptoms within minutes, a few hours or a few days, depending on the state of your body. It is not uncommon to experience some soreness post-treatment. This usually indicates that the body is healing through the movement of qi that occurs during an acupuncture treatment.

Have a question about acupuncture, massage or bodywork you want answered by an expert? Submit it toinfo@yogaonesandiego.com with “Blog Question” in the subject line.

Jacintha ‘Jaz’ Roemer L.Ac. is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Licensed Massage Therapist. She is a graduate of the Master of Science and Oriental Medicine (MSTOM) program from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. Jaz is the Head Coordinator for the Yoga One Wellness Center. She has been a bodyworker since 2005 and has traveled to both Thailand and China to further her studies in Asian medicine.

Yoga One offers acupuncture! Award-winning Yoga One has been honored to enhance the well-being of individuals since 2002. Our goal is to help as many people as possible live happier and healthier lives. To this end, Yoga One provides traditional group yoga classes, semi-private yoga experiences, corporate yoga classes, private instruction, meditation, massage therapy and acupuncture all in a positive, non-competitive environment. Click here to schedule an appointment.

Acupuncture: Frequently Asked Questions, will be answered by expert acupuncturist Jacintha “Jaz” Roemer. Check back next week for part 2 of this 4 part series.

Q: How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture is a holistic form of medicine that began about 3,500 years ago in China. Acupuncture as it is taught today is a conglomeration of knowledge from ancient texts to modern techniques. This is known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Treatments include techniques such as gua sha, cupping and moxibustion and Chinese herbal prescription.

Acupuncture itself is the insertion of very fine needles into the body at specific points. Qi (roughly translated as ‘energy’) circulates through channels and meridians within the body. If there is an imbalance of Yin and/or Yang by a pathogen, trauma, or injury, it will disrupt this circulation. There are approximately 360 acupuncture points located along these meridians; these points are where Qi rises to the surface and can be accessed for the purpose of healing.

The insertion and manipulation of the needle restores the flow of Qi in the body. Physical relief from acupuncture treatment is thought to be due to the body’s histamine reaction (an immune response) around the area of insertion, which diffuses accumulations in the tissue that cause stiffness and stagnation of blood flow.

Q: Is acupuncture safe?

Generally, acupuncture treatments are safe if a licensed and well-trained practitioner performs them. Unlike conventional drug therapies, it is relatively non-toxic with minimal side effects. Laws require that the needles used for acupuncture be sterile, disposable and used only once.

The acupuncture needles do penetrate the skin and therefore it is an invasive procedure. The risk of injury to vital nerves and structures are RARE among patients treated by trained practitioners. There may be nausea, paresthesia or altered sensation over the site of application, or increased pain. Other risks include minor adverse events including bleeding, bruising, dizziness, and fainting.

Q: How should I prepare for an acupuncture treatment?

Please eat within a few hours of your appointment. If possible, wear loose, comfortable clothing and avoid wearing heavy scents. For your first visit please allow 20 minutes ahead of your scheduled appointment to fill out the medical history paperwork OR request the forms to fill out in advance.

If your practitioner feels it is necessary to have access to a clothed area, you will either wear a paper gown, like at a Doctor’s office or a towel will be provided to keep you draped and appropriately covered so you feel comfortable and safe.

Q: How long does each session last?

Your first session is usually an hour and a half. This is to allow time for the practitioner to review your health history and ask follow-up questions that will allow them to provide the best treatment specifically for you.

Follow up treatments are typically one hour long. At this point, the practitioner is familiar with your health concerns and is able to spend more time treating you on the table.

 

Have a question about acupuncture, massage or bodywork you want answered by an expert? Submit it to info@yogaonesandiego.com with “Blog Question” in the subject line.

Jacintha ‘Jaz’ Roemer L.Ac. is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Licensed Massage Therapist. She is a graduate of the Master of Science and Oriental Medicine (MSTOM) program from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. Jaz is the Head Coordinator for the Yoga One Wellness Center. She has been a bodyworker since 2005 and has traveled to both Thailand and China to further her studies in Asian medicine.