During these challenging times, some days are better than others. Emotionally, they can be all over the place. Grateful and optimistic, to angry, sad, and negative.
The other day was not so great. I could feel stress manifesting itself throughout the day, but with a toddler in tow, there is little time for stress management. Deep breaths is about the most I can fit in.
By the evening time, I felt short tempered, my eye was twitching, my breath was stuck in my chest, my shoulders were tight and I had ringing in my ear. In Chinese Medicine, these are all signs of Liver qi stagnation and yang rising, or, imbalance of the wood element. Picture a cartoon teapot with steam jetting out of its lid. Typical presentation of symptoms if you’re under stress.
Not my favorite way to feel, especially knowing how stress can interfere with our immune system.
After my little one went down for the night, I finally had time for a some self-care and I took advantage of it! This at-home treatment took a total of 15 minutes and I felt the stress melt away using these Chinese Medicine practices:
Ear seeds. I love Swarovski ear crystals! They’re sparkly and pretty and a completely non-invasive technique for auriculotherapy (acupressure or acupuncture applied to the ear).
Ear seeds simply stick on to acupuncture points in the ear to activate the points. You can safely apply a few ear seeds to some of the many therapeutic ear points and use this self-healing modality at home! The ear points Heart, Shen Men, and Point Zero are a powerful 3 point combination for promoting overall relaxation and general wellbeing.
Essential oil on acu-points. I massaged Snow Lotus’s Sedate Wood blend (roman chamomile and blue tansy) onto acupuncture points along the Gall Bladder and Liver meridians, the organ system pair associated with the Wood element.
I chose Gall Bladder 21 (GB-21) located at the top of the shoulders and Liver 3 (Lr-3) located on top of the foot between the first and second toe (very sensitive) to release tension, move qi stagnation, and descend that rising yang energy. I also applied the oil to the center of my chest to calm my breathing.
Chinese herbal tea. I brewed my go-to formula for stress and anxiety relief, Xiao Yao Wan (“Free and Easy Wanderer”). I prefer to use granule teas because they are easy to prepare (readily dissolve in hot water) and I enjoy the earthy/bitter flavor.
Xiao yao wan is a gentle formula that keeps the liver qi/energy flowing to ease tension and boost your mood. With this formula, our stress response is better regulated and we can feel more at ease as we move through difficult situations.
As a practitioner of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, it’s easy for me to diagnose my symptoms and know exactly which TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) tools to use. And, of course, I have everything on hand.
For you, this is where our Virtual Wellness Visits come in!
HOW IT WORKS
In a virtual visit, you meet with one of our licensed acupuncturists and herbalists. We listen to your health concerns and guide you to at-home treatments specific to your needs. And, we can show you how to do certain techniques like gua sha, point location, or ear seeds on our video chat!
After establishing your Chinese Medicine diagnosis, we will explore appropriate herbal recommendations, acupressure points, essential oils, lifestyle advice, and self-care practices to use at home. We will also arrange a pick-up with the right TCM tools for you (ie., herbs, oils, home cupping set, moxa, gua sha tool, or ear seeds).
Let us help you establish your own, unique self-care routine rooted in this thousand year old medicine by scheduling a virtual wellness visit with us today!
