Chinese medicine is an ancient system of therapy that originated in China and is over 2000 years old. Understandably it views the body and mind differently from the Western Medical Model which is a few hundred years old. Although it is old, this doesn’t mean it is inferior or primitive. It is incredibly complex and it is still used all over the world today. When I first started studying Chinese Medicine it was repeated to me that it cannot be directly translated to our moder

Note: This blog represents my current understanding of the topic. I welcome feedback :) Acupuncture is part of Chinese Medicine which includes Herbal medicine, Qi Gong, Food Therapy, Tuina massage, cupping therapy and moxibustion (burning a herb called mugwort on or near acupuncture points). It is hard to know exactly how old Chinese medicine is because it is an ancient form of medicine but the oldest known Chinese medical book is called the Huangdi Neijing or The Yellow Empe

Sleep is something I am passionate about speaking about and treating. I know first hand how sleep deprivation can affect every aspect of our life ; it affects our mental - emotional health, our physical health, capacity to work and relationships. It is painful to not sleep a wink or only get a few hours sleep and be expected to function when in reality your mind is foggy, your wired and tired at the same time and there is little capacity for stress. Below I have written a li

In Chinese Medicine we talk a lot about balance and imbalance in the body and mind. Through acupuncture the intention is to help the body move to a more balanced state so that the systems of the body work optimally. In reality there is no such thing as a state of perfect balance. We are constantly changing and responding to life, we can experience stress in the morning and peace in the afternoon, we may be fighting an infection while going about our day. Although perfect bal

Although some people have come for acupuncture before, some have not and may be curious. The first appointment normally takes a bit longer than the hour so it is good to allow one hour to an hour and a half. It depends on the complexity of the health issue and how talkative a client is too! The client fills out a form about their personal information, their past medical history and their reason for coming for treatment. It can be brief as we go into more detail in the appoint

Honestly, I am always a little hesitant to offer advice around food. Firstly I am not a dietician or nutritionist, this information is from my own research, experience and study of Chinese Medicine. If you have an active eating disorder or have disordered eating, it is best to seek professional help. These are general guidelines and it may not be appropriate for you, the less food rules the better. Eat mindfully and in peace In my opinion of all the advice this is the most i

Emotion: Joy Element: Fire Season: Summer The Heart organ in Chinese medicine corresponds to Summer and the Fire element and it is much more than just an organ! As we know all over the world the heart is linked with love, passion and relationships. We say that someone has a ‘big heart’ or that someone is ‘broken-hearted’. When we feel touched or affected emotionally our hands automatically touch our heart. The Heart is affected by all emotions but Joy is the emotion of the H