Yoga For the Winter Season ~ By Jennifer Stukey, M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.AC

 

 Janu Sirsasana 

(Head to Knee Pose)

Janu means knee. Sirsa means head.

  

This pose (asana) stretches the bladder meridian, one of the organs associated with the winter.  The bladder meridian begins at the inner corner of the eye, runs over the head, down the neck and back, through the back of the legs and ends on the toenail of the little toe. When looking at its route we see that the accumulation of physical and emotional tension often runs along this pathway. Eye strain, tension in the neck and back are common symptoms which all occur along the pathway of the bladder. 

Begin seated with your legs stretched out in front of you. 

Bend your left knee and place the sole of the left foot so that it is touching the thigh of the right leg. The left leg should make a 90° angle against the right thigh. Work towards bring the heal of the right foot to the perineum.

Inhale, stretch the arms up, exhale, bend forward over your leg keeping your shoulders rolled back and the chest opened and lifted.  Keep the lower back long and avoid rounding the spine just to get your head closer to your leg. 

Explore!  Take a tie, belt or yoga strap.  Come into the position described above.  Take the tie, belt, or strap and place it just below the ball of your foot.  Lift up the lower spine and ribcage as you inhale and as you exhale keeping the spine long as you fold forward over your leg.  Make sure your shoulders don’t roll forward and that the chest is open and broad.

Inhale to come up.  Straighten your legs out in front of you. Do you notice the difference in your legs?  Does one feel different then the other?

Now, switch legs. 

Pay attention to the difference from one side of the body to the other.  Does one side feel more opened?  One of the many gifts of yoga is the creation of body awareness.  As we create this awareness of our bodies with our breath and the asanas (poses) we are more able to stay in the present moment, which in turn, creates less suffering.

Enjoy! Namaste!

Inspired by Acu-Yoga: Designed to Relieve Stress & Tension by Michael Reed Gach

Practice For The Winter ~ Jennifer Stukey, M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.AC.

 

What shifts have you noticed in your body during this winter season?  Do you feel as if you need more rest?  Do you want warmer foods and drinks?  Have you observed your emotions more?  Do you feel more drawn inward? Are you more reflective and aware of your senses? 

If you answered yes to any of these questions you are in perfect balance with the winter!  The winter is a time of drawing inward for more rest and replenishment.  We may find it to be challenging to live fully with the season of winter in a society that is constantly going.

Make it a point this winter to take time to rest and relax. Try out this practice and observe how you feel.  Find a place in your home where the sun shines in the window.  Place a comfy chair in front of the window so that when you sit in it the sun shines in and you can feel the warmth on your body.  Bring with you to this chair you homemade herbal tea (recipe on next page).  Breath in the sweet, warm aromas of the herbal tea, enjoy the warmth of the sun and do nothing.  Take this time for your self at least once a week during this winter season.  Notice how the rest of your day and week shows up when incorporating this into your life.

One of the most valuable things we can do to heal one another is listen to each other’s stories. ~ Rebecca Falls

Winter in Chinese Medicine ~ Jennifer Stukey, M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.AC.

 

 What are the correspondences associated with Winter in Chinese Medicine?

This is the time of rest, regeneration, and stillness.  Winter is akin to the bulb in the ground, gathering resources, vibrating with potential, nurturing the seed of possibility that will bloom in the spring.  In the winter, in contrast to nature’s plan, our holidays appear which bring with them a frenzy of activity.  The December Solstice, an ancient winter celebration, symbolizes the return of the light as the hours of the day begin to increase after December 21st.  Perhaps this could be a year to scale back, simplify, regenerate with your friends and family, rather than deplete.  Spring and summer may show up very differently when we use our resources wisely during the winter.

Color: Blue

Sense: To Listen

Emotion: Fear

Officials: Bladder and Kidneys

The Gifts of Winter: Wisdom, Stillness, Flow, Patience, Potential, Listening, Mystery, Reflection, Unknowing, Power, Courage, Will, Cleverness, Skill, Reassurance, Tenacity.

The three months of winter are called the period of closing and storing. Water freezes and the Earth cracks open.  People should retire early and rise late and they should wait for the rising of the sun.  They should suppress and conceal their wishes, as though they had no internal purpose, as though they had been fulfilled.  People should try to escape the cold, and they should seek warmth, they should not perspire upon the skin, they should let themselves be deprived of breath of the cold.  ~ Neijing Suwen Ch.2,  The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of  Internal Medicine

 

Staying Well Through The Winter With Chinese Herbal Medicine ~ By Jennifer Stukey, M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.AC

Western medicine is great at treating bacteria with antibiotics.   Unfortunately, they don’t have the medicine to treat viruses like the cold and flu. 

The good news is that Chinese herbal medicine does have the ability to treat viruses and also to help prevent them. When we become sick, Chinese medicine see it as an invasion from the exterior that causes the body to become ill. By using the proper Chinese herbs you body is able to expel the pathogen from the body.  

To have these formulas work effectively, they should be taken at the first sign of illness. This means you need access to them when the cold or flu first begins.

To make sure you stay well, I have prepared packages of herbal formulas for you to have on hand.  Each herbal formula includes extensive directions indicating the correct formula to take depending on your symptoms. 

The Cold and Flu herbal formula packages have been flying off the shelf. I am getting great feedback from my patients that they have been able to stop cold and flu symptoms in their tracks. If you are a current patient ask me about the package at you next visit, so you can stop your cold and flu symptoms in their tracks.

Acupressure Points for Self Care By: Kevin Turner M.Ac., L.Ac, Dipl.Ac., Shiatsu Practitioner

Here are some wonderful acupuncture points that can help with the discomfort of stress to headaches. You can easily rub these points on yourself, or better yet, on a loved one.

1)     Yintang – Many people know this point as “The Third Eye”. It is located on your forehead, level with your eyebrows and directly up from your nose. I love this point to help alleviate headache pain, relieve sinus congestion, and to calm an anxious and agitated spirit. Breathe deeply and feel the release.

2)     Joining of the Valleys – This point on the back of your hands, between your thumb and pointer finger. Using your opposite thumb, rub the middle of that meaty area looking for a tender spot. This point is great for frontal headaches and clearing nasal congestion. Believe it or not, this point also helps to rid you of your cold! Ahhhhhhh……. Note: this point is contraindicated during pregnancy.

3)     Supreme Rushing – One of my favorite points to help with insomnia, clear headache pain of all kinds, and to calm an angry person. Place your pointer finger on the top of your foot, where the bones of your first and second toes join. Slide the finger down no more than an inch to where you’ll feel a depression, which (like the other two points) may be a bit sore. Just relax and take it all in.

4)    Wind Pond – This is a great point to relieve headache pain, muscle tension in the neck, and even improve your mental clarity. Reach your thumbs around the back of your neck, where your upper spine connects with your head. Then move your thumbs about 1-2 inches to either side, right along that line where the neck meets the head. You’ll probably feel a point that is tender. Simply take a deep breath and press gently. 

5)  Welcome Fragrance – There is much to smell during this time of year! This point not only helps with your sense of smell, it also can open nasal passages and helps you to relax by breathing better and more deeply. You will find it above your upper lip, level with and just on the outside of your nostrils. You never knew that you could smell so much!

Kevin Turner M.Ac., L.Ac, Dipl.Ac., Shiatsu Practitioner

While I specialize in treating headaches, back pain, and depression, my experience includes sports injuries, sciatica, fibromyalgia, and joint pain. I have treated hundreds of patients recovering from addictions, and have worked with clients suffering from Post Traumatic Stress at Walter Reed Hospital. I also have extensive experience working with pregnant women, treating morning sickness, inducing labor, and helping with postpartum recovery.

For ten years, I have been a certified Zen Shiatsu massage therapist and practice Chi Kung meditation.

By treating you on multiple energetic levels, I am able to completely address your individual concerns and offer you more effective and efficient treatments.

My ten years of experience in Oriental Medicine has given me a humble perspective on healing. If you wish to receive acupuncture for tennis elbow, and only tennis elbow, I can help you with that. If you would like acupuncture to help you awaken to life newly I can assist you with that, too. Regardless which of the two categories you are, my commitment to you remains the same: To empower you through listening, spoken words, therapeutic touch and acupuncture, to feel better and live better.

What’s That Smell? By Stephanie Judge M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.Ac.

 

 

As I greeted a new acupuncture patient in the waiting room she asked “What’s that smell coming from the treatment rooms?” At first I was taken aback, I had not noticed a smell.  Seeing my puzzled look, she described a smoky incense smell she had noticed wafting around the office. Smiling, I said, “That’s Moxa, a therapy that is used in most acupuncturists’ offices.”  

Since this question has come up more than once in my years of practice, I thought I would share what Moxa is and the reasons an acupuncturist would choose to use Moxa.

Moxa is made from the herb Mugwort or Artemisia Vulgaris. The plant is dried, powdered and then formed into a wool-like substance. It is then burned on or above the skin to release its therapeutic properties at the location of acupuncture points. This practice is called Moxabustion. When burned moxa penetrates the acupuncture channels, increasing warmth, energy (Qi), blood flow, circulation, eliminating cold and the accumulations of fluids. 

Burning moxa has a distinct odor. The essential oils in the plant have a significant effect as a form of aromatherapy or medicinal incense. A large part of its healing ability is not just the warmth it provides but also the smell of the burning oils.  All over the world, mugwort has a reputation as a plant of healing.  In European Folk Medicine, it was placed in dream pillows to keep away bad dreams. In the American old west, the Sagebrush which is Artemesia Tridentata is closer to Mugwort than to the Sage plant and was burned and used as a cleansing for those who were sick.

Modern research has shown that Moxa increases the production of white and red blood cells improving blood and lymph circulation and is extremely effective for long standing chronic disease of the internal organs.

Acupuncture and Moxibustion have been paired therapies for hundreds of years.  Moxa therapy can be used alone or combined with acupuncture needles. Some of the conditions treated are asthma, diarrhea, pain in the joints, especially from rheumatic diseases, and gynecological disorders including infertility, fibroids and menstrual cramps.  In Chinese therapeutics, the theory states that certain conditions of pain are caused by an invasion from the outside by cold. This is most common in joints like the knees and the low back. Think about how getting into a cold car feels on a freezing morning and how different it feels when the heat come on.  When Moxibustion is used this is what happens in our bodies. With many conditions there is no substitution for the use of Moxibustion. 

So, next time you are in an acupuncture office and detect a strange but pleasant incense-like aroma, breathe it in deeply!  It’s Moxa, made from a healing herb that has been used for centuries in the East and the West to help restore people to health and vigor.

Stephanie Judge M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.Ac.

I’ve been working professionally in the health care field as a nurse since receiving my Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Seton Hall University over 30 years ago.  In conjunction with nursing I am an acupuncturist, licensed by the State of Maryland and board certified through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and a Chinese Herbalist.

I have successfully worked with patients suffering from a variety of ailments and conditions. My passion and specialty is working with patients who are experiencing pain. From my own experience with back and shoulder pain I chose to peruse continuing education in pain management and apply this knowledge to my practice.

To further expand my skills and knowledge of Oriental Medicine, I completed a 660 hour certification course in Chinese Herbal Medicine. I’m excited about the possibilities that this opens up for you. By adding this new dimension to my skills, I can now enhance you therapeutic results. This will enable you to reach your health goals quickly and completely. 

In addition, I am certified in facial rejuvenation acupuncture. Different from cosmetic surgery this treatment enhances ones inner and outer beauty. By creating balance in the body, beauty appears on the face. Fine lines start to disappear, skin tones becomes even, the eyes brighten, and the face appears younger and healthier.

 

My commitment to you is to being your guide through your healing process. I will bring my knowledge of eastern and western medicine to focus on your needs and to support and enhance your own unique healing abilities.  

Into the Unknown By: Jennifer Stukey, M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.AC.

 

“I have been absolutely terrified my entire life – and I have never let it stop me from doing a single thing that I have wanted to do.

~ Georgia O’Keeffe

 

I went to my first football game this year, Ravens vs. the Bengals. It was a totally new experience for me. Upon arriving near and walking to the stadium, I realized that I was in a whole new realm. My first thought was that I couldn’t relate to these folks. Ask anyone who knows me, and they will tell you I don’t watch football. The one exception is the Super Bowl, and that is mostly for the half time show!

Upon arriving at our seats, I observed again how uncomfortable I felt. My shoulders slumped forward and I continued to tell myself that I didn’t fit in here.

Even with these thoughts, I chose to stay present and observe myself and the crowd. There were definitely norms and ways of acting that I wasn’t familiar with.

Yet, as I started to truly listen, I realized I was hearing a group of people who were passionate about their team and this passion was bringing them together to have fun and be entertained. By the end of the game I became one of them. I was up rooting for the Ravens and having an amazing time with all whom where around me.

So, you might be asking yourself, what does this have to do with Awaken Wellness? This experience made me realize that you may feel the same way about Acupuncture, Therapeutic Massage, Chinese Herbal Medicine, and Yoga.

It may be a whole new realm to you. You may feel like you don’t understand or fit in with the holistic wellness crowd. You might even be asking yourself, “What is this wellness thing anyway, I am well”.

As someone who is engrossed in offering wellness every day, I realized that it may be scary for those who don’t know what Acupuncture, Yoga, Therapeutic Massage and Chinese Herbal Medicine are, much less why you would even want to partake in these services.

The winter is about the unknowing. It is about having the courage to face the cold dark days and trust that there will be light again. Imagine the days when we were all farmers, when there were no super markets. It took courage and trust that you had enough food and that the planting season would come again in the spring.

In these modern times our unknowing and courage shows up in different ways. Often times around new experiences and venturing out in a new realm.

I invite you to be courageous and step out into a new experience by visiting Awaken Wellness during our Winter Week of Freedom and Joy, January 2nd – 7th.

Come see what this wellness stuff is all about!

Until next season, Be Well.

Your Partner in Wellness,

Jennifer Stukey

As owner of Awaken Wellness, Jennifer holds a Master of Acupuncture degree and a 660 hour Chinese Herbal Medicine Certificate from the Tai Sophia Institute. She is a Nationally Board Certified Acupuncturist and a Registered Yoga Teacher. Jennifer’s Chinese Medical practice focuses on Women’s Health. Her dedication is to helping women live a life of joy and ease.

Shed Stress with Acupuncture By Stephanie Judge, M.Ac, L.Ac., Dipl. Ac. Licensed Acupuncturist Chinese Herbalist Registered Nurse

 

I love the fall season, the beautiful color of the leaves, the difference in the light, it’s cooler,  and crisper. Growing up, fall was the beginning of a new school year, new friends, new teachers, and new classes.  Fall still feels to me like the season when things start afresh.

Yet for some fall can bring stress.  With the start of a new school year comes worry about schedules, about getting your kids up on time, washed, dressed and out the door. Not to mention grades, teachers and peer pressures. You daily dynamic changes and you start to feel a need to get ready for something, but for what? 

Of course, modern life, itself, not just the changing of the seasons, causes stress.  The pace is fast and getting faster.  We have to find room for both jobs and home life. Sometimes we have to choose one at the expense of the other. 

Stress can appear as headaches from out of nowhere, the cramp in your stomach, the twinge of low back pain, the fatigue that no energy drink can erase: the lying awake with worries and thoughts circling over head.

It’s a medical fact that over time with repeated episodes of unhealthy stress responses our bodies learn to react faster and faster to the stress.  Our adrenaline level rises faster so now when our blood pressure and pulse rise with the stressful situation they might stay that way longer. Our immune system steps in and tries to right the situation and becomes weaker with each episode.  We become less able to relax which can trigger mental and physical problems over time.

The good news is that medical science has shown that it is not the stress that makes us ill; it’s the way we handle it.  

So, what can you do?

Acupuncture offers  a proven way to control stress and neutralize its affect on your health.  It helps your body handle stress better, even eliminate its more debilitating effects. It naturally stimulates the body to shut off the flight or fight and go into deep relaxation.  Over a course of treatment you and your body learn a new pattern that allows you to not have these side effects of stress mentioned above.

As acupuncturists we see the whole person, and not just individual symptoms.  A patient – I’ll call her Martha — came to my office complaining of anxiety. She had been experiencing severe headaches and just couldn’t relax. Her work had become very demanding because of the economy and she had started to spend much of her non-work time worrying that she might lose her job. As a result, she was not sleeping well and was depressed.  Martha’s stress was affecting all facets of her life. 

She agreed to treatment and, during our sessions I was able to assess her condition and treat her by the insertion of tiny acupuncture needles at different sites on her body.      Along with the acupuncture treatments, I suggested some dietary modifications and a simple exercise regimen of walking daily outside to help her mood.

She said that she felt better, and was more able to relax, even after the first treatment. And her responses over the eight weeks we worked together became more and more positive. Gradually her pain and the frequency of it became less and less.  She found that she could look at her situation more positively. As her stress and worry decreased, she was able to start getting more rest and relaxation.

Acupuncture is  a proven way that has helped thousands of people control stress and minimize,  even eliminate, its debilitating effects.

How is your stress level?  Consider acupuncture as a way to alleviate your stress and its physical manifestations.  Come in to the office for a confidential free consultation to see what acupuncture can do for you.

Join us for Group Acupuncture the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month, 12:30-1:15. $20 with advanced registration & $25 at the door, beginning 10/8.

Stephanie is an R.N., licensed and nationally certified Acupuncturist,

& Chinese herbalist.  Stephanie beautifully blends her knowledge of western and eastern medicine into each treatment. She has successfully worked with patients suffering from a variety of ailments and conditions. Her passion and specialty is working with patients who are experiencing pain. Her commitment to her patients is to being their guide through the healing process.

 

Reflexology: What and Why?

Reflexology is the application of pressure to reflex points located on the hands and feet.  These reflex points relate to specific organs, glands, and body parts. By stimulating them with pressure; holding, finger pressure, kneading, rotation, and rubbing, it promotes natural function and health to the specific areas of the body.

Reflexology promotes relaxation, improves circulation, reduces pain, reduces stress and encourages overall healing.  The following are some conditions that can benefit from reflexology: Headaches, Back pain, Digestive troubles, Depression, Muscle tension, PMS and Anxiety

            When the body is functioning naturally it is in equilibrium which in turn allows for healing physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Jen specializes in deep tissue, Swedish, trigger point, Reiki, reflexology and sports massage.  She enjoys working with athletes in order to help them minimize risk of injury, improve performance, and help relieve chronic pain. She also works with those that just need to relax from everyday stress and/or activity.  Besides being a massage therapist Jen is also a ACSM certified personal trainer that focuses on functional movement and body mechanics, has been a technician in phyical therapy clinics, is  active in triathlons, distance running, Brazilian Jiujitsu, and boxing

Experience the benefits of Reflexology during our promotional week:

Only $25 for 30 minutes!

Tues, 9/20, 4p-5:30 & Thurs, 9/22, 9a-11

Letting Go

Happy Autumn!  At this time in the season, where nature is letting go of its fullness, I felt it was the appropriate time to announce the letting go of our printed newsletters.  I have been writing and mailing a seasonal newsletter since I was in the acupuncture clinic in 2004.  Now in 2011, we have chosen to go green.  Our newsletter will now be provided through our e-newsletter and archived on our website.  If you are not already receiving our        e-newsletters make sure to sign up through our website.  

When Awaken Wellness first opened I had this naïve idea that one day I would get everything accomplished and then the business would be complete and running on its own.  Six months into it I realized that was not the case!  This was a hard reality for me to face.  I had always been one to complete my work at the end of the day and start a new project or new day fresh.  In the letting go of this idea I came to realize that a business is a living organism. Just as a tree has its cycle of seasons, at the end of our 2^nd year, I now see that so does a business. 

Over the last year I have let go of teaching yoga at the center to be able to focus on refining my skills as a business owner and as an acupuncturist.  The center has had practitioners, yoga teachers, and administrative assistants who have let go of their practices here.  Many have moved into awesome possibility.  In their letting go, they move forward into the next step in their journey.  I acknowledge all of them for their work and the way they have touched our community. 

These transitions have opened new doors for us to bring in new teachers, build current practitioners practices and refine who we are as a center. This fall we let go of the old paradigm of yoga sessions and begin offering flexible yoga passes to our students, refining our center with the intention of exceeding your expectations.

In the letting go, there is space created.  Often, we hold on to the same old thing or fear change simply because it isn’t what we know.  It takes something to move into a new place, to step into the unpredictable. It takes courage.  What is it your willing to let go of to create space for the unpredictable in your life? 

 

Until next season, Be Well.

Your Partner in Wellness,   

Jennifer Stukey

 

 

As owner of Awaken Wellness,

Jennifer holds a Master of

Acupuncture degree and a 660 hour

Chinese Herbal Medicine Certificate

from the Tai Sophia Institute. She is

a Nationally Board Certified

Acupuncturist and a Registered Yoga

Teacher.  Jennifer’s Chinese Medicine practice focuses on Women’s Health. Her dedication is to helping women live a life of joy and ease.