This post is for those who are graduating, recently graduated or looking to branch out on their own. Dr. Emily Siy, DACM, L.Ac reached out to some of her colleagues to gather some sound advice from people who are successfully doing it and who can offer some advice that you might not find in your standard practice management classes.
FACT: “Oriental” Is A Racist Word. Rugs are not racist, but you might be upholding a system that is. Join us in banning the word “oriental” for acupuncture and herbal medicine due to its racist implications on the people it is used to label and because of its harmful implications on our society. Sign the petition if you’re an acupuncturist, a patient, someone who hates racism and injustice.
When the Lungs are dry, their energy does not descend to the other organs for lubrication. Instead, Lung energy goes into reverse flow, and we can experience symptoms like cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, hoarse voice, dry mouth and nose, fatigue, and even skin issues like acne. Here are some easy DIY tips for ways to support your Lungs and respiratory system during such hazardous conditions.
Diet culture can be damaging but understanding and building a healthy relationship with food can be life-changing! Carol’s nutrition practice is not just person-centered. It is a safe and welcoming space that comes with the understanding that relationships with food can be complex and all bodies deserve access to nutrition education that is healing for them.
Attunement is a commitment to showing up. Eyes open. We are being asked to see, to hear, to respond. We are being invited to attune to the collective anger and grief that is bubbling over today.
We are being asked to identify deeply and fully with something every single human heart can relate to and understand— murder is horrific, systemic violence is traumatic, being treated as less than is unjust and unfair.
As my time in Nepal comes to a close, the overwhelming emotion I feel is gratitude. In three weeks, I had the opportunity to treat 240 patients and learn many invaluable lessons about health, culture, and life. I worked with amazing, sensitive interpreters and developed a very fulfilling daily routine of eating, sleeping, working, exploring the rice paddies, greeting the street dogs and maintaining a safe distance from the endearing monkeys.
Being in Nepal has reminded me how important it is to leave our cultural comfort zones and allow ourselves to experience those slight shifts in perspective that pave the way to major insights and life-changing revelations. It is so interesting to realize, again and again, that there is no objectivity- what we believe to be universal truth quickly disintegrates when we are immersed in another culture that has been built upon entirely different universal truths.
The acupuncture clinic has been full of patients this week, sometimes with a line out the door. Some walk as much as three hours each way along dusty dirt roads weaving through rice paddies to get here. They come for acupuncture, Chinese herbs, Ayurvedic massage, and Tibetan medicine provided by volunteers, in exchange for the price of a cup of tea.
The Vajra Varahi clinic is outside of Kathmandu, in the much smaller and less chaotic town of Chapagaun. The lower level has a reception area and treatments rooms, and the two upper levels are bedrooms for staff, as well as a common area and shared kitchen. The rooftop terrace is beautiful, with resident feline friends and amazing views across the valley.
For the month of December, I will be volunteering at Vajravarahi Health Care Clinic outside of Kathmandu, Nepal, treating members of the local community for the price of a cup of tea. Nepal is recovering from a devastating series of earthquakes in April 2015. Millions of people were displaced and continue to struggle.
