Mind Body Education Vacation!

Remember that amazing trip I took last Feb, when I took continuing education classes and ate yummy healthy food and lived in the water for two weeks? I had such a blast – and clicked so well with Michelle, the host – that I’m going back. This time I want to bring you along!

Jan 18-25, 2025, at Playa el Coco in Nicaragua (which is just as gorgeous as Costa Rica, but doesn’t have any tourists!), I’ll be running a retreat designed to relax, educate, and rejuvenate you. One thing all humans have in common – we’re living in a physical form. Come play, explore, and get in touch with your body in a stunning tropical paradise, where you can swim in the pool and ocean. Walk on the bioluminescent beach! Watch the baby turtles! Relish healthy, delicious, home-cooked meals*. Attend classes on living well for your body and mind. Indulge in extra activities available… you can be as gung-ho or as laid-back as you like. Michelle offers yoga every morning. I’m generally not a fan of yoga but her sessions are amazing! She modifies and customizes to truly include every body.

*all dietary restrictions and preferences are accommodated.

Classes:

1)   Understanding how our nervous systems affect our lives, and what we can do to influence its function, can be a game-changer. Do you always feel amped up? Do you have a hard time making good choices because you feel overwhelmed? Has your memory been lacking? These things can all be related to a sustained sympathetic “fight or flight” response. Learn about why this happens, and practical methods to re-regulate your system.

2)   Easy advanced bodywork: Learn how to do medical massage on a loved one, with no experience or anatomical knowledge required (If you do have those skills, you’ll be able to apply the class in more advanced ways). Bonus: These techniques are easy on you as the giver, so it’s less of a chore to help someone.

3)   Intro to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory. Learn about the energetic organs and channels.

4)   Acupressure you can do yourself! Treat pain, digestive problems, emotional disregulation, etc. NOT intended to replace medical care, just a way to help things along.

5)   How to work out: Updated guidelines to make your exercise routine safe and effective. This can be a guide to easing into healthy movement, or fine tune your current exercise regime. We’ll do some work in the pool, but the lessons will relate to land workouts as well. I was a certified personal trainer and bodybuilder before I started in healthcare.

Daily schedule: Yoga, then breakfast, then class. Siesta and lunch. Late afternoon and evenings are your own, to rest, enjoy the ocean, read, hang out with other attendees, or opt into a bonus activity. Your choice!

Additional activities (may incur an expense): Private acupuncture / massage treatments by Sharon or Michelle. Beach walks (shell collecting!), zipline and animal safaris, horseback riding, water ceremonies and other rituals led by Michelle.  Learn to bodysurf in the ocean. Enjoy dance parties in the pool. Who knows what else will happen? Last year we did a group trip into “town” for pizza and karaoke! All classes and activities are optional.

Space is limited to 12 people, so contact Michelle ASAP to reserve your choice of rooms and coordinate travel to and from the airport. Packages start at  $1899 per person.  Bonus: if you happen to work in healthcare, the trip is a business expense!

Points Incompatible with Pregnancy

Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM) is based on energy management. I know that sounds woo-woo, and it was hard for me to wrap my scientific brain around that at first. I thought all those meridians (channels of energetic flow) were just superstition or a handy mnemonic to remember neuro-muscular junctions (where nerves join with muscles to control them). Instead, decades of experience has proved over and over to me that these energetics are real. I think we just don’t have the technology to see it yet, so it seems as mystical as an X-ray would to a medieval doctor.

There is a category of points used to promote the movement of stagnant energy. These are enormously helpful to reduce pain, and I also use them to evict overdue babies (along with some lower back points and the uterus point on the ear). I can usually help patients avoid a chemical induction that way. For a baby that’s not yet at term, I will need a doctor’s note saying it’s okay to stimulate labor before your due date.

STIMULATION OF THESE POINTS, ESPECIALLY EARLY IN A PREGNANCY, CAN LEAD TO MISCARRIAGE.

Other acupuncture is perfectly safe for pregnancy. If you have pain, I can use indirect methods to treat it symptomatically, and do the musculoskeletal work to relax your muscles and realign the bones.

If you are pregnant and want to stay that way, AVOID THESE POINTS when getting a massage, etc. The first three have links to more information and pictures.

silhouette of a female body with four acupuncture points marked
Avoid acupressure and acupuncture on these points if you are pregnant and want to stay that way.

Note: These points are on both the left and right. I just marked one side for simplicity.

LI4: Moves stagnation in the upper body

LV3: Moves stagnation in the lower body

GB 21: Descends energy

SP 6: Stimulates uterine contractions

Sp6: Do not use if you’re pregnant and want to stay that way!

Free Class: Acupressure for Digestive Health

PC-6, excellent for nausea, heartburn, gastritis, or emotional upheaval causing stomach distress.

PC-6 – excellent for nausea, heartburn, gastritis, or emotional upheaval causing stomach distress – one of the many points we’ll be learning about in the free class.

I’ll be teaching a free class on self-care – Acupressure for Digestive Health – Saturday, Oct 3rd at the Natural Grocers at 12155 SW Broadway St, Beaverton, OR 97005. The class is 11-12:30. Come join us!

“Learn about digestion from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine. We’ll discuss some handy acupressure points you can use at home to deal with reflux/ heartburn, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, Crohn’s disease, gastroparesis, gastritis, and blood sugar variations.”

 

Headache & migraine treatment options

Got a headache? The biggest cause is dehydration, so first, have a drink of water. Other common causes are caffeine withdrawal, high blood pressure, stress, low blood sugar, and tight neck muscles. If you have persistent or severe headaches, you should get them checked out by a healthcare professional (If only so they can say “It’s not a tumah!”), but for minor annoyances you can treat it yourself with acupressure (points listed below).

Human skull bonesI usually find that migraines are caused by hormonal imbalances, or by neck muscle tension pulling on cranial bones. Our skulls are not a giant fixed globe: There are lots of different plates and oddly shaped bones that make up our brain protection. The joints (called “sutures”) are shaped like jigsaw puzzles.

My favorite cranial bone, the sphenoid. It barely shows at the side of the head, but inside it makes a gorgeous butterfly shape. When torqued, it also gave me a monstrous migraine headache!

My favorite cranial bone, the sphenoid. It barely shows at the side of the head (it’s pink in the other picture), but inside it makes a gorgeous butterfly shape. When torqued, it also gives me a monstrous migraine headache! I keep my sphenoid happy by getting care for my neck, and using the acupressure points below when one threatens to attack…

Our bones move with a subtle pulsing called the craniosacral rhythm. If the neck muscles attached to the skull get too tight, they can jam up those joints and cause migraines. The fix: Acupuncture and medical massage for the muscles involved. Craniosacral therapy by a skilled practitioner is also wonderful, but be sure to see someone who’s thoroughly trained. A weekend seminar is not enough! If there are hormonal causes, acupuncture is superb for that as well.

We can also discuss some lifestyle changes that may help, like dietary changes, or glasses that mute florescent lights to reduce migraine occurence.

Here’s a handy acupressure point for any headache, including a migraine: It’s in that “second piercing” spot, below the anti-tragus. Press firmly for a few seconds. If you have an earring in, you should remove it if possible, at least until your headache passes. For more information on ear points, check out this article. Also, look at LI-4KD-1, and GB-21 and TB-5  if you have neck tension. There’s another point on the side of the lower leg than can be helpful for migraines: Run your fingertip up and down the outside of the shin to find a tender spot. And definitely read this if you’re considering a Daith piercing. 

Press firmly with a fingertip or fingernail. It will hurt, but it'll be worth it!
Press firmly with a fingertip or fingernail to stop a headache or migraine. It will hurt, but it’ll be worth it!

Ear seeds – Radishes for reflexology!

If you ever attend an event with me, soon you’ll notice people walking around with funny little stickers on their ears. Ear seeds are my mobile acupressure strategy. When people come up to me and ask what I can do about their back pain in the middle of a party… BAM! On go the ear seeds. These are radish seeds on a tiny piece of band-aid tape. There’s nothing magical about the radish – they are just the right size and shape to apply acupressure to any of the 100 points on your ear (map below).

You’re familiar with reflexology, right? You know how your entire body is reflected on your hands and feet? Same deal with the ears. I can treat pain or dysfunction anywhere in the body, emotional upheaval, anxiety, etc. This is why I’m not a huge fan of lots of piercings. It’s also why ear massages are like getting a full body massage, and terrific for immediately calming someone down. Try it the next time your migraines act up, your dog is freaked out, or your sweetheart has road rage. :) Just gently rub the entire ear – don’t worry about hitting specific points for this purpose.

Once the seeds are on, they are working. They will last 3-4 days, and you can shower normally. If you want to give the treatment a boost, and can’t feel them on your ears, give them a gentle squeeze to wake them up. If you are already aware of them, leave them alone… they will probably be pretty tender to the touch! Sometimes people find the ear seeds annoying or sore, particularly if they are side-sleepers or they are working superhard (the more active a point is, the more it can hurt). In that case, just take them off. The point is to make you feel better!

I never charge for ear seeds. Ask me for them anytime – I always have them in my purse, and you are welcome to drop by the clinic for a quick installation.

Note: Some people use ear staples for quitting smoking, weight loss, etc. I prefer earseeds, since sending someone out with an open wound is an invitation to infection. Acupressure is hugely powerful and hurts less, too!

There are about 100 points on the ear, so I can treat nearly anything. Ear seeds are quick, portable, and give you a few days of acupressure.

There are about 100 points on the ear, so I can treat nearly anything. Ear seeds are quick, portable, and give you a few days of acupressure.

Yin Tang (emotional balancing, anxiety, sinus issues)

Yin Tang (pronounced “Yin Tong”) is located directly between the inner borders of your eyebrows. It’s useful for treating sinus problems and frontal headaches, but it’s most often called upon to calm the Shen (spirit). If you are anxious or dealing with stress, you’ll know why it’s also referred to as “The Valium Point.”

Yin TangOther cultures have recognized the importance of this point. It’s close to (below) the “Third Eye” and the 6th Chakra of Indian traditions. In the short-lived TV show Eli Stone, the title character experienced visions when his acupuncturist needled him on the forehead … a little too high, unfortunately (I’m sure I’m not the only acupuncturist who wrote to them – after a while they obscured the actual insertion location with the actor’s hands). Anyway, I wouldn’t expect to start seeing visions, but it will definitely help you find some inner peace.

To use Yin Tang, simply press with a fingertip for about 10 seconds. Take a deep breath, be grateful you’ve backed up your computer, and smile. Don’t you feel better already?

 

Du-20 (to lift energy, clear mind, improve sleep)

Du-20, BaiHui (Hundred Meetings)

Du-20-Hundred-Meetings-BAIHUI-Acupuncture-Points-1-244x300

BaiHui is located on the top of the head, in a subtle depression above the tips of the ears. It can be used to treat a vast variety of complaints. It can improve sleep, sooth internal Wind, clear an overactive mind, and even treat an epileptic seizure.* Du-30 is also terrific for lifting energy, so applications include hemorrhoids, prolapsed uterus, and chronic diarrhea.

Press these two points to improve sleep.

Press these two points to improve sleep.

If you are having trouble falling asleep, or if you wake with a nightmare: Put one fingertip on Du-20, and one on Du-24, a half-inch inside the hairline (or where it used to be) in the center of your forehead. Point your fingers towards each other and press gently with a calm, healing intention for about 10 ten seconds. This combo is great for any type of sleep disturbance, and works best if someone else can perform it for you.

* People with new or unexplained seizures should always be seen immediately by a doctor. In the case of repeated, benign seizures, turn the patient on his or her side, pad the head from impact with the floor, and gently press a fingertip into DU-20.

BL-40 (back pain, knee pain, hot flashes)

BL-40, Wei Zhong (Middle of the Crook), is located in the center of the back of the knee. It’s the Ruler of the Lower Back, so I often use it to treat lumbar problems. It’s also great for deep knee pain and to cool the Blood* – try it if you’re overheated next summer, or if you’re suffering from hot flashes. Other good points for lower back pain: LV-3, GB-34, Du-4.

BL-40, the Ruler of the Back.

*Remember: The Chinese concept of “Blood” is different from your physical blood. I am not talking about your literal circulatory system. :)

GB-34 (any muscle / tendon issue, knee pain, Damp Heat)

GB-34 is Yang Ling Quan (Yang Mound Spring). The name refers to its location on the Yang aspect of the leg. GB-34 is the Ruler of the Sinews (musculoskeletal system), so it will treat muscles, ligaments, and tendons anywhere in the body. It’s particularly effective for knee problems, due to its location. GB-34 can also be used to treat issues like jaundice, nausea, and vomiting. It’s also good for treating Damp Heat, but that’s a fairly complicated Chinese medicine concept related to infection. Ask me if you’re curious.

GB-34 is about an inch anterior and inferior to the head of the fibula. First, find the head of the fibula. This is a knob of bone on the side of your leg,  just below the knee, towards the back. Now slide your finger forward and down into a small dip. It will be tight or tender if treatment is appropriate: Press firmly for 20-30 seconds, with healing intention.

ST-40 (phlegm, wet cough, foggy head)

ST-40

Feng Long is a great point for draining phlegm. Use it when you have a head cold, wet cough, or allergies . Find ST-40 halfway between the knee and the ankle, on the outside of the lower leg. Feel around for a sore spot: You’ll know when you hit it. Press firmly for 10-15 seconds. It’s great for “visible” phlegm, the obvious mucus stopping up your nose and lungs. It’s also useful for “invisible” phlegm, the kind that clogs up your brain and leads to dizziness, vertigo, “foggy headedness” (fuzzy thinking), or mental illness.

ST40