SUMMER WELLNESS
Although we tend to think of the Summer Solstice as the first day of Summer, the season of Summer really begins sometime in May. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact start date, but by early May the energy of Spring has certainly started to shift into more Summer vibes. There are no more lingering remnants of Winter – temperatures are consistently warm, even at night; everything is growing or blooming and if it hasn’t started growing yet it most likely will not return this growing season; all the critters have emerged from their Winter slumber and have completed or are in the process of completing their preparations for the growing season ahead. Hopefully your gardens, backyards and patios have had their Spring cleaning and are ready for the Summer activities – if not I suggest you get busy!
So what does Summer mean in TCM/Chinese Medicine? Summer is the season of the Fire Element, of course. The Fire Element is the epitome of Yang energy and governs the organs of the heart, pericardium, san jiao and small intestine. The qualities of Fire are vibrant, full, passionate, loving, connected, joyful, creative, aware and enlightened. Fire is quite literally the spark of life. Fire, like the season of Summer, represents growth and expansion. This is not the same as the new growth of Spring but rather the wild, flourishing type of growth once seedlings and sprouts have survived the early months of the growing season and established a strong, healthy root system. It is the growth that results in a frenzy of green foliage and eye-popping colors of flowers everywhere. It is the growth of a toddler as each week seems to mean going up yet another clothing size! It is the growth of a project that has been well-planned and prepared for, when one aspect or step flows effortlessly into the next, expanding toward the fullness of all the potential activated then released by the Wood Element in the early stages of development.
In Chinese Medicine, Fire embodies the Spirit of the Mind, also known as the Shen, which is housed in the Heart. It seems counterintuitive to us Westerners to consider these two often opposing concepts (Heart and Mind) grouped together in this way, but that is because the Mind/Shen in Chinese Medicine is not just the thinking mind that analyzes and discerns, but also the mind that is connected to the Creator, the One, God, whatever it is you call the Divine energy that animates and unites us all. This is the mind that is aware not only of Self but of its connection to Divine Energy. It is the mind that calls us to love others passionately and compassionately, to seek out, create and maintain harmony. It is this Shen Mind aspect of Fire that makes it the Element of Love, Compassion, Relationships, Family and Connection. Click here (almost ready – come back soon for the pdf) for a downloadable and printable Summer Wellness Care Sheet for tips on staying aligned with Fire Energy during the Summer season. I will also have a limited quantity of complimentary laminated Summer Wellness Care Tips cards available to patients.
EVENTS
Although there are currently no upcoming events, I am always looking for new opportunities to set up a pop-up clinic. If you would like to see Zen Oasis in your neighborhood and know of an event or organization that would offer such opportunities please reach out with the lead. Even if all you have is a name of an event or organization I can take that and run with it.
A Zen Oasis pop-up clinic would be a wonderful option for an employee wellness program – acupuncture can be done almost anywhere, even in a conference room or empty office! If you think your employees or coworkers would enjoy some healing zen time, please reach out and we can discuss details.
NEWS
Zen Oasis was always meant to be a community-oriented endeavor. At one time it was the banner under which I offered healing services at music festivals. I re-branded when I opened my home-based clinic, but plans are being set in motion to open a true community acupuncture clinic. To that end, I am learning all I can about how to safely and efficiently provide effective acupuncture treatments in a community acupuncture setting, which is essentially group acupuncture – multiple people are treated in the same room at the same time for any condition they choose using only points on the extremities, on the head or in the ears. The primary advantage of this type of clinic is to reduce costs for the community, but healing in a communal environment also raises a certain type of vibration that enhances the healing effects of acupuncture for everyone. (For more information about the community acupuncture movement, visit the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture).
My plan is to offer mini community acupuncture pop-up clinics in as many places as I can find in the coming months so that I can get to know the community and understand your needs more fully. This will help me to make wise decisions when it is time to move to the next phase of this project which is to open a full-time community acupuncture clinic. So once again, if you have an idea for a pop-up clinic location or event please reach out.
If you would like to help make this community clinic a reality, there are a number of ways you can help. Are you business savvy and know how to write a good business plan? Good at networking and connecting with the right people? Are you in a legal or accounting profession that works with small businesses? I’m currently doing this all solo and would greatly benefit from the knowledge and skills of members of the community not only during this preliminary, planning phase but also as things move into sourcing funds, finding the right location, remodeling of said location, acquiring furnishings, marketing, etc. The more support from the community the better.
Still want to help but none of the above resonates with you? Monetary donations will always help. Click here to make a donation to the Zen Oasis Community Acupuncture Fund.
