Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Newsletter Contents:1. Coping with the Nightly News
On September 11th I sent out an e-mail newsletter to address that tragedy. Unfortunately the contents of that newsletter are as pertinent today as they were then. The alarming recent events in the Middle East cannot help but resonate within all of us. We again find ourselves having the same feelings of anxiety and powerlessness we experienced last fall.
The September newsletter had two-fold intent:
To describe in Traditional Chinese Medical terms, the impact of emotional trauma on our life force energy (Qi);
To give practical suggestions of things people could do immediately to find balance in that difficult moment.
Here is a review of the items covered:
1. Acupressure –Body points were described, illustrated and suggestions were given for various symptoms.
2. Herbal Medicine - Common Western teas and their use were described. Chinese Herbal remedies that the patient may already have at home were reviewed for application and dosage.
3. Other suggestions were offered: Exercise, Meditation, Prayer, Community Service
4. Substances to avoid and why!
5. Acupuncture – Acupuncture can be very helpful in restoring balance and a feeling of being centered and grounded in times of great stress.
6. Peace - Resist the temptation to fight violence with violence. Chinese Medicine is all about balance. The terms yin and yang are used to describe a set of opposites (like dark and light, soft and hard, etc.). We can never restore world order if we all move in a yang mode. Using the Traditional Chinese Medicine model, Tai Chi is an example of a martial art in which yielding, a yin motion, is often the power move. We must seek new ways to reach understanding and healing.
An updated version of the September 11th newsletter, Post Traumatic Stress - The Perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, complete with illustrations of points and discussion of pertinent Chinese Medicine, can be seen at our web address.
http://www.nycacupuncture.com/trauma.html
In this newsletter I am going to suggest a couple of other items::
7. Don't watch the news at night!
The horrific images of anger and aggression, very yang in character, interfere with the yin activity of sleep and restoration. Sleep disturbance in Chinese Medicine, as I described in a previous newsletter, is the inability to fall asleep (Liver related - as when we are too agitated to relax into sleep) and/or interrupted sleep (Heart related - as when we are "broken-hearted" and are awakened by those feelings). Here again, acupressure, acupuncture, herbs, etc. can be beneficially applied.
8. Monitoring our own behavior
Chinese Medicine grew out of Taoism and teaches us that for there to be radiant health for ourselves, and the world around us, there must be balance. The one is reflected in the other: so without so within. Thus informed we understand that we need to bring into harmony the dark and light sides of our own human nature. Most of us try our best to be our higher selves throughout the day, but all of us have moments when we could have acted differently to prevent discomfort to others or just to have been our personal best. Mindfulness to these behaviors and an attempt to change them is a powerful tool. For myself I think of this as keeping my side of the street clean. In Biblical terms it is the adage to do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. To treat those with whom you interact, as you would want to be treated. While there is so little we can do individually to change the World, there is much we can each do to shed light on the darkness in own lives. This action I believe, if repeated by more and more individuals, can have a profound effect on the future salvation of our beautiful planet.
2. Turning Point Acupuncture Hours
Acupuncture is available Monday through Friday
Massage and Reiki will be available on Saturdays and by appointment weekdays and evenings:
Deep muscle massage with John T. Smith (For appointment call 212 579-4754)
Reiki with Reiki master Lourdes Guzman (For appointment call 212 580-9803)
To review our usual hours and staffing click here:
http://www.nycacupuncture.com/patientinfo.html
Yours in Peace,
Naomi Rabinowitz, MD
16 April 2002
Turning Point Acupuncture
1841 Broadway, Suite 509
New York City, NY 10023
212 489-5038
http://www.nycacupuncture.com
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter in the future, please hit the reply button and type REMOVE in the Subject box.
copyright 2002 Naomi Rabinowitz