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Spring is in the air. It’s actually well upon us. The flowers are blooming and the grass is greener and greener every day. It’s my favorite time of year. I love the new growth, the lighter, longer days and the warmer weather. It’s the time of the Wood Element, which enriches our experience of dreaming, creativity, growth and flexibility. In the spirit of new growth, we are embarking on some exciting changes here at Acupuncture Denver. We are planning to expand our office space to incorporate more treatment rooms, a yoga/classroom space, and Jane’s own private office where she can eat her lunch in peace and privacy (and maybe install a treadmill for running in the winter months)! Yay!!
We are also giving our website a much overdue facelift. We will be able to share info more easily and offer more content and education this way. We can’t wait to unveil the new site in the coming weeks.
Change can be stressful but it’s also exciting; we are trying to lean into the creativity and possibilities that are opening up before our eyes. New rooms to decorate, new space to fill, new programming to offer. We are drawing from our roots to find the sustenance we need to make this blossoming happen. And things won’t change too much since we are staying in the same building but moving into a new suite. So you will all still know where to find us!
Stay tuned for more details and other exciting upcoming events…..
I am currently in a wonderful online class where this week people shared quotations that inspired them to live wholeheartedly. Here was one of my favorites:
The most beautiful people we have know are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These people have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep, loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.
-Elizabeth Kübler-Ross
I am continually inspired by the people I have been honored to know in my work as they have struggled through health issues and in particular, infertility and pregnancy loss. One of the things that makes this work so meaningful to me is the opportunity I have to witness incredible transformation, healing and beauty in people. I know my own pregnancy losses softened me and humbled me in profound ways I would never have been able to force without being in a situation that was beyond my control. I could feel myself become palpably more compassionate and open-hearted when I was literally brought to my knees by grief, uncertainty, fear and sadness. And I know that experience has everything to do with the person I am today. It’s certainly easier to look back and say we are grateful for misfortune or loss than to recognize the gifts these experiences bring when we are right there in them. But I think the quotation above articulates how suffering can give birth to sensitivity, appreciation and gratitude. And how those experiences that are most difficult are what make us most beautiful.
So even as you find yourself in the midst of a situation that feels painful, uncertain, scary and heartbreaking, take a breath. Know you are not alone. Know you are presented with the opportunity to soften, open, and expand into grace. Know you are beautiful. Know you are enough. And breathe again. Take a moment to believe you are enough just as you are in this moment. Feel your scared, tender, uncertain, broken heart and let it shine. Beautiful.
A date like 1/11/11 only comes once in a lifetime. And the opportunity to change the world by funding a water project is just is just as rare and precious. Part of my commitment as a small business owner is to share my abundance with the world. Acupuncture Denver and those of you who have supported us have given me so much: the opportunity to make a living doing something I love, the ability to connect with amazing, inspiring people on a day-to-day basis, and the access to a lifetime of learning, creativity and healing. As a way of giving back, I hope to raise $5000 for charity : water (by 3/31/11). This will be enough to complete one well/water project for a community in need. Visit my campaign page to make a secure donation–100% of which will go to project costs!!! Or, to learn more about charity:water and the water crisis, go here.
Millions of people all over the world don’t have access to clean water. Most fatal childhood diseases in the developing world are related to unsanitary water. In many countries, young girls have to forfeit an education to spend hours, if not days, carrying water long distances. They not only miss out on the opportunity for an education, but also become vulnerable to violent crimes as they travel long distances, often alone. If you are fortunate enough to be reading this email, you likely have no idea what this experience would be like. But take a moment to imagine what it would be like:
Imagine having to walk a distance equivalent to the space between Park Hill and Confluence Park with a plastic three gallon jug strapped to your back. Imagine that you are a young girl, age 8, alone, without shoes. You have to face many dangers on the trip- animals, strangers, exposure, injury. Imagine filling up that jug with brown, muddy water and carrying it back miles to your home. Imagine having only that three gallon jug available for all of your water needs: drinking water, cooking water, and washing water. Imagine that water makes your family sick. Imagine the youngest and most vulnerable die. But you have no choice, because safe water is unavailable to you.
Just because we are lucky enough not to have to live through that scenario doesn’t mean many others don’t face it every day. The fact that my son, who is from Ethiopia, could have lived through a reality like that hits me deeply and profoundly. It’s easy to objectify the “starving kids in Africa” and numb ourselves to their suffering when they aren’t our kids. I think it’s our habit to separate us from them when things are that uncomfortable, raw and brutal. But I can’t separate myself since one of “those” kids could be my kid, if miraculous events and circumstances had not brought us together. As part of living a wholehearted life, I am making a commitment not to numb myself to suffering– both my own and others’. We can all make that commitment and through it change our lives and the world for the better.
So take a moment to go to my campaign page and give what you can– $1, $11, $110, $1100 (it’s the 1/11/11 thing). And remember, 100% of your donation goes to program costs. Amazing! Hopeful! Beautiful! Make 1/11/11 (or 1/12/11 which is probably when you’ll get this message) a day you will remember for your role in making the world a better place. Thank you again for all you have done to make Acupuncture Denver such a great part of my life!
In gratitude,
Jane
Recently, The Expectant Mother’s Guide to Denver published an article written by Jane Gregorie about the effectiveness of acupuncture during pregnancy. Check it out below!
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have been used for thousands of years to help women enhance their fertility, enjoy a healthy pregnancy, and avoid the postpartum blues. Ancient Chinese medical literature detailing treatments for pregnancy, post-partum, and gynecological diseases dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) when the TCM treatise Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Coffer was written by Zhāng Jī. It was the first Chinese medical text to include distinct chapters on women’s health and covers theory, methods, and herbal remedies. For centuries thereafter, Chinese medical physicians continued to develop the fields of Chinese medical obstetrics and gynecology, giving modern TCM practitioners a wealth of time-tested treatments that are still in use today.
Even though acupuncture has become more and more popular in the West in recent years, many people still wonder whether or not it is safe treatment to receive during pregnancy. Acupuncture has been shown to be not only safe, but also highly effective for a wide variety of pregnancy-related health issues, including morning sickness, depression, and pain. In addition to thousands of years of Chinese medical literature devoted to the treatment of pregnant women with acupuncture, modern research has also demonstrated acupuncture’s efficacy for various pregnancy-related ailments.
In terms of preparing for pregnancy, acupuncture and TCM (including herbal formulas, dietary therapy, and lifestyle modifications) are ideal for optimizing fertility naturally and safely. The cycle of folliculogenesis, or the time it takes for a primordial follicle to become an antral follicle in the ovaries, spans about 90-150 days. During this time follicles go through protein synthesis and a tonic growth phase, when egg quality can be compromised due to impaired circulation or hormonal imbalance. Increasing blood flow to the ovaries with acupuncture and improving cellular health through nutrition, diet, and herbs during the three months prior to conception all have a positive impact on egg quality. Numerous studies published in the past decade attest to the positive effects of acupuncture on ovarian and uterine blood flow, hormonal regulation, and positive outcomes for women undergoing fertility treatments like in-vitro fertilization.
Once pregnant, acupuncture can treat a host of pregnancy-related conditions, including nausea and vomiting. A 2002 Australian study published in the journal Birth showed acupuncture to be highly effective in relieving nausea and morning sickness when administered on a regular basis. The study included 600 women in their first trimester who received weekly acupuncture treatments for four weeks; these women experienced nausea less frequently and for a shorter duration than women who did not receive acupuncture treatments.
Acupuncture is also a very effective, drug-free method for treating depression, insomnia, and anxiety during pregnancy. A study published in March 2010 from Stanford University found that depressed women who were treated with individualized acupuncture protocols responded very favorably to the treatment. Sixty-three percent of the women in the depression-specific acupuncture group had marked relief, compared to only forty-four percent in the massage/non-specific acupuncture group. This research is groundbreaking in terms of offering pregnant women a safe, effective alternative to anti-depressant drug therapy.
Moxibustion, or the burning of the herb artemesia vulgaris on or near acupuncture points, has also been used for centuries to turn breech presentation babies during the final trimester of pregnancy. The ideal time frame for turning a breech baby with moxa is between 32-34 weeks, but it is best to consult with your doctor before trying this method. Acupuncture can also help soften the cervix, alleviate pain, and shorten labor time during childbirth. While most hospital settings do not allow acupuncture on-site, having frequent treatments during the final weeks of pregnancy is a wonderful way to move into this transition with more ease and less pain.
In addition to these conditions, acupuncture and TCM can also relieve a multitude of other pregnancy-related ailments, including fatigue, headaches, back and pelvic pain, heartburn, stress and anxiety. Acupuncture is also wonderful for treating and resolving post-partum issues, including excessive bleeding, hormonal imbalances, postpartum depression, and pain associated with labor and delivery. Sleep deprived mothers in the post-partum phase benefit more than anyone from the restorative, relaxing and calming effects of acupuncture treatment. In TCM, there is an ancient tradition called “mother-warming” that includes restorative dietary therapy and warming the uterus with moxa to heal and re-balance in the post-partum phase. This is a beautiful way to restore health and vitality after pregnancy and childbirth.
While acupuncture and other modalities of Traditional Chinese Medicine can be beneficial at any stage of pregnancy, it is ideal to find an acupuncturist who specializes in women’s health to ensure that you receive the safest, highest standard of care during this time. I encourage women who are looking for an acupuncturist to make sure that their practitioner has a Masters-level education in Oriental Medicine as well as a National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (www.nccaom.org) and a Diplomate of Acupuncture board certification. As of 2008, practitioners who specialize in fertility and reproductive health also have the opportunity to be certified through The American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine (www.aborm.org). Most acupuncturists who are women’s health specialists with advanced training in reproductive medicine have attained this designation of ABORM Fellow. In addition to degrees and board certifications, it is also essential to find a practitioner who will empower, educate and support you on your family-building journey and who takes a body-mind-spirit approach.
Jane Gregorie, M.S., L.Ac., and owner of Acupuncture Denver, is attending the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s (ASRM) Annual Meeting, which takes place in Denver this year from October 23rd -27th. According to the ASRM’s website, the 2010 meeting theme is “Taking Reproductive Medicine to New Heights,” and is designed to meet the educational needs of both practitioners and scientists within the fields of reproductive medicine and biology. The five-day program brings together the finest reproductive endocrinologists, scientists and clinicians in the reproductive health field and offers “postgraduate courses, lectures, symposia, roundtables, debates, abstracts, posters and videos that focus attention on the latest scientific developments in the field of reproductive medicine and their translation to clinical medicine.”
Everyone at Acupuncture Denver is thrilled that Jane is attending this year’s ASRM Meeting. We know that our practice and our patients will benefit from this cutting-edge conference that attracts some of the most knowledgable fertility specialists from around the country!
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