Have you tried to give up smoking? Trying ‘this and that’ therapy or modality to no avail? One of the reasons your previous attempts may not have worked for you long-term is because they rely, for the most part, on willpower alone. 

Understanding WHY you have the addiction in the first place is the first step to true healing. It is highly likely that the reason you acquired the addiction was an imbalance in some organs of your internal holistic ecosystem. Namely the organs of the Lung and Liver. 

When our organs are out of balance we tend to crave external substances as the body attempts to bring itself back into balance. The Lung tends towards deficiency and the liver tends towards excess. The Lung and Liver have a very close relationship. The liver has over 2000 functions and it is very easy for us to overburden it with more when we ingest substances that require a lot of ‘detoxing’ out of the body. The liver can become excessive and stagnated leading to emotional imbalances. 

The emotions associated with the lung are sadness and grief. You may have turned to smoking for comfort after the loss of someone close to you, as many people do. Sadness and grief also weaken the lung further. So it becomes a perpetual cycle. Smoking may temporarily quell feelings of long-held grief and sadness we don’t want to feel, but then the toxic overload burdens the liver further which impacts and weakens the lung further, it becomes a viscous, downward spiral.

The Lung is paired with the Large Intestine. Large intestine also has a strong relationship with the Liver. So, when the Liver is in excess and stagnated it also impacts the Large Intestine which becomes sluggish. Many smokers know they need a cigarette in the morning to get their bowels moving. The smoke ingested through the lungs has a direct effect on the paired organ of the Large Intestine. 

So when these organs are happy and working in harmony there is a smooth flow of qi between the organs and throughout the whole system. This free flowing qi gives us an immense sense of wellbeing. Perfect health gives us an immense sense of wellbeing. We are always seeking this state - albeit subconsciously for the most part. The addiction appears to give us that feeling, but it is temporary and holds the imbalances in place rather than rectifying them.  

TCM works to strengthen the function of your organ systems, helping to uncover the root cause(s) of a particular problem. When internal function is strong and balanced there is less of a perceived need for external quick fixes. In addition to this, treatment with acupuncture can include a point called Tim Mee, which studies have shown can eliminate cravings by literally changing how tobacco smoke tastes and  therefore making it repulsive.

Acupuncture treatment is very calming and relaxing, promoting blood flow, the release of endorphins and a boost in physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. 

So, why wait for the Great American smokeout? You can start feeling better as soon as today!

From a Speech By Angeles Arrien
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Fact: With each flap of a wing, a goose creates an “uplift” for others to follow. When you see geese fly in a “V” formation it allows the geese to fly 71% further than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier when they are working together.

Fact: One of the reasons geese honk is to encourage those in front to keep up speed.

Lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. When we are working with others, encouragement is often helpful to get the job done smoothly and quickly.

Fact: If a goose happens to fall out of formation, it will suddenly feel the resistance and drag of flying alone and fall back into place.

Lesson: If we are on a certain path, and we attempt to go at it alone without help or support, our efforts may be reduced. It is easier to accept the help of those who are going in the same direction, and give help to others along our route.

Fact: When the lead goose tires, it will fall out of formation and move to the back of the flock, allowing another to fly in the point position.

Lesson: Everyone has different skills, resources, and unique gifts to offer. It is important to take turns and share the hard tasks.

Fact: When a goose is wounded, shot or sick, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help protect it. They stay until it is able to regain strength enough to fly. Then they catch up with their flock or join another formation.

Lesson: If we have enough sense as the geese do, we stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.
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Transcribed from a speech given by Angeles Arrien at the 1991 Organizational Development Network.

Autumn is more than just a season in Chinese Medicine. It is the time of year that resonates with the Metal Element. The Metal Element includes the Lung and Large Intestine. The Lung’s superpower is Inspiration - of physical breath and spiritual creativity. And the Large Intestine superpower is Letting Go. Autumn can be the ideal time to let go of not only physical clutter, but also mental/emotional clutter and situations in our life that are no longer serving us. 

The Lung is also responsible for your immunity as the first place natural invasion takes place is through the breath. Now is a key time to focus on breathwork, meditation and immunity enhancing foods for the Metal Element, such as garlic, onions, foods that are fresh and white at their center - potatoes, cauliflower, almonds, radishes, parsnip, pear, apple, oats, rice and white peppercorn.

The Lung also manifests in the skin. So if you have any chronic skin conditions acupuncture treatment for strengthening the lung could hold the answer for you. 

We can assist our skin to be as radiant as possible by looking after our internal organs which are the root cause of its health. Namely the Lung, and the Spleen. The Spleen plays a key role in digestion - the transforming and transporting of food as nourishment. The Spleen ascends moisture and pure qi upwards towards the lungs. Keeping the Spleen healthy will assist the Lungs indirectly through our diet and digestion. We can see through the quality of our skin also the state of the Spleen as if the skin is greasy and has many pimples it can show the spleen is weak in its function of controlling dampness. Healthy digestion will show on your face as a radiant complexion. Foods like asparagus, papaya, beans and turnips help to eliminate dampness, also avoid excessively cold foods like ice cream, dairy, iced drinks and raw food diets. 

Yin nourishing foods in particular though will assist the lung in creating youthful radiant glow. Think of foods like goji berries, beans, dates and dandelions to name a few. 

Using a jade roller on the face will boost circulation to the face and help with elimination of stagnation and toxins, making your skin brighter and more elastic. Use it from the centre of your face and roll outwards after your normal cleanse and moisturize routine.

Acupuncture facials are second to none for an immediate boost of collagen to the face, and a course of facial treatments can give phenomenal results. A facial acupuncture treatment will also be combined with body points according to your unique diagnosis to strengthen the internal organs and promote smooth flow of qi and an immense sense of wellbeing.

Acupuncture points you can self massage with acupressure are Heavenly Appearance, located behind the curve of the jaw, and LI4 located in between the thumb and first finger on the mound of muscle there. 

These are some TCM recommendations and of course good hydration, exercise and sleep are imperative too. 

For an easier transition into a brand-new season, give us a call, we can help.

A study, published by BioMed Central, examined the effects and benefits of acupuncture and/or homeopathy over a four year span. The patients who participated had long standing health issues, which were resistant to conventional treatments.  The study worked with a health insurance company in Germany, to determine whether these treatments were actually beneficial to patients. Over 5000 patients took part in the acupuncture study; over 900 in the homeopathic study.

The objectives of this study were to measure effects, specifically:
●    the quality of life before and after treatment as reported by patients, 
●    the change of the main symptoms as rated by doctors, and 
●    the number of work days lost, generated by data from the insurance company.

Doctors were asked to document the diagnosis, the application of treatment, and improvement or deterioration of the main symptom(s) every time they saw the patient. Patients were given questionnaires to fill out to establish a baseline prior to treatment, and to rate effectiveness, satisfaction, quality of life, side effects, etc, after treatment.  The health insurance company provided data regarding work days lost, and days in the hospital.

The results show evidence of subjective benefits in all three outcome criteria. The doctors’ ratings of the change of complaints showed significant improvement of symptoms over the course of treatment for both acupuncture and homeopathy. This overall improvement was supported by quality-of-life data. Patients reported middle to large beneficial effects post-treatment compared to pre-treatment. The therapy seems to have resulted in a significant improvement in the perception of well-being, with patients being very satisfied with the treatment. And data from the insurance company showed the number of work days lost after treatment declined, with patients going back to their normal.
T
he study came to the conclusion that both acupuncture and homeopathy appear to be effective practices that satisfy and help the majority of patients. It also showed that the effects of the treatment were sizeable, clinically meaningful and stable over time.
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Acupuncture works!
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Contact us for an appointment today.

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-4-6