Traditional Chinese Medicine is a medical system that incorporates numerous methods for treating disease and illness. One of the tools found in the toolbox of the TCM practitioner is known as moxibustion. 
           
Moxibustion is a technique that involves the burning of mugwort, known as moxa, which is an herb that facilitates healing. The purpose of moxibustion is to stimulate the flow of Qi (pronounced “chee”), strengthen the blood and maintain general health. Qi is translated as life energy. There are two types of moxibustion, direct and indirect. Direct moxibustion uses moxa shaped into a small cone and is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned. This type of moxibustion has two subcategories, scarring and non-scarring. Scarring moxa burns until it distinguishes on its own. This may lead to localized scarring and blisters. Non-scarring moxa allows for the moxa to be placed on the acupuncture point, lit, extinguished and removed before it burns the skin.  

Non-scarring moxibustion creates a pleasant heating sensation that penetrates deeply into the skin, but does not create a scar or any pain. Indirect moxibustion is the more popular of the forms. In indirect moxibustion, a practitioner lights one end of a stick of moxa and holds it close to the acupuncture point for several minutes until the area turns red. 
           
Moxibustion is used to help people with cold or stagnant conditions. Burning moxa is believed to expel cold and warm the energetic meridians, which creates the smooth flow of Qi and blood. Moxibustion also supports the yang energy, which strengthens and increases the original Qi. Moxibustion can be used to treat many conditions including back pain, muscle stiffness, headaches, tendonitis, arthritis, digestive disorders, anxiety, menstrual cramps, irregular periods and infertility. Moxibustion is not recommended for diabetic patients, since they have decreased sensitivity to pain and compromised circulation. 
           
Moxibustion is very effectively used in patients that have a cold constitution.  Many chronic conditions, even the ones that manifest as heat conditions, can have chronic cold as the underlying situation. A cold constitution is triggered or aggravated by over cooling the body systems. Because of technological advances, our bodies are exposed to cold at a much higher rate than in the past. Things like refrigeration, air-conditioning, iced beverages and even ice cream have created a society of people with cold constitutions. Also many pharmaceutical drugs including over-the-counter pain medications are known to decrease body temperature. Large consumption of fruits and raw vegetables and ongoing mental and emotional stress can also create cold constitutions. Therefore using moxibustion is frequently warranted in the treatment of many illnesses and diseases. 
           
Moxibustion on the acupuncture point Stomach 36 also has the function of preventing diseases and maintaining health. In ancient China, this technique was known as reverse moxibustion. Even if a person is quite healthy, regular moxibustion on this point can invigorate healthy Qi and strengthen the immune system, thus increasing longevity.  Perhaps this is why the point has been nicknamed the “longevity point”. 
           
As with acupuncture, only a licensed practitioner should be called upon for treatments such as moxibustion. If you believe that moxibustion may be helpful with your medical conditions, be sure to discuss it with your acupuncturist. 

​Created by Stanley Burroughs, author of the book The Master Cleanser, the master cleanse is a great way to cleanse the body while giving the digestive system a much-needed rest. The master cleanse, usually used to achieve rapid weight loss, can also be used to heal and nourish the body.

The cleanse is a liquid diet, which some refer to as a juice fast. It effectively supplies all of the healthy and essential nutrients and calories the body needs to function. The beauty of the master cleanse is that in addition to being rewarding and beneficial for your body, it is also extremely easy to follow and inact. 

There are three main parts of the master cleanse. You should utilize all three of these parts in order to extract all of the healing and fasting properties of the master cleanse. The three parts are the lemon drink, the salt drink and the herbal/laxative teas. 

First, you need to make sure to six to 12 glasses of the lemon drink per day over the course of a 10-day period. The lemon drink consists of freshly squeezed lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne pepper, water and maple syrup. Balance out your intake of the lemon drink throughout the day with regular water if you still feel thirsty.

The salt drink part of the cleanse is a little bit different. The salt drink consists of just lukewarm water and natural sea salt. You should make sure to drink a quart every morning, all in one sitting.

The third and final part to the master cleanse is an herbal laxative or tea. Make sure to take a laxative or drink a laxative tea before bed each night in order to complete the steps of the master cleanse.

The master cleanse is an extremely effective form of detox dieting, and if you want to pursue it you should! Spring is the time in Chinese Medicine to cleanse and the master cleanse is a strict though relatively simple cleanse to do. I highly recommend that you read reviews of the cleanse and get the precise details of the recipe from Stanley's book and consider easing in and easing out of the cleanse if you decide to pursue this option.

I personally cleanse every Spring myself, and I particularly like revisiting a basic Elimination Diet without the testing portion - making it a 4 week process - and including a detox supplement like Mediclear by Thorne. More than anything I feel like one of the most impactful parts of a cleanse is resetting your habits. Its easy to slide into bad habits and a cleanse, any type of cleanse, forces you into that resetting. If you're lucky and determined, you make the best parts of it stick - until the holidays that is...

If you have questions about cleansing don't hesitate to ask at your next Acupuncture session and if you ARE cleansing, get on the books! Acupuncture can support healthy liver and digestive function which gets you the most out of your cleanse that you possibly can.

It’s so important to start your day off on the right foot. A healthy and happy morning can lead to a successful and productive day. Sometimes the key to starting off your day right can be practicing a few daily rituals in order to stay calm, collected and focused. Not only will making these rituals part of your everyday routine help your morning, but it will greatly increase the overall quality of your whole day.

1. Write - Keep a Journal

Right when you start your day it can be helpful to write out a small list of goals that you have for the upcoming 24 hours. Keep a small notebook or journal by your bed and when you wake up write down some goals for the day that will help you stay positive and focused.

2. Exercise

Exercise is key. You need to make sure to get your blood moving when you begin your day. The smallest amount of exercise can make a big difference as to whether or not your day is positive, productive and successful.

3. Morning herbal tea

Having something nice and warm to start your day can ensure positivity throughout the rest of it. Start your day with a soothing cup of herbal tea and think positive thoughts as you drink every sip. The combination of a good tea and positive thinking can be very beneficial for staying positive. 

There is nothing more important than having a positive attitude. The attitude you display toward your day-to-day activities can make a huge difference in improving the quality of your life! Positivity makes the world go round and helps to ensure everything functions harmoniously. It’s a no-brainer that positivity, well, positively affects you.

You should allow the enhancing effects of positivity to start impacting your day as soon as possible. Start your day by letting small amounts of sunlight into your room, enjoying a cup of warming herbal tea and just reflecting on what it is you plan to accomplish today. A simple morning routine such as this can boost productivity and positivity throughout the day.

Once your day is started you should make sure to keep the positive energy going. It’s easy to allow the stress of your work day to get to you, and, this can crush the positive energy you have worked so hard to embody. The funny thing about this is positive thinking works to eliminate stress and improves well-being. So, in order to not let the work day stress get to you, simply think positive!

Positive thinking will not only eliminate stress, but it will improve your skills, your work ethic and the amount of success you will achieve in life. In addition to the morning routine, there are some other tips and tricks to help you gain a more positive mindset and apply consistent positive thinking to your lifestyle.

Exercise. Exercise is very important to both your physical and mental health, make sure you schedule time throughout your day to get some exercise or play-time in, by doing this you can help maintain a positive lifestyle. 

Meditation. Meditation can be extremely beneficial to enriching your life with positive energy. If you do not happen to be an expert on meditation yourself, or you have never done it before, reach out to those in your community who can assist you with mediation and help you harness its benefits.

Writing. Writing down your thoughts and journaling can help reduce stress and induce positivity. It is important to catalog our thoughts, this way we do not bottle them up. So, start a journal, a blog or even write some poetry. A little writing can go a long way to making you stay positivity.

Learn to live as one with positivity and you will succeed in all your long-term goals.