Our new office space is going to be amazing - larger front office, sinks in all the rooms, SOUNDPROOFING in our walls!  Its a pretty amazing opportunity. But yes, there will be some noise since we'll be just across the hall. Here is a brief FAQ to answer those burning questions:

Is the office going to be open during the remodel?
YES! We will merely be relocated across the hall next to the Leasing Office. Same floor, same building, same service and schedule! Ample signage will point the way.

What happens when I arrive for my appointment?
Signs will point you from our door to the adjacent double doors towards the leasing office. We will be sharing their lobby while in our temporary space, so please enter through the double doors and wait on the blue couch or in the striped chairs for your practitioner to receive you at your appointment time. Our temporary office will be clearly labeled. Tea will be in our small entry way with hot water, cups and coffee in the shared lobby by the Blue couch.

What about noise?
There will be noise, but the building has put controls in place to minimize noise during business hours. We will have noise canceling headphones available in office for use during treatment as well. We appreciate feedback about your experience throughout the process!


We are truly dedicated to making this as pleasant an experience as possible. If you have questions or concerns please let us know anytime! We will give all the advance notice we can about high noise days and there will likely be some special discounts available here and there depending on the day. So stay tuned and thank you in advance for being with through this exciting journey!

Do you suffer from jaw pain, temporal headaches, grinding or clenching at night? You might suffer from TMJ or TMD - Temporomandibular joint dysfunction. I have suffered from this condition myself and I can tell you from experience that Acupuncture is an EXCELLENT treatment. Oh, and my dentist can attest to it too! I'm here to tell you that you do not have to settle for dealing with this condition alone or indefinitely. Acupuncture is an excellent treatment and now we know that it is research proven to be successful! Read on to learn more about what TMJ is and how to treat it from a Chinese Medicine perspective.

What Is TMJ/TMD?
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction  is a common condition that is characterized by pain and jaw dysfunction. TMJ is used to describe a wide range of conditions associated with jaw pain and restricted jaw movement. While TMJ isn't life-threatening, it can negatively impact a person's quality of life, causing bouts of insomnia, stress, pain and disability.

It's estimated that up to 30 percent of the world's adult population suffers from TMJ, most of whom are between the ages of 20 and 40. Many people living with this condition simply mask the pain with prescription painkillers or other medications. In doing so, however, they create other problems, such as increased stress on the liver and stomach. Acupuncture offers an alternative treatment that instead of masking the pain, works to reduce symptoms at the source.

Acupuncture - Research Supports Success for Treating TMJ/TMD Pain Relief
While there's no guarantee that it will cure your condition, several studies suggest that it acupuncture does in fact help relieve the pain and other symptoms associated with TMJ. One recent study involving 70 dental patients in the U.K. found that acupuncture relieved their pain by as much as 75 percent. Another study found acupuncture to offer long-term patient satisfaction when used to treat TMJ (acupuncture treatment was given 18-20 years prior to the follow-up).

The 2,000-year-old practice of acupuncture involves the placement of thin needles directly under the skin in specific locations known as acupuncture points. Acupuncturists believe that when we are healthy, our body is in balance and our natural energies are flowing properly. There are times when the body’s natural flow will be blocked, disrupted, or stagnant, leaving the person susceptible to disease and illness. Acupuncture works by releasing these blockages through acupuncture points to return your body to its natural flow.

Acupuncture is also known to stimulate the body's self-healing process, which could in turn relieve the muscle tension attributed to TMJ. People with TMJ often clench or grind their jaws without realizing it. Acupuncture treatment can help relax the muscles from their clenched position.

Please contact me today to learn how you can get back on track to better health!

Despite my profession and calm demeanor, "calm" is not my base nature. It is something that I've learned and something that I've practiced through many years of martial arts, meditation and QiGong training.

Do you ever feel like it is hard to calm down and focus your mind? Like the hustle and bustle of the digital world is overwhelming you? Like you have too many obligations and not enough time, and like even when you DO have time to rest and relax that it takes a long time to quiet your mind and be present?

I still have times when I feel this way too. My dad always used to say, "We get good at what we practice, but most of the time we don't know what we're practicing." What are YOU Practicing today and in this moment? Happiness? Sadness? Joy? Overwhelm? Distraction?

If you want to make a conscious choice to practice calm and focus, Meditation is a true and time tested way to achieve this. Based upon Taoist meditation practices, the Inner Smile Meditation can have profound effects on your body and mind. This simple meditation suggests that you “smile” to all of your internal organs and glands. It is a way of saying “thank you” to your body for working 24 hours, 7 days a week!

Focusing your attention and smiling in this way can calm the autonomic nervous system, revitalize the internal organs, and increase the flow of blood and Qi.

Below is the Inner Smile Meditation for the main Meridian Organ Systems. For more information, please refer to Mantak Chia’s book, Taoist Ways to Transform Stress into Vitality.

1. Choose a quiet spot and keep warm throughout the meditation. Sit comfortably at the edge of a chair, feet flat on the ground with your back straight. Breathe deeply and relax. Clasp your hands together, left hand on bottom and right hand on top, palms touching, and rest them in your lap.
2. Close your eyes and feel a connection between the soles of your feet and the ground.
3. Focus on the midpoint between your eyebrows. Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind your front teeth. Put a smile on your face and journey down to the wonderfully amazing body that keeps you alive, alert and active. 
4. Heart -See your heart as a vibrant red color. Focus the energy of “joy” into your heart. Feel it pulse with love. Breathe in and exhale with the sound of HAW.
5. Lungs - Radiate the feeling in your heart to your lungs. Picture your lungs as pure white. Focus on letting go of sadness and grief. Exhale with the sound of SSSSSS.
6. Liver - Keep the feeling spilling over into your liver, which is just under your ribs on the right side. Picture it as a vibrant grass-green. When exhaling, let go of anger and frustration with the sound of SHHHH.
7. Spleen - Continue to the left, under the ribs. Shine a vibrant yellow color into this organ. When you exhale, let go of overthinking and worry, and use the sound of WHOO.
8. Kidney - Focus your attention on your lower back, just below and under your ribs. Imagine a deep blue-purple light. Breathe in courage and exhale fear. When you exhale, use the sound of WOOO.
9. Once you have traveled through your body, begin to focus your attention on your navel. Smile down to your navel, and focus your attention there.
10. Mentally move the energy in a spiral at the navel 36 times. Women start the spiral counterclockwise, men start it clockwise. Next, reverse the spiral direction and bring the energy back into the navel, circling 24 times. You can use a finger to guide the spiral motion.

It is ok if you don’t know the exact locations of your organs. Just bringing awareness to your organs is benefit enough. Your body will love you just the same.

Perform each exercise 9 times, twice a day. These exercises can affect your body and mind, so it is advisable to consult with your healthcare provider, but meditation is a safe way to practice calm and change negative thought patterns by connecting your calm inner center.

Want to know more or have questions? Contact me anytime. As a veteran martial artist and a certified Thousand Hands Buddha Qigong instructor, I'm here to help!

Are you an athlete looking to optimize performance? Increase speed, stamina or recovery time? As an intense martial artist and cardio-kickboxing instructor in the past myself, I can relate AND I am super excited to share some evidence that Acupuncture can make a difference.  I can also tell you anecdotally that my Iron Man competitors and Ultra Runner patients can attest to the validity of this research.


Specifically, researchers have discovered that acupuncture can stimulate the release of biochemicals that help prevent athletic fatigue due to intensive exercise. The study showed that electroacupuncture can affect the free radical metabolism process in athletes and increase antioxidant activity. 

Researchers in the study came to the conclusion that electroacupuncture - a form of acupuncture - increases enzymes that have antioxidant properties and decreases the body’s biochemical response to stressors, resulting in a decrease in athletic fatigue. 

These results are significant for any serious athlete or person who regularly exercises at an intense rate and is looking to improve performance and endurance. If you feel this issue applies to you or someone you know, contact an acupuncturist (like me??!!) to begin alternative treatment and improve your sport performance.