Welcome to Elements Acupuncture!

I am happy to announce the opening of my practice Elements Acupuncture. My practice specializes in Classical Five Element Acupuncture (CFEA), which is one of the oldest forms of acupuncture and is practiced true to its original form! The fact that this medicine has been practiced for thousands of years speaks to the value and efficacy of Five Element Acupuncture. I am pleased to share more knowledge of Classical Five Element Acupuncture and the potential it has to offer.

I discovered Five Element Acupuncture because of my own personal health journey. At fifteen years old I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis after losing hair, gaining weight, and experiencing extreme fatigue. Years later I was hospitalized over and over with unexplainable symptoms. I was eventually diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Doctors told me I would have to live with uncomfortable symptoms and there truly was no cure. Eventually I grew desperate with the health problems that had been plaguing me; having to worry about my stomach constantly took a toll physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Just like most people, it was my health problems that led me to try acupuncture. Acupuncture seemed like a last resort, but I experienced relief from some of my symptoms for the first time. This gave me hope that I could have my life back. It piqued my interest so much that I decided to go to acupuncture school in hopes of healing myself. Thankfully, during my masters program I came to find Classical Five Element Acupuncture. This unique style of acupuncture helped me overcome and maintain my medical issues, most importantly my health and natural balance in life. I was so awestruck with the level of care that CFEA provides that I knew I had to pursue becoming a Classical Five Element Acupuncturist.

After completing my graduate program and post graduate program specializing in CFEA, I had the privilege of working in a private practice. I have learned a great deal and love working with my patients and witnessing their improvements and successes. With careful planning and preparation, and support from friends and family, I am excited to launch my own practice. This is big deal and it is a big challenge. I am proud to have taken it on, just as you have challenges to take on in your life. I have received encouragement from friends, family, and patients and feel a true sense of community. I am proud and happy to offer my knowledge, skill, and expertise to help others. Thank you for joining me on this journey.

Wishing you health and happiness,

Beverly 

Happy Mother’s Day from Elements Acupuncture

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

A Chinese proverb says that if a mother is healthy and peaceful, her children and family will be strong. The best thing you can do for yourself AND your family is to get extra rest, love, and connection time. Easier said than done, right? Mothers who are at home during quarantine are facing the impossible: working, taking care of children, AND homeschooling all at the same time. We understand why superheroes don’t always wear capes.

Mother’s Day Tips

• Do something that really provides nourishment today. Something that invigorates joy and laughter, and feeds your soul. Whether this is watching movies all day or breakfast in bed. You are a superwoman and deserve all the beauty, love, and zest that life has to give.
• Take a nap- naps are like mini luxurious vacations. Moreover, they boost mood, alertness, and reduce mistakes and accidents. Napping can be mistakenly misconstrued as laziness. Classical Five Element Acupuncture recognizes the importance of rest. Our bodies need to recharge to work at optimal capacity.
• Husbands and partners: give mom a free day. Bring her coffee, give her a back rub. Don’t let her lift a finger!
• Take a vacation from any and all screens. Since COVID-19, we are really depending on our screens for work, entertainment, and connecting with friends and family. If possible, go hike in nature or walk around the neighborhood. Maybe have a picnic with the family in the front yard. Everyone, not just moms, needs a break from technology.
• Sleep in- the benefits of sleep are endless. This is YOUR day to soak it in and have a lazy lie in quiet morning followed by squishy snuggles from the family. What more could a mama ask for?

To the women who are suffering from infertility or loss: facing this pain on Mother’s Day is even harder. I am sending all my love to you. Remember you are not alone, you are strong, and you are loved.

I see Mother’s Day as a day that celebrates all women, not only mothers; women who are expecting, aunties, sisters, and girlfriends. So many women have helped shape me into the person that I am today and I am eternally thankful for that. Most specifically, my mother and grandmother raised me and have a had a huge impact on my life. I don’t personally have any children but I am a mother to my fur babies. Let’s all come together on this special day and celebrate the special women who have made us who we are!

Happy Mother’s Day,

Beverly

My fur babies: Poppy, Daphne, and Tobias

Anxiety in the Time of COVID-19

Anxiety is often debilitating, accompanied by shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, sweat, excessive thoughts, intense feeling of worry, fear, irrational thoughts and even the feeling that you are dying. Eventually, anxiety will affect you mentally, physically, and emotionally. Some people start to have digestive disorders, like IBS, and the culprit can be the underlying anxiety. Others may suddenly have migraines or feel lightheaded. If you are having anxiety, take it as a warning sign that something must be addressed. Thankfully, there are many ways to keep anxiety at bay.

There is a heightened sense of anxiety everywhere today. With current COVID-19 regulations, a lot of us do not know when we will be allowed to work, see our family and friends, or even take a walk the beautiful trails in Austin, Texas. There is a lot of uncertainty on what lies ahead. Moreover, many are hurting emotionally and financially. While I wish I could be in person to help and support you, I want to shed light on how acupuncture helps anxiety as well as tips you can do at home in the meantime.

How Classical Five Element Acupuncture Treats Anxiety

Classical Five Element Acupuncture is unique in the way we view and treat anxiety. Classical Five Element Acupuncture differs from the most common acupuncture practiced, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which primarily focuses on physical problems. Even when physically hurt, those injuries will take a toll mentally and emotionally. Classical Five Element Acupuncture address the root cause of anxiety. There are many points that symptomatically treat anxiety, but the goal of a Five Element practitioner is to treat the underlying cause of that anxiety. When the root problem is addressed and resolved, symptoms like anxiety, depression, headaches, begin to fade away. This form of acupuncture allows the body to heal itself. When the mind and body are at one, mental and physical peace is assured.

Classical Five Element Acupuncture treats the following forms of anxiety:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Social Anxiety
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Phobias
• Test Anxiety
• Panic disorders
• Postpartum anxiety
• Agoraphobia
• Relationship anxiety

Tips to Reduce Anxiety at Home

• Lemon balm is a calming herb which is in the mint family. Pour boiling water over lemon balm to create a lovely tea that helps calm a frazzled mind. Besides the medicinal effects, lemon balm tastes fantastic.
• Movement– anxiety can be relieved tremendously by moving your body. Go for a walk, practice yoga, or literally allow your body to shake it off. Even getting up and doing dishes will help take your mind off the current state you feel that you are in.
• Meditation– meditation is scientifically proven to reduce anxiety. Anxiety can feel like a hamster in the wheel and meditation changes your brain’s habits. I encourage you to start with five minutes a day to focus on your breath. And if you find it beneficial to add more time, then do so. There is no negative side effect of giving your body some extra oxygen.
• Mindfulness and Gratitude– Being in the present moment is very difficult. This is especially the case with social media, work, children, etc. But taking even one minute to be present and focus on the positivity of your life will be beneficial. This will help train your subconsciousness to have more positive thoughts and less worry. Again, this practice is not easy, but making mindfulness and gratitude a habit will break anxious patterns.
• Nature– If you are able to go outside- get out of the house! Now! Walk around your neighborhood. I have taken so many more walks during quarantine and seen beautiful houses and sites I had never noticed before. Being outside in nature reduces feelings of anxiety and worry. Moreover, it is grounding and gets you out of your head.
• Acupressure– the point Yintang is right in between the eyebrows. Rubbing this for at least 30 seconds should have an immediate calming effect. Try doing this while laying down in bed and taking deep breaths.

Even though I cannot be with you in person, I am always here for you. Reach out if you need to be heard, let out some frustration, or just to connect. I cannot wait to be together again!

All my love,

Beverly

The Hope of Spring and Coronavirus Blues

We are living in uncertain and unprecedented times. Our lives have shifted dramatically, emotionally, and financially, and there is not a clear path of what the future holds. One might have missed that Saturday marked the first day of Spring. The Season of Spring is associated with the Wood Element. Now, more than ever, it is imperative to hone in on Wood’s energy of hope and optimism during this challenging time.

At the present moment,  it is easy to feel lost, uncertain, and hopeless. However, we can call on Wood’s energy of hope, growth, and flexibility. Classical Five Element Professor J.R. Worsley beautifully explains that The Wood Element has “movement that has purpose and forward direction, that can adapt and be flexible in the different situations we are placed.”

We have been thrown a major curve ball, and we have the opportunity to change the course. Wood’s energy bends and is flexible. Think of how branches can bend in the spring’s wind and carry heavy loads without breaking. There are going to be many adjustments to our world, and our flexibility will serve us. We should be able to sprout and shift as the changes continue to come our way; we cannot become rigid or inflexible. In sum, Wood’s energy allows us to bend, not break.

The energy of Wood moves forwards and upwards; giving us direction, vision, and purpose. Having hope in the worst of times gives us the strength and vision to carry on. Having direction and a purpose is necessary. We have direction the with public health directives to disinfect, wash hands, social distance, and importantly a reminder to maintain our health by drinking water, sleeping, and eating well. We have been given purpose by being of service to those in need like our neighbors, elders and immunocompromised.

Now is a time to be thankful for the things we do have: family, friends, fresh air. Doctors and nurses putting their lives on hold to care for others. Take notice of the beautiful events that are occurring right now—there is a united force of people helping one another. People leaning out their balconies in Italy, sending their hearts and voices while being confined inside. Mother Nature is allowed to take a breath. There are dolphins in the Venice canals! There has been so much humor and love shared on social media.

My heart goes out to each and every one of you. We are all hurting and if there is any way I can be helpful and supportive, please let me know. I miss seeing each of you and I cannot wait to see you in person again!

Take this time to care of yourself, spend quality time with your family, get fresh air and walk around your neighborhood, and organize that messy closet. Lastly, please remember nature is our guardian and always finds a way and prevails; we will survive this and be stronger than before.

Stay home and stay healthy,

Beverly

Tips for Flowing with the Wood Element

• Move Right now our energy is springing upwards and we need to move. This may sound challenging while most us are confined to our homes. However, there are plenty of ways to get exercise in the home like yoga, qi gong, pilates, stretching, and walking around the neighborhood. Classical Five Element Acupuncture recognizes how important it is to move our body to prevent stagnation- plus it is a boost for our mental health and immunity.
• Create Get creative, make a plan, change things up to the way you would like. Now is the perfect time to weed out the things you no longer need. We have been given a hard dose of reality and can see more clearly what is is essential in our lives. This is the time to begin new projects for short term and long term goals. Spring is the time to plant new ideas and prepare  for the Summer Harvest.
• Emotion The emotion associated with the Wood element is anger. Anger can seem like a negative emotion, but it has positive attributes when expressed appropriately. Anger helps us change direction, pushes us to get things done, and get organized. Right now with COVID-19 there is a lot of pent up energy because we are so restricted in what we are allowed to do. Allow your frustrations to be expressed freely and move through these emotions intentionally.
• Sleep The times most important times for the Wood’s associated organs, the Liver and Gallbladder, to regenerate is 11pm-3am. This is why I will always encourage you to go to sleep before 11pm. Taking the care to rest when your Liver is needing to be regenerated does wonders for the body and mind.
• Hydrate Water is essential for wood’s growth and flexibility. Please stay hydrated to help your body function optimally!
• Detox sour foods  like dandelion and arugula help with the liver’s function. Peppermint and lemon water help to detoxify the liver.

These are my dogs Poppy and Tobias. They give me hope during this hard time!

Two optimistic pups looking forward to enjoying Spring!

New spot Elements Acupuncture debuts in Austin

We are really excited to be featured in this MSN article! Please click below link to read!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/new-spot-elements-acupuncture-debuts-in-austin/ar-BB1089IH

To happiness and health,

Elements Acupuncture

The Spirit of Water in Classical Five Element Acupuncture

As a Classical Five Element Acupuncturist, I work with my clients to recognize the importance of being proactive when it comes to seasonal, emotional, and physical fluctuations. Currently, it is the season of winter, which is associated with the Water element. This is an appropriate time to discuss what makes the Water element so significant during the Winter season and what you can do to prepare for a bountiful spring, and more importantly, an abundant and healthy year.

Upon the turning of fall into winter, the trees and plants are completely stripped bare of their leaves; the days are the shortest and darkest of the year; and the animals have gone into hibernation. On the surface, everything looks dead and skeletal. But underneath, life is going on. Energy is being concentrated, stored, and gathered, so the future of a generous spring is guaranteed. This gives us the essence of what the Winter season is for: preserving, conserving, and recharging. We prepare for winter by taking advantage of the harvest that we have stored and draw on reserves to prepare for the growth of the upcoming spring. In sum, it is essential to build up reserves and winter is the time to do that.

The thought of running out of reserves could reasonably inspire a great deal of fear for our future and our survival. We see this in nature, especially in Texas, where droughts are common. Without the guarantee of water, nothing can grow in the spring, flourish in the summer, and ultimately be harvested in the late summer. We can understand why the emotion associated with the Water element is fear. With no assurance, we can become very fearful and scared. Our survival is uncertain. Therefore, we prepare. We stop running our sprinklers, don’t wash our cars, and we take shorter showers.

Fear often has a negative connotation associated with it. However, it is an essential and primal instinct that protects us. Fear keeps us safe and prevents us from being reckless and walking into dangerous situations. Additionally, fear of failure is a huge motivator and can make us take leaps and have tremendous courage and willpower. Fear only becomes problematic when it is expressed inappropriately. For example, if one is so fearful that he or she cannot bear the idea of a new relationship, friendship, or career. Everything is truly terrifying and takes way too much energy. The reserves simply do not exist. This can make someone feel frozen and paralyzed. On the other hand, another inappropriate expression is lack of fear. More specifically, this imbalance may show up as a daredevil who continually puts himself or herself in potentially harmful, thrilling, and overly exciting situations. Clearly, it is very important to have a healthy balance of fear that allows for adventure, excitement, and bravery, but also safety and caution.

Classical Five Element Acupuncture is a timeless medicine that understands, even in a modern world, we are still a part of nature and should live according to the seasons. Even as technologies continue to advance, the seasons stay the same, and at our core, so do we. Soon enough the days will become longer and brighter as spring is approaching. If we have followed the way nature intended and taken time to preserve, conserve, and recharge, we will be ready for the spring season with a clear vision, a sense of purpose, and plenty of energy.

Tips for the Winter Season

• Rest: Slow down, go to bed early, and sleep in late. If this is the permission you need to sleep in late, take it! Wake up as the sun rises. This is a time to be less physically active and conserve what we have. Choose physical activities that are more restorative or restful, such as Yin Yoga or shorter less challenging walks.
• Recharge: Choose practices that nourish and recharge your soul: acupuncture, journaling, meditation, mindfulness, qi gong, and tai qi. These practices allow you to go inward so you can hone in on what is most important for you in the coming year. You can also take time to explore your dreams and aspirations.
• Warm foods and beverages: Nourish yourself with warming foods such as squash, bone broth, soups, whole grains, and steamed winter greens. Eat slowly so your body can absorb all the nutrients from the food you eat to build up your reserves.
• Connect: Winter is a wonderful time to deepen relationships with those closest to you; therefore, socialize with people that you cherish the most. Unlike holiday parties, keep get-togethers simple and relaxed, where you can easily connect on a deeper level.

Want to experience Classical Five Element Acupuncture for yourself? Book an appointment with Elements Acupuncture in Austin today!