It’s actually feeling like Fall now! In Chinese Medicine it’s the season of the Lungs and Large Intestine. And people are talking about how to avoid fall and winter colds and flus. So we’ve got a Fall Lung Experiment in support of resetting and letting go, some clinic happenings including fun facts about Megan, and a product highlight to boost your immune system–and your mood!
💨Fall Lung Experiment: Breathing To Start The Season Off Right
In Chinese Medicine, Fall is the season of the Lungs. The gift of the lungs is breath and inspiration. Moment by moment, our lungs offer us the gift of life, the rhythm of inhaling and exhaling, expanding and contracting, taking in the new and letting go of the old. Each breath is a tiny cycle of life, and that same breath can also serve as a powerful reset for your nervous system–immediately, anywhere, anytime.
So at the start of this fall, we invite you to try a simple micro-mindfulness experiment:
Practice recalibrating your nervous system and letting go by connecting to your breath. All you have to do is notice your breath, appreciate the rhythm, and breathe a little deeper–knowing that breath is both dynamic and restful. You’re already breathing. You don’t need to stop what you’re doing, take a time out, or change anything. Just notice your breath and breathe a little deeper into your abdomen.
I like to remind myself to breath by telling myself: Every time I do ____(Fill In The Blank)____ I will breathe a little deeper. So I breath every time I open a door in the clinic to treat a patient, or look at my phone, or finish a patient chart. What are the things you do on repeat that you can use as a cue to breathe a little deeper? Breath is available to you 100% of the time, and you can return to it again and again.
Why It Works:
The simple act of breathing a little deeper resets your nervous system from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest. And from that calmer place, we create more space in our bodies and minds–space to listen for wisdom, to feel into what’s next, to act with clarity instead of reactivity, to let go of what isn’t ours to do.
The Ripple Effect:
As if calming your own nervous system weren’t enough, your breath also creates a ripple effect. When you breathe deeply and your body begins to relax, the people (and pets!) around you can feel it too. Our nervous systems communicate, like metronomes synchronizing in the same room, and your calm helps set a steadier rhythm for everyone nearby.
Try It for a Week:
Set a gentle reminder (post it on your mirror, in your car, on your computer), or find a task you do on repeat and use that as your cue to notice your breath, without judgment, and breathe a little deeper.
Even after just a week, you’ll begin to train your body to access this restful state more easily. Start by doing it for yourself, and then see if you notice it rippling out to smooth the tempo of your home, your work, your relationships, your day.
I can’t wait to hear how your Fall Lung Experiment goes–how this small act of mindful breathing supports your rhythm this season!
And if your wanting some extra support breathing, resetting, and letting go we’re happy to help. Make an appointment through our online booking system or get in touch via phone or email, because acupuncture is the fastest deepest way to reset the nervous system and take a full body breath.
Clinic Happenings in the Spirit Of Growth and Service
Fun Facts About Megan
Megan has been shadowing Christina in the clinic to learn our systems so that as we expand our ability to help more people, we still provide the high quality care (with a dose of healthy laughter) that we are known for. Pro tip–having smooth systems is our key to making room for our brains to be creative and give the best care possible!
Here’s some of the fun facts that came up when some of you met Megan:
Megan and Christina went to school together, graduated at the same time, and sat for the 8 hour California Board exam on the same day. Our licenses are only 2 numbers apart!
Megan and Christina were in China together for an internship at the Yue Yang Hospital in Shanghai.
Megan’s acupuncture is gentle and effective. Christina gets acupuncture from Megan and my nervous system is a gentle soul.
Megan loves treating stress. She says acupuncture is so good at regulating the nervous system and that makes everything work better in your body and mind. Megan remembers one of her first times getting acupuncture she had a profound and palpable experience during the treatment of relaxing and feeling more like herself again. She could feel it physically, mentally, and in her spirit. She loves to share that potential with patients–to quickly and deeply calm your nervous system so that you are less stressed, anxious, or depressed. And she loves that this helps your body function more efficiently to support your:
- musculoskeletal system (pain and tension)
- digestion (IBS, bloating)
- sleep (hello 3 AM again)
- periods (cramps and breast pain),
- hormones (irritability and rage),
- immune system (allergies, frequent colds & flus)
Megan is a mom of 3 kids age 9-13. So she knows what it’s like to be a busy mom. She’s not gonna judge you. And she’s really good at finding super simple doable recommendations to help you feel better in your body.
You can read more about Megan’s background here. And schedule with her here–just click the photo of her face to see her availability.
Do I Need To Book A New Patient Appointment If I’m Seeing Another Acupuncturist at Thrive?
Nope. This was a common question when existing patients realized that they could see Megan if it works better in their schedule, they want to get her fresh perspective, or they just want options.
Megan and I have similar treatment styles, are in close communication, and can share charts so we can pick up where each other left off.
It’s good to have options. And you don’t have to schedule more time or pay more for it!
Using the Online Scheduler
A few patients have told us they got a little confused using the online scheduler now that we have 2 practitioners. So here’s a few tips:
- Book By Treatment (If your priority is finding a time that works for you): click on one of the appointment type turquoise boxes for Acupuncture Follow Up or Initial Exam and Acupuncture Treatment. It will show each appointment time available with the acupuncturist’s name is next to it.
- Book By Practitioner (If your priority is finding an appointment with a specific acupuncturist): click on one of our faces, then the appointment type. It will show the appointment times available with that practitioner only and there isn’t any name next to the times.
- To See The Waitlist Link: click on either an appointment type or one of our faces and when the next page opens up, it will show up on the left hand side, under the list of appointment types.
As always–if you have a question give us a call or send an email!
Product Highlight–Vitamin D Plus K
TLDR: take 5,000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily to boost your immune system and mood. We carry a pill with 5,000 IU D3 ad 100 mcg K2, because Vitamin K is good for you, it’s synergistic with Vitamin D, and it’s hard to get enough from food.
It’s really feeling like fall now and people are talking about how to avoid getting sick. Of course we recommend eating healthy, getting good quality sleep, acupuncture, and herbs. But there’s another foundational piece that is simple and super effective–a Vitamin D supplement.
The key thing to know about Vitamin D to support your immune system is that you want to get your levels up before colds and flus start going around. This prevents you from getting sick, or if you get sick it prevents severe symptoms. And there’s an added bonus—Vitamin D can boost your mood. People with low Vitamin D are more prone to depression. And deficient people who supplement often experience improved mood, energy, and cognitive function!
A lot of people assume that because we live in California we get enough sun exposure to make enough Vitamin D. But this far North of the equator you’d need to get daily full body sun exposure for at least 20 minutes in order to make enough Vitamin D to get your blood up to the optimal level. That’s not happening in the Fall around here.
So instead of trying to run around mostly naked when the sun comes, out you can take a daily supplement. In recent years advice about Vitamin D has changed. The current recommended target for optimizing your immune system is a blood level of 50-60 ng/ml. You can get your numbers from a blood test and supplement accordingly. But the good news is that current information shows that we don’t need to be as careful as they used to think about taking too much Vitamin D–you’d have to super-mega-overdose for a long time to experience any negative side effects.
Around here the usual dosage to achieve the optimal target range in your blood is between 5,000-10,000 IU/Day of Vitamin D3. So we carry a Vitamin D Plus K Supplement that has 5,000 IU D3 ad 100 mcg K2.
Why the K2? D and K work synergistically to support bone & teeth health, cardiovascular function, and cell growth and repair. And it’s not easy to get enough Vitamin K2 from your diet.
If you want to pick up the Vitamin D Plus K Supplement just tell us you want some and ask us any questions at your next appointment. Or swing on by to pick some up. If you’re coming by without an appointment, it’s best to call or email ahead of time and set up a pickup time to make sure that we won’t be at lunch etc.
Here’s to Breathing A Little Deeper!
Christina and Team Thrive
P.S. Please share this with anyone you think could benefit from any of this info.
