I love sneaking herbs into food. It’s a way to help boost your health naturally without having to add anything extra in your schedule. And culinary herbs make your food taste a thousand times better (unless you add too much, which I’ve definitely been guilty of – something my father loves to remind me of, hahaha). But there’s three herbs I add when I’m making bone broth (or vegetable broth) that boosts deep immunity. I put the herbs right in when I add the bones or veggies so they can simmer the whole time. Those herbs are: Then you just strain them out when you strain out the rest of…

For those of us in the Northern hemisphere it is starting to get chilly outside. From a Chinese Medicine perspective this means for those of us who love to ground outside barefoot – this is not ideal. Why? Because the ground is cold.  Why does that matter? Because on the bottom of your feet you have a point called Kidney 1 there. And that point is on a meridian that goes right up into the body’s genitals, and you do not want cold there.  Why? Well this can lead to hormonal deficiencies. And I’m not just talking about a drop in fertility (though that too). I’m talking about: cramps, nausea,…

Stomach 36 is arguably one of the most famous points to give for homework to clients since it is so helpful in increasing life force energy and vibrancy. Here is a list of the most common reasons why I recommend this point: To find the point: it is 4 fingers from the bottom of the knee cap (see picture). I have found the easiest way to find it is to have my heel on the ground as I send my toes toward the ceiling. This pops the muscle allowing me to find the tender point (sometimes incredibly tender) around 4 fingers down from my knee cap. Note: We could spend…

This is the top point I recommend for homework to my clients when they have anxiety and/or hormonal issues. This point is where the Spleen, Kidney, and Liver meridians meet.  Please note: Do not use SP 6 during pregnancy To find the point: pick a leg and find the inside ankle bone. Take your four fingers and place them right above the inner ankle bone. The point will be right above the fourth finger. It will most likely be very tender. Please see the picture for a rough outline. Note: We could spend a whole season talking about Spleen 6 and still not cover everything. This is a significantly abbreviated…

Acupressure: What the heck is it? Acupressure is a technique using gentle pressure from your fingertips on points on the body to bring you back into balance. Acupressure is the method that acupuncture evolved from. It is pretty easy to learn and safe to practice. So…just to clarify how do I do this? All you have to do is figure out what point you want to do, find it on your body, and apply gentle pressure at that point with your fingertip. How long do I hold the point for and how many times a day? In an ideal world you would hold it 3 to 5 minutes, 2-3x a…

Here are some simple guidelines when it comes to castor oil packs. There are practitioners who go much deeper into castor oil and who have written plenty of books (if you want to dive deep into this) and who have lots of best practices and guidelines to follow. In my practice I have found that these rules can hold people back from actually using the castor oil pack. So these are some general guidelines I think about when it comes to using it.  External castor oil is a great way to help the body soften scar tissue (I have heard people refer to it as scar tissues’ enemy, because it’s…

The two top things I recommend in my practice for my clients’ who are in pain as homework are: Want to learn more about simple things you can do at home to take care of yourself? Sign up here for my newsletter to get tips right in your inbox.  *Disclaimer* None of these statements have been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. This article is meant solely for educational purposes. Please consult a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

Children grow and change incredibly fast. Because of this their qi can get out of balance quickly causing numerous imbalances, but that also means they go back into balance quickly. Children respond incredibly to Chinese Medicine. The most common things kids come in for a Qi Wellness appointment for are: excessive temper tantrums, anxiety, digestive issues, nightmares, building immunity, delayed development, working through emotional life changing events (divorce, death, moving, etc.), and illnesses that won’t go away or keep coming back again and again.   Other things children come in for are ADD and ADHD issues, growing pains, sleeping issues, jaundice, and any other imbalance that pops up.  Qi Wellness sessions…

Temper tantrums with children are a totally normal part of the maturation process. However, when they get out of control and they become unmanageable I have found in my practice that, from a Chinese Medicine perspective, it is a liver imbalance.  I’ve seen a number of children where temper tantrums are multiple times a day– to the point where the parents have a hard time taking their child into public, or the child is now large enough that it becomes a safety concern for the parents or both. In these cases working with the liver qi has been essential and has calmed the situation drastically back to ‘normal’ maturation temper…