“The body is a sacred garment. It’s your first and last garment;
it is what you enter life in and what you depart life with,
and it should be treated with honor.”
~~ Martha Graham
Greetings to all my precious people!!
The Full Moon in Aries, also referred to as The Hunter’s Moon, peaked on Thursday, October 17 at 7:26 am on the East Coast. Aries is known as the warrior of the zodiac. Ruled by the fire element and the planet Mars, Aries reminds us that we are each here on a mission that is personal and unique. The warrior spirit of the Full Moon in Aries asks us to focus on ourselves and our soul’s purpose. Aries delivers courage and motivation to align with the life your soul desires, releasing habits, situations, and relationships that obstruct growth and evolution. We are encouraged to take action, stand up and fight for what we believe in, and overcome any obstacles in the way of our dreams.
Mars and Pluto are also taking up space around this Full Moon, creating what can be a volatile combination, easily causing disorder on all levels, including personal and global. Pluto is the planet of transformation, power, and the exploration of our shadow selves. According to Lorna Bevan, UK astrologer at Hare in the Moon Astrology, “this intersection of multiple rare and historic energy cycles all at once, is the transformation we asked for but did not expect. This new phase is the permanent, irrevocable, no holds barred Re-Set we said we wanted but have resisted all the way.”
Fortunately, Chiron, the “comet/planetoid” discovered in 1977, is also part of the current constellation arrangement. Named after a centaur (part human, part horse) in Greek mythology, Chiron is known as the ‘wounded healer’ reminding us that our wounds can become portals of power when we reframe our pain. The current influence during this Full Moon in Aries may bring up painful experiences we believed were settled years ago. Emotions and memories can suddenly seep into our awareness, taking us back to the past, offering up the opportunities for new perspectives.
Trust that these moments are powerful examples of the strength, resilience, and the ability to overcome challenges along the Path. Reframe these events to find your inner power and nurture the trust of your inner knowing to guide you. Chiron will be on our side, helping to bring a sense of healing, pride, and comfort in whatever is manifesting for us. Chiron represents our deepest vulnerabilities, insecurities, and the path to healing and self-acceptance. This is the time for aligning, attracting and trusting. Remember, you were made for these times!!
There is a term in Chinese Medicine for when your eyes are shining brilliantly—we call it Shen Ming (神 明)—and it often translated as ‘the radiance of the spirits.’ Shen Ming is a concept that appears throughout Chinese Medicine and philosophy that refers to the luminosity and radiance of our true Self. When you see someone whose eyes are shining brilliantly, like they are awake and filled with bliss, that is Shen Ming. We see it very often in babies, who for the most part don’t have much in the way of their pure joy in life. This is the ultimate purpose of our medicine, to help us live in alignment with our radiant nature.
As practitioners, when we administer treatment with acupuncture needles, it is about supporting the free-flow of Yuan Qi, which is Chinese Medicine jargon for ‘the movement of our authentic Self.’ Yuan (原) means source and Qi (氣), in this sense, means the invisible life-giving force behind a seen phenomenon. Yuan Qi flows from deep within us and, without obstruction, permeates every aspect of our being. Sometimes when ‘life gets in the way,’ so to speak, there are obstructions in that flow, presenting a range of physical symptoms that require attention and curious inquiry.
Our goal for treatment with needles, as well as moxa, essential oils, soft tissue massage, breathing, movement techniques, and herbal medicine is to enable the free flow of Yuan Qi, so that we might experience Shen Ming, the biological and energetic mechanism that keeps us alive and vibrant. As practitioners we are encouraging the body’s own “awakening” opportunities—we find the connections between symptoms and diseases to identify a common pattern in each individual. Alleviating symptoms and dysfunction results by addressing the root causes of imbalance. Treating the whole person, and not just the “dis-ease”, brings the body back to its natural state of balance. This leads to an overall improvement in quality of life, while also treating the back pain, anxiety or any other symptoms the patient initially presented with.
We are all in the daily experience of learning how to care for ourselves in a continuously shifting dynamic and chaotic human adventure on Earth. But how do we create the space for awakening our own healing gifts? The answer lies elegantly in the body we carry about each day: the healing gifts are part of the intricate, miraculous DNA that inhabits all of us.
We have become so disconnected from the relationship that our body needs us to claim. When a whisper of need occurs—a twinge, a headache, a fatigue, hunger, worry—we push it down, we sweep it aside, we medicate it, we want it to “go away” because it is an unwelcome interruption in our schedule.
And yet.
There is nothing more painful than when the mind is thinking one thing and the body is feeling another. The brain is alert, and duly reporting signals of alarm or at least curiosity that one of the systems is out of sync. But we interpret the body sensations as problematic or annoying, and instead of learning the language of the inter-related systems, we subdue, disregard or even disconnect from the sensations. Guess what? This disconnection creates distrust within the system and so begins the breakdown of communication and curiosity. We begin to feel broken and at odds with our own Self. We are uncomfortable, unsettled, and lack a sense of ease.
The neuroscientist and neurologist Antonio Damasio is the founder of the theory of emotions. His research found that emotions are generated by conveying the current state of the body to the brain via interoception (input from physiological signals of the body) and proprioception (input front he muscles and joints). As a result, you can influence the state of your mind with feelings in the body AND the movement and sensory experience of it.
Bessel van der Kolk, the Dutch psychiatrist, author, researcher and educator, has been focused on the area of post-traumatic stress research since the 1970s. In his bestselling book, The Body Keeps the Score, he mentions that “one of the clearest lessons from contemporary neuroscience is that our sense of ourselves is anchored in a vital connection with our bodies.”
Say that out loud and think about the possibilities.
Our sense of ourselves is anchored in a vital connection with our bodies.
One of my favorite researchers in the mindfulness movement is Ellen Langer, psychology professor at Harvard University. In an interview from the University of Chicago, she says, “Essentially, people have been brought up in a world that believes in mind-body dualism. You have a mind, you have a body, then the question is how do you get from this fuzzy thing called a thought to something material called the body? So I look at this and I say, ‘Oh, they’re just words.’ Let’s put mind and body back together. And if we treat it as one, then wherever the mind is, so too will be the body.”
So what is the secret for reinforcing our vital connection to our bodies? There is no secret, but instead a requirement to suspend disbelief and begin a daily practice that requires paying attention to the body. Pay attention to how you feel when you are happy, sad, frustrated or excited. How do you know you are in the midst of any feeling? Where does that sensation land in your body? Is there heat, or coolness? Is there a sense of lightness, or electricity? Can you simply be with the sensation and observe the qualities and edges of the experience, without a story attached? This would be the beginning of a new relationship with the sacred vessel that allows you to be part of this mysterious Earth journey.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine are some of the tools I use to support the health and wellness of my patients, but the healing that occurs is always prompted from the inside. The answers to health and wellness reside in your heart. Treatment in my healing sanctuary goes beyond the needles—they simply serve to prompt the body to do its own mysterious and miraculous work.
I help people learn how to listen to their body’s wisdom and reconnect the unconscious mind to nurture the mind-body connection. This work allows people to realize their full capacity and choose to live a life aligned with their values, nourished by their dreams and desires. Together, we co-create opportunities for healing as the process unfolds.
I offer compassionate, attentive care. I see you. I hear you. I celebrate your journey. As an experienced clinician, I support patients as they come home to themselves, reconnecting the mind, body and spirit. This is my greatest passion: to serve as a facilitator, navigator and coach as you transcend old patterns and come into alignment with your best self. Are you ready to choose your Self and celebrate your gifts? Are you ready to manifest your Authentic Self that is abundant with health and vitality? Commit to being present and living your life with intention.
