Maybe the most important teaching is to lighten up and relax.
~~ Pema Chödrön
Greetings to all my precious people!!
We are definitely living in interesting times. For our own selves, as well as our country and the world, there seems to be no clean and clear message about beginnings or endings. We are always in the middle of things, slipping between past, present and future, partly in harmony, many times in confusion, being reminded that opposing ideas and thoughts can be true. There are murmurings and undercurrents of chaos, as flickers of the new are continuously emerging. Shift is happening and the emotional clarity we desire seems unattainable.
The New Moon in Cancer, occurring on Friday, July 5 at 6:57 pm EDT, offers all of us a fresh start and a reset — but it also begs us to consider how we can harness the energy to make the world a more supportive place. This Summer lunation provides a potent opportunity to nurture the new hobbies, relationships, or personal projects we’ve been dreaming about. Because the Moon is considered to be at home in Cancer, and Venus, the planet of beauty and pleasure, is nearby, this moment infuses our efforts with tender loving care and imbues our desires with a little extra sweetness.
This astrological event encourages all of us to make space for what nourishes us emotionally and spiritually. It is an inspirational time that opens the portal to our highest intuition, a time filled with emotional experiences and deep self-reflection. It is an invitation to set aside quiet time to explore emotional honesty and intuitive clarity, allowing sacred moments to align the external life with the core of our inner being.
Cancer’s energy encourages us to feel deeply, shed our emotional armor and allow ourselves to fully experience every emotion, energetic shift, and physical sensation. As the New Moon meets this nurturing energy, it can indeed feel like an emotional roller coaster, bringing up intense feelings, dreams, and behaviors. It reminds us that our current version of reality is a result of earlier choices. But now is the time to seed something different. Something better. Something magical we co-create.
And yet, we struggle to access the secrets, the magic that is within us. Something is in the way! There are obstacles along the Path preventing us from being in alignment with our inner worlds, our sacred Self. How can we draw the unknowns of the future and weave our dreams into the realm of possible? How can we take the chaos and disorder and create a new coherence? The answer is to stay awake. But, it is a struggle to be awake and be present when the impact of stress and a dysregulated nervous system interfere with the balance in our body-mind-spirit. Identifying stress and how it shows up in our life is the key to managing the magic of manifestation!
STRESS is a true cause of disharmony, disease and illness, and it impacts multiple systems in the body, including the Kidneys and the Heart. In Chinese Medicine, the Kidneys and the Heart play an important role in supporting our sense of purpose in life; while maintaining a flow of balance.
Physically, the Kidneys in the lower part of the body help with detoxing, filtering, and clearing out unneeded waste from the body. They also play an important role in maintaining balance within our water systems (blood pressure) and ion balances. The Heart in the upper part of the body plays a central role in maintaining flow through circulation and delivering the vital nutrients and oxygen to our cells; while removing the waste to its designated areas all via the blood. The Heart has its own nervous system and controls its own rhythm in sync with the mind.
Emotionally, the Kidneys house the Zhi, which represents one’s willpower, while the Heart houses the Shen, or spirit of a person. Together, they both play a role in response to the experience of joy, fear, fright, or shock. When one is stressed and unsettled, the balance between the Heart and the Kidneys have been distorted.
Stress plays a key role in how our bodies thrive and survive. Excessive stress can deplete the adrenal glands over time, contributing to “adrenal fatigue”. Chronic stress can have serious health implications, and the unfortunate reality is that many of us have become accustomed to being in a constant state of stress and it feels normal.
Your adrenal glands are two tiny glands on top of the kidneys. They are part of the overall endocrine system that produces hormones to regulate the body. The adrenal glands produce three very important hormones: adrenaline, cortisol and aldosterone.
Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, prepares the body to spring into action during stressful or life-threatening situations. Cortisol helps regulate metabolism and assists the body in responding to stress while aldosterone helps control blood pressure. When the adrenal glands are not functioning properly, many diseases can develop.
Stress causes the adrenal glands to produce excess cortisol and adrenaline, which puts these glands in a constant state of “fight or flight.” This contributes to symptoms such as poor sleep, weight gain, digestive issues and chronic illnesses. Cortisol helps the body convert food into energy, while keeping the mind alert and reducing inflammation. This is why many people who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia are probably also clinically experiencing adrenal fatigue and chronic stress.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) provides some of the best tools available to battle chronic stress and adrenal fatigue. Studies have shown acupuncture treatments actually stimulate the relaxation areas of the nervous system in the brain, also known as the parasympathetic nervous system. When the parasympathetic nervous system is switched on, it helps regulate the heart rate, improve digestion and balance sleep cycles. Many people who get regular acupuncture treatments actually fall asleep once the needles have been inserted.
Moxibustion is another modality commonly used in TCM. Moxibustion uses the dried herb mugwort to boost the functions of the adrenal glands and balance hormones. Crushed mugwort is placed on various acupuncture points and then lit on fire. Over time, moxibustion can help with many of the symptoms experienced by those suffering from adrenal imbalances.
In TCM, the adrenal glands are frequently included or related to the functions of the kidneys and many of the points that help balance the adrenal glands are found along the kidney energetic pathways. Stimulating these acupuncture points helps to regulate the hormones produced by the adrenal glands.
The interrelationship between the Water of the Kidneys and the Fire of the Heart help us feel connected with ourselves and with our purpose in life, providing clarity and drive to pursue our passion. Meditation to connect Heart and Kidneys is an intermediate technique in Taoist alchemy to create a container for a spiritual power source within the body. One need not seek enlightenment to benefit from this meditation. It can help reconnect the Heart and Kidneys in times of nervousness and self-doubt. A fully communicating Heart-Kidney axis enables the rest of the organs to function at their fullest and helps banish fear so you may have the courage to live as your Heart desires.
The meditation is fairly simple and is as follows:
Imagine cold spring water bubbling up from your perineum (kidney water, yin) and warm sunlight (heart fire, yang) descending from the top of your head and combining in the solar plexus. Observe the sensations and images that are produced. If you sense an area of your body needs more light or more water feel free to direct it there with your intention, but remember to bring it back to the solar plexus when you are done. When you are finished with meditation, become aware of the strength of the central channel that connects the heart and kidneys and store any remaining energy from your solar plexus into an area 3 finger breadths below your navel. Maintain deep, relaxed and purposeful breathing throughout. Practice this for at least 6 breaths and for up to 30 minutes. This meditation may be done every day until the Heart-Kidney connection is re-established. Once re-established, the meditation should be discontinued.
It’s unrealistic to think that any of us can live stress free. The goal is to be able to successfully manage stressors and move through the stress state back into a state of calm. This practice helps us prepare for the next time stress in all its iterations appears.
The cycle of stressors will continue throughout our lifetime. The key is to learn and practice how to regulate our nervous system, allowing us to move through the cycles and our own experiences without getting stuck in the repeat patterns. If one is ever feeling disconnected, dissociated, numb, restless, or uncertain with their purpose, Chinese Medicine can be used to cultivate a strong Heart-Kidney relationship through acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, breathing exercises, meditation and qigong.
MACNAS – MOCK-nas: joyful abandonment; letting loose
The Irish word “macnas” describes the spirit of summer: when folks are more relaxed and willing to undertake new experiences; when they can let go of the usual constraints of day-to-day life and immerse themselves in the pleasure of the present moment. Maybe it is dancing at a local festival, enjoying a get-together with friends, or simply basking in the natural beauty of the shoreline, “macnas” defines those moments of uninhibited joy and spontaneous adventure.
“Macnas” isn’t just a description; it’s an invitation—to embrace the lighter side of life, to enjoy the freedom that comes with sunny days and warm evenings, and to engage fully with the world around you in its most verdant season. “Macnas” encourages everyone to take a break from the routine, explore the bounds of their joy, and maybe even find pleasant surprises along the way.
This New Moon in Cancer is a moment of innumerable possibilities. It is about paying attention to the sparks of shift that announce their existence. Our role is to bring focus, intention and attention to what we want to create, and how we can shape apparently random elements in that general direction. That means we need to let go and release the conditioned thinking of the masses and instead follow the beckoning of our intuition, our wisdom, our experience and our soul calling.
The powerful potential that asks us to dive into manifesting our dreams comes from the tension between how things are now and how they could be. Change and shift cannot and will not happen without you tapping into your dreams and using your imagination to weave the threads of possibility. You need to be crafting the world you were born to create, with the abundance of health and harmony you deserve. You must provide the magic to produce your manifestation of desires. And I am here to support you and serve as your guide along the journey.
The answers to health and wellness reside in your heart. I help people learn how to listen to their body’s wisdom and reconnect the unconscious mind to nurture the mind-body connection. Doing 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. Schedule an appointment today and begin to step into your power of self-directed practical magic.
