HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A NEW BEGINNING....

I've recently started a solo acupuncture practice that can sustainably grow with my family. I'm a mother of two children, 10 years apart. Keeping them both healthy is a top priority and their needs are very different at the moment. My daughter is in the tween years and has a need for herbal formulas, acupuncture, diet, and sleep that address hormone shifts and stressors that go with school, sports, drama, and the hectic life of a tween. With my son, it's homeopathic, probiotics, tui na, extended breastfeeding, diet, and plenty of outdoor time to just grow into a little boy. Family care is an important aspect of Chinese Medicine. When there's a disharmony in one individual it often sets off other patterns of disharmony within the house.

Liver qi stagnation can cause mood friction in the house, and with the holidays and cool breezes blowing in so do pathogens. Keep the qi flowing smoothly and the mood stays a little more peaceful (which is darn near impossible for a house with teens I hear). Keep the wei qi, or immunity, strong and the pathogens stay out.

Mind your meditation practices. Don't get so busy with holiday bustle that you forget to tend to personal peacekeeping, your entire house will benefit. Easy immune boosters include: making sure sleep happens regularly and that it's quality, probiotics (Goodbelly?), mitigated sugar intake, and a nutritious diet. These simple things are a great benefit for the whole family.