Holistic Care

The Ren Channel

Meridian of the Month:  The Ren vessel

In Chinese medical theory, acupuncture points lie upon meridians. Meridians are pathways of energy along the body which connect the extremities to the torso. They are all connected, to every tissue of the body and to one another. They flow along the body like rivers. From a western standpoint, they have been found to often correlate with nerve pathways.

The Ren channel runs along the midline of the body and it is also referred to as the ‘Conception vessel’, because of its essential role it plays in reproduction.

The Pathway

Starting internally in the uterus or lower belly, the Ren travels to the perineum, where it emerges along the skin and up through the center line of the front body until ending in the dip between the mouth and the chin. Read More

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Learn more about the point Guanyuan, or REN 4

Guanyuan, REN 4

The holidays are upon us once again, could you use some extra care and support right about now?
Our focus this month is on the acupuncture point REN-4.   It is a powerful point for nourishing our bodies and providing that needed boost of energy!

REN-4 strengthens our original Qi, a vital source of energy in our body. It is not only important in improving vitality in healthy people, but also in treating chronic illness and supporting people with weaker constitutions. Read More

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Bao He Wan to the Rescue!

It begins.

Innocently at first with leftover Halloween candy, snacks at gatherings, maybe an extra glass of wine you didn’t plan for. Then before you know it, overeating season is in full swing. While I can never seem to completely avoid indulging during this festive time of year, I lean heavily on the wisdom of Chinese medicine to help support my digestion though it. Today, let’s talk about a formula that does this beautifully. So beautifully in fact that it shows up to every Thanksgiving dinner with me. It’s called Bao He Wan. Read More

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What is that point? Learn about Leique, Lung 7

The leaves are changing and it’s now officially cold and flu season. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, the treatment of ear, nose and throat conditions related to colds and flus dates as far back as the Zhou dynasty, where Bian Que (407 – 310 BCE) is credited as the first acupuncture physician to specialize in otolaryngology. According to TCM, the most common cause of colds and flus is the “contraction of evil qi through pathogenic wind invasion” which loosely equates to viral, bacterial or fungal infection. So yes, there are points for that. And today we are getting to know the acupuncture point called Lung 7.

This point is also known as lieque or Broken Sequence. This point is typically in an acupuncturist’s top 40 points they use each day. Chances are that you’ve had this point during your treatment, even if you weren’t coming in for cold or flu as it has many uses aside from that.

Where is it:

Lung 7 is located on the radial aspect (thumb side) of the wrist. It is about 1.5 inches above the wrist crease. For anatomy lovers, it is located proximal to the styloid process on the radius Read More

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