Meditative Realization

A few months ago during a meditatative analzysis of a major transformation I am making in my life, I came to a realization.

The transformative processes takes patience, perserverance and compassion.

At some point(s) in life we seek to change some circumstance, our health or change ourselves or an aspect or ourselves. And then there are the times we desire to do more then change but to entirely transform.

At first, tranformation can seem a daunting task because we face the work and that is required for transformation. And even more daunting is when realize we must face the feelings. As Marianne Williamson says: Change is messy. The inital step of transformation usually requires us to sit in our muck and feel our pain/emotion. Really feel it, mindfully. For me anyway, this is what meditation is all about- mindfullness. Noticing what it really feels like to be in this moment. "This moment" may be fear, anger, sadness, abondoment, guilt, shame, regret or whatever.

As I have practiced this method over the past five years I notice that in many cases it becomes easier for me to let go of the feeling. Even though it can come back later and is sometimes about the same issue over and over, the duration of the feeling shortens. I believe the duration shortens because I am paying attention to it and taking care if it. So the sensation does not demand much more from from me once I have paid it attention.

Transformation Takes Patience.

Cultivating patience with ourselves and others is the ultimate. The Tibetan Buddhists call patience, Kshanti, and acknowledge that kshanti is one of the most difficult practices of all, yet entirely essential. The Dalai Llama says, "Patience must be present in all unpleasant or painful circumsances, weather they are minor, average or serious events."

When we are suffering we want to it to end ASAP. We become impatient with the feeling. Those of us living in the modern world are so used to getting what we want now. Food is delivered in 30 minutes or less or your money back. We can reach anyone on ther cell phone, sidekick, or blackberry. We are adminstered a variety of pills to quell physical or emotional pain. Therefore it is not our practice to have patience even with ourselves. We sometimes think we must get over this or we are not strong enough, mature enough, spiritually advaced enough or whatever. As we loosen our expectation of perfection we soften and give ourselves permsission to be where we are.

Transformation Takes Perseverance

To me perserverance is generating the resolve or strength to maintain focus (known as "samadhi" to Buddhists). When I focus on what I need to heal my mind or body and give myself permision to be free of suffering, I open, soften and therefore eventually, find the way. And of course I must stay patient with myself when I lose focus and then readjust.

Transformation Takes Compassion

By this I mean compassion for myself. Since this transfortation is so whole and complete and messy and scary and perseverance/focus is not always so easy I am learnign to go easy on myself. I won't always get it the first time. And maybe not even the fifth time. And that is ok. As I said above instead of letting the old tapes in my head repeat what others in my past told me or what I have told myself which holds me back, I give myself persmission to be imperfect.

When I mess up again or think that old way again I gently remind myself what my meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg always reminds her students; Begin Again. Transformation takes patience. For Buddhists, compassion is also known as loving kindness or "metta". When we gift ourselves with loving kindness we take care of ourselves and our emotion. It is like cradling a baby. A baby is so tiny and helpless and innocent. We want to hold and protect the baby while gently swaying it in our arms and singing it sweet songs of love and happiness.

I posted this in hopes that it will inspire readers will find there own way in thier personal tranformations.

Metta,
Juliette Aiyana

Fertility Feature in Magazine

June's Alternative Medicine magazine's special section highlights the "drug free, low stress path to pregancy" and fertility. I was so excited to spot the quality article about the use of Chinese medicine for fertility. It also highlights stress reduction techniques, yoga and lists several fertility retreats.

The medicalization of fertility and preganacy often worsens the stress on our patients. This special segment attempts to teach couples how to take the stress out of a natural process. A natural process, I might add, which should really be full of passionate fun!

I have one question.
Since when has natural medicine become "alternative"?

At our office most of our patients utilize our treatments as the first line of treatment and/or integratively with industrial medical techniques. That is not "alternative". I 'd like to gently remind those who think with in the industrial medical paradigm, that we were here first. LOL But it is true. It is they who are alternative. Chinese medicine is the oldest professionally practiced medicine in the world with a written history which dates back nearly 5,ooo years! Many other natural healing techniques, like Auryveda, date back pretty far too.

Now don't get me wrong, if I have a broken leg, I am going to the hospital. But if I get a cold or flu, back pain, headaches, stress, minor depression, anxiety, menstrual cramps, allergies, IBS etc., I am going to my acupuncturist, herbalist, chiropractor or massage therapist first.

p.s. This issue of A.M. also has a section about the use of Chinese medicine to treat uterine fibroids.
To learn more about the magazine check the website: www.alternativemedicine.com
To learn more about how Chinese medicine can help you, check out ours www.amazinghealing.com

Posted by Juliette Aiyana

Top 5 Reasons to Avoid Botox & Plastic Surgery

Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture Is Better Than Botox or Cosmetic Surgery:

1. Acupuncture is Safe and Effective.
Acupuncture has been used safely and effectively for thousands of years to enhance beauty naturally. Unlike other procedures, there is no risk of side effects, contamination or disfigurement. Treatments are effective in reducing age lines and sagging skin, and revitalizing your complexion and face. Other possible effects include moisturizing the skin, improving circulation to the face, increasing muscle tone and brightening the eyes.

Improves muscle tone and dermal contraction
Helps reduce bags under the eyes and decreases tendency toward sagging and jowls
Helps eliminate puffiness by improving circulation and metabolism, thus eliminating excess fluids
Helps eliminate fine lines of the face and diminish deeper wrinkles
Improves hormonal balance
Moisturize skin with improved circulation of blood and lymph to the face
Improve facial color by increasing peripheral circulation
Reduce double chin
Tighten pores
Brighten eyes
Help lift droopy eyelids
Reduce stress evident in the face
Promotes overall health and wellbeing
Slows the aging process from within
Benefits the eyes, ears, sinuses

NOTE: Due to safety precautions, Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture treatments may not be administered during pregnancy, or for people with pituitary disorders, diabetes, cancer or other serious health conditions.

2. It’s Much More Affordable.
Costs of cosmetic surgery range from $6,000-$12,000 per procedure and Botox is about $200 per injection site. Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture costs just $150 per treatment and which includes all sites. And you can purchase a series of treatments for a reduced rate.

3. Little to No Recovery Time Involved.
Cosmetic surgery may involve swelling, bruising, and long recovery times, depending on the procedure. With facial rejuvenation treatments, only minor bruising may occur, but usually resolves within several days.


4. It’s Virtually Painless.
Acupuncture needles are extremely thin and cause very little pain. In fact, the treatments are usually relaxing and promote a sense of calm.

Most patients do not consider acupuncture painful. Because the face is highly vascular, it is more sensitive than other parts of the body, and hence some sensation will be felt. However, even with needles in the face and body, treatments are most often extremely relaxing and leave patients with a sense of balance and well being.

5. Your Overall Health Will Improve.
Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture treatments are based on the principles of Chinese Medicine, and hence treat the underlying factors that contribute to the aging process. Treatments help the whole body look and feel healthier and promote well being.


Although a series of 10-12 treatments is recommended for optimal and long-lasting effects, results are usually noticeable after the first couple of treatments.
For best results treatments should be two times per week over no more then thirteen weeks.

Article written by Jessica Silver. Copywrite www.amazinghealing.com

Acupuncture Proves Fertile

IVF and Acupuncture:

On October 20, 2004 a study presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine confirmed Acupuncture used before and after embryo transfer results in higher pregnancy rates. Half of the women in the study received acupuncture and the other half did not.

The results showed:
The Acupuncture group had a 51% pregnancy rate compared to only 36% in the control group.
The Acupuncture group had only an 8% miscarriage rate compared to 20% in the control group.

The above mentioned study confirms the results of a German study published in April of 2002 in Highlights in Fertility and Sterility (Vol. 77, No. 4, April 2002) that using acupuncture with IVF treatment significantly increases the chance of successful pregnancy.

The results of this study showed:
34 out of 80 women in the Acupuncture group became pregnant.
Only 21 out of 80 women in the control group became pregnant.

Physician-scientists at New York Cornell-Wiell medical center report that acupuncture treatments have the following potential fertility-boosting benefits:
 Increased blood flow to the uterus and therefore uterine wall thickness, an important marker for fertility
 Increased endorphin production, which, in turn, has been shown to effect the release of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), a decapeptide involved in regulating reproduction
 Lower stress hormones responsible for infertility
 Impact on plasma levels of the fertility hormones: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), and Progesterone (P)
 Normalization of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, a key process in fertility
 A positive effect for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, a hormonal imbalance present in three percent of adolescents and adults.

Check out this CBS News Report:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/23/earlyshow/saturday/main631441.shtml

Posted and Abstracted by: Juliette Aiyana

Acupuncture Helps Ease Pregancy Pelvic Pain

About 30 percent of pregnant women suffer pelvic pain, usually in the back. Although doctors are not sure what causes it, they suspect a surge in hormones during pregnancy affects muscles and ligaments.

Women can wear a pelvic belt to relieve the pain and do exercises at home. Stabilizing exercises to improve mobility and strength is another therapy.
But researchers at the Institute for the Health of Women and Children, in Gothenburg, Sweden found acupuncture also helps. "Acupuncture decreases the pain," Helen Elden, a midwife at the institute says.

Elden and her colleagues compared standard treatment, stabilizing exercises and acupuncture on 386 pregnant women. Those who received acupuncture and did the exercises for six weeks reported less pain than the others.

The pain scale was also assessed by an independent examiner. The researchers said acupuncture and stabilizing exercises are effective complements to standard treatment for pelvic pain during pregnancy.

"The findings are of particular importance because no previous study has shown such marked treatment effects among pregnant women with well defined pelvic girdle pain," the researchers said in a report published online by the British Medical Journal.

(Found this article from: http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=94665 )

Posted by: Juliette Aiyana

Gee, Ya Think?

Modern science has finally proven eating your veggies is healthy. Let's give them a big round of applause for catching up with the wisdom our grandmothers, great-grandmothers and great-great grandmothers and that of various ancient healthcare sciences such as Chinese Medicine, Auyrveda and Native American healing.

Veggies Do a Heart Good
06.19.06, 12:00 AM ETMONDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) --

If you love your arteries, eat yourvegetables.So say researchers who found that mice fed a vegetable-rich diet cuttheir risk for atherosclerosis -- hardening of the arteries -- by 38percent."There is some epidemiological evidence that people who eat a lot offruits and vegetables, probably more than five servings a day, have alower risk of coronary heart disease than people who don't," added ledresearcher Michael Adams, a professor of pathology at Wake ForestUniversity School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C.However, "there are a lot of problems with epidemiological[population-based] studies, a lot of factors that can't be controlledfor," he said. For instance, "those who eat a lot of fruits andvegetables are healthier in other ways," such as exercising more, hesaid.

So, Adams and his team decided to look on the physiological level as tohow vegetable intake might affect blood vessel health.Their study is published in the July issue of the Journal of Nutritionand is funded by food maker General Mills, whose brands include GreenGiant vegetables.Adams' team fed a control group of 53 mice a vegetable-free diet.Another group of 54 mice got the same base diet, but with vegetablesadded to make up 30 percent of the total diet. Vegetables includedfreeze-dried broccoli, peas, green beans, corn and carrots.After 16 weeks, they assessed the animals' health and found those who ate the vegetable-rich diet had lower total cholesterol levels, lowerlevels of the so-called "bad" cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein(LDL) and a 7 percent lower average body weight."The mice who consumed 30 percent of their diet as vegetables developedatherosclerotic plaques that were 38 percent smaller than those of themice who consumed no vegetables," he said.

They didn't track exercise as a variable, but the mice all lived in thesame environment and so probably got about the same amount of activity, Adams said."We looked at the accumulation of a marker of inflammatory activity,"he said. "Inflammation is known to be an integral part of thedevelopment of atherosclerotic plaque." The vegetables may work, he said, by their anti-inflammatory properties, he said. The study is "interesting and encouraging," said Alice Lichtenstein,director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Lab and Gershoff Professor ofNutrition Science and Policy at the U.S. Department of AgricultureHuman Nutrition Research Center, Tufts University, Boston, and chair ofthe nutrition committee for the American Heart Association."The observation has been made in humans that people who eat fruits andvegetables have less coronary artery disease and less heart disease,"she said. But to her knowledge, no one knows the mechanism."

It may be a direct effect, or people eating a lot of fruits andvegetables may have a diet [that is also] healthy in other ways."As for advice, Adams said boosting vegetable and fruit intake is alwayswise. "The average consumption in this country of green and yellowvegetables and of fruits is two to three servings a day. If people justate 2 or 3 more servings a day, odds are they would be much healthierfor it."

For More information: To learn more about nutrition, visit the American Dietetic Association or The American Heart Association.

Posted by: Juliette Aiyana