Spring Renewal With Apple Cider Vinegar: A Chinese Medicine Approach  Spring is all about rejuvenation, and one powerful ally for your seasonal self-care journey is none other than apple cider vinegar (ACV). From traditional health benefits to its role in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), let’s explore how ACV can be a key ally in your Spring wellness routine. Traditional Wisdom of Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar, a probiotic with its own fermentation microbe, is a staple in many health-conscious routines. The benefits are not just culinary; they extend to holistic well-being ..read more

Chinese medicine sees everything as connected using the word correspondences it connects winter with water and the organs of the Kidneys and the Bladder. Winter is also, as you would expect represented by the climate of cold and the colour of black.  The kidneys are the organs which rule all our transitions in life, their wellbeing is critical at perimenopause and beyond. And because their energy is finite they’re also implicated in our aging process. So, what better place to start with our self-care in perimenopause than with the kidneys the organs for transition, hormonal health and agi ..read more

According to US Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith there are 7 types of rest that humans need to feel fully rested. I love her quote “rest is the most underused, chemical-free, safe and effective, alternative therapy available to us.” Apart from the bit about ‘alternative’ I agree whole heartedly. I don’t view it as alternative as it’s a thing that humans ‘can’ do naturally. But sadly, many of us have lost our resting faculties. That’s why Dr Saundra wrote her book as a response to the chronic rest deficit many of us are experiencing. In Chinese medicine rest as an overall concept is great for the kidney ..read more

Have you ever been on retreat? It’s a word that gets bandied around a lot these days and I’m wondering whether we’ve lost the essence of it’s true meaning. I’ve been lucky enough to retreat twice a year for some time now and the effect it has on me is always astounding. In my early years as a retreater, I’d pack loads of self-help books in my suitcase and promise myself I’d listen to that meditation course I bought years ago. Only to come back having ‘achieved nothing’. But that’s the point. Well, it is for me. Retreating is as individual as you are but at its deepest level it is a time to do ..read more

Probably the most awaited season of the year (for many people!) and often the hardest to transition into. After the cold, dark hibernating nature of winter comes the light and thrusting energy of Spring. We move from cold to warm(er), dormant to emerging and heavy to light. Whilst the spirit of Winter is to consolidate the energy we have, the essence of Spring is growth. It’s a transitional season, moving from cold to hot, hosting equinox a time of balance rather than peak. Observe Nature “Spring is sooner recognized  by plants than by (wo)men”- Chinese Proverb    &nbs ..read more

  Gong baths are a form of sound therapy, emanating from China. Their sound produces many benefits to issues experienced in midlife. It offers a natural remedy for menopause problems such as anxiety, short term memory and pain reduction. Gongs emit theta waves (sounds) that are associated with dreaming or meditative states. They can be both gentle and nurturing as well as powerful and physical. The gong's 'sonic signature' has been described as 'expansive', 'rich', 'powerful', 'relaxing', 'layered', 'dynamic' and 'deep'. Sound therapy supports conscious or unconscious self-reflection ..read more

Yoga nidra is sometimes described as yoga sleep, it's a wonderful state of being somewhere between being awake and being asleep. It's a guided meditation of sorts and needs no props of effort other than a mind and body willing to let go. Some people claim that 20 minutes of Yoga nidra is equivalent to two hours of sleep. Who knows if this is true but many women say that it leaves them feeling nourished and refreshed. Yoga nidra is very different from sleep, it supports relaxation and helps ease tensions that ordinary sleep can’t resolve completely.1 How it affects you depends on how you ..read more

Winter solstice marks the longest night of the year, the deepest dark which gives way to the start of lighter evenings. Phew. And rather than dwell on the darkness and cold I prefer to look towards the light and see winter as an opportunity to prepare for the coming energy of Spring. Winter and Chinese medicine In Chinese medicine is based on traditions that are 1000’s of years old and are rooted in observations of our natural world. We use the seasons, the most obvious natural phenomenon, to help guide us on how to ‘live in line’ well. Simply put it’s about living according to what’s availabl ..read more

In a nutshell ‘yes’. It’s a combination of the natural changes to the mind and body that affect us all as we age, together with a raft of hormonal adjustments that we go through that connect menopause and low immune system. So whatever stage of menopause you’re at and however you got there, whether naturally or medically induced, it’s important to know how to boost immune system during menopause. At this time of year as we move through Autumn heading towards Winter the change in seasons can put additional strain on our mind and bodies as we naturally adjust to different weather conditions, tem ..read more

HAYFEVER: AN ‘ILLNESS LIKE A COLD, CAUSED BY POLLEN’. OR NOSE POOL (BI YUAN) IN CHINESE MEDICINE. If there is one time in my clinic that I know I’m going ‘to win’ it’s against hayfever. It’s a horribly debilitating problem which is really easily remedied with acupuncture. It’s the only time I don’t book a follow up session with a patient (I’m keen on not overtreating) and 9 times out 10 another appointment isn’t necessary. Hayfever sufferers each have a unique experience. It’s like most illness, you have a basic level of health and something else comes along and interacts with your mind and bo ..read more