Chinese Medicine, Sleep, and Dreams (Healing Journeys Through Dreamland)

            Did you know that Chinese medicine has a lengthy tradition of dream interpretation as a health tool?              Dreams are powerful.  If you think about them through the lens of Freud and Jung, then your nightly adventures while you sleep are the expressions of the subconscious mind.  When you dream, you’re working out traumas … Continue reading Chinese Medicine, Sleep, and Dreams (Healing Journeys Through Dreamland)

Chinese-Style Abdominal Massage Can Change Your Life (Seriously, It’s Amazing)

            How is your midsection?  Functionally, appearance-wise, and/or in terms of gut feelings, how are things going for you in your core?  If you are experiencing sluggish digestion or bloating, abdominal massage could help you.  Someone who feels the sense of anxiety or grief settling in their gut can benefit from abdominal massage.  People who … Continue reading Chinese-Style Abdominal Massage Can Change Your Life (Seriously, It’s Amazing)

Late Summer: Health, Happiness, & Strategies

~~~~~ Mid-August through to the fall equinox on September 22nd is a period of neither-this-nor-that.  It’s not really summer, not any longer; but it’s not yet fall, either.  Instead, at least according to Chinese medicine, it is a fifth season known as late summer.  This is a transition period between yang (spring and summer’s expansive … Continue reading Late Summer: Health, Happiness, & Strategies

Living With The Seasons According To Chinese Medicine: Summer Tips For Health And Happiness

Mindfully going with the flow of the seasons is wise, healthy, and surprisingly easy once you make it a habit.  As the summer heat increases, being attentive to weather and time change is a matter of safety, too. It is hot here in Austin pretty much all year long, but from about May to August, … Continue reading Living With The Seasons According To Chinese Medicine: Summer Tips For Health And Happiness

Gay Men’s Health & Why It’s On My Radar (Thoughts From a Holistic Practitioner, Part I)

The confluence of Men’s Health Month, Pride Month, and Father’s Day resonated with me this year.  I don’t know why, but this year it truly did. I usually tread lightly on holidays because we all experience them differently, and for some folks, Mother’s and Father’s Day(s) are challenging.  I want to be gentle and inclusive … Continue reading Gay Men’s Health & Why It’s On My Radar (Thoughts From a Holistic Practitioner, Part I)

Decongestant Ingredient Phenylephrine Doesn’t Work Says FDA: Key Points to Ponder

Phenylephrine, the primary ingredient in common over-the-counter allergy medication, is ineffective according to the FDA’s September 2023 pronouncement. This development has wide-ranging implications. What can you do, especially if you have a history of allergy or sinus problems? And what else is important to take into consideration at this time? What you need to know, … Continue reading Decongestant Ingredient Phenylephrine Doesn’t Work Says FDA: Key Points to Ponder

Extreme Weather: Strategies to Stay Healthy and Keep Your Cool When It’s Wild Outside

Taking care of yourself during extreme weather requires creativity and self-awareness. One thing is to have a hot summer followed by a cool and rainy fall. Quite another is to endure day after day of 100-plus degree heat interspersed with torrid rain and baseball-sized hail. Next, more heat and after that, huge dips in temperature … Continue reading Extreme Weather: Strategies to Stay Healthy and Keep Your Cool When It’s Wild Outside

EDS and Elvis Presley: Some Thoughts on Hypermobile Health

~~~~~~             Have you ever visited the home of a true-blue, dyed-in-the-wool Elvis Presley fan?  I remember doing so once as a child.  The house was like a museum.  Everywhere I looked: posters, figurines, magazines, you name it, all of it reflecting an obsession with the Tupelo-born singer.  I thought it was all so beautiful … Continue reading EDS and Elvis Presley: Some Thoughts on Hypermobile Health