Winter's Gift Workshop

Saturday, February 4th, 3pm-5pm

Karen E. Giles, LAc, MAc
Five Element Acupuncture
903 Main Street, Suite 204, Port Jefferson, NY 11777
(631) 804-5902

The cycles of nature offer much about how to live life with more ease.  Nature seems a bit confused with this Winter’s changeable weather and it may feel that way within you.  As we approach the end of January with temperatures close to 50 degrees, the remnants of our first snowfall remind us that it is still Winter.

What does Winter evoke in your body and life?  Are you waiting for the chance to hibernate with a bit more snow or cold?  Or are you hoping that Spring will come early?

Come learn to about the season of Winter through the Five Element philosophy.
A brief overview of acupuncture and the Five Elements will be followed by an in-depth discussion of Winter's Water element, its gifts and challenges, and how it relates to your body and life.  The workshop will conclude with a gentle acupuncture treatment to help anchor in your body your learning from the afternoon.

Registration for the workshop and acupuncture treatment is $25.  Please reserve your space with me by phone or email, as space will be limited.

Learning how to allow Winter its full expression in your body and life can help you prepare for the Spring ahead.

Tips For Feeling Well During The Winter Months

Is this winter, or an early spring, or winter?!  New Year’s Day was almost 60 degrees.  While that seemed like a fluke, each week since then has been back and forth between a few frigid days and then warm sunshine.  Even the plants are confused, some showing buds on their stems.  Regardless of the swings in temperatures, we are still in winter and that offers some possibilities for your health. 

During the remaining winter days ahead, catch up on some valuable sleep.  This winter may feel like a gift after last year’s constant snow and cold.  The question to ask yourself is will you feel rested and ready for the activity the spring season will bring?  On these 50+ degree “winter” days, it feels like we should take advantage of the good weather.  But what if the winter stays this moderate?  You can still get outside and enjoy the breaks of warmer days while replenishing your reserves.

Getting the right amount of sleep (an average of 7-9 hours for adults) can help support your immune system, key during the winter months of flu season.  But adequate sleep is also showing a correlation with overall mortality.  M.D. Anderson’s Cancer Center in Houston has been studying the effects of sleep on the immune system.  Our immune system is an intricate set of cells and proteins that work to fight off disease.  Just like the delicate balance of our natural environment, any “hit” to this system means there is less ability to fight colds, flu and other diseases.   Diwakar Balachandran, MD, is director of the MD Anderson’s Sleep Center and says, “The more all-nighters you pull, the more likely you are to decrease your body’s ability to respond to colds or bacterial infections.”1 And with that, less ability for the body to withstand other diseases.

Another way to bolster your sleep “bank account” is naps.  Set aside some time mid-afternoon to stretch out for 10-30 minutes (any longer than that and you might feel groggy afterwards).  Usually sometime after 2pm-3pm is a good time to nap since the body has a natural dip in energy, but it’s also early enough in the day as to not affect your nighttime sleep.  Make sure you have a quiet, comfortable place with no distractions.  Not sure you are a napper?  Give it a try and see what you notice!

Balance the respite we are having so far from a tough Northeast winter with some extra sleep.  This is nature’s time of hibernation, so make it yours too…it will likely serve your overall health.

Karen Giles


1  http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/immune-system-lack-of-sleep

January is Hot Tea Month

Cold air has finally found us here in the Northeast.  Your fingers may be feeling a little stiff and you may feel a chill right down to your bones.  Perhaps wrapping yourself in a big warm blanket is not fully chasing away the chill. Well, the timing is perfect as January is Hot Tea Month! Wrap you fingers around a nice warm mug and feel the warmth spread throughout your body with each sip of tea.

Tea is a healthy drink full of antioxidants and other potentially healthful ingredients. Studies have shown that tea can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, lower the risk of many cancers, protect against obesity, and improve mental alertness. And it tastes delicious and has a calming effect as well!
 

Drink your tea slowly and reverently as if it is the axis on which the world revolves—slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this moment is life. -Thich Nhat Hanh

There are many different blends of teas to try. This is the perfect month to sample many and possibly discover a new favorite! Ginger tea is a popular choice for the cold winter months.  It has a spicy, invigorating taste and often is used to relieve cold symptoms. 

Allow me, Karen Giles, to offer some tea brewing tips:

• Always begin with fresh, cold water
• Allow the water to come to a full boil then use immediately
• Tea bags steep more quickly than loose leaves
• Remove tea leaves once desired strength is reached
• Do not use a tea cozy with leaves remaining in the pot as this will make the tea bitter

So go ahead and brew some tea.  Grab a warm blanket and find a quiet place to relax.  Watch the steam rise from your mug and enjoy the peacefulness.

Let Acupuncture Help Releive Your Holiday Stress

Holidays can be such a stressful time. There are many tasks to add to our already busy days.  The days themselves are short and the temperature is cold. This can lead to feeling stress and tension throughout your mind and body.

Acupuncture can be used to help reduce the stress and tension. This ancient system of healing relies on the movement of energy in nature and the body. This vital energy (called chi) flows through the body in a network of pathways that function like a system of rivers. When healthy, all runs smoothly and the rivers run clear. When there is a blockage, illness arises and presents as physical and/or emotional symptoms. By using acupuncture needles to stimulate specific points on the necessary pathways, health and harmony are restored. 

Keeping your body healthy will help maximize the healing effects of acupuncture.  Drink plenty of water, get enough rest, and exercise.  On the day of your acupuncture treatment, eat moderately, avoid caffeine, alcohol, and unusually strenuous activity. 

The holidays are meant to be enjoyed.  Focus on the positive.  Take care of yourself and remember to smile. Karen Giles Acupuncture wishes you happy and healthy holidays!

Use the Winter Months to Replenish and Strengthen Your Phsyical Reserves

The winter solstice will be here shortly.  The solstice marks the official beginning of winter.  Some view this to mean that the days will now begin to get longer as they anticipate the end of winter.  But don't miss the value of intentionally using this season to better your health.

Winter has a powerful impact on life.  Things literally shut down around us.  We are forced to spend more time indoors, regardless of outdoor activities such as skiing, skating, or snowshoeing.

By using the extra time indoors for rest and more sleep, you can help replenish and strengthen your physical reserves.  Sleep is a critical part of staying healthy.  Adequate sleep can affect your memory, cardiovascular health, immune system, emotional well-being, and weight.  And not surprisingly, getting good sleep impacts the level of performance in whatever you do.

Sleeping more is a natural thing to do at this time.  Use the shorter days as "permission" to nap, go to bed earlier than usual, and perhaps sleep in later.  Getting an appropriate balance of rest right now can support your overall health.

Karen Giles Acupuncture

The Gift of Letting Go in Autumn

 The gift of letting go in Autumn

The transition to Autumn has been a long and somewhat unsettled one.  A sudden cold blast in early September was followed by a step back into Late Summer.  The heat and humidity wasn’t so welcome to some, yet others were elated to have one last bit of time to head to the beach.  Then the recent quick storm with some sleet and snow reminds us of the coming Winter.  The leaves have been “late” to change this year as well.  With the underlying energy of Autumn’s drop, so to speak, and shortened days, everything seems to be waiting, just holding it’s breath.  There has been a certain sense of that in the world around us as well.  A collective holding of the breath as we wait to see what is next.  With nature being unsettled, you may be noticing some of that in your body or life.  What are you doing to keep yourself balanced?  As we transition through Autumn, you can use this time of inspiration to steady yourself as the season calls us to move from being outside to being quietly within.

Elemental wisdom

In the Five Element tradition, Autumn is the season of Metal.  This element is in charge of getting rid of waste in our bodies and lives.  Physically, the organs that help with this are the lungs and large intestine.  We breathe in life-giving oxygen through our lungs, expelling the carbon dioxide.  And we get rid of the waste that does not nourish us from food through the large intestine.

Along with healthy physical processes, these systems have an emotional and spiritual aspect.  The quality of Metal is for crystal clarity in life, keeping only what really serves and letting go of what doesn’t.  For some, that can be easy and rhythmic, without struggle.  Others hold on to things too long, not wanting to let go.  While others are quick to discard things in life too soon.  Take a moment to think about something you are holding on to that doesn’t serve.  Can you let it go? And in doing so, what is left to strengthen you?  It is not a coincidence that Fall Cleaning has a profound effect at this time and can be applied not just to our homes but our minds and bodies!  By letting go and cleaning out the gutters of your mind and spirit, you allow the true value of this season to manifest.

Acupuncture in the news

Breathing in the beauty of crisp Autumn air can be challenging to those with lung illnesses such as asthma, recurrent bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).  Many people find relief from their symptoms with acupuncture and a study published in the Journal of Complementary Medicine reported that acupuncture contributed to a reduction in the shortness of breath in COPD patients during exercise.1

Acupuncture ~ a powerful tool to not just get healthy but stay healthy.

Learning opportunities/office notes
Seasonal Saturday:  I will be in my office on Saturday, November 19th, as a way to support your transition through Autumn.  Call now for an appointment.
I will be in Maryland from November 11-16th to attend a workshop and visit colleagues at Tai Sophia Institute. 
Sedona Release Method, Saturday/Sunday December 3-4:  Join in a weekend experience to profoundly impact your life. The Sedona Releasing process is a simple and effective way to let go of unwanted feelings and stress, instantly revealing a deeper sense of happiness and well being at its source.  For more information, contact Rick Solomon:  ricksolomon@msn.com or call (631) 751-5406.
Restorative Yoga and Acupuncture:  This recent workshop was a peaceful, nourishing evening at Seva Yoga.  The next workshop will be offered in January.

Wishing you the
bountiful harvest of Autumn

Karen~

Observation of an Acupuncture Treatment

 I was honored to observe Karen Giles give an acupuncture treatment today.  Watching the treatment from the sideline gave me a unique feel and understanding of acupuncture.

Karen Giles' office is warm and inviting.  My eye is immediately drawn to the fireplace where there are always candles burning on the mantle.  Above, is a gorgeous photograph of a rock and water scene with vibrant colors which was taken by a patient.

Karen Giles begins each session by talking with her patients to learn what is going on with their body and mind. The talk takes place at a small table placed by windows with natural light and warmth shining through.  Karen Giles uses the information she gathers to determine where she will insert the needles.

Consent has been granted by today's patient to allow me to observe.  Karen Giles speaks with her privately before allowing me in. The patient lies on the table which looks soft and comfortable.  Karen Giles moves quietly around the table speaking softly and asking questions. She looks at the patients tongue, takes the pulse on both the left and right side, and makes her final determination about which points to insert the needles. 

The patient breathes deeply and appears to become more and more relaxed.  I notice her speech has become softer and slower in response to Karen's.  The needles are inserted, soft music turned on, and a heat lamp positioned to add warmth.  Karen checks the patient one more time and stimulates the needles as she feels necessary. The patient is left for approximately 20 minutes to relax and allow the needles to work.

Karen returns to the patient and removes the needles one at a time. Again, she takes the pulse on the left and right side. She encourages the patient to relax and take her time before getting up.  The patients face is flushed and her eyes are brightly shining. 

The passion that Karen Giles has for acupuncture is evident in the way she treats her patients and talks about acupuncture.  The passion extends to truly wanting to help her patients feel better and to do right by them.  Karen Giles treats the whole body and the whole person.  She ensures that the benefits of acupuncture are maximized for each of her patients.

I have personally experienced acupuncture given by Karen Giles.  The care she emanates makes it so much more than just about the needles.  I highly recommend anyone looking for acupuncture and/or pain relief to consult with Karen Giles.