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During the hotter months we may have over committed socially or with work commitments. Sleep was a little harder to come by but we may not have felt that we needed it as much. Are you finding it easier to sleep now?

Anyway, back to the metal element. It’s dry. Just like the leaves dry out in autumn and fall off. Humor me here Gold Coastians…
The organs that the metal element governs are the Lungs and the Colon.
The Lungs in Chinese Medicine open out into the nose for example the sinus, bronchial air passages and the nose itself. The Lungs are responsible for mainly the surface of the body and the first line of defense being your immune system. The mucous membranes of the skin and airways need to be moist but not damp, phlemmy,oily or in contrast dry in order to protect the skin.
The Colon has the more obvious job of elimination. A stuck Colon can often affect the skin because of the Colons relationship with the Lungs which are in control of the skin.

People of the Metal element

Often have dry skin, symmetrical features and high cheekbones. They have a deep chest which sometimes can be concave when the have deficient Lung Qi.  They can look sombre or serious. They have the ability to notice patterns, see the big picture and all points of view without inner conflict. We need more metal people around! They have high ideals though which can be their undoing as not many live up to their high expectations including themselves. They can be hard on themselves and pessimistic. Prone to disappointment until they realise this about themselves, relax a little and accept themselves for their own unique beauty;-) Potentially live in the past as this may be perceived as a better time and having trouble letting go or may be excellent at letting go if the Qi is strong.

Do you want to know if you have good Lung Qi?

You have lustrous skin and shiny hair.The lungs spread moisture to the skin which helps nourish it.
You have a healthy immune system
You have a strong voice
You have energy. Having enough oxygen and good lung Qi to spread it to every cell in your body.
Not so good…
Do you have

Low immunity? Constantly catching colds or flu’s.
Sensitive to wind and cold drafts. Even in summer? Does aircon dry you out or make you sniffley?
Dry,dull,rough or itchy skin?
I’ll show you some ways to combat these issues later but first I’d like to explain to you more about attachment and grief of the  metal element.

Attachment
Another indication of good Lung Qi is having a good relationship with attachment. The art of taking in and letting go. Just like the breath. A person with healthy lung Qi has a great understanding of when it is time to let go of relationships or objects as the emotion associated with the metal element is grief.

Learning to let go is an essential part of being a human being and while it can be distressing it is completely necessary for  our health and vitality.

A person with healthy Lung Qi allows themselves to feel grief and sadness and move on gracefully.
Unfortunately with a weaker Lung constitution this process can be difficult or rather making this process difficult weakens the Lung Qi. People with a weaker Lung Qi will often stay stuck in grief as they have not allowed themselves to go through the process. They can then get confused by their feelings of grief and sadness as they try to enter a new relationship. Before you can take in you have to let go.

Not only relationships with people or animals but also possessions can get affected. Hording possessions clogs up the lung qi. Equally losing possessions constantly can be an element of weak lung qi as people find it hard to attach to anything or anybody.

Want to improve your Lung Qi?

Lung Qi is damaged by smoking. See how we were talking about attachments?  Smokers have an unhealthy attachment to cigarettes. Not picking on smokers. Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smokingbooks and seminars work like magic if you want to stop.
Lying down too much depletes Lung Qi and aggravates Phlemmy conditions.
Sounds simple but breathing deeply helps the Lungs. If the Liver Qi is stagnant it will be difficult to get a full breath. Standing up and twisting from side to side with arms swinging and floppy moves the Liver and helps you get  deeper breath.
Pungent spices, onions, garlic and Chili support the Lung Qi and help break up Phlegm and excess mucous.

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This is a common problem that many parents have issues with. You are not alone. I routinely see kid’s up to the age of 10 with bed wetting issues. 1 in 3 children up to the age of 4 wet the bed but by the time they turn 6 only 1 in 10 wet the bed. The stats get even lower with 10 year old only having 1 in 20 affected. The reasons kid’s suffer with his issue are varied. Here are some of the main causes: p.s …I will be using some Chinese medical terms in here

Primary reasons

• Really deep sleeper. This is mixed with one of the other 4 main issues
• Bladder and brain not connecting. The bladder should let the brain know when it is full.That will let your child know when they need to go.
• Family history: Bed wetting does run in families. One other correlation I’ve noticed is Inguinal hernias and bed wetting. That shows a weakness in the Spleen and Kidney qi which can make it harder to recognise and control the flow of urine.
• Hormones: The pituitary gland secretes a hormone telling the brain when the bladder is full.
• Small bladder: During the night the bladder is supposed to be holding the urine. Some people have a smaller bladder than the rest of us and will need to go to the toilet more frequently. That being said a lot of the time this has more to do with a weakness in the Spleen and Kidney qi failing to hold the urine in the bladder
• Emotional: some kid’s have been toilet trained but when big changes like moving house, divorce, starting school etc bed wetting can start again. Incontinence during the day can often be due to being nervous or scared or having too much fun! Very naughty but some kid’s when they are younger would rather play than miss out on the fun.

Secondary issues

• Urinary tract infection: That will increase the pain and frequency of urination as well as some accidental break through urination.
• Diabetes: increase urination and should definitely be checked out with a doctor if they are sleepy and have increased hunger and thirst as well.
• Neurological issues: can stop the bladder and brain communicating.
• Pin worm infection

How can Acupuncture help?

Acupuncture helps the body work harmoniously. Acupuncture works on many different systems in the body at once. The main aim of the Acupuncture in the case of bed wetting is to

• Get the bladder and the brain talking to each other.
• Then it is to increase the holding function in the bladder so they can hold it for the night no matter how tired they are.
• Another aspect I treat is the general well being of your child in the case of being fearful or nervous.
• If there is any scarring in the abdomen I also treat that.

I use a small pen like instrument so all of the kid’s I’ve treated to date have loved treatment and responded really well. If you have any further questions please contact Alexandra Yates on 0422635 649

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Summer In Chinese Medicine

So summer is here finally and we’ve been warned of heatwaves.Here are some tips for you, family and friends to cool off this summer. Firstly I’ll explain a little bit about summer from a Chinese medicine perspective.
In Chinese medicine all of the seasons are divided into the elements of water,wood, fire, earth and metal. Summer is ruled:

• By the element of fire ( no real surprises there;-)
• The colour Red,
• The emotion of Joy  (or mania just quietly)
• Heart and small intestine,pericardium
• Expansion, growth, activity and creativity
• So what does that mean?

People of the fire element is the flirty, social,instinctive,passionate and affectionate friend of yours.

The shadow side of the fire element and every one has one so don’t judge is they can be morose and depressing. Lacking in joy. or manic.They laugh too much (like seriously it wasn’t THAT funny), angry out bursts( arrogant angry outbursts),inappropriate flirting and promiscuity, arrogance and vanity. I know, what a prize:-) But seriously when fire people are on fire (pardon the pun) they are  fun and charismatic, full of love and you need them around to spread good cheer and frivolity. Perfect for Christmas!
Physically they move animatedly,with small hands and feet, shoulders that slope down and sometimes a little pot belly. When they have an excess of fire they have a red face and long term, a drinkers nose. Do you know anyone like this?
We are all more like the fire element person during summer as it is ruled by fire. We should get out and socialise, flirt  (in a fun way), create and expand. This is really supported by the new moon in Saggitarius so definitely go for your dreams and goals but cross all your T’s and dot all of your I’s because it’s also Mercury retrograde in Capricorn. Also a time to avoid buying electrical goods or signing contracts.

These tip below help you generate more Yang (energy) for the cooler seasons. The work we do in summer can generate leads in business for the rest of the year and can generate more energy for us during the cooler months to ward off sickness.

Tips for a great Summer

• Hydrate,hydrate,hydrate! Drink loads of water or coconut water to keep up your fluids
• Sweat it out with vigorous exercise. The ShakeUp is an awesome high intensity training program to keep you fit,the weight off and have fun while doing it.
• Eat spicy foods to help you sweat and cool down
• Swap your overly heating coffee for green or peppermint tea.
• Avoid greasy, heavy foods in favour of lighter,cleaner foods like salads.
• Avoid really cold icy drinks and foods like dairy as well. Cool down but don’t put out your digestive fire.
• Go to bed later and wake up earlier
• Socialise more but don’t over commit. It’s supposed to be fun.

Digestion takes a beating in summer due to over consumption of cold foods like ice cream, beer, alcohol,icy cold drinks and an excess of salads. The extra humidity in Queensland also adds to a condition called Summer damp.Summer damp can cause headaches at the base of the skull,foggy thinking, nausea, bloating and fatigue. How to combat this?

Eat light, clean foods like salads and steamed veges. Have peppermint or green tea. I know it sounds like a contradiction as I’ve said that over consumption causes issues with digestion but regardless of how hot you feel your body uses up a lot of energy in digesting food. Icy cold temperatures stress out the digestive system leading food to accumulate and stagnate. Lightly steaming vegetables or adding ginger,garlic,cooked meat or roasted pumpkin into salads makes them easier to digest. Lightly cooking foods is sort of like pre-digesting food.

Wake early and get active early.Sleeping in during the summer is a bad idea. You will feel foggy and lethargic. Get up early ( 5-6:30am) and do some vigorous exercise that makes you sweat.This will cool you down and improve energy and mood.

Emotions: Christmas or the holiday season can bring up a lot of old unresolved stuff. You may be reading this and thinking you don’t feel particularly joyful and in fact find this season really difficult. Also. it can be a quiet time for some businesses and finances stress can be building making you dread the cost of these holidays. This is the shadow side of the fire element. When we are guarding ourselves against pain and hurt and depression, we close our hearts. This makes it increasingly difficult to feel joy. My suggestion? Just feel it. Whatever it is. Don’t avoid what you are feeling. Journal it, go to a secluded area and scream, rant and rave if you need to but don’t suppress it. Let yourself cry so you can begin again and feel joy! I treat the Pericardium meridian which protects the heart in these instances. This allows you to open your heart again in a safe place. Sometimes there are tears but often it quickly turns to laughter.

Insomnia is common in summer as the heart in Chinese medicine houses the spirit. When the heart gets hot or is deficient in blood it can’t hold onto the spirit so it roams around all night. Getting into nightmares, restless. How does it get deficient? Women that have heavy periods, or experience blood loss. Heat in the heart from too many spicy foods, alcohol, overindulging.Emotional upset. Over stimulation. Put away your electrical devices, screens etc at least 2 hours before bed. Getting on Face book and having a “spirited discussion” about politics or vaccines or whatever does not help insomnia.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and new year. Enjoy your family and friends. Love Alex xoxo

Christmas Gift Idea’s
Looking for a special gift from a local business? These gift vouchers are available right up til the new year. You can have them sent directly to you or come in and pick them up. It could even be a secret santa gift to yourself!
Stocking Stuffer $49: 30minute facial with Wendy Christina natural skin care range
Pamper Sesh $85: 30 minute back, neck and shoulder massage and a 30 minute facial
Christmas Deluxe $ 110: 90 minutes of Massage with a facial including hand, scalp and foot massage.

New skincare range!
$49
For a 30minute facial using the Wendy Christina skin care range. These products are cruelty free, environmentally friendly, natural and organic. They are also active, smell great and feel divine! Made from Australian Botanicals incorporating Hyaluronic acid and vitamin C from Rosehip and Kakadu plum. These products stand out as natural yet active, locally sourced and affordable.

Opening Hours over Christmas/New Year

25th DEC- CLOSED
26th DEC- CLOSED
27th DEC-CLOSED-
28th DEC-CLOSED
29th DEC10am-5pm
30th DEC10am-5pm
31st DEC10am-1pm
1st JAN-CLOSED
2nd JAN-CLOSED
3rd Jan 8am-7pm
Normal Opening hours after 3rd Jan.
BOOK ONLINE:

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It is true though that what works for one person doesn’t work for another. I always tell my clients that beyond getting fresh, local and organic, staying away from processed foods, they can listen to their body intuitively for what it needs.

I think there is a lot of over analysis on what super foods you should be eating rather than listening to your common sense or intuition on what your body craves.
I can think of nothing worse for me personally than a raw food diet during winter. I would cave and end up eating pizza and Macca’s within about 3 days. I’m not alone on this. I swear! Getting too caught up on the nutrient profile rather than on the soul of the food seems to be quite common in our society today. While I believe that it’s important to eat consciously as its better for the environment and your health you can fall over the line into obsessively looking up the nutrient profile and feeling guilty about eating something “naughty” like un-activated roasted almonds from Coles. “Oh they’re not organic! They’re not activated! They probably use that iodised crappy salt not Himalayan”. Seriously! Half the world is starving to death. Chill out.
Another reason not becoming a stress head over food is so important is in how obsessive thinking affects you digestion. In Chinese medicine the stomach and pancreas are effected by over thinking and worry, thus making it hard to digest food. It could be the best superfood ever but if you over think it, it will be hard to absorb the nutrients.

So in summary:
Fresh and local, spray free or organic.

Stay away from the middle aisle of the supermarket but totally recommend finding a local farmers market you like. It makes shopping so much more pleasant, cheap and of course better for the local economy

Nasty preservatives and additives are rife in packaged food and also any packaged drink. Alcohol still doesn’t have to label what crap they put in there so have a think about that. But not too much!

Variety. Try everything. Try the super foods, try local stuff too. Listen to your body. If you’re craving sugar its most likely because you need more calories in your diet. You may need some carbs.

Enjoy cooking. Enjoy your meals with people you like

Listen to your body. If you get heart palpitations, dry mouth, feel anxious or angry, or strange after food. Don’t eat them. Or limit them.

If you feel tired or bloated after meals you are either eating too fast, too much, drinking too much with food, or the food is too rich for you.
Don’t think about it too much. We just wouldn’t survive without it and should be grateful for how much of it we have around.

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