There is much debate around the subject of food cravings. Some say it is a sign of a nutritional deficiency or excess, a need for comfort, and/or a lack of willpower.

In my work with patients that had food cravings and resolved them, it became clear that they were operating from an old coping skill. In other words, they had outgrown this pattern long ago, but were still operating on some level as if they could get what they wanted. Lack of willpower was not the issue.

You’ve heard the saying that insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result? In the case of food cravings, this is often what happens. A triggering event occurs, and by default, we return to an old coping skill as a way to deal with it. We’re not always conscious of this, but it happens nonetheless. It may have worked when we were five years old, but not now.

The work I do helps patients quickly identify this outdated coping skill and resolve it. New neural pathways are created and the outdated neural pathways are ‘retired.’ Then and only then, can we develop, new, current and up to date behaviors that serve us in the present tense.

As an example, I recently worked with a patient that had very strong cravings for chocolate and bakery items. Before booking our session, she told me that she remembered feeling the most loved when her mother took her to the bakery and encouraged her to eat because she was so skinny. She didn’t even really like pastries, but she loved the whole experience. The key here, is that she knew about this old memory, but the knowledge of it had not changed her behavior. The session however, changed her behavior and did so immediately. She was now free to walk by the chocolates and pastries around her house, and not be tempted. Before, she would not only have been tempted, but indulged and then felt bad about herself, as she knew better! She didn’t need more willpower, she just needed to let go of her old coping skills.

The great thing about this work, is that the stronger the food craving, the quicker it is resolved.

Lately, we have had an influx of patients with fibroid tumors in the office. Fibroid tumors are almost always benign and can occur in the uterus or on the outside of the uterus. In Chinese medicine, we consider them a stagnation of phlegm and heat. On an energetic level, fibroids are always a sign of a chronic swallowing of emotions that eventually become lodged in the reproductive organs causing stagnation. If large enough, fibroids can inhibit implantation of an embryo in the uterine wall. In addition to Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine, I also recommend doing Castor Oil packs, they are a wonderful tool. I’ve learned over the years that Castor Oil packs can be used not only for fibroids, but for any kind of stagnation in the abdomen. It’s also a great way to detox the lower organs.

Castor Oil Pack instructions:

Materials

· Three layers of undyed wool or cotton flannel large enough to cover the affected area

· Castor oil

· Plastic wrap or saran wrap cut 1-2″ larger than the flannel (can be cut from a plastic bag)

· Hot water bottle or heating pad.

· Container with lid

· Old clothes and sheets. Castor oil will stain clothing and bedding.

Method

1. Place the flannel in the container. Soak it in castor oil so that it is saturated, but not dripping.
2. Place the pack over the affected body part.
3. Cover with plastic.
4. Place the hot water bottle or heating pad over the pack. Leave it on for 45-60 minutes. Rest while the pack is in place.
5. After removing the pack, cleanse the area with a dilute solution of water and baking soda.
6. Store the pack in the covered container in the refrigerator. Each pack may be reused up to 25-30 times.

Frequency of use

It is generally recommended that a castor oil pack be used for 3 to 7 days in a week to treat a health condition or for detox.

Summer is a yang season and is associated with the Heart, Pericardium (“the Heart wrapper”), Small Intestine and the Triple Burner (a Chinese organ that closely resembles the 2nd, 3rd and 4th chakras).  Summer is a period of luxurious growth.  To be in harmony with the atmosphere of summer, awaken early in the morning and reach to the sun for nourishment.  Summer offers abundant variety and the diet should reflect this.  Minerals and oils are sweat out of the body, and their loss can cause weakness if they are not replaced by a varied diet.  To be more comfortable, drink hot liquids and take warm showers to induce sudden sweating and to cool the body.  Summer heat combined with too much cold food (Ex. salads and raw fruits, remember moderation!) can weaken the digestive organs, coldness causes contraction and interferes with digestion.  Iced drinks and ice cream actually contract the stomach and stop digestion.

Use plenty of brightly colored summer fruits and vegetables. Cook lightly and regularly add a LITTLE spicy, pungent, or even fiery flavor, but not too much! When sautéing, use high heat for a very short time and keep in mind, olive oil is an unstable oil and under high heat can cause free radicals, try some new stable oils, like coconut (great for the thyroid and detoxifying the blood), canola and rice bran oil (GREAT oil, found only at Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco).  Also, steam and simmer foods as quickly as possible. Use little salt and more water.  Cooling fresh foods for summer are salads, sprouts (mung, soy and alfalfa), fruit, cucumber, tofu (not too much if you have estrogen dominance!), flower and leaf teas (mint, chrysanthemum and chamomile), watermelon, lemons and limes.

The hot flavored spices are also considered appropriate in the warmest weather, at first their effect is to bring warmth, but ultimately they bring body heat out to the surface to be dispersed.  With heat on the surface, one’s body mirrors the summer climate and therefore will be less affected by it.  Red and green hot peppers, cayenne red pepper, fresh ginger, horseradish, black pepper are all idea for this purpose, but if you are allergic to nightshades, do not use peppers.  However, if too many dispersing foods are taken, then weakness and loss of yang will result, and the ability to stay warm and vital in the cooler seasons is lost.

CALMING AND FOCUSING THE MIND…
The Fire element rules the Heart in Chinese Medicine.  This, not only, includes the organ itself but also the concept of the Heart as a mental/emotional center.  Those with healthy hearts are friendly and humble.  Clarity is a central attribute, they seem to see effortlessly through problems to arrive at brilliant solutions.  Symptoms of a heart imbalance are: scattered and confused mind, excess or no laughter, confused speech, depression, loss of memory, poor circulation, insomnia, headache, irritability, palpitations/irregular heartbeat or excessive dreams.

We of the ‘information age’ tend to have mental hyperactivity.  Energy from excessive thought and worry races through the head while the heart is impoverished.  A simple diet with occasional light fasting goes a long way.  Avoid VERY spicy foods, refined sugar, alcohol, coffee, late night eating and large evening meals.

The following reduce nervousness, treat insomnia and improve mental focus:
Oyster Shell (Oyster shell calcium), whole wheat, brown rice, oats, mushrooms (esp. Reishi), oatstraw tea, cucumber, celery, lettuce, quality cow and goat milk, ghee (clarified butter), mulberries, lemons, Chia seeds, dill, basil, chamomile, catnip, skullcap and valerian.

Of course, for insomnia, the classic remedy…drinking a cup of milk warm before bed works wonders.

Sumner Redstone’s anti-aging secret

There may be some debate about future control of Viacom and CBS, but the media mogul doesn’t plan to bequeath his empire anytime soon - thanks to a little purple elixir.

By Tim Arango, Fortune writer

September 4 2007: 5:14 PM EDT

(Fortune Magazine) — As the years tick by, Sumner Redstone just gets more optimistic. Earlier this year the 84-year-old said he planned to live another 50 years; two years ago he was predicting another 20.

His age has been in the spotlight lately because of the recent public spat with his daughter over his succession plans, but the controller of Viacom (Charts) and CBS (Charts, Fortune 500) has lately been getting a bit of help in the form of a little-known superjuice called MonaVie. “It’s a miracle drug,” he told Fortune. “I feel great.”

A dark-purple elixir with a cult-like following, MonaVie is an antioxidant-rich concoction whose main ingredient is the Brazilian açai berry (pronounced ah-sigh-ee), long touted among health nuts for its anti-aging ingredients.

Vitamin-water it’s not: MonaVie costs $40 a bottle, and you can’t get it in stores; it’s marketed only through the company’s network of thousands of individuals who sell it out of their homes (think Avon or Tupperware).

Redstone first heard of the juice from Viacom exec Bill Roedy on a trip to Germany in January. After learning that his butler’s sister-in-law was a devotee too, Redstone ordered some up and started drinking four ounces a day. “Since I’ve been on MonaVie I haven’t taken a sleeping pill,” he says.

New crack in the house of Redstone

He even considered investing in Utah-based MonaVie after its CEO, Dallin Larsen, came to visit him at his Beverly Hills mansion. Redstone decided against it - because it would present a conflict of interest to recommend it to friends - but Larsen, a veteran nutritional-products salesman who founded the company in 2005, has no better ambassador.

At a recent party, Redstone gave bottles to Bill Clinton and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. “Just about every friend I have is on it,” Redstone says - a group he says includes Viacom and CBS board members as well as cancer survivor and former junk-bond king Michael Milken. (It can also be found in the clubhouse of the Boston Red Sox; pitcher Jonathan Papelbon is a fan.)

So is it a fad, or is there something to it? Nothing proves that MonaVie cures any ailment, but in one of the first academic studies of açai’s benefits, University of Florida researcher Stephen Talcott found that the berry’s antioxidants destroyed leukemia cells in a laboratory. But Talcott has since distanced himself from MonaVie and its junkies.

Larsen is careful not to cross the line. “It’s not a drug,” he says. He touts the juice as a way to “increase energy in a natural way” and to alleviate “the everyday aches and pains from inflammation.”

Redstone says he’s never felt better. “I know I look a lot younger than I am,” he says. “I feel like I’m 40 years old.”

It’s a new beginning, the time of year to rise early with the sun.

In Chinese medicine, Spring is the season when the Liver and Gallbladder work to their optimal level.

Therefore, we should naturally eat less and even fast to cleanse the body of the fats and heavy foods of winter. Your diet should be the lightest of the year and contain foods that emphasize Yang and the ascending, expansive qualities of spring. Cook food for a shorter period of time, but at higher temperatures. If cooking with oil, use rice bran or coconut oil. If cooking with water, light steaming or minimal simmering.

Sweet and pungent flavors are appropriate as a means of creating a personal spring from within.

Pungent cooking herbs are: basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, caraway, dill, bay leaf, turmeric, cardamom, cumin, ginger, black pepper, horseradish, mints, and lemon balm, garlic and all members of the onion family.

Foods to eat during this time are: legumes, seeds or grains that are sweet and can be sprouted such as: amaranth, quinoa, rye, millet, alfalfa and mung beans; young beets, carrots and other sweet starchy vegetables, mustard greens, watercress, taro root cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, romaine lettuce, asparagus, radish leaves, citrus peel, celery, seaweeds, lettuce, cucumber, tofu, mushrooms, radishes, chestnuts, pine nuts, cabbage, turnip, kohlrabi, strawberries, peaches, cherries, blackberries, huckleberries, raspberries, dark grapes and plums.

Switch from refined sugars to sweeteners like honey, stevia, unrefined cane juice granules, whole sugar cane, licorice root, barley malt, date sugar, molasses and rice syrup.

Chlorophyll rich foods accelerate Liver rejuvenation; wheat or barley grass, wild blue green algae, parsley, kale, watercress, alfalfa, and collard greens. Spirulina is also a great supplement if you were never breastfed. Those who were not breastfed are more likely to develop immune deficiencies, allergies, difficulty with weight management, digestive disorders and asthma. It supplies the body with Omega 3’s and GLA.

Eat less and eliminate foods high in saturated fats (with the exception of coconut oil), hydrogenated or poor quality fats, excesses of nuts and seeds, chemicals in food and water, drugs (including prescription), intoxicants and highly processed and refined foods.

One Day Liver and Gallbladder Flush:
If the Liver is consistently stagnate, sediment often settles out of the bile and forms accumulations in the Gall Bladder. Since the Gall Bladder is a reservoir for bile, it becomes less efficient when clogged. A great one day cleanse of the Gall Bladder is to eat at least 4-5 green apples, and drink lots of water, green teas and apple juice starting in the morning and continuing throughout the day. At bedtime, warm up (low hea2/3 cup of Virgin Olive Oil to body temperature and mix with 2/3 cup of fresh lemon juice. Sip the mixture and immediately go to bed lying on the right side with your right leg drawn up. In the morning, sediment and stones, if any, should pass through the stool.

If you have a Liver imbalance, don’t eat late at night. Eating late can inhibit regeneration of the Liver and Gall Bladder during their peak hours, which are 11-3AM.

Happy Spring!

Christina

Today CNN.com did an article on IVF and Acupuncture.  Most of you know, I work with many infertility patients and I can assure you Acupuncture definitely increases their chances of conception!  The article states that in some studies Acupuncture has helped anywhere from 45-65%.  When your paying $12,000 for one IVF cycle, it makes sense to do everything you can to contribute to the process.

The article says ‘the jury is still out’ on Acupuncture, but that’s alright with me, at least we’re getting noticed.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/02/08/acupuncture.fertility.ap/index.html

Chinese New Year 4705 or 2008 in the Western calendar is the Year of the Brown Earth Rat. This year of the rat begins a new 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.

Like the houses of the zodiac, the animals of Chinese astrology are said to influence your luck during the year. Your horoscope for 2008, the year of the rat, depends on which animal signifies the year you were born.

Rats are water signs and it is said that they make a very good match for monkeys and dragons, but do not get along well with rabbits, horses and roosters. The brown earth influences of this year also make oxen a favored friend of the persevering rat but add conflict to the year as the elements of earth and water seek a balance - especially during the early part of the year.

The rat’s stone, the deep red garnet, is the color of joyful celebration. It signifies the loyalty and passion of the most honorable traits of the sign that will rule the year ahead.

In China, it is said that there are few poor rats. It is considered very auspicious to be born in the year of the earth rat. Babies born under this sign are intelligent and hard working. They are intelligent, curious, sociable born leaders who do well in any group, but value ties with family and close friends more than social contacts. The earth influences balance the rat’s water nature for those born in this year making them able to control the flights of intellect that often draw the rat away from a good course. The selfish and calculating aspects of the rat are toned by the nurturing earth force. These are leaders to be followed with trust and good partners for a life filled with good fortune. The rat is clever, sometimes too clever. When mixed with the passion and charm of this sign, the rat can be manipulative as a life partner or business associate. The ability to initiate new ideas and work hard to reach a goal led the rat to the first place of honor at the side of Buddha. These are traits that bring success in both business and personal affairs.

The last time the earth rat was seen as the ruling influence was February 10, 1948 - January 28, 1949. Baby boomers who were born under this sign will be celebrating their 60th birthday looking back on many years of good fortune and looking ahead to many more.

Since the rat year begins a new cycle, remember that decisions made during this year will carry long term consequences. Do not make changes without careful planning especially during the beginning of the year.

Here are a few general conclusions from the opinions of the sages…

Rat : 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008
The clever rat has made many ambitious plans that will be put into action this year. Good fortune and good times will surround the rat in this year of glory. Easy social grace is a gift of those born in this sign, but trusted close friends and family are the center that the rat needs to secure prosperity. Beware of the battle of earth and water that may confuse the scurrying rat. This beginning of the year will see the rat tempted by many flirtatious relationships. Faithfulness and loyalty are difficult with so many admiring glances. Understand the fear of those you care for as you seem to be drawn to many new relationships. Take steps to avoid damage to your true partners. As the year passes the successful rat will see more serious relationships bear fruit. Although the rat is a water sign, boat cruises are not a good vacation plan. Travel to exotic lands to explore,meet new people and experience adventure may be the perfect honeymoon. With the influence of the earth aspects of this year, promises of commitments become real and those born in this sign may experience the blessings of marriage and of children added to their family. The rat who cannot focus on success will be misled and find much conflict and many uncomfortable scenes caused by straying from a match that will bring good fortune. When prosperity and love come easily they may not be treated with respect. The rat who will succeed is the one who remembers that greed and manipulation may bring quick victories but ultimately strengthen enemies. The cat is ever watchful of the rat who stole its place. Listen to the guidance of ancestors, loved ones and trusted friends. Beware of the flattery of casual admiration to completely fulfill the promise of extreme good fortune that this year holds.

Ox : 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997
The year of the earth rat brings good more good fortune for the steady ox. The solid back that carried the rat across the river will be well rewarded. The influence of the Brown Earth Rat means a prosperous and healthy year for the ox but the influence of water will make the year interesting. There will be many choices that will lead to success if the ox remains true to the earth nature. Do not follow on paths that seem to lead to easy success. The wise ox knows that perseverance brings permanent good fortune. While your hard work will begin to bring rewards in this last half of this year, the real success awaits in the year of the ox that is coming. Conflicts and confusion can be a problem in the beginning of the year as water and earth elements of the Brown Earth Rat seek balance. Attention to romantic relationships will bring harmony but neglect will bring conflict. Giving tokens of affection will bring great rewards. Do not be obstinate in your business or personal relationships. The last few months will feel the influence of the upcoming sign of the ox strengthening and lead to full serenity. Wait until then to make those difficult decisions.

Tiger : 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998
The wild tiger prospered in the year of the dog and the pig. The rat year will change the good fortune of the large cat. While not the enemy that the true cat is, there is still some adversity. Both business and personal relationships will be a challenge. You may find many flirtatious moments but they will not lead to serious commitments. You will need to rely on family to move through this confusing time. Happy relationships will suffer from conflict in the early part of the year, but attention to romance and faithfulness will return good fortune. At work you will also feel these conflicts. You will be more aware of criticism from coworkers and employers. Learn to control your aggressive nature when responding to this and you will find prosperity. Use your abundant energy to turn dreams of success into real plans that will bring rewards as the year ends. Be careful to avoid excesses in work and all things physical especially in the last half of the year.

Rabbit : 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999
Many rabbits will find the year of the earth rat unusually fortunate if they can control the tendency to hop about. The rat is not normally a harmonious sign for the rabbit, but this brown earth rat year remembers that both are rodents and does not confuse the rabbit with the cat. Flirtation, romance and marriage lie in wait for the amorous rabbit. The conflict will be to find harmony between the three. Take care not to endanger a possible life long love by continued flirtation. Looking for perfection instead of happiness in love can cause grief. At work the urge to pick on the shortcomings of coworkers and find dissatisfaction with a good position will cause unhappiness. This may be an auspicious time to make changes in your career path with the earth influences fueling new growth for you, but be sure that the change comes from a positive source. Moving toward prosperity will bring a positive cycle, running from adversity will not. Whether you decide to stay or go, a focus on the positive aspects of your current position will lead to long term success and good fortune through the upcoming cycle.

Dragon : 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000
The rat is a good friend to the dragon. The new cycle that starts this year will bring prosperity to the dragon after what may seem like a long time of struggle. The stream of good fortune that you saw coming your way in a trickle last year will reach fullness this year. Your energy is strong after resting in the year of the pig and you will find that difficulties are able to be overcome. You will need energy to keep up with the social whirl coming your way. While much of your focus will be on friendships and love, put some of that energy toward career networking opportunities that will develop this year and will benefit you throughout the next cycle. The conservative nature of this rat year may give moments of frustration to the dragon who cannot tame a fiery nature. This is a time to begin ventures that will benefit from the steady nurturing earth influence but you will need patience and persistence to see them through to success. The signs are very good for your soul mate to appear. Take care to recognize this most special person or the opportunity may be lost in your busy social life. Home influences are strong and if you have been dreaming of a major purchase - of a home or for your home - this year is a good time to see the dream fulfilled.

Snake : 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001
This year will find the energetic rat providing a wonderland of opportunities to the awakening snake. Show your true self and be honest with those who care about you. This may be difficult for the snake who is used to keeping tightly coiled, but there will be little need to use your venom to protect yourself this year. Happiness will be abundant in relationships with friends and family as long as you can uncoil. Successful results in business, especially new ventures, lie ahead for you. Your ability to take quick, decisive actions and make the right decisions will be a great benefit to your career. This may lead you to some big opportunities that you will be ready to take advantage of. Curb the impulsive to spend unwisely. Earth influences favor conservative spending for the snake, but with energy flowing so strongly, you may not be able to resist a quick buy that can turn out to be a mistake .

Horse : 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002
The horse is not happy to find the rat in its barn. Distracted by the energy of the rat, the horse will be easy prey to others. By nature, the horse listens more to what the heart says, but this year it is the head that will give the best advice. Take comfort in the company of close friends and family and also make sure to exercise, eat well and keep a regular schedule. These will weave a blanket that protects you from the blasts of ill fortune and physical distress that the rat year can bring. Try not to let your nervousness cause conflicts at home and work. This is not a time to start new ventures or make major decisions. Plans for the future are the way to take advantage of your time. Building knowledge about your career through job training or education will move you ahead without danger. Plan inexpensive, relaxing vacations with friends and family to clear your confusion and find peace.

Sheep / Goat : 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003
The rat year brings sheep romance that may be true love, but overall the year will seem less positive than what you may be used to. The year may see unhappiness in romantic relationships. Accepting your part in the disharmony will help to return happiness. In this area, your family may be part of the problem. A trip to a faraway land brings calm back to your love life, but beware of seeming to promise more than you are willing to give. Foolish decisions in the early part of the year can bring ill fortune for this cycle. Seek the advice of family and trusted friends before making hasty decisions about money or career. There are many opportunities but choosing the best path is important. The rat offers chances for learning and culture. Looking at the past or cultures that are different from your own may lead to knowledge that will bring success in personal and business ventures. Find a group that will offer you the chance to talk about these things. Travel to new places adds to the good fortune and gives you a chance to spend energy in growth instead of following roads that will lead to dead ends.

Monkey : 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004
The Monkey who has worked hard will see many rewards in the year of the rat. The year may start off slow, but by the end of March the full richness of the rat year will be evident and continue through the year. The battle of earth and water can bring confusion. Tolerance helps you to avoid making enemies by judging friends or coworkers too harshly. Overall the rat is a good friend to the monkey and provides many chances to find good fortune in love and in your career. Take your time in picking the best of these. Avoid the temptation to spend unwisely. This is a year for saving, not spending. The right decisions will see the foundation of a comfortable nest egg building during the rest of the cycle. Enjoy your good fortune.

Rooster : 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005
Rooster will find many challenges to overcome during the rat year. Energy is high, but much of it is not positive and there is stress ahead for the rooster. Quick decisions and emotional outbursts will lead to trouble. Keep a positive attitude and pace yourself. Make a plan for your time and your money and stick to it. Relationships will be unsteady if the crowing rooster shows aggression. When that urge appears, step back and use your strong intellect to analyze the problem and create a positive outcome. Matters of money and career will also need this steady approach. The rat year favors learning and you can overcome many negative aspects at work by seeking training and sharing your knowledge with coworkers. Remember that what you do this year will follow you throughout the cycle, so keep that positive attitude intact and build a foundation for the upswing in your fortunes in the coming years.

Dog: 1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006
The dog continues to find good fortune as the rat opens a new cycle. Family and friends are more important than ever this year, but avoid pressure from this source on business and financial decisions. Relationships that began in this pig year may be a source of good fortune in this new 12 year cycle. Don’t be afraid to let superiors and coworkers see your skills. Accept both the praise and advice that comes to you from this source. Keep your focus as you may find yourself drawn to chasing the rat, but don’t be timid when the time comes to make decisions that will bring change and good fortune.

Pig : 1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007
The pig still enjoys the benefits of good fortune as the new cycle begins. The fire pig, those born in 1947 and 2007, will be especially fortunate in the year of the earth rat, but anyone born in a pig year will find the rat year bringing good fortune. This year promises success in romance and there may be marriage in the year ahead. Finances are no problem for you this year, but be careful of those who would take advantage asking for loans or applying pressure for you to make a major purchase or investment. Steady work will move your career into places you had not expected. Be open to the energy and excitement that this new cycle brings, but conserve your physical strength. There is a pig tendency to push too hard. There is no need to exhaust yourself in seeking prosperity — especially in the second half of the year.

(This entire posting was copied for your convenience from www.chiff.com)

It’s January 16th of 2008. Of course, it seems like yesterday I moved to Bay area. I’ve learned a lot here about awareness and consciousness, which leads me to the question, why resolution as opposed to intention? Resolution is defined as the solution, accommodation, or settling of a problem. Intention is defined as an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result. Is it me, or does it seem like one is focused on the past, what is wrong with me or it calls us to stop doing something in particular and the other is focused on the future, where I want to put my attention.

Do you ever notice some New Year’s resolutions, usually stem from a “should”, whereas I think intentions stem from something I want to create. I should lose weight, I should stop smoking or I should exercise more. I hate ’shoulds’, for me it feels like just another way to make myself feel bad or guilty about something I’m doing. On the other hand, having an intention to be healthier (whatever that looks like, adding more veggies or having only one glass of wine, as opposed to three) or the intention of exercise can look like “I will move my body once a week”, thinking like this can really open the world up and it really just plants a seed to live your life moving towards something instead of taking away something.

The other potential disaster about resolution and those ’shoulds’ is in timing. Everyone wants to start something the 1st of the year (even though it’s really not the New Year, but that’s another conversation), when there is a situation that arises and a choice is made that doesn’t concur with the resolution, all bets are off and we wind up feeling like we failed. Inside of intention, you have the whole year to find the balance between failure and success, and because the intention was created in an open ended way, there is really no room to fail anyway.

So, why am I writing about resolution and intention 16 days after the New Year. Because the reality is that some of you have probably already had challenges, so here’s permission to start again and keep starting all year long.

I love writing my intentions, I especially get excited when I look at them at the end of the year and to my surprise, almost all of them have been completed. And, if I haven’t completed something, that tells me either, I really didn’t want to achieve it or it just goes onto my list for next year. I had a trip to India on my list for three years, before it was complete, there’s that timing thing again.

And keep in mind, intentions can be anything from “I will meet the man of my dreams” (Ahem, that’s been on my list for more than three years!), “I will double my income”, “I will spend more time with my family”,”I will learn Spanish”, “I will start to write a book” or “I will be in Hawaii by year’s end”. So, plant those seeds and operate from a place of growth and abundance. So, what are your intentions for the year of 2008? Have fun!

It’s an interesting time of year. I always notice how the energy of the holidays is like a can of mixed nuts. There’s the cashews, the sweetness of generosity and giving. The pecans, that wintery nut giving us tradition. The walnuts, ahh, the all knowing ancestors, the family unit, the sense of community. And finally, the peanuts, highly allergenic and full of mycotoxins, symbolizing the mad rush, the panic, the “I have to get this person a gift, because they are getting me one, because what will the think of me if I don’t” kind of attitude. Face it, most of the country wind up being peanuts. I like to think that we who reside in the most radical and conscious area in America are cashews. And, yes, sometimes it’s not that easy.
I am proud to say yesterday, I was a cashew. I went to volunteer at an organization called “Little Brothers” Friends of the Elderly. It is a fantastic, San Francisco based organization that visits the elderly in residences or convalescent homes. These are typically people that wouldn’t otherwise have any visitors at all. Christmas and Thanksgiving are great days to do this, but they need volunteers all year long. When I was waiting in line yesterday, I met a father and son from Moss Beach who was also volunteering as well, they do this each Christmas and after their visit, they take a ton of blankets and jackets that they have collected from friends and family and hand them out in the Tenderloin. A great idea for next year!

But, while we are on the subject of generosity, here are some other suggestions that are anonymous and way fun, those of you who know me can just see me running around giggling like a maniac….

Buy a few individual flowers wrapped nicely and put them on people’s cars in the parking lot. Who doesn’t want to come out to a flower on their car for no apparent reason.

Donate clothes, blankets or food to shelters who to someone you see on the street who looks like they need it.

Be a meter angel and feed people’s meters.

Pick up trash when you see and dispose of it.

Throw money (dollars preferably, coins can be dangerous) out your car window as your driving or just drop some on the pavement as your walking down the street. Very fun! Totally anonymous, leave it up to the universe who will get it, and don’t worry someone will!

Go into the office early and buy breakfast for everyone once a week, but don’t tell anyone it is you. See how contagious it gets when everyone else starts doing the same thing. Hysterical!

As your leaving a cafe or restaurant, ask your waitress if you can pay for someone’s bill and don’t tell them it’s you. I love this one, I always wait by the door and to see their face and then dash out.

Use acknowledgment as your weapon! Call or send a card to a shelter, a free clinic or charity and let them know what a great job you think they are doing and how much their work means to the community.

Now, I’m all jazzed up and hopefully you are too! Here’s the challenge, do something this week (or each week), and share it with us in a post so we can all be inspired! It’s so easy and it really doesn’t need to take a lot of money or time. Thanks for stopping by and have a great and safe New Year!

Please use this forum to ask any questions about any of our services. This is a venue provided to all those who seek advice and learning on Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Acu Soma Therapy, and Massage. If you have a general question for Christina Martin, please feel free to utilize this as well. We look forward to interacting with you.