Jennifer Wyatt, LAc.

New Changes, New Places

2011-09-11T08:03:00.000-07:00

Beginning October 1st, 2011, I will say goodbaye to the Herb Shoppe and will be practicing out of a new location. I have moved my practice to 917 SW Oak Street, Suite 300 across from the Burnside Powells Books. I think you will find this bright new clinic space as lovely and charming as I do. I will still be practicing on Saturdays, and hope to add some evening hours as well so please stay in touch.

I have a new website at www.jwyattacupuncture.wordpress.com. The site has new content about both me and my practice, and I will be continuing my blog postings there. You can also continue to conveniently book your appointments online at this site. Please change your bookmark to this new site so you are always viewing the most up to date information about my practice.

One very exciting new development with the move is that I will be offering shiatsu again after November 1st. Shiatsu is a full body acupressure treatment that is extremely relaxing and instills an overall sense of well being. Shiatsu is available to women without referral and to men on a referral basis only.

Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions about these changes. I look forward to seeing you in the new clinic.

Thanks, and be well!

Jennifer

From Yang to Yin and Back Again

2010-07-26T18:57:00.001-07:00

The transition, seemingly overnight, from a cold and damp spring to the hot blaze of summer provides an opportunity to contemplate the meaning of yin and yang. For many, the yin and yang are difficult ideas to grasp despite their seemingly simple symbolic meaning. As with many concepts in Chinese medicine, yin and yang at first appear as clear and distinct entities, easily grasped by out dualistic and comparmentalized style of thinking her in the West, until continued scrutiny leads to a proliferation of possibilities of interpretation. Are the yin and yang actual substances, either tangible or intangible, or are they just metaphors to describe certain aspects or attributes of things? The answer is yes, to all of the above. Yin and yang are pervasive throughout the natural world, and their interaction can be attributed to all sorts of transformative, cyclical movements within nature and ourselves.

The Chinese characters for yin and yang can be translated into the "shady" or "sunny side of the mountain" respectively. These images provide directional cues into their natures. Things which are yin in nature are dark, damp, cold, still, contractive, consolidated and substantial. Things which are yang in nature are light, dry, warm, moving, dispersive, and ethereal. While in opposition to one another, their positions are not static. Yin transforms to yang and back again, as the night transforms to day and winter transforms to summer only to return back in the other direction.

Don't let the appearance of separation in these natural phenomenon fool you. Yin and yang exist intertwined with one another, and this tight coupling drives the physiology of the body. The heart provides a clear example. The flesh of the heart muscle is yin, but the electroconductivity of the heart muscle is yang. One does not exist without the other, and yet they serve two distinct and different purposes. The muscular chambers of the heart holding the blood, and the contractile pumping of the heart moving the blood. Stillness to movement, substance to energy, a perpetual transformation and return.

Cultivating A Garden For Birds

2009-12-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

Since early autumn, I have been dedicating increasing amounts of time and effort towards maintaining a population of birds in my backyard. With each passing week, sources for water, food and shelter necessary to their livlihood have accumulated. First a birdbath and then a few feeders. I've collected downed limbs from my gigantic sweet gum trees in my front yard and propped them around my composter to create a hiding place for small birds, and mounted roosting boxes by my eaves to provide shelter from the wind and rain. When the temperatures dropped below freezing, each day I would set a bowl of steaming water on top of my frozen birdbath in the early morning to ensure they would have some access to water for drinking and bathing. I keep track of what they are eating, and who visits most frequently.

Years ago, one of my teachers who is a scholar of Chinese classical medicine said, "If there are cats in your garden, there will be no birds." She went on to explain that birds represent the sacred aspects of life as bestowed upon the Earth from Heaven, and cats are the desires that so easily take over our lives, the wants and petty jealousies.

In one of her books, she elaborates further:

"We speak of conduct of life. We could be more precise and say that the Spirits, sent abundantly and permanently to me by Heaven, hold the reins of the Breaths that constitute me. These Spirits are pleased to stay when they feel welcomed. It is natural to them to follow the seasons and to cause beings to behave in ways that help the harmony of the correct Breaths to be maintained. Health can always hit a snag from an irregularity that the environment can bring on, that a person's encumbered heart can provoke, and that the bad times one is living in can multiply."

This recessionary year has produced numerous challenges for people as they are forced to weigh their wants, needs, and desires against the resources available to them. Unfortunately, the stress and excess of the holiday season can exacerbate these feelings. Our internal landscape becomes a playground for cats and their love of bright and shiny desires, and it may become too crowded for any birds to rest there in peace.

As this year draws to a close, I wish for you all the ability to recognize the birds around you and to cultivate an internal garden without cats for their benefit.

This quote is taken from "Rooted in Sprit" by Elizabeth Rochat de la Valee.

Ginger - The Unlikely Hero

2009-07-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

When people enter a Chinese herbal pharmacy, they are immediately captivated by the herbs in both their beauty and strangeness. Flowers and fruits are simultaneously reassuring and unfamiliar. Barks and roots add colors and unusual textures. Everyone jumps a little at the site of the cicada skins, spooked by these ghostly insects even though their translucent exoskeletons are fragile enough to crumple under all but the lightest touch. (Trust me when I say there are far more frightening insects to be found amongst the jars of a Chinese pharmacy.) With all of these exotic sights and pungent smells it is easy to overlook the obvious. There is always one herb resting out in the open, perhaps on a cutting board, that never receives a second glance or a mention. The lowly ginger root, so common in food it is hardly thought of by most as medicinal. To the contrary, ginger is not only a delicious addition to various dishes, it is also a staple of the home pharmacy for its digestive and detoxifying properties.

Warm and spicy, ginger "wakes up" the digestion. One of ginger's greatest abilities is in the reduction of nausea. Keeping a box of ginger or ginger/cammomile tea can provide an easy solution to an upset stomach for a variety of reasons. Sugared ginger slices make both a delightful and effective digestive candy, in particular if you think you've eating something bad. While ginger does not cure food poisoning, it can be helpful at reducing the nausea and upset stomach that can linger. Ginger is also known to detoxify shellfish, making the pickled ginger an excellent complement to those rolls with crab at the sushi bar. Ginger may also be utilized in Chinese medicine to detoxify other herbs in a Chinese formula. Despite its humble appearance next to the exotic and rare herbs of a Chinese pharmacy, ginger plays a critical role in diet and in medicine.

The Migraine Brain

2009-07-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

Published in 2008, "The Migraine Brain" by Carolyn Bernstein, M.D. is an invaluable resource of information to understand and manage migraine conditions. Two key points form the book deserve special attention. First and foremost is the recognition and designation of migraine as a complex neurological phenomenon of which headache is only one symptom and not necessarily an essential one. Related to this neurological phenomenon is a wide range of symptoms including: pain on one side of the face or head, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, sensitivity to light or sound, strange feelings preceding the onset, slurred speech, and ringing in the ears. The author attributes migraine to a "superexcitability" of the brain, resulting in a "dramatic wave of electrical excitation" across the cerebral cortex, an area responsible for many complex functions all of which can be affected.

A second key point is the high individualistic manifestations which migraines may have. The book provides excellent guidance on determining and tracking symptoms, triggers, and solutions. It validates the breadth of complaints the migraine sufferer may have, and encourages their own active management and self-care of this condition.

These two characteristics, the complexity of migraine and its individualistic presentation, make migraine a condition well suited for treatment by Chinese medicine. The comprehensive system of diagnosis in Chinese medicine is inclusive of all aspects of a person's life and integrates physical symptoms with emotional aspects (including the effects of stress), as well as environmental factors. By addressing the person as a unique and whole entity within his or her life, Chinese medicine determines its therapeutic course of action based on this highly individualistic and comprehensive diagnosis. Rather than utilizing a "cookbook" style of treatment, i.e. feverfew is good for headache, Chinese medicine incorporates all aspects of the person's migraine manifestation to create a targeted and sophisticated treatment strategy for their particular presentation.

Migraine can be a devastating condition that is difficult and challenging to manage and treat. A person should approach it from as many angles as possible to reduce frequency of occurance and intensity. Beginning with a resource such as "The Migraine Brain" can provide essential guidance to understanding and addressing migraine proactively. Incorporating Chinese medicine from a licensed practitioner can provide valuable adjunct therapy to other courses of treatment utilized to manage this complex phenomenon.

Carolyn Bernstein, M.D. is the founder and director of the Women's Headache Center at Cambridge Health Alliance. She is a board certified neurologist and an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. In 2007, she wone the National Headache Foundation's Headache Healthcare Provider of the Year award. Her book is, "The Migraine Brain: Your Breakthrough Guide to Fewer Headaches and Better Health".

The Root is Breath

2009-06-22T18:32:00.000-07:00

Eastern medical and meditational practices can seem esoteric and mysterious to those who are newly learning about them. Many feel awkward and daunted by their novice status, and find it challenging to make the link between these practices and their modern lives. People seek solutions that they can see and touch. They want something new, something extra, something additional that they can claim is making them better. In this striving, they fail to recognize the essence of what passes through them every moment of their lives. Through inhalation and exhalation, the breath sustains us. The breath manifests itself in a myriad of forms, it transforms with our emotions, and transforms us when we harnass its patterns into mindful practice.

In Chinese medicine, the "Qi" is the active and transformative aspect of the body. Frequently translated as "energy", this characterization does more to simplify this concept for lay people use and to describe something intangible but does little to elucidate this complex and multi-faceted phenomenon. The Chinese character for Qi represents the steam the rises from a bowl of rice. Close your eyes and imagine you are inhaling the warm, moist steam as it rises quickly from a bowl of fresh hot rice. You inhale deeply to capture it before it dissipates, and hold the breath within you not wanting to release its too quickly back into the air. You can sense the nourishment within the rice through your breath. This nourishment is Qi, and the Qi is in your breath itself. They are connected and inseperable. Scholars of Chinese medicine will actually translate the character for Qi as "breath" rather than "energy". Through this meaning, it maintains the connection between the inside and the outside, and reminds us that we exist in relation to what is around us as well as what is within us.

Even the most inexperienced beginner to any of the Eastern disciplines has a wealth of foundational experience in one of the most important practices which is the cultivation of the breath. You don't need any certification or special training to begin to bring awareness to the pattern of your own breath. By recognizing this innate ability within you, you are already on the path to enhancing the wellness of your mind, body and spirit.

Thanks to Prananda Yoga for this beautiful and inspirational graphic. Prananda is currently located in the Kenton district in Portland, and will be moving to a new location at 7035 N. Concord Ave in July.

Temper

2009-06-09T19:02:00.000-07:00

A Zen student came to Bankei and complained: "Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?"
"You have something very strange," replied Bankei. "Let me see what you have."
"Just now I cannot show it to you," replied the other.
"When can you show it ot me?" asked Bankei.
"It arises unexpectedly," replied the student.
"Then," concluded Bankei, "it must not be your own true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time. When you were born you did not have it, and your parents did not give it to you. Think that over."

From Zen Flesh, Zen Bones.

A Bit of Zen: My Heart Burns Like Fire

2009-05-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

In the morning before dressing, light incense and meditate.
Retire at a regular hour. Partake of food at regular intervals. Eat with moderation and never to the point of satisfaction.
Receive a guest with the same attitude you have when alone. When alone, maintain the same attitude you have in receiving guests.
Watch what you say, and whatever you say, practice it.
When an opportunity comes do not let it pass by, yet always think twice before acting.
Do not regret the past. Look to the future.
Have the fearless attitude of a hero and the loving heart of a child.
Upon retiring, sleep as if you had entered your last sleep. Upon awakening, leave your bed behind you instantly as if you had cast away a pair of old shoes.

(Zen Flesh, Zen Bones)

The Accomplishment of Rest

2009-05-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

When patients give me an update since their previous visit, they typically provide me with two pieces of information. One is what tasks, projects or activities they have accomplished. Closely following this is what they would have accomplished if they had felt better, been less tired or felt less affected by their health concerns. Together we evaluate these two measures to determine whether there have been improvements or changes, and strategieze towards the next steps. There is the expectation that the intervention (acupuncture, herbs, supplements, etc.) will lead to improvements which will later be measured at their next visit through the perceived increase in the accomplishment of tasks, projects and activities.

While it is reasonable to utilize measurements of activity to evaluate the progression of a condition and the efficacy of treatment, it may obscure the role of patients' behavior as a whole, and put an inappropriate emphasis on the need to be perpetually active. It is a slippery slope to believe that increased health is always the equivalent of increased activities. Whether it is due to the Western culture of "work hard, play hard", a Puritan work ethic, or meeting the desire to "keep up with the Joneses", the drive is always to do more regardless of its cost. I would like to encourage an opposing viewpoint that to do less is a critical accomplishment, the accomplishment of rest.

Few of us rest. A lot of us relax (although some of us don't even do that). Hobbies, sports, television...all of these activities are considered fun and relaxing, and hence a break from work. But they are not rest. Criteria for rest include lying or sitting in a supported position, eyes closed (preferably) or not actively watching anything, not actively listening and not thinking. For example, watching the news and simultaneously knitting is not resting. Sitting in the backyard watching the clouds drift by is. Resting in being uncommitted to a particular activity and unplugged from any dedicated attention.

For many of us, it would probably be a greater accomplishment to obtain 15 minutes of true rest than to do one more load of laundry or answer a few more emails. Yet I would also guess that if asked which one would make them feel better, most people would choose the activity over the rest. If they are a person who complains of being tired, stressed out or burned out, then the key question is "why?". Because understanding what keeps people from resting (and recovering) from the stresses of their lives is as important as any additional intervention I can provide.

We are all being increasingly pressured to believe that doing something is always more important than doing nothing, and the unfortunate outcome of this belief is the diminishing value attributed to rest. What is being lost is the recognition that doing nothing, that resting, is what enables us to do the things that are most important to us better. It give us the space to recognize our priorities, and enables us to act strategically rather than reactively. It allows us to integrate our experiences, our thoughts and our feelings into meaningful and coherent patterns that we can draw upon later for strength and resiliency. It nourishes our creativity through eliminating the constraints of being perpetually occupied with something. It invites a dialogue between the external world and ourselves through the recognition of a valued present moment. What is accomplished during rest is invaluable and irreplacable. Find that space, take a breath, and then another. Repeat until fully rested. It is all you need to do.

Herbal Formulas and the Art of the Dinner Party

2009-05-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

With the increasing awareness of herbal medicine, health and lifestyle magazines frequently highlight the benefits of certain individual herbs. From the Chinese pharmacopia, herbs such as astragalus, ginger, and goji berries are likely candidates for this spotlight. What is missing from these pieces is the importance of utilizing these herbs in formulas, or combinations with other herbs. With the exception of Chinese herbs that are utilized habitually in cooking (including ginger and many spices), Chinese herbal medicine is concentrated around the utilization of formulas. Much as sitting down with a bowl of mashed potatoes may be enjoyable, it is hardly a replacement for a complete Thanksgiving dinner! Chinese herbal formulas involve putting together all of the ingredients to form a complete treatment for the patient, much as putting together all of the requisite dishes compose a complete meal.

As with a dinner party, a good menu is not sufficient for success; the guests themselves play an active role. Temperments, personalities, opinions and habitual behaviors all must be considered in who to invite to ensure the greatest enjoyment and minimal conflict. Like the dinner party guests, all herbs have unique individual characteristics that can be utilized to better effects in a formula. Herbs are selected not only for their characteristics as individuals, but for their abilities to work with the other herbs in the formula. Each herb in a formula has specific role to play which influences its dosage within the formula. The goal is to create the same balance and harmony in a formula as you would in the milieu of your dinner party.

The benefits of combining herbs include the following: increased positive effects from herbs working synergistically with one another, reduction in side effects through counterbalancing the actions of different herbs, increased digestability of richer or stickier herbs, and the decrease in toxicity effects of certain herbs. Perhaps most importantly, herbal formulas utilize a comprehensive approach that enables the treatment of complex and multi-symptom health problems as opposed to a symptomatic approach of using one herb per symptom, a "cookbook" style that will most likely not be particularly effective.

These special relationships between herbs have been utilized in Chinese medicine for centuries and are captured in the structure of classical Chinese formulas. Classical formulas are derived through an understanding of these beneficial relationships, and formula selection is based on a complex system of differential diagnosis. It is a common misunderstanding to think that a Chinese formula is selected based on a symptom, such as headache, especially since many health magazines and natural food stores present herbal information in this fashion. To the contrary, Chinese herbal formulas are selected by Chinese herbalists based on an individual's diagnosis to best tailor the treatment for maximum effectiveness and minimize any adverse effects.

Find A Needle If The Haystack Makes You Sneeze

2009-04-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

Spring is the embodiment of expectations. We yearn for it when the weather is cold and bleak, and the winter days are long. Our bodies and minds are attuned to the slightest shift in the weather towards warmth and light, and we seek out these subtle signs of newness to encourage us to shake off the residual darkness of winter and open our arms to possibilities. Spring means change. Not ordinary change, but the extraordinary change that comes when things are new and renewed.

Unfortunately, all of this celebratory newness of spring can be overwhelming for the immune systems of many people. Budding, blossoming, and blooming produce an abundance of pollen drifting on the spring breezes. For many, the body's response to harbingers of spring is the overreaction of the immune system known as allergies including: sinus congestion, sneezing, headache, itching and watering eyes, and hives. Spring allergies not only produce enormous discomfort, but also result in feeling cloudy, irritable, and stuck. It is hard to rush out into spring and all of its potential with your eyes bleary and your nose raw!

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs together can help reduce the symptoms of allergies. Acupuncture can not only provide immediate relief of symptoms, but is also have a cumulative effect over time of reducing discomfort. Recent studies published in the Amercian Journal of Epidemiology and in the European Journal of Integrative Medicine confirmed the efficacy of utilizing acupuncture in the treatment of allergies, with persons receiving acupuncture scoring higher on a "quality of life" scale after three months of treatment. Additionally, there are nutritional therapies that can be utilized outside of allergy season to reduce symptoms of allergies when spring does arrive. By combining these efforts, even allergy sufferers can embrace the beauty of spring in all of its manifestations.

Great Expectations in Acupuncture

2009-04-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

People unfamiliar with acupuncture often look at practitioners' websites for what to expect from treatment. Unfortunately, most practitioners meet these inquiries with Q & A's about whether it will hurt, how long it will take, and what they will feel. They almost never discuss what to expect in terms of results. There is a phrase in Chinese used to describe acupuncture as, "a pole that when raised in the sun immediately casts its shadow". This shadow represents the immediate effects that are apparent with skilled acupuncture. And this is a valid expectation of an acupuncture treatment: that you will feel better when the treatment is complete.

How profound these immediate results are can be subject to various conditions. Like snowfall, when conditions are right it does not take long to completely transform the landscape. As an acupuncturist, my treatments are focused on these types of transformations including the relief of pain or other physical distress, increase mental relaxation and clarity, and restoration of a sense of well-being. This is especially true of acute injuries such as sprains, strains, colds and flus, in which the immediate symptoms can be significantly alleviated and the length of illness reduced. Sometimes patients will tell me, "I didn't know if I should keep my appointment because I am sick" which is indicative to me that other practitioners either aren't communicating the potential for, or aren't delivering, strong immediate results. The purpose of acupuncture becomes extremely narrow if you can only utilize it for maintenance of your already existing healthy state.

As with snow, it may take a certain amount of time for an amount to accumulate. Such is also the case with acupuncture in which repeated treatments lead to a cumulative effect of improvement. For chronic conditions, this repetition of treatment may be necessary to acheive lasting results. While there may be periods of slower improvement or plateaus, the goal is always for continuous improvement toward greater health, reduced discomfort and overall increase in quality of life. Treatments should always reflect this expectation that they will bring improvement and strive to meet it with the greatest efficacy.