“It is better to listen to a Crow that lives in trees than to a ‘learned’ man who lives only in ideas” (Kate Horsely). 

So if you have been vibing with me for a while, you know that I hate Squirrels. I actually don't “hate” Squirrels, per se (since they are God's creatures), but I despise their actions in that they eat up all the vegetables in my garden. I also am not particularly fond of Snakes. I respect the message of their Animal Spirit Medicine but they give me the heeby-jeebies because they have no legs and just slither around (ewwww!), often catching me off-guard.  Granted, I’ve had my share of experiences with Snake as part of my Shamanic training in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize, Peru and the Caribbean, but my human nature Self stays far from them! So back to today's post - this is about Crows.

Why do you all hate Crows? Why do you feel they are dark and evil and represent Black Magic? (These are the commentaries I hear when I talk to the uninformed). True story: I did date a guy once waaaay back in the day who was deathly scared of ALL birds because of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, “The Birds”, and he came to my home only once, never to return because I had 2 lovebirds and a Cockatiel named Mitzi who was the Boss of everything (ba ha ha ha! Needless to say that relationship never lasted; but I digress!)….. So Crows are often confused with Ravens – truth be told, there are actually 5 species of Crows with Raven being 1, and Raven being the bigger of the 2.

Let me tell you about my observations and my experience with Crow medicine. Crows are really curious creatures. I love watching them watch me, tilting their head to one side, eyeing me up & down with 1 eye, muttering every now and then, and yes - I talk back to them. “What message do you have for me today, my Friend?” I usually ask, and then I tilt my head and study them, mirroring their behavior and muttering back in response in my best Crow language. I’m sure my neighbors think I’ve gone mad!

When I hear Crow speak, I am instantly drawn to see what all the commotion is about as typically they are very loud, boisterous and vociferous. Crow’s call demands attention as if they are alerting you or some other Animal friend of something they deem to be important whether it is a warning or caution or they are actually arguing. On Tuesdays when the trash goes out, I now make sure the lid is totally closed on the garbage can, because they will eat everything and I’ve had them ransack my trash cans and create a mess on the sidewalk. I remember coming down the driveway one morning, and Crow was on my roof just carefully watching me with that 1 eye and a cocked head, and the minute I drove off, I heard him squawking loudly, only to look in my rear-view mirror and see the family ripping apart my garbage bags. Apparently, he was the watchman and alerted the others that I was leaving :-).

Crows teach us there is strength in numbers so the message is ‘Don’t go it alone; call on your Brothers for help and protection”. Now I have also heard them just having regular conversations in my tree, and I swear I’ve heard 1 or 2 literally grumbling to themselves (or that’s what it sounds like to me as I’ve been listening to them for years).  Some people say they’re thieves and that they are bullies because they are not easily intimidated (I love this about Crows). They also have a bad rep for being aggressive (saw a bunch of them gang-up on a random cat just casually meandering down the sidewalk (but probably as payback if you ask me). I have also seen & heard them fighting with the Blue Jays and Mockingbirds (territory? food? dominance?).  When Crow speaks, he says “Pay attention!” If you study them you’ll hear distinct differences in the language of the Crow and can even learn how to communicate with them.

Crows are quite social and are not usually loners. You may see one perched on a light-pole or on a branch somewhere, but listen carefully and you’ll hear them communicating with a partner somewhere in the distance, almost like a ‘call-and-response’ pattern. When I hear this pattern of ‘speech’, I remind myself I am long overdue to attend a kirtan, or to take some time to do some chanting. A lone Crow by himself is usually the one who posts-up and keeps look-out for the others in the group. Speaking of group, did you know that a bunch of Crows together is called a “Murder” of Crows? When Crow speaks, take it as reminder to reach out, connect, communicate and commiserate with your Cronies. Study Crow's behaviors and movements, and practice their calls too and show them you are willing to work with them.

Which brings me to another really cool fact about Crows: they are pretty intelligent creatures and quite generous. If you are generous and kind to them they will repay you by gifting you with trinkets (like a bottle top or soda can pop top). Did you know that in the Bible, the prophet Elijah was fed by Ravens and Crows while hiding in the wilderness east of the Jordan River (1st Kings 17: 2-16)?  How cool is that! There are even stories of Crows bringing coins or dollars they steal to offer to you as a gift for your generosity (I’ve not been that lucky). I put feed and water out for the birds in my backyard so I’m always finding random trinkets in random places in my yard, so I now have a collection of small stones and glass marbles in a pile near their favorite tree on my lawn so they can go ‘shopping’ for trinkets to gift to others if they so choose.

Crows are quite magical creatures. The symbolism of Birds in general is that since they are associated with flight, they can ascend from the lower Earth realm to bring your prayers and petitions to ‘God’ in the Upper Realms, and remind you to let your dreams take flight. They’ve always been associated with magic, having had a reputation of being the Consorts and Familiars of witches and magicians, so when Crow speaks, call on your magical powers. Don’t be afraid of the dark. Meditate and ask Crow to take your prayers from the dark to the Light, to the Spirit realm for healing for yourself or others. This is especially a beautiful ritual that can be done at the Winter Solstice.
​
I love my Crows and I hope you get to know them too. If you would like to study about Crows and other animal totems, I’d recommend the following authors for their magical work with the members of the animal kingdom and Spirit Medicine: Stephen Farmer and Ted Andrews – see references below.  
“If men had wings and bore black feathers, few of them would be clever enough to be Crows”.  (Henry Ward Beecher)
In good health,
Dr. Audrey Steele, Acupuncture Physician
www.Acupuncture4YourHeath.com
References:
Ted Andrews. (1999).  Animal-Wise; The Spirit Language and Signs of Nature. Dragon Heart Publishing.
Ted Andrews. (2007).  Animal Speak; The Spiritual Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small. Llewellyn Publications.
Stephen D. Farmer. (2006)  Animal Spirit Guides and Earth Magic.
Stephen D. Farmer. (2004). Power Animals – How to Connect with Your Animal Spirit Guide.

I was born in the Caribbean and currently live in Florida so I can tell you a thing or 2 about Summer and heat. Unfortunately, I was reminded - TODAY! - just how quickly you can clinically deteriorate if you're not paying attention. I just had the fencing around my property replaced, and the Weather-Man was threatening afternoon rains so I was hell-bent on getting the yard back in shape before the afternoon storms rolled in. Mind you, we've been having temperatures in the high 90s with heat index running in the 100s per Mr. WeatherMan (like most of the United States). Forgot to drink; Didn't take a break; Sweated like a fiend! SIX HOURS LATER...... I am dizzy, lightheaded, flushed beet-red, panting like a puppy, heart beating a-mile-a-minute, nauseous, headache, and noticed really concentrated urine (only a small amount at that!). That was my cue to get inside the house into some air-conditioning. I laid on the "cold" tile floor in the kitchen with my feet up (old nursing trick) until I felt steady enough to sit up and drink some lemonade. Lesson learned! Heat Cramps can quickly deteriorate to Heat Exhaustion, and if untreated,  Heat Stroke. 

In Chinese Medicine, there are multiple Patterns of Heat Syndrome so this post will not cover all the various diagnoses. In this instance, our TCM Diagnosis is Summer Heat,  with Treatment Principle to Replenish Yin (fluids) to clear Heat.
Symptoms may extend anywhere along the continuum (Heat Cramps, Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke) from the ones listed above that I was experiencing that day, all the way to symptoms of Heat Stroke, resulting in red skin, profuse sweating, confusion or delirium, lethargy and high fever. This is a true emergency so you will need to seek medical advice ASAP!

Prevention/Treatment Suggestions:

• Drink, drink, drink! I enjoy coconut water (fresh coconut water is ideal and a lovely treat, but avoid those packaged with added sugar). Other options include your favorite sports drink (watch sugar content as well), popsicles, fruit-infused water, mint or cucumber infused water, chrysanthemum flower tea (you can find this in the Oriental grocery store), and fruits with a high water content (such as cucumber, melons, berries).
• Take a cool shower, jump in the pool, &/or apply a cold rag/ice-pack to back of neck or forehead . I always keep  on hand in the freezer those eye masks that you can whip out in a flash; a bag of frozen peas/veggies  work well too :-)
• Avoid hot, spicy, greasy foods, warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, garlic and pepper, and definitely avoid alcoholic beverages which tend to dehydrate.
• See your local acupuncturist as we do have acupuncture points and Chinese herbal formulas that can help to Clear Heat.

More importantly, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure so: pace yourself, take frequent breaks, avoid the midpoint of the day when the sun is at its peak, and  hydrate, hydrate, HYDRATE!
"The thing with heat is no matter how cold you are and no matter how much you need warmth, it always eventually becomes too much". (Victoria Aveyard)
In good health;
​Dr. Audrey Steele
Licensed Acupuncture Physician
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com

Haven't posted in awhile (#LifeHappens) but felt called today on this last day of March, to address a topic that for some remains scary, unspoken and (sadly) attached to some false assumptions.

March is National Colo-Rectal Cancer Awareness month. That's not the scary part. Colo-Rectal cancer discriminates against no-one and targets no one particular age-group. Contrary to popular opinion, you don't have to be a certain age group to be at risk for cancer. (Caveat: There are some types of cancers associated with certain races). That's not the sad part. We've heard recently in the news about the deaths attributed to colon cancer in far too many "young people", and based on the public's reaction to the news of Celebrities who lost their lives due to colon cancer, it seems that we've been blindsided by this statistic. Working in the medical field, I witness routinely the impact of this diagnosis on the patients entrusted in our care. It's all over social media posts, as well as in my circle of acquaintances (and their family, and their friends, and their acquaintances, and so on, and so on...), that regular folks like you & me are impacted daily as well. What's sad is that this is a preventable, treatable AND curable disease, and early screening is available but often not accessed for a variety of reasons.
Common misconceptions about colon cancer:

• "I am too young to get colon cancer". This is very much a fallacy and a costly one at that. I think we were all blown away by the news of Chadwick Boseman's death , for example, from colon cancer at such a young age.
• "Colonoscopies hurt". They don't actually. This is a procedure that is done under anesthesia so you are not consciously aware from start to finish which means you feel no discomfort during or after the procedure. Well, there is a lot of gas afterwards so be prepared! The anesthetic agent is short-acting so you usually wake up in the recovery area about 30' later, and - in my personal experience - it's a gentle awakening without any  drugged, dazed, groggy, feeling. Of course, they do caution you to not make major decisions, sign contracts or agreements, operate heavy machinery or drive after the procedure.
• "Sorry, my butt is off-limits! Exit only!" Seriously, I can't believe we really have to address this but unfortunately I still hear this too often; it's NOT  funny, and it's the poorest excuse ever. Period!
• "I will literally feel worse starving myself to prep for the colonoscopy". Granted, for those of us who don't routinely fast or do smoothie meal replacement drinks, it's a paradigm shift to not physically chew your food for a day and to just 'drink your meals' instead. No, you won't starve, and doing it the right way will ease and even prevent some of the discomforts you are anticipating with not physically "eating" all day. 

Risk Factors Include (but are not limited to):

• ​Sex: Colo-rectal cancer has been known to be more prevalent in males but is not limited to them only. It affects women as well (remember Farrah Fawcett-Majors & Eartha Kitt? They succumbed to colo-rectal cancer as well despite treatment).
• Race: African-Americans and Ashkenazi Jews (Jews born of Eastern European descent) show a significant  higher incidence of colon cancer and mortality.
• Age: Yes, the incidence of colon cancer increases with age (90% occurrence after age 50, hence why they recommend colonoscopies when you hit the big 5-0), but various factors can put the younger population at risk, including family history and genetics, exposure to toxins, history of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease). EAO-CRC (Early Age Onset Colo-Rectal Cancer) is the term now used to describe those affected by colon cancer who are younger than 50 yrs old, so they are now considering lowering the age for screening colonoscopies to age 45 or younger. 
• Diet: A diet high in red meat or processed meats, foods cooked at high temperatures and alcohol consumption have been linked to colon cancer. Low Vitamin D levels have also been associated with a higher incidence of this type of cancer.
• Smoking: Probably this will be the most acknowledged risk factor as it increase the risk of all forms of cancer.

Symptoms:
According to the American Cancer Society, most colo-rectal cancers start off as changes in the lining of the colon and present as polyps, although not all polyps are cancerous. Over time, these cell can invade any or all of the mucosal layers of the intestinal wall, eventually invading blood or lymph vessels and spreading to other parts of the body. Changes in bowel habits, blood in stool, unexplained weight loss and fatigue are some of the common symptoms, but I personally know people and have taken care of patients who noticed no symptoms at all. There are at-home screening kits available so please consult your physician if you have any questions if this is right for you.
Lifestyle Changes:

• Dietary modifications: Eat more unprocessed foods, fresh fruits and vegetables and increase your intake of fiber and whole grains. Reduce your consumption of alcohol and abstain from smoking.
• Stress management: Maintaining an active lifestyle is not only good for your physical health, it's a great way to reduce stress and support your mental well-being as well. Start slowly and gradually increase to tolerance.
• Early screening: Current recommendations are for screening colonoscopy at age 50, but they are now looking at lowering the age to 45 in specific populations who are at risk. Early identification is key.

How To Survive Your Pre-Procedural Prep:
Having just gone through this myself, AGAIN, (for a second time!), I can offer a couple tips to help prepare you for your colonoscopy. Disclaimer: This does not constitute medical advice; this was just my experience so please follow your doctor's recommendations for your procedure. I found what was helpful for me on the clear liquid prep day was to: 

• Pace myself with the liquids (I found I got nauseous if I drank too much too fast).
  
• Now's as good a time as any to take a probiotic in the morning if you're not already including this supplement in your diet. Your gastro-enterologist will talk with you about any medicines or supplements you are taking that will need to be held prior to your procedure.
  
• Vary your flavors. I personally don't care for green or lemon Jello® so I opted for pineapple instead. I also abhor sports drinks, so as much as they were recommended, I thumbed my nose at them. Apple juice gives me heartburn so I substituted white peach and white cranberry juice instead. Sprite® or Ginger-ale® is always a good option as there is something to be said for a big, deep burp and was an excellent choice for a carbonated beverage. And my absolute favorite clear liquid of all time: coconut water! Get the one with no added sugar and you will have Nature's perfect electrolyte replacement, great for your before prep and to rehydrate after.
  
• Prep your liquids the night before.  Along with the juices above, I included a jug of water with some citrus slices & mint leaves floating in it overnight for a tasty & refreshing infused water blend.  Juices tend to to be loaded with sugar and I don't do sugar-free-anything so water is a welcome filler and cleanser and has no calories. 
  
• Plain broth gets boring so I chose bone broth for nutritional value and jazzed it up with some Thai basil, lemongrass & kefir lime leaves for an exotic clear liquid broth. I was concerned about salt intake so I limited myself to 1 cup for lunch and 1 cup for dinner, all the while pretending to be in Thailand as I sipped this delicacy. And while we're on the subject of fantasizing, there is something to be said for mindful eating, so take your break and savor the moment and the flavors with each meal break. It'll make the experience a little more pleasant and tolerable.
  
• For texture, I "chewed" my Jello® so I actually  felt like i was "eating" something. And surprisingly enough, a great chewable dessert treat can be those yellow or clear-colored Gummy-Worm® snacks (they actually melt after chewing). What can I say; old habits are hard to break. 
• Speaking of chewing, I do recommend weaning yourself off solid foods couple days before, so for instance, I had no red meat the week before, had only 1 animal protein per day x3 days, bulked up on my high fiber foods, and did homemade cabbage & spinach soup plus steamed veggies 2 days before the actual prep day. This was just my personal choice as I wanted to wean myself off of my typical high carb, high animal protein, 3 solid meals per day (nope, not the best diet but hence why I do need to stay on top of my scheduled screenings).
  
• I would also add here that I feel like I should have stayed home the day of my liquid prep as - in hindsight - I don't think I was as sharp and energetic as I would have liked to be, and had to concentrate on concentrating on my tasks at work. I think for my next colonoscopy, if I am still working (I pray I'm retired by then!), I will stay home and relax..... And be closer to the bathroom (what goes in, must come out so if you're drinking all that liquid all day, then half your day will be spent running to the bathroom.
  
• I am notorious for being an overachiever so of course, I planned on going back to work the next day but quickly found out when the alarm went off and I leapt out of bed, that I had no energy to think much less do anything physical. I ended up having to call off work that day, and spent the day going from couch to bed and rehydrating in between.  Next time I think I will schedule my procedure on a Friday so I can rest on the weekend. 
  
• Last note: gradually wean back in your meals once your procedure is complete and you're fully awake and oriented. I rewarded myself with a delicious and healthy breakfast at my favorite local diner, but found I could only eat 1/2 of my plate (which is a good thing as a) I told myself my tummy shrunk, and b) I had leftovers for dinner that day (who has energy to cook?).
  

Of course, having said all that, I end this long post (I've been accused of writing waaaaay too much), with a reminder that this was my personal experience and given with the intention that I hope it serves an example of how normal and necessary this procedure is. No, it is not given as medical advice, but I hope you are encouraged to be proactive in your health. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, they say. 
#NoShame2MyGame;  #ColoRectalCancerAwarenessMonth
#NothingEmbarassingAboutColonHealth
March, being National ColoRectal Cancer Awareness month, here are some links for further information on colo-rectal cancer:
www.ccalliance.org
www.cancer.org
www.fightcolorectalcancer.org 
In good health,
Dr. Audrey Steele, Acupuncture Physician
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com  

​“I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion” (Henry David Thoreau)

Fabulous Fall - Continuation of the “Seasons Series”:  Fall/Autumn from a Chinese Medicine perspective.
Fall is by far my most favorite season of the year.  It brings us the best of both worlds – warm days, cool nights; and even here in Florida, we do get some color changes in the leaves.  Big fat mums replace impatiens, marigolds and day lilies; Apple cider, squashes & pumpkins take over for watermelon & strawberries; and for true Floridians  (like I’ve now become) – we stay out of the water if it’s less than 80 degrees, while the Snowbirds (visiting northerners) find any excuse to frolic in the waves. As we move through the seasons, we migrate away from the burst of energy and forward movement of Spring (Liver/Gallbladder), the scorching heat & passion of summer (Heart/Small Intestine), to the somewhat more reflective, preparatory phase of Autumn (Lung/Large Intestine).  Here is where we begin to get ready for the “harshness” of winter (we don’t have harsh winters in Florida; that’s why I moved here from New York years ago).  Now we look forward to canning our excess summer produce, stock up on firewood (in the colder regions), and hanging out by the firepit with friends.  In #ChineseMedicine, the representative Yin organ for the Fall season is Lung with its paired system and Yang counterpart, the Large Intestine.
Organ Pairing:  Lung/Large Intestine
Large intestine is all about control and the process of letting go, or holding on to 'crap' (literally & figuratively) that we have no control over.  Patients who present to me with Large Intestine channel pathology usually complain of constipation or diarrhea, or label themselves with IBS (Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome).  Those with Lung channel issues frequently have pulmonary symptoms such as allergies, asthma, sore throats or colds (hence the increase in sale of flu vaccines around this time of the year).  Energetically, they often suffer from unexpressed sadness & grief that – having been bottled up over time – can lead to the physical symptomatology seen in the respiratory system. The sense organ for Fall is the nose (“Lungs open into the nose”) and the representative body part is the skin (“Lungs manifest on the skin”).  During Autumn we also tend to see a rash (no pun intended) of skin issues such as rashes, eczema, and psoriasis.  Probiotics help boost immunity, so try adding this to your diet to help prevent infections.   A good healthy regime that acknowledges and is in sync with the nature of the seasons can do wonders to stave off seasonal disorders, and especially so in the Fall.  Since Fall is about letting go (leaves know this when they carpet Earth’s floor for us in a blanket of golds, reds and browns), now is the perfect time to get rid of clutter around the house (ideal time for a yard sale!), deadhead old flower blooms, weed out the gardens (our grounds here in Florida are soft from all the Summer rain so weeds come up easily now), and clean out our colons from too much barbeque and margaritas. *Detox anyone?*  The representative element of Fall is Metal, color is white, direction is West, climate is Dryness, and the representative time is 3am-7am (3-5am = Lung time; 5-7am = Large Intestine time). Metal constitution people tend to be organized and upright, precise and direct (think “sword”), while folks who wake up between 3-5am (not because of an alarm clock) probably have some loss, sadness or grief that needs to be processed.
 Representative Flavor/Taste/Food:  Spicy/Pungent
In keeping with the inward (and downward) nature of Fall, we now trade in our watermelon and strawberries for apples, figs, fat Concord grapes and root vegetables.  Those beautiful Autumn squashes, carrots, beets and pumpkins are not just for decoration y’know?  Roast them & sprinkle with a little olive oil and some warming spices, or warm them up in a stew with some beans.  For a seasonal treat, bake up an apple “pie-let” or fig tart (skip the crust & just chop up the fruits with a smidge of brown sugar/molasses/cinnamon & warm up in the oven (there are so many quick & simple recipes out there on the Web).  Or enjoy Nature’s sweetness  by tossing back a handful of luscious Concord grapes while lounging  around like the Emperor/Empress that you are (while reflecting of course). I can’t have enough of black Mission or brown Turkey figs this month; thank goodness they’re available and on sale everywhere I go.  White mushrooms nourish Yin, and pears are perfect this time of year as they nourish Lung Yin and relieve Dryness, but you definitely want to limit cold temperature (& cold energy) foods like ice-cream, milk, yogurt etc. as they produce Phlegm/mucus (Lung is “the container for Phlegm” – you wouldn’t want to do that to Lung, would you?).
Representative Emotions:  Grief/Sadness; Representative Sound:  Crying
Now is the time for being introspective - turning inward & for reflection.  Ask yourself:  who or what do I need to let go of?  What losses have I refused to mourn and release so I can move on?  Many people have what’s been termed “Seasonal Affective Disorder” or SAD Syndrome, and legitimately don’t like this time of year (and even further into the winter season) because the days are shorter so with less sunlight around, they tend to feel a little blue.  Acknowledge this, take 15 minutes walking around in the fresh air (if you’re able to do this early in the morning, your Lungs will LOVE the crisp coolness of the clean Autumn air), and watch how Nature honors the Fall.  Be sure to avoid too much wind though, especially on the back of your neck, so nice idea to carry a scarf with you (my daughter is a pro at wearing a scarf that she deftly tosses around her neck with the ease & expertise of a 5th Avenue Fashionista - *you go, Girl!)
 
As Fall began (9/23/2019 actually marked the first day of the Autumn season this year *AND* we got to herald in the Fall Equinox on that same day!), we now have a chance to reflect on all the wonderful, seasonal/celestial events going on in the month of October:  October 13th  heralds the Full Moon in Aries, aka “Hunter’s Moon”, “Blood Moon” and “Travel Moon” (enjoy a yummy Chinese mooncake on this day); the New Moon in Scorpio is October 28th; and the Sun is in Libra until October 23rd when it enters Scorpio. See your local #Acupuncturist for a Fall tune-up to prepare you for the upcoming Winter.  And as if we needed any more reasons to love the month of October, Chinese Medicine practitioners all over the world will celebrate "National Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Awareness Day" on 10/24/2019 this year. Stop by your local Acupuncturist & find out more about this ancient and effective medicine. In the meantime enjoy these beautiful days of Fall in Florida; Sunsets beachside are gonna be gorgeous!

*PS: Welcome back to my seasonal Floridians ("Snowbirds"). It's time to schedule your maintenance visit - please call or email me to book your appointment. And for those interested in Community Acupuncture (group acupuncture in a relaxed setting), grab your yoga mat, blanket & pillow, and join us at The Spot in Belleiar Bluffs for our affordable monthly "Tension Tamer Happy Hour" session. Call for details. See you soon.
In good health!
Audrey Steele, L.Ac.
727-417-8307
[email protected]
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com
 
* Disclaimer: This information is educational in nature only, and is NOT intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as diagnosis, treatment, or prescription of any kind. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader. 

  Mothers are strange Beings, they are.  I say this lovingly, being a mother myself.  So in honor of Mothers’ Day, I dedicate this post to mothers everywhere, especially to mine, and anticipatorily to my daughter when she herself becomes a mother (insha’Allah, God willing). In order to understand mothers, you have to either be a mother, or get inside the mind of a mother to understand how they operate.  So this is my experience with the MIND of a mother, and things we say as mothers.

“MIND your manners”
This simple statement serves as a reminder to remember how you were raised and the values your mother tried to instill in you from childhood.  This includes being respectful to everyone that crosses your path, for example saying ‘good morning’ to anyone that you meet regardless of their age, socioeconomic status or stature in life; responding with “yes Sir” or “no Ma’am to those who are older than you; being polite; and saying ‘please’ & ‘thank you’.  It’s just common courtesy, what decent folks do.  Failure to observe this principle would result in a roll of the eyes and a shake of the head in disbelief and disapproval, while murmuring loud enough for you to hear: “Tsk, tsk, tsk.  No home training; no brought-upsy!”  Ouch!  Those words hurt more than the whip, because you knew it meant you had disappointed your mother, almost implying (far be it from the truth) that the household had failed to raise you right and you were probably raised by ‘hooligans’.

“My MIND told me not to go to the party”
This really is about precautionary intuition and trusting your gut instincts.  Mothers just seem to know who the ‘wrong crowd’ is, when trouble is afoot or something smells fishy.  I can tell you from my own experiences with the subtle warnings I’ve been given by my mother, that I have now learned to listen to her and to heed her advice, no matter how unwarranted they may seem at the time.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve avoided trouble, accidents, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time, just because my mum had a feeling about something.  Her intuitive mind also keeps her in tune with and connected to those to whom she holds dear:  “My MIND just ran across your cousin in Boise, Idaho” (only to be followed by a phone call from said cousin a day later).  I do wish my mother’s intuitive mind would give her the winning numbers to our lottery drawing….. Alas, apparently we have to work in this lifetime, she says.

“MIND your own business” (aka ‘MYOB’).
This doesn’t concern you.  Stay in your lane. What should be on your mind - that you’re giving attention to - should be your own issues and concerns. This is grown folks’ business.  All self-explanatory.  May or may not be accompanied by “Have you lost your MIND?!!!”  The first is actually a directive; the 2nd is a statement of sheer disbelief, not a question.  Either way, you don’t want to hear either of these too many times from a mother as it may result in some form of punishment :-)  Now because you’re not the only one with issues of the mind, you may also find her shaking her head in bewilderment, muttering under her breath: “I’m not sure where my MIND was, but I did or didn’t do x, y or z…......”  I get such a tickle out of this when my mother does this, because I get to gloat & screech with delight: “Aha! I knew you lost YOUR mind!” (ba ha ha ha! :-) Payback is sweet although short-lived).

“Never MIND, my dear”
When life seems hard or overwhelming and you just want to run away from the hurt, “Never mind my dear” becomes the most comforting sentiment you’ll hear from a mother. Most often it is followed by the rest of the sentence: “God never gives you more than you can bear”.  It means she understands and cares, and with her words she would wish away all your pain if she could.  It is simultaneously a  supportive attempt to remind you not to worry too much or carry a burden on your mind, as well as a prayer to a Power greater than us for strength, and the “peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

“You can do it if you put your MIND to it”
A mother believes in you and encourages you.  ‘Nose to the grindstone’, she reminds you. She knows how capable you are because she herself has survived the unthinkable or the impossible. She wants more for you than she had for herself.  That strength and perseverance is in your ancestral DNA, and is there for you to remember, to return to, and to call on.  With consistent and laser-like focus on the end result, you can achieve your ‘possible’.  Failure is not an option in her vocabulary.  She lives - not vicariously through you - but for you to live up to your fullest potential and for you to believe yourself to be the success that she knows you are.

I am mindful today of what it truly means to be a mother. Thank you, Mother, for believing in me, for supporting me, for pushing me, for protecting me, for nurturing me, for advising me, for being patient with me, for loving me.  All that I am I owe to you. “I remember my mother’s prayers for they have always followed me.  They have clung to me all my life” (Abraham Lincoln).
Audrey Steele, L.Ac.
Acupuncture Physician

I've been involved in Ritual work for almost as many years as I've walked this Earth (not including past lives). #Ritual #NewYear.  I was raised in Ritual... the Rituals of my people; those of the Church.... the Ones I was assigned to, and those of my conscious choosing. New Year's Eve & Day were all about rituals - rituals of release & letting go, and rituals of intention setting & manifestation. Many a New Year's Day would find me bemoaning all the hard lessons of the previous year, cutting energetic cords of attachment, clearing all the old, calling in the Powers-that-Be, trying to convince Them that I had learnt my lessons well, and that I was ready to move on from that mess from this point forward. I was never happy about those lessons. They all brought me some kind of pain that yes, in the end made me stronger, but felt harsh & consuming - unwarranted even - as I walked "through the Valley of Shadows". In the end I would think of the Temperance card in the Rider Waite tarot deck, and sigh: "Like irons in the fire, I am being molded". There but for the grace of God goeth I.

So what's different about this past year's ritualistic ending and today's New Year beginning? First of all, one of the most major lessons I've learnt over all these years is that we never ever truly know what we NEED, but we most certainly have an idea of what we WANT! I have yet to perfect the art of asking the exact questions that will result in me receiving EXACTLY everything that I truly want AND need. Am I asking from my Ego-Self? For my highest & greatest good? Per the Universe's divine plan? Scarily, when I look back on my thought patterns & my heart's yearning, everything I've asked for, I've gotten. Yet in hindsight it seems I was never specific or clear enough, for the biggest joke is me looking up at God & moaning "Seriously? Did I have to mention X, Y or Z to perfect this gift I asked for? Couldn't You just like, read my mind?"  So yeah, this New Year's Day I'm not doing any 'releasing & letting go' Ritual. I'm not going to downcastedly reflect, review, re-evaluate and revise the losses and lessons of this past year as per the ritual of Mercury retrograde. Nope! Not me! Not today. Not this New Year's Day! (I don't know about "not ever"). 

Today I am giddy; Giddy with amusement and wonder at the magic of the unknown as I embrace this New Year. No more sad, pensive, thoughtful New Year's release Ritual for me today. Instead of cursing & chasing away the old 2016, I'm going to laugh & dance & sing & welcome in the New Year! I'm going to remember all the wonderful gifts that 2016 brought - no hard lessons here, but a perfectly crafted lesson plan to help polish me - like that iron in the fire for the next upgraded & even-more-wonderful version of Me. I'm thinking if my cell phone & computer can get an upgrade, so can I!  

​Yes, I will still call in the Four Directions, but this time, instead of ‘planting seeds of intention’ in Mother Earth, I will welcome the sprouting of the seeds of all my dreams from the womb of our Great Mother.  Rather than imploring the power of Brother Fire to make my wishes come true, I shall twirl & dance around the flames of empowerment, and relish the passion awakened by its warmth.  Elemental Water this year will nourish and bring to life my ability to recognize and honor all my emotions, not just cleanse and purify me of any discomfort from my feelings.  And as always, I welcome the winds of change – may it sweep through every nook and cranny of this new year, breathing life into my very Soul.  And so it is with wanton abandonment that I throw my arms out to the Universe and in the dance of life, giggle joyously, loudly, and unashamedly: "Bring it on, Great Spirit! Gimme all you got! I welcome you & your gifts and this glorious New Year! I welcome my new Me!" 

Blessings, my Friends, as you continue on this journey. Ajo!  And it is so! 
Audrey Steele, L.Ac.
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com​
"And now we welcome the New Year, full of things that have never been" (Rainer Maria Rilke)

​I sat transfixed to our local news station, watching the play-by-play commentary as #HurricaneMatthew bore down on the east coast of Florida.  On the west side of our side of the state, we weren’t profiled to be in the direct line of fire, but having lived over a decade in the “Sunshine State”, we have all come to know the unpredictability of Mother Nature.  And so, as always, I was prepared with my flashlights, bottled water, a full tank of gas, individual servings of prepared food items that didn’t need refrigeration or cooking, and a couple extra dollars cash in case the ATMs went out.  It’s our annual drill, from June until November - #HurricaneSeason.  I knew enough  to know not to keep too much frozen foods in my fridge  as one year after 2 weeks of no electricity,  I ended up throwing out 3 large (lawn-sized!) garbage bags of frozen meats & seafood. 
 
The weatherman was very descriptive of the wind, rains and lightning that railed down on us during the peak of this storm.  He was even amazed that we were seeing so many lightning strikes in the middle of the storm, and remarked that THAT - in & of itself - was an attestment to the magnitude & power of the storm as it approached our coast.  As if the wind itself wasn’t bad enough, with sustained speeds of more than 90mph, there was a strong potential for storm surges and floodings to everything in its path.   All of this was happening to our coast, after Matthew had already destroyed the southwestern section of Haiti, leaving hundreds dead in its wake.  The devastation was horrific.  I felt for Haiti, having done medical mission work there after their last hurricane.  I prayed again like I never prayed before, for all those who had been and were going to be impacted by this storm, and I prayed for understanding and acceptance of what we were witnesses to.  There were no explanations.   There never is for disasters of this magnitude.
 
We were spared on the West Coast of Florida, but the East Coast didn't do as well.  I shuffled my tarot deck and asked for 1 card to represent the symbolism behind what I was witnessing. That card?  The Tower (Rider Waite deck). Depicted on the Tower card is the imagery of a tower being hit by lightning, the building crumbling, people falling to their demise, and torrential rain & wind.  The symbolism was not lost on me.  I silently sat and prayed for what was going on over on the other side of town, while a gentle rain silently fell outside my home. Safe in my home, I looked again at the Tower card cradled in my palm, and remembered a promise I made to myself to move in harmony with the Moon & the Stars.  “Yeah tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil….  Let this lightning be reflective of that out-of-the-blue charge we need to change the dynamics of our present circumstances, to clear  the energy of what was going on our planet, to bring light to the darkness of fear; May this rain – the tears of Mother Earth -  cleanse  and purify us of all that was painful, stagnant and starved of life, and bring to us the nourishment that we desperately needed;  And oh that  the winds of change would blow through and release from us the chains of  binding thoughts and beliefs that hold us back from our Soul’s purpose”.  I prayed for the Yin to the Yang of the elements of this storm.  I prayed for release and for healing.  
 
Many people were left without power, and in the darkness of the hours and days that followed, were left to deal with their inner demons or take comfort in each other - and gratitude for all that was spared.   With no cell phones, TV or social media to distract us from was going on around in the world around us and in our lives, we were forced to rely on each other.  Neighbors who were strangers before the storm now looked out for each other.   By the time Hurricane Matthew had blasted its way up the eastern coast of Florida, we were numerologically at the number 9: the number of completion and endings.   The morning after the storm,   I woke up before dawn to an undeniably present stillness, the pulse of which was eerily present even on our side of town. The ground had been cleared and prepped  by the forces of Mother Nature in preparation for the new seeds of hope that were being planted - literally and figuratively - in our communities.  At time of writing today we are numerologically at the number 2:  the seeds have been planted and life begins anew.  There is a strong breeze today with cooler temperatures that beckon the ending of our summer season and the promise of change as we approach Fall in Florida. Yes, it is the season of change.  Let the healing begin.
“Mother Nature is always speaking.  She speaks in a language understood in the peaceful mind of the sincere Observer” (Radhanath Swami)
Audrey Steele, L.Ac.
​www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com

Happy Valentine’s Day and a very happy ‘month of love’ to you!  I was recently asked to speak at my church on the theme of “Love Revealed in Life”, and without hesitation I said ‘yes!’ deciding on the spot that I was going to title my sermon: “Life Teaches but Love Reveals”. My mind instantly thought of Whitney Houston’s song The Greatest Love of All, & I immediately burst into song, arms flailing and all, on my imaginary stage.  Now I’m not the best singer by any means, but that didn’t stop me from singing, and you couldn’t tell me I wasn’t marvelous, as I loudly belted out the lyrics at the top of my lungs.  Very funny sight….  “Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all” she sang. And so this month, especially at Valentine’s, we get to see how much we are loved, based on how much candy, chocolate, roses or Valentine’s gifts we receive.
 
We are at a very interesting crossroad this week however (at time of posting): We are 1/3rd  of the way between Valentine's Day and the end of the Lenten period which began Feb 10th & will end with the Feast at the Last Supper on March 24th.  This is a season of penance and prayer.   Having just celebrated our commercialized version of Valentine’s Day, I don’t even think anyone actually gives thought to the origin of Valentine's Day.  There are many stories around Valentines: the key to your heart, cards & sweets, but in the Anglican Church, it was originally an official Anglican feast day to honor Saint Valentine. It's also a day of celebration in the Lutheran Church as well. Somewhere along the way we’ve forgotten, and now it has become a hugely commercialized holiday.   I am reminded way back in December that Valentine’s Day is coming up, but unless you’re in the Church or some spiritual community, there is no commercial or advertisement reminding you that Lent is coming up. And so in this month’s blog, we’re going to look at Love, but not that sappy, romantic, passionate, sensual love that gets sold to us this time every year in February.  Instead, let's look at what life teaches us about Love - what it is, what it is not.  Rather than letting Man define Love, what Love is, what Love should look like, or should be, let us look to God instead whose very nature defines Love!
 
When I was a teenager, all my friends had boyfriends and they were all in love except for me.   I hadn't blossomed yet and so I naively felt I must have been the most unlovable person in the whole world.  I would secretly pick some cute boy in my school & declare him to be my boyfriend (unbeknownst to him of course!), and I would walk around my house swooning over this imaginary love of mine, dramatically quoting this vague definition of  Love: “Love is a feeling you get when you're feeling a feeling you've never felt before”.  I couldn't wait to feel this feeling that was indefinably wonderful that everybody else was feeling.  As the years progressed, I grew up chasing that feeling. I felt I came close many times but somehow I always fell short. Remember the song “Looking for love in all the wrong places”?  That was me.  And so I looked everywhere and at everyone.  Then one day I ‘woke up’ – so to speak - and came across a quote from Doreen Valiente that a dear friend of mine had included in one of her communications:  “If that which you seek you find not within, you will never find without”.  I had been looking in all the wrong places, when all I needed to do was to go within.
 
So this month, let's go back to the Source, the Creator and see what the Bible says about Love.  Love is what we all strive for, wish for, hope for, live for.  It’s been said that Love conquers all.  And the greatest Love of all?  How could it not be but the gift of Christ on the cross? This is perhaps the biggest Love lesson of all. In our lifetime we will have learnt many lessons.  Life teaches us to work hard, to achieve, to be successful.  But life also teaches us short cuts, white lies, looking out for #1, and actions that compromise our integrity.  Our role models are many, both good & bad - from the parents who out of Love created us and were our very 1st models of dutiful & loyal love of family.  From there, our role models extended out to the teachers and the people in our surrounding community, and to the world at large who taught us various versions of Love. But although life teaches us about Love, life also teaches us that it is all about choice. I remember bothering my mother for some random privilege that my friends had that I didn’t, but I needed/wanted.  Her practical (and wise) response was usually: "If your friends jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you jump too?”  It wasn’t until I became a parent myself, that I understood the wisdom of that statement.  If you were born into abuse, hate, poverty or ignorance, are you doomed to repeat those lessons & the lessons of your forefathers?  Or can you learn from the example of others what not to do, & how not to be? Can you use your adversity as a steppingstone to a different type of life?

Life teaches us that sometimes good people suffer unnecessarily and die way too early. Life teaches us that we all have the same needs - from the homeless person on the street to the heads of state. Life teaches us that charity begins at home. Developmental psychologists like Eric Erickson & Piaget¸ described in
their works, the stages of growth and development that take us from infancy all the way through old-age and death, where we have various crises/achievements we have to accomplish along the different milestones in our life. And though we all progress through the stages at our own pace and in our own time, we all face the same developmental tasks at some point along the continuum of our lives, and at every point, we will have to make a choice.  Life teaches us that life is short so live your life without regrets because tomorrow is not promised, and life’s lessons go on, and on, and on…. for as long as you are alive.  How does the power of God’s Love transform life's hardest lessons? 

This Godly Love that we speak of is not based on a feeling. It's an active will where we put the welfare of others above ourselves.  God’s Love is revealed to us in the way we love. We love because it is our nature to love, and we must be true to our nature.   “Caritas” is a Latin word meaning 'caring for others' (think ‘charity’). It is a Christian love of humankind & love for all. In the Bible, there are 4 different ways that love is demonstrated:  Eros, Storge, Philia & Agape Love.
 
◦ EROS is the physical, sensual love between a husband and wife as demonstrated in the book of Songs of Solomon. I encourage you if you are in a relationship or considering pursuing one, to read Songs of Solomon. Paul also in 1st Corinthians 7:8-9 said:  "It is better to marry than burn with passion", because he understood this type of love, although he himself had chosen instead to serve the Lord.  
◦ STORGE love is familial love - it's the bond between mothers & fathers, sisters and brothers, & a classic example of this is the love of sisters Martha and Mary for their brother Lazarus.  It’s the story of the love that Jacob had for his sons. The 10 Commandments  said "Honor your father and mother so that your days may be long on the earth that God has given you" (Exodus 21:12).  And perhaps my most favorite story of all is that of Ruth and Naomi, who believed strongly in the bonds and Love of family.
◦ Whether it's used as a prefix or suffix, the Greek word ‘PHILIA’ denotes fondness or affinity, but in its extreme - an abnormal love for a specified thing.  Philadelphia is called the “City of Brotherly Love”.  The Bible encourages us to love one another with brotherly affection (Romans 12:10), and advises us to
“show love to your enemies”.
◦ Then there is AGAPE love. This is a Greek word for empathy and concern. It is the highest form of Love - love of God for man and man for God.  Agape love is selfless, sacrificial unconditional love.  It is the love that Jesus Christ had for his Father and his followers, and He said “The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them" (John 14:21). Perhaps 1 of the most well known & quoted passages demonstrates this Love:  John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life".  To its extreme, we have people who are quick to kill others and who are willing to die for their country for their religious beliefs. This is played out in the news daily to the point where we're almost immune to it.
 
So my Friends, Love is not the sappy, romanticized or idealized Love that we think of on Valentine's Day when we give cards and chocolate and candy.   Love is not dependent on what a person has done for us. Love is not conditional. Love has no limits or boundaries.  We love the unlovable.  We love because it is our nature to love.  We love because we are commanded to do so.  I’ll end this month’s message with the message of Love from the epistle of Paul to the Corinthians in 1st Corinthians ch. 13: 
1. “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 
2. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.
3. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 
4. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5. It does not dishonor others. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs.
6. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, it always perseveres.
8. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge it will pass away. 
9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
10. But when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 
11. When I was a child I spoke like a child.  I thought like a child; I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put away the ways of childhood behind me. 
12. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror. Then we shall see face-to-face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully even as I am fully known. 
13. And now these three remain:   Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is Love".
Love & Light!
Audrey Steele, Acupuncture Physician
​

Today we celebrate National Oriental Medicine Day. The following info is excerpted from info provided by Acupuncture Media Work and The American Society of Acupuncturists, and will give you a background as to what this day is all about, how Acupuncture came to the US,and how Acupuncture can help you: 

What is AOM Day?
​"Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day is observed on October 24 to bring awareness to acupuncture and Eastern medicine. Acupuncture has become increasingly popular with 1 in 10 adults having received acupuncture at least once, according to a survey done by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. The official commemoration for AOM Day began in 2002 and has been promoted by many organizations in the U.S. including the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. #AOMDay is also recognized in other countries such as Canada, Mexico and Pakistan. Annually on October 24, Council member colleges come together through activities to promote awareness and the benefits of acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

​The Council includes 49 accredited AOM colleges across the United States and welcomes other organizations to join in efforts as well. All Oriental Medicine -including acupuncture - is based on the idea of the flow of Qi throughout the body. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that when we are ill, there could be a blockage or stagnation in our body’s natural energy flow, which affects the organ systems. Acupuncture is used to correct this imbalance through the specific placement of needles on the body.

How can acupuncture help you?
#Acupuncture and Oriental medicine have been known to help treat countless health conditions - everything from digestive issues such as abdominal pain and indigestion, to addiction, sciatica and high blood pressure. This treatment has been used for adults and kids alike and is essentially harmless, with almost no side effects. Not only is acupuncture effective on its own, but it is one of the most popular complementary treatments combined with conventional methods. The National Institutes of Health Consensus has stated that promising results have emerged, specifically for postoperative and chemotherapy nausea, vomiting, as well as postoperative dental pain, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and more  (Source: http://1.usa.gov/1eh3vxg, http://bit.ly/1JwvXWQ)

Quick Facts about AOM Day and Oriental Medicine:

• Oriental medicine, such as acupuncture, is a health care system that has been used for more than 3,000 years to treat illness and improve quality of life.  
• All Oriental medicine is based on the idea of bringing the body to balance and improving the the body’s natural energy flow, which is called Qi.  The World Health Organization has listed acupuncture as a useful treatment for more than 40 health conditions.
• Acupuncture is known to be helpful as a treatment on its own, as well as a complementary treatment.
• AOM day is comprised of international partnerships with professional associations, research organizations and educational institutions.
• The most common complementary and alternative medicines according to the NCCIH survey include acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicine, Tai Chi and Q-iGong.
• The 49 AOM colleges and programs in the U.S. are all part of The Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, which was established in 1982 for the goal of advancing acupuncture and oriental medicine and promoting education.  

How Acupuncture Came to the United States:
Most people seek out acupuncture care for painful conditions. That makes sense, because it works extremely well at it, without drugs or medication. But you may be surprised by how many health conditions acupuncture has been known to help. Focusing on the whole body, one of the main goals of acupuncture is to return the body back to its natural balance and restore it to better health. By addressing the “whole” self instead of one particular part where there may be just pain or illness, acupuncture has the power to treat and heal a variety of ailments from nausea, sciatica to addiction. The most common effects you will feel after an acupuncture treatment include better sleep, relaxation, better digestion and more energy. Below are just a few ways acupuncture has proven to be beneficial:

• Acupuncture, cancer and immunity: http://wb.md/1R0hyoU
• Acupuncture and rheumatoid arthritis: http://wb.md/1xVxDTo
• Acupuncture and depression: http://bit.ly/SFReaB
• Acupuncture and allergies: http://bit.ly/1MJqH6G
• Acupuncture and fertility: http://bit.ly/1HCLEyc
• Acupuncture and insomnia: http://bit.ly/1iMtnE4  

​(Sources: http://bit.ly/1iyIBvF, http://bit.ly/1KTaSrT)"

Bye-bye September!  We’ll start this month’s blog with the beautiful melody of “See You In September” as originally recorded by the Tempos in 1959:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDKIs0v120s

September is Alzheimer’s Awareness month, and the statistics are frightening: This disease affects over 4 million people in the US alone, with a projected 14 million in the next 50 years as the Baby Boomers age!   But are we aware?  Or are we aware only when it becomes personal for us?  This month’s post is dedicated to the millions of families and care-providers who are impacted by the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease every hour of every day. It is a little bit more clinical than my usual posts, but it is very timely, and yes, the Elders speak…..

Pathophysiology:
Alzheimer’s Disease is caused by a degeneration of brain tissue as levels of acetylcholine decrease (a neurotransmitter in the brain crucial to memory, cognitive thinking & the ability to concentrate), and amyloid plaques develop in the brain.  It affects parts of the brain that controls thought, memory & language. It is more prevalent in (but not limited to) females over age 60, and is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States (http://www.alz.org/facts/downloads/facts_figures_2015.pdf). There is an associated link with a high fat diet, sedentary lifestyle, genetics, nutrient deficiencies, depression and brain injury amongst other things.  The cause is not known, and even though it’s associated with the aged, let me stress: it is NOT a normal part of the aging process!

Symptoms:
Patients may progress through the stages of Alzheimer’s from showing early warning signs  to severe Alzheimer’s where they lose bowel and bladder control requiring full-time care.  Unfortunately the symptoms of Alzheimer’s are not characteristic only for this disease and may be indicative of other conditions, so I would caution the reader to consult your physician for appropriate diagnostic testing to rule out other pathology.  Patients may demonstrate any of the following (list is not inclusive):
◦ Disorientation to time & place, getting lost in familiar places, mood changes, behavior changes, personality changes, difficulty finding the right words, loss of memory, cognitive dysfunction, decreased judgment, increased agitation, drooling, decreased focus or attention.
◦ Difficulty performing familiar tasks, misplacing/finding things, impaired activities of daily living (ADLs), disturbed sleep pattern (often becoming worse as the day progresses – a term we sometimes call “sundowning”).  Here is a downloadable PDF of 10 early warning signs of Alzheimer’s (source: www.alz.org from the Alzheimer’s Association national site):  http://www.alz.org/national/documents/checklist_10signs.pdf

Diagnostic Testing:
Unfortunately there is no definitive diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s except for autopsy, and so we look instead to do a differential diagnosis to rule out other causes (such as tumors, strokes, thyroid problems, toxicities, or blood vessel diseases).  It may take an entire team of neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists and geriatricians before a probable diagnosis of Alzheimer’s can be made.  To determine a ‘Probable Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s”, various tests may be ordered including CT scan, MRI, EEG or labs such as CBC, CMP or  homocysteine levels, along with neurologic or psychological testing.

Western Medicine:
Pharmaceutical options may include cholinesterase inhibitors (like Aricept, Razadyne, Exelon patch), Namenda, anti-depressants (such as Prozac or Zoloft), antipsychotics (such as Abilify, Haldol, Zyprexa), and anti-anxiety meds (e.g. Ativan).  Your physician will best advise you as to a regime that will help to manage the condition.

Chinese Medicine:
There is strong clinical support that Chinese Medicine can and does play a role in the complementary role of preventing and treating Alzheimer’s Disease.  In Chinese Medicine, we say the brain is nourished by the Kidneys (which is a major contributor to our Essence/Life Force), but its cognitive functions (such as memory, wisdom & cognition) are regulated by the Heart, so we may use Heart & Kidney tonics to help with this condition.  There is also an emotional component to Alzheimer’s (the Liver is associated with our emotions), and some degree of “Phlegm stagnation” (this is not the actual “Loogies” phlegm that we think of – like when you cough up sputum or mucus from your lungs.  It’s described instead as a “consequence of the internal disruption of the body’s fluid metabolism… and is not visible”).  As such, our treatment goals in Chinese Medicine also include methods and herbal formulas that tonify Qi, Yin or Yang, suppress Liver Qi and transform Phlegm.  Acupuncture has been shown to increase blood circulation to the brain, improve mood and cognitive skills such as memory & concentration, manage pain and stress, increase certain neurotransmitters in the brain, and can even aid in stimulating nerve regeneration(1, 2).

Management Considerations:
The following is a small list of some of the products we may consider when working with patients with cognitive impairment conditions such as Alzheimer’s (*Author’s note:  THIS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL ADVICE & is for educational purposes only.  Please consult your physician for accurate diagnosis & management of any condition!):

◦ Supplements: 
Vitamin C & E, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), Vitamin B12, Inositol (Vitamin B8) , DHEA (an adrenal hormone whose levels declines with aging), growth hormone, melatonin, anti-oxidants, fish oils (Omega-3 fatty acids, Taurine (an amino acid found in large amounts in the brain & heart and food sources such as meat & fish), Acetyl L-Carnitine (derivative of another amino acid - Lysine), CoQ10, and Zinc.

◦ Nature’s finest botanical herbs:
Research continues into the benefits of the following plant-based supplements:
- Turmeric (for its anti-inflammatory properties)
- Rosemary (improves memory)
- Cinnamon (great antioxidant)
- Gingko Biloba (said to promote blood circulation to the brain & improve memory)
- Huperzine A (“Chinese Club Moss” -  acts as an anti-cholinesterase inhibitor to help increase levels of acetylcholine in the brain)
- Rhodiola (Hong Jing Tian)
- Periwinkle (Vinca minor/Vinpocetine - enhances brain circulation and oxygen utilization and other neuroprotective and anti-ischemic effects)
- Ashwagandha (aka “Indian ginseng/Withania somnifera)
- Polygala tenuifolia (Yuan Zhi)
- Salvia (Dan Shen/ Salvia miltiorrhiza)

◦ Dietary recommendations: 
Try switching to an anti-inflammatory diet.  Bulk up on fresh fruits, veggies, whole grain nuts, seeds and foods rich in magnesium. Foods such as black beans, black sesame seeds, kelp, shitake & black ear mushrooms help support Kidney energy. Adding green tea and chlorella to the diet can also be beneficial.  As much as possible try to avoid milk, dairy, artificial sweeteners, processed foods and products containing aluminum.

◦ Lifestyle Changes:
Exercise daily to improve circulation & feeling of well-being.  Staying active and involved, even just socializing with others is a simple way to slow the progression of the disease.  Mind games such as SudokuÒ, crossword puzzles, and board games keep the brain engaged.   Encourage mental activities to keep the mind active.  The national website for Alzheimer’s has a great link for how to care for the patient through the various stages of the disease, and also includes suggestions for the family as well as caregivers: http://www.alz.org/facts/downloads/facts_figures_2015.pdf.

Hope this was of help to you.  For further information on Alzheimer’s, please visit the websites at the links provided below:
Alzheimer’s Associations:
www.alz.org
www.alzfdn.org
www.alzheimers.gov
www.alzheimers.net

Family Caregiver Alliance:
https://www.caregiver.org/caregiving-and-sibling-relationships-challenges-and-opportunities
Foods to help fight Alzheimer’s:
http://www.alzheimers.net/2013-10-15/superfoods-that-fight-alzheimers/
Foods that may contribute to Alzheimer’s:
http://www.alzheimers.net/2014-01-02/foods-that-induce-memory-loss/

I now leave you with this touching tribute to all those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease:
Do Not Ask Me to Remember
Do not ask me to remember,
Don’t try to make me understand,
Let me rest and know you’re with me,
Kiss my cheek and hold my hand.
I’m confused beyond your concept,
I am sad and sick and lost.
All I know is that I need you
To be with me at all cost.
Do not lose your patience with me,
Do not scold or curse or cry.
I can’t help the way I’m acting,
Can’t be different though I try.
Just remember that I need you,
That the best of me is gone,
Please don’t fail to stand beside me,
Love me ’til my life is done.
- Owen Darnell
 
References:
1.  Emerson Lombardo N, et al.  Acupuncture to treat anxiety and depression in people with Alzheimer’s disease and with vascular dementia: a pilot feasibility and effectiveness trial. Presented at World Alzheimer’s Conference, Washington DC, July 9-18, 2000 and at Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, Wellesley, Massachusetts, June 7, 2000.

2.  Kao H.  Acupuncture enhancement in clinical symptoms and cognitive-motor abilities of the Alzheimer’s disease patients. Presented at World Alzheimer’s Conference, Washington DC, July 9-18, 2000.
 
3.  Szatmari SZ1, Whitehouse PJ.  Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(1):CD003119. Vinpocetine for cognitive impairment and dementia.
 
4.  Kelley, BJ & Knopman, DS.  Neurologist. 2008 Sep; 14(5): 299–306. Alternative Medicine and Alzheimer's Disease.
 
5.  Sun et al. Translational Neurodegeneration 2013, 2:6 Traditional Chinese medicine: a promising candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
 
6.  Ping Liu et al. “History and Experience: A Survey of Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease,” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2014, Article ID 642128, 5 pages, 2014. doi:10.1155/2014/642128.
 
7.  L. Yu et al. “Chinese herbal medicine for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease based on syndrome differentiation: a randomized controlled trial,” Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao, vol. 10, no. 7, pp. 76–82, 2012.
 
8. Xu, Yi et al. “Changes of brain myelin sheath structure and myelin basic protein content induced by amyloid β peptide (Aβ) and effect of GETO on these changes.” Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory & Practice 12 (2005): 004.
 
9.  Tian, Jinzhou, et al. “P4-302: Effect of GETO extract on expression of ChAT and NGF in the brain with AD model.” Alzheimer’s and Dementia 2.3 (2006): S605-S606.
 
10. Chen L, Huang J, Xue L. [Effect of compound Polygonum multiflorum extract on Alzheimer’s disease]. Zhong Nan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2010 Jun;35(6):612-5. doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-7347.2010.06.012. Chinese. PubMed PMID: 20622335.
 
11.  Hou DR et al.  “Effect of polygonum multiflorum on the fluidity of the mitochondria membrane and activity of COX in the hippocampus of rats with Abeta 1-40-induced Alzheimer’s disease”. Zhong Nan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2008 Nov;33(11):987-92.
 
12.  Xu Yi et al.  “Effect of GETO on expression of protein in postsynaptic dense zone of Alzheimer’s disease model rats”. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2006 Jan;26(1):54-7.
 
13.  Yu L et al.  “Chinese herbal medicine for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease based on syndrome differentiation: a randomized controlled trial”.   Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2012 Jul;10(7):766-76.

It is my personal belief that we ALL have the gift of intuition.  In our noisy world, we seek guidance and direction from multiple sources, and forget a simple yet profound truth:  Our truth lies within; we just have to be still and listen.   We all have the ability to connect to the Wisdom of Our Higher Selves.  This month we will focus on 3 areas: 
◦ 1st: ….What exactly is this ‘wisdom’ that we speak of & strive for?
◦ 2nd:  we’ll look at the definition of the “Higher Self” - not only what it is, but what it is not;
◦ And 3rd:  we’ll entertain some ideas about how we can connect to the Wisdom of our Higher Self, the wisdom within. 

First, what exactly is this wisdom that we are seeking?   In the Bible, James 3:17 states:   “But the wisdom that comes from Heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere”.   Now I don't know about you, but this sounds like something I would certainly want for myself.  Matter of fact, I am always praying for wisdom; I pray to be wise so I can make the best choices for me and the people I serve.  But how do you get wisdom?    First of all, we all know this wisdom isn’t just going to fall out of the sky & into our laps.  We’re not going to wake up one morning, having prayed for it overnight, & now all of a sudden we are wise.  We have to first LISTEN; even Solomon in the Bible says “Listen and accept Godly advice & in the end you will be wise” (Proverbs 19:20).  But it’s not enough to just listen…. First we have to listen, but then we have to act. 

Having said that, here comes the next question:   Since we’re supposed to listen, what/who exactly are we listening to?  How can we recognize Spirit’s guidance? And how do we discern between our own thoughts and the voice of God/Divine/Source/Spirit?  It’s not like God just talks to us out loud (think of the story of Moses & the burning bush); sometimes it’s in very quiet & subtle ways, and other times?  Perhaps not so subtle.  I remember growing up as a child in a Pentecostal church and almost every Sunday, someone would "catch the Spirit" (the Holy Ghost Spirit, none-the-less).  They would start speaking in tongues, & then another person in the congregation would translate the message.   As a kid, I was always excited by when this happened & I kept waiting for someone to catch the Holy Ghost Spirit & get me a message too. Anyway, I learnt through the Elders that this was the gift of prophecy.  Some of us call it channeling nowadays.  However the guidance comes, you then have to ask yourself “What do I do now with this new insight?"

Now here’s an interesting observation:  when we ask God for guidance and wisdom, when we get that which we ask for, do we really, really, REALLY listen?  Do we follow instructions or the direction in which we are being led and guided? Or do we act from our ego self and choose whether we want to follow that guidance or not?    I get calls all the time from my friends, coworkers, neighbors, family members, acquaintances etc.  who will tell me their specific story & then say: “What do you think I should do?” or “What would YOU do if you were me?”  In my mind, the answer is clear as day!   Sometimes when you’re the outsider & not caught up in the middle of a situation, the answers may seem pretty clear to you but not to them.  But I have learnt NEVER EVER offer advice because first of all, no one’s going to follow what you recommend.  Usually they go from 1 person to the next telling their story, almost like they’re advice-shopping, asking the same question:  “What do you think I should do?”  And if 8 out of 10 people say “If I were you, I’d do so & so”, they may consider doing it.  But then again they may not!  They’ve already in their own heart of hearts or Ego self decided what they’re gonna do.

Our Ego-Self will take action (or non-action) to either protect itself from further pain, to feed an addiction, for secondary gains, to nurse a wounded Inner Child, or to preserve status quo.  Status quo is familiar, you see.   Status quo is comfortable - even if status quo hurts or doesn’t work.  We often don’t choose what’s uncomfortable, out of the norm or different.  We choose to stay with what’s familiar instead.  The fear of the unknown is a powerful thing - sometimes even more powerful than the pain of the present.  Not knowing how the next alternative is going to work out can be scarier than staying in familiar yet painful territory.  After all, you’ve kinda learnt over time how to deal with a situation, how to cope with it, how to get by, how to get through, grin & bear..... Some of us can't even fathom that we have options.  And some of us are just contrary & will do exactly what we’re not supposed to do.  So when people ask me “what should I do?”  I can’t say.  I just know that if what you're doing isn’t working for you, then you are officially reinforcing Einstein’s unofficial definition of insanity:  “doing the same thing over & over again expecting different results”.    Have you heard that saying before?  That’s insanity!  So if your own inner Wisdom leads you to make a change, then do as Bonnie & Clyde would say:  “You gotta crack a couple eggs if you wanna make an omelet”.    Well a kinder, nicer more spiritual version in keeping with our spiritual teachings would probably be the story of Master Jesus who in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26: 36-46) prayed:  “Lord please take this cup away from me; Not my will but Thine”.  And he went ahead & served his Father.   This should be probably be our prayer, & serve as an example for us.  Don’t pray for guidance, wisdom and answers if you’re not willing to go where you are directed. 

Having talked about wisdom, let’s ask ourselves now: What is my Higher Self?  I have a couple thoughts, but let's start with what your Higher Self is not.  There's no right or wrong answer here.  Just like all the world's great Wisdom teachings have their own definition of a Higher Self, define for yourself what is true and right & resonates with your Soul and the will of your Father.   Who are you?  WHO ARE YOU?  How do you define yourself?  Think about that for a minute…. Who are you?  How do you define yourself?  What are the labels that make you “You”, that define you? ……  A couple months ago, I wrote a blog titled: “I am mother to my daughter & daughter of my Mum”.  This shows the dichotomy of how most of us are; I’d probably venture to say how all of us are.  Think of labels that apply to you: mother, father, wife, husband, nurse, housewife, babysitter, president, friend, boss, pilot, BUT the thing is you are not your label – you are not your job, the car you drive, the friends you keep or the places you go.  All those components, all those labels are the jigsaw puzzle pieces of your life that make up the patchwork quilt called “You”.  You can have all the money in the world, hobnob with the fanciest of people or hang in lowliest of places – but the Essence of who you truly are, is not defined by your possessions; it’s not defined by your title or your lot in life.   It’s not defined by the label or labels that you carry.  So who or what is your Higher Self?

WHAT YOUR HIGHER SELF IS “NOT”:
-  Your Higher Self is not separate from our  “self” Self;
-  Your Higher Self is not external to you ;
-  Your Higher Self is not a judgmental extension of your God-Self who makes you feel guilty if you don’t follow the rules, obey, do the right thing, conform, etc. 
- Your Higher Self isn’t anxious, Your Higher Self isn’t fearful, it’s not dramatic;
- Your Higher Self doesn't chase some elusive ‘end goal’, change directions willy-nilly, or focus on short term gratification.  That’s not your Higher Self.

You are a ‘spark of Divine’.    Inside of you is that part of you that is greater than all of your external Self parts & labels combined.  You are Great Spirit, You are the “I am Presence”; you are a child of God & Christ child.  It matters not your religion.   Your connection to Self is your ultimate connection to Source.

WHAT YOUR HIGHER SELF “IS”:
- Your Higher Self is you; it’s been described as ‘your total soul consciousness’. 
- Your Higher Self is that inseparable part of you that knows your spiritual soul contract.  “He/She/It”   (whatever your wanna call it) holds that little “instruction manual” for life: where you’re supposed to go, who you’re supposed to meet; And it does its best to try to keep you on track day to day. Unfortunately, we can get misdirected by our thoughts, feelings & external influences.  We have free will – and that changes things - because free will makes you do stuff that a 2 year old throwing a temper tantrum would do.  Then physically we get run down (from not enough sleep, unhealthy diet or poor lifestyle choices).  Emotionally, mentally & spiritually, we have Ego battles that pull us into the labels & habits of the Wounded Inner Child, victim, martyr, bully or warrior.   You (Self-you) are a lot of things.    Probably a good rule of thumb to help you recognize when your Ego-Self is talking is that the Ego-Self tends to be fear-based; the Ego-Self leaves you feeling guilty; the Ego-self keeps you 2nd-guessing yourself; you  feel unsettled, disconnected, out of alignment, and not at peace.  On the other hand, when you are in alignment with your Higher Self, you truly feel a sense of connection with all that Is, you feel on track, life flows with grace & ease no matter what kind of storms are going on around you; your thoughts are in alignment with your feelings, and your feelings are in alignment with your actions.  Or non-action.  NO feeling is wrong.  Everything feels on course, and you feel on purpose.  Your Higher Self is your guide to rightful living and gives you clarity to your daily life.  How awesome it is to meet & know & have a relationship with your Higher Self!

Connecting to the Wisdom of Our Higher Self:
So we’ve talked about what is wisdom, and what is your Higher Self, (and what it is not).  And now finally, let’s look at how we can CONSCIOUSLY connect to the wisdom of our Higher Self (for we’re not ever disconnected from our Higher Self).  We may at times feel abandoned & be filled with despair; we feel lost, unloved, alone, not worthy, not connected.  When you're feeling this way, your Cup is empty. You have nothing to offer when you have nothing from which to draw.  Your only recourse then is to return to Source, to go back to the Well, to fill your Cup with the love & wisdom of Source.  This is where you TUNE OUT the outside world, TAP IN to the stillness within, & TURN UP the volume of the wisdom of your Higher Self.                                                 

Tune out the outside world!
Our world is noisy.  We are constantly bombarded by external stimuli and EMF.  We’ve poisoned our food and water sources with toxins that numb our bodies & dull our senses.  The media inundates us with world events that make us uncomfortable so what do we do?  We turn off the TV & the radio.  We’ve become insensitive to the atrocities & calamities that our brothers & sister are experiencing in other parts of the world. Well, no wonder we’ve lost touch with our own inner voice, and ultimately our connection to Source.  Yet even more now than ever before, we need to be still & we need to return to center.     Tune out the outside world.  TUNE OUT THE OUTSIDE WORLD!  How can you do this? 
* Physically disconnect.  Walk away. 
* Have a "staycation".  I usually take a week off a couple times a year to pilgrimage to sacred sites specifically to do an intensive, to withdraw, reflect, and reconnect with Source.  You may not have that luxury so take an hour out of your day.  Take 5’ just to breathe and make a conscious choice to return to Source & reconnect with Spirit. 
* Be out in nature.
* Take a nap & listen to the wisdom of your Elders, the whisper of your ancestors & the wisdom of your dreams.  
* Play with the kids/grandkids/pets.  Cuddle. 
* Journal:  Develop this sacred practice of making time to speak your truth.  Write down your dreams, your monthly moon rituals, your annual birthday vision plans, your intuitive readings.  Then go back & review at specific anniversary dates & you’ll be amazed at how clear the answers were, where patterns are, common themes, repetitive lessons, accomplishments, promises, hopes & dreams fulfilled. 
* Talk with a friend, your chaplain, an Elder.   Tune out the outside world.

Tune out the outside world, & Tap in to the stillness within.
A long time ago, I was introduced to one of my favorite quotes:  “If the answers you seek lie not within, you will never find them without” (Doreen Valiente). I’m gonna repeat that.   “If the answers you seek lie not within, you will never find them without”.  Make time for solitude.   
*Practice mindfulness – you don’t necessarily have to be sitting in lotus pose with your hands in mudra position.  There are walking meditations.  I’ve heard Spirit speaking to me when I’m digging in the dirt or in a quick power nap where I wake up with the answers I need. 
* Meditate.  I still get asked “how do I meditate”?  There are many ways, sources, classes.  Seek & ye shall find.  Then practice.  And practice some more.   
* Follow your intuition.  Listen to your gut.  Your gut = Guidance.  Then follow that Guidance. 
* Look to the elements in Nature:  animal kingdom for example; or follow the smell of the rain on the way; listen to the whispers of your ancestors & Spirit Guides.  They present themselves to us in the sweetest of ways.  Angels show up in numbers, on license plates, and even on the face of the clock when you wake up in the middle of the night or early morning (do an internet search on Doreen Virtue & the meaning of multiple numbers).  When you wake up at strange hours in the morning, fret not.... Rumi, the Sufi poet wrote:  "The dawn has secrets to tell - don't go back to sleep".   When I first read that, I stopped worrying about why I am up so early, and began listening instead.  Psalm 46:10 says:  “Be still & know that I am God”.  Tune out the outside world & tap in to the stillness within.     

Tune out the outside world; Tap in to the stillness within & Turn on the volume of what you really should be listening to - the truth of your Soul.
A really great story comes from the Bible in 1st Samuel where Samuel who’s studying with old man Eli goes to bed on his cot & 2 separate times he hears a voice calling him.  He gets up & goes to Eli each time & says ‘Father did you call me?’  And Eli realizes that God is speaking to Samuel, so he advises him:  “The next time you hear the voice of God, say “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening”.  So Samuel goes back to bed & sure enough, there’s a 3rd time; the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening."  Listen with your ears, your mind & your gut.  But more importantly, listen with your heart.  Your heart never lies.  Your heart contains the wisdom of your Soul, and with each heart beat, that wisdom is directed to every cell in your body. Listen to the wisdom of your heart - for in your heart lies your true North, & the heart never lies.  Tune out the outside world; Tap in to the stillness within & Turn up the volume of what you really should be listening to - the truth of your Soul and the Wisdom of your Higher Self.
Audrey Steele,L.Ac.
Acupuncture Physician
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com

Mother’s Day is the one day we set aside to recognize Mothers, but I would ask that moving forward, we take a moment every day to bless & honor all those who are called to “mother” (verb).  Virtually anyone can become a biological Mother, but giving birth alone doesn’t constitute motherhood.  And so on this Mother’s Day, I’d like to pay tribute to all those who’ve ever been placed in the role of “Mother” (noun).  This includes the single dads, adoptive parents, surrogates, latch-key siblings who take care of each other, and children who now are caring for their elderly or incapacitated parent(s). And I honor and respect those who chose not to become a parent for whatever reason.  It is not an easy task, comes with a lot of responsibilities, and doesn’t stop once the kids are grown and gone.  Once a Mother, always a Mother.  I think back on the (few) times I tried to counterpoint my Mum; her response:  “If you live to be 95 and I live to be 100 and plenty, you are still my daughter”.   I chuckle at that now, but I am indebted to my Mother for her unconditional and lasting love for all her kids.   Her prayers are what keep us safe.  A Mother fosters independence in her children, not codependence - much like a mother birds teaches her babies how to fly.  The bonds are everlasting, regardless of how the relationship plays out.  Even the role made famous by Joan Crawford as a mother still has relevance and unfortunately rings true for some. 

Growing up in the Caribbean:
I can’t think about Mother’s Day without thinking of all the powerful women in my family and the community in which I was raised.  I grew up in Jamaica surrounded by my Great-Grandmother and a circle of powerful, spiritual women.  The example they (and pretty much all of the women I came across) set for me was that women were strong – not only for their family but for those who were less fortunate.  When one was unable to feed or care for their kids, the other mothers fed & cared for them as if they were their own.  They say it takes a village to raise a child and I can attest to this fact.  This includes discipline too, by the way, so I got whooped by the neighbors for some mischief or another & then I went home & got whooped again by my parents.  I learned that there wasn’t really a set “role” for a Mother.  Mothers did what they had to do to keep the home afloat.  They worked in the fields alongside men doing hard labor; they worked in whatever job they could; they worked at home, they went off to work, & they came back home to work. What was drilled into us was that as a Mother, you did whatever it took to take care of your family.  Mothers pushed for education & having a career so that you could have a better life than they did.  That was over 50 years ago and it is still the value they continue to instill in us.  The types of jobs may have changed over the years, but every Mother wants to see the next generation prosper, be healthy & happy.  They also called on their spiritual background to help them through rough times, and so religion & spirituality became the foundation of every family.  This is pretty much a common theme throughout the Caribbean.  The advent of television, cell phones, internet, social media, and the tourism industry caused a shift away from the traditional values so now we see the same social ills & challenges as other parts of the world.

Trends Affecting Motherhood:
We are seeing a growing trend towards women postponing motherhood until later in years.  This creates its own set of health challenges & psycho-emotional conflict.  As an acupuncturist, I’ve been privileged to work with women who come to me for help from Chinese Medicine to address fertility issues.  100% of the time, these women are successful in their professional lives; they’re executives, top in the field of sales & industry, they drive the best cars, live in gorgeous homes with landscaped yards; they are Cross-Fit Queens and Digital Divas, and by exterior appearances they are successful & the envy of their friends.  Yet these women will break your heart when you talk to them because they see themselves as complete failure because they cannot get pregnant.  Why is this?  Because for whatever reason, motherhood STILL remains a necessity, is STILL desirable and a marker by which many women define themselves. In my travels, it is a mindset that still permeates many cultures – that of how to be a good wife & mother, whatever that definition is for each. 

Women make up more than half the labor industry, and fulltime work is a financial necessity for many. Yet we still have the challenges of equal pay for equal work, adequate childcare, and we’re even missing out on the respect and bonding that’s seen in male-dominated careers that’s so important to our survival in the workforce.   Many kids are either home alone as Mothers work long hours, or left with inadequate and uncompassionate caregivers often resulting in very sad endings.   This has also created another trend – We’re seeing in the 21st century, women with graduate and professional degrees who are now choosing to stay home to be full-time moms, and many have also created home-based businesses or are home-schooling their kids.  Really, the traditional role of women as Mothers hasn’t really disappeared, but instead it’s been reinvented to fit the needs of today’s modern families. 

So what does this mean for us moving forward through the 21st Century?
Mothers of the 21st century have to be not only EVOLUTIONARY but REVOLUTIONARY.  What does this mean?
* Evolutionary:   It means as Mothers, we can’t stay stuck in the old ways of how we grew up, what ceiling or box we perceived held us back from our fullest potential.  We have to evolve with the changing times.  This is a generation of advanced technology and for our children to grow up and have kids of their own, they will need to have survival skills, education and preparation as well as the social skills necessary to live in our rapidly changing world.

* Revolutionary:  We now have role models for Mothers women like Michelle Obama & Hilary Clinton.  These are women who raise their children, have political careers, and advocate for social justice and health care reform.  We have role model for moms women like Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie & Beyoncé who (love ‘em or hate ‘em) make motherhood look easy & fun & glamorous and doesn’t leave a mark on their physical bodies. We see women being objectified through the media and in the music industry, and more and more it’s affecting our younger girls.

As 21st century mothers, we have to bring forth the next generation, and not stop there – we must then take it 1 step further:  prepare that generation, and the next, for the rapid phase of continued growth through and beyond the 21st century.  We have to nurture them, protect them, and instill in them the basic values of care for our fellow man, because Maslow’s hierarchy of needs says that we are more alike than we are different.   We have to prepare our children to be in this world but not of it.  We have to find a balance between the head and the heart – competent to survive in this ever changing world, yet compassionate enough to see the Divine in all.  More importantly, our work has to be done on a global level. 

It has been said that “The two most important things we can offer our children are roots to grow and wings to fly” (author unknown).  This is the toughest task for a mother, but it can be done.  I think of my very own daughter, Jessica - my biggest accomplishment and the one that I am most proud of.    I am grateful she chose me to be her Mother; I have learnt so much from her and she has made me a better person by her unconditional love, her big heart and generous spirit, and for  holding me accountable to the principles I harped on when I was raising her.  I am Mother to my daughter, but I am also the daughter of my Mum.  For both, I am eternally grateful.  I leave you with the beautiful melody of Boyz2Men - in tribute to Mothers everywhere: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tap90z44WR8
Love, Light and Radiant blessings;
Audrey Steele, L.Ac.
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com

The Elders speak:  “When men on earth have done their best, angels in Heaven will do the rest”.  I don’t know the source, but I remember hearing those words growing up as the Elders spoke, and again in a song by one of my most favorite Conscious Lyrics Reggae artist, Luciano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9AuC1PvNx4 . 
The relevance of those words hit home again fairly recently as I sat at a local coffee shop and (inadvertently) overhead a conversation between a life-coach & her client.  Have you ever witnessed others go on & on about what they really deserve and should have had, but they didn’t accomplish and are still lacking?   You can encourage them as much as you want - from here to eternity and back - but if they are not absolutely convicted that there’s more to it than just wanting, wishing and waiting, then it becomes, as Langston Hughes would say: “a dream deferred”.   The life-coach had a tough time trying to convince her dreamer-client that she needed to do more than just dream, and it got me to thinking about my future dreams versus my present reality.

Over a decade ago when I was at a pivotal crossroad in my life, I created a specific vision board as part of a manifestation ritual I was doing for the New Moon.  It’s interesting to see how I have not had to change the content on that particular board after all this time, but on each New Moon, I always revisit my original dream to see if I am on target, or if I need to do something differently.  It’s almost like gardening:  with each season and even in between, you have to weed, dead-head, fertilize and tend to your crop.  Assuming nothing needs to change - if nothing else - you have to at least stop long enough to ‘smell the roses along the way’ or appreciate the fruits of your labor.  My vision board has representative pictures of what I wished to manifest in my life with a central theme of fulfilling my Soul’s purpose.  Yes, it included elements of my dreams, but I knew if I didn't do anything else but sit and look at it, nothing would ever come to fruition.  If I didn't develop a plan for accomplishing said wishes and dreams, they would never materialize.  


My present day reality is an attestation to the hard work I put in and the sacrifices I made.  Now that’s not to say that I was all work and no play.  I have played hooky and partied, napped instead of being “productive”, resisted and rebelled, got distracted and took a wrong turn, and I have kicked a can or two in disgust or despair or when I got super frustrated.  I am proud of my hard work and the progress I have made, but it doesn't stop there.  There are days when I still feel as if I haven’t done enough, that there is so much more to do, yet very little time.  I cannot rest on my laurels.  I think I can credit my ancestral lineage for my determination and drive, and my parents for raising us the way they did.  They instilled in us through their words and their actions, that if you wanted something, you work for it. “IT” wasn't going to be handed to you on a silver platter.  Their wisdom came in succinct but deeply powerful sentences such as: “You weren't born with a silver spoon in your mouth”, “Hard work never killed anyone”, and perhaps the other half to the above opening quote: “God helps those who help themselves” (Algernon Sydney).   

I am now in the process of learning how to manage my own business, and so the vision board that I created 5 years ago for the practice of my dreams continues to morph and change each month on the New Moon.  Its structure and foundation is driven by a step-by-step business plan, but what warms my soul and provides fuel for the fire is my vision for how I want to practice and the capacity in which I am called to serve.  It was Eleanor Roosevelt who said  “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”.  That space in which I live is where my dreams meet reality.  The Elders ask:  Where lie your dreams, and what steps will you take to manifest them into reality?
Audrey Steele, L.Ac.
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com
“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work” (Colin Powell)  

In part one of this series, I reflected (as we often do when Mercury goes retrograde) on the memories I had of my last home and how very important it was in my spiritual development.  (*If you missed it, click link here http://tinyurl.com/n4gspv7).  

Although I talked about the importance of the plants and the people associated with my sanctuary, I didn’t delve into why selling this house was a stressful yet transformative process in my life.  For me, my breaking point was pulling up roots that had been planted deep (selling my home & moving). Leaving wasn’t easy, but staying would have been a whole lot harder!  Turtle had to go, but – like turtles do – this one unwittingly carried some of her baggage with her.  The specific details of my physical, emotional, mental & spiritual challenges are irrelevant at this point.  For you,  you, AND you, your stressor may be something totally different but equally (or perhaps, more) challenging.  Yet suffice to say, know that if you don’t take care of yourself when you are going through significant life events, the changes can bring you to your knees. What does any of this have to do with acupuncture or Chinese medicine? In part 2 of this series, we will explore further how change – whether you resist it or totally cave under its pressure - can result in physical, emotional, mental and spiritual symptoms, and we’ll look at ways in which Chinese Medicine and other forms of complementary therapies may help support you on the journey.  

Stressful Effects of Change
Change is inevitable - matter of fact "There is nothing more permanent than change itself” (Heraclitus), so let’s take a look now at some symptoms that may present themselves when the stress of change affects you:
◦ Body:
Headaches, fatigue, muscle tension, stomach ulcers, GI distress → decreased immunity → quicker susceptibility to illness & infection.  Most of the patients that come to me for acupuncture primarily complain of bodily symptoms that can be traced back to the stress of trying to deal with change.
◦ Mind:
Insomnia, cloudy thinking, forgetfulness, scattered thoughts, monkey mind, mood swings, impatience, easy to anger, and emotional lability/outbursts are often manifestations of trying to keep up with changes going on around you - changes that overwhelm to the point of not being able to shut off the mind or disengage from the causative factor – if only just for a minute to “reboot” your thought processes.
◦ Spirit:
Despair, depression (note I put depression in the category of “Spirit” versus "Mind" - I will explain later), feelings of hopelessness or abandonment by God… AND man.

Role & Response of the Chinese Organ Systems:
In Chinese Medicine, we speak of various “organs”, but these are more than just the physical structure/organ themselves.  The term is used to include the channel/meridian as well as the emotions, senses or element of each system.  These organ systems play an important role in Chinese Medicine, & yes, they too are affected by the stress of Change.  Here’s a little blurb about a few of the organs from a TCM perspective (it’s waaaaay more complex than this of course).

◦ Lungs
The Lung system is the Yin (wife) pairing to the Large Intestine (Yang partner), and is responsible for the emotions of grief.  It is appropriate to mourn your losses.  In our culture, we are told to be brave, be strong, suck it up, be a big girl (be a man!), and it’s  frowned upon when we show the emotions of grief.  We feel cut off, lifeless, disconnected, empty… I’m here to tell you, a good cry can be very cathartic. Inappropriately or perpetually holding on to grief or sadness serves no purpose other than eventually lodging in your cells and manifesting in dis-ease.   In Chinese Medicine we say the Lung is a “delicate organ” that is very susceptible to heat & cold (I won’t even talk about smoking!), and when the Lung channel is stressed,  you are more susceptible to coughs, colds & flu, asthma, all kinds of breathing problems, even allergies as examples (the Lung is also known as “the container for Phlegm” :-)    Let it go….. Breathe….  Breathe deep from your belly, and on each exhale ….. LET…. IT....GO.
Helpful tip #1: 
Massage, tap or squeeze these 2 acupressure points when you feel down/blue/sad: 
a) Kidney 27:   located just under the clavicle about 1 or 2 fingerbreadths on either side of the middle of your chest (poke around until you find the most tender spot).
b) Lung 3:  Stick your thumb in your armpit, place the other 4 fingers of that hand on the upper arm (about 3” down from the armpit) & wherever your pinky lands on that bicep muscle, poke around until you find another tender spot.  Massage, tap or squeeze this spot while you take some deep belly breaths (breathe in for a count of 5, lower abdomen expands out; exhale for a count of 5, lower abdomen returns to base).  Now I must emphasize the caveat here is to seek professional help if you feel you cannot handle your grief, sadness or depression.

◦ Large Intestine
The LI system is responsible for the process of letting go, literally & figuratively - much like a two-year-old who is in potty training and learns the art of selective control which (if taken to the extreme) can result in constipation as we hold on to what no longer serves us. For example, during my move, many of my Buddha statues, china & glassware broke, and I was sooooo tempted to glue them back together, but I had to remind myself to throw away what was no longer salvageable. It is according to the Law of Impermanence: nothing lasts forever, and very much like the Turtle, we can take our home with us wherever we go, but there are some things we will need to let go of to ease the burden that we carry. On the other hand, to the other extreme is feeling so overwhelmed by the change going on around us that we feel helpless, immobilized and  totally out of control that we may have diarrhea-type symptoms. 
Helpful tip #2: 
Constipation may be due to Heat (for example excess hot, spicy foods; or not enough fluids (“Yin deficient”) so watch your diet & liquid intake.  Practice the art of positive affirmations while setting intention to release that which you have no control over.  One of my favorite techniques to use when I’m stressing out about things over which I have no control, is EFT.  EFT aka “Emotional Freedom Technique” helps to repattern the neural pathways through tapping while repeating affirmations.  The technique comes from Gary Craig; Check his website here for further info:  www.emofree.com . 

◦ Heart
The Heart in Chinese medicine is known as the Monarch, and we say it is a reflection of the Spirit. If we are stressed by change, are not content or at ease, then we can end up having insomnia, palpitations, all sorts of chest discomfort as well as circulatory system challenges. There are Chinese herbal formulas that can be used to treat insomnia (for example Tian Wan Bu Xin Dan, Suan Zao Ren or An Mian Pian), but it is important to discuss these symptoms not only with your acupuncturist (who will select the right formula for you based on Tongue and Pulse diagnosis as well as a full system review), but with your PCP (western MD) as well. The caveat here of course is to call 911 in case of an emergency!
Helpful tip #3: 
A most wonderful method of breathing & visualizing that brings the heart, body, mind and Spirit back into a coherent state and promotes a harmonious feeling can be found in a program called “Heart Math”.  Whenever my Spirit (Heart) needs a boost, I take a quick minute to practice Heart Math’s Quick Coherence Technique and in just a few seconds of breathing from my heart space, my heart is warmed and I am brought back to a state of bliss.  Visit www.heartmath.com/quick-coherence-technique/ for your step by step guide to restoring balance and harmony from within. 

◦ Stomach & Spleen
I had problems eating, actually had no appetite, and I had problems digesting.  If you're not at peace or you're stressed, whatever you eat will challenge your Stomach and Spleen organ systems.  The 2 are perhaps the most important organ systems in Chinese medicine because the Stomach is responsible for digesting whereas the Spleen is responsible for transforming everything that you ingest to support the flow of Qi (energy), blood flow & nutrients to all of the organs and the cells in your body. While the Lung is the ‘container of Phlegm’, the Spleen it’s said ‘produces Phlegm’, and so poor dietary choices (like too much cold temperature/energy foods) can result in you coming down with cold & flu symptoms, GI distress or being more susceptible to viruses, allergies and infection. There are acupoints on the Bladder & Small Intestine  channels that we can needle  to boost your immunity & fight infection or inflammation, and there are points on the Stomach/Spleen channels that - when stimulated - will strengthen the transformative powers of these 2 important meridian systems. 
Helpful tip #4:
Practice mindful eating.  Eat with your senses & take some time to look at your food, smell its aroma, savor every mouthful.  Never eat when you’re stressed or on the run – simple steps, yet when the daily grind flares up around us, we scrimp on the time we should take to enjoy our meals.  Stomach 36 – an acupoint on the Stomach channel – is a great point to stimulate (through daily acupressure).  It’s located about  4 fingerbreadths below the lower border of your kneecap (patella) & about 1 fingerbreadth from the anterior border of the tibia.  Its Pinyin (Chinese) name is “Zu San Li” - Leg 3 Li (meaning:  if you stimulate this point daily, you can go another kajillion steps – okay, I exaggerate). It is an important one for strengthening your body’s energy, preventing fatigue, building immunity, and strengthening the Stomach, Spleen & Intestines.

◦ 2 Other Organs: 
¬ The Liver is in charge of planning & strategy; The Gallbladder is in charge of decision making. At their best, they give us the courage to follow through and take action on the choices we make, and give our Solar Plexus the strength to tackle the stresses of change.  At their worst, we become timid, indecisive, wishy-washy and namby-pamby when it comes to making decisions, or stay stuck in unfulfilled desires, frustration, anger and resentment.  Some of us women even get a bad rep for being PMS-ish when the Liver/Gallbladder is not in balance. 
Helpful hint #5: 
Move that Qi!   When you start feeling cranky & irritable, go for a walk, dance around the house, scrub the bathtub.  Ok, maybe not the bathtub thing.  And be kind to your Gallbladder – drink warm lemon water 1st thing when you wake up.  It’ll help flush toxins and wake up its bile-releasing function so you can digest food better.  Practice flexibility exercises (like yoga, Tai Chi or Pilates) that promote flexibility not just in your joints but in all areas of your life.

¬ The Kidneys are very important to life.  In Chinese Medicine, some of its responsibilities include reproduction, your life force, how much stamina or endurance you have, and how well (or poorly) you age as a few examples.  The adrenals – the 2 little organs sitting on top of the kidneys contribute to the stress response (“fight or flight or feed & breed”).  Change can be really stressful, which means it can tax your Kidneys leaving you feeling run down, develop low back/knee pain, premature grey hairs, decreased hearing, and bone/teeth problems.  Emotionally, we may even feel immobilized and stuck in fear mode if we don’t take care of our Kidneys, unable to move forward in life.    
Helpful hint #6: 
Eat foods that strengthen the function of your Kidneys:  black sesame seeds, black beans, black walnuts, seaweed and kelp.    Get enough rest so you can recharge & strengthen the Fire at the Gate of Vitality - Ming Men aka “Life Gate” is a point located just below the spinous process of the 2nd lumbar vertebra. Give yourself a treat and massage the entire low back area & around this point to warm it up and keep your Qi flowing.

Helpful tips #7, 8, 9..etc, etc, etc….. 
There are many other ways that you can help support yourself during stressful events and times of change, and maintaining good health is key.  We must not forget the role of right nutrition, adequate rest, prayer or meditation, the comfort of friends, and any of the numerous energy modalities that are available.   Reiki, Healing Touch, chakra balancing, craniosacral work, rolfing, massage, journaling, color therapy and essential oils (aromatherapy) are some that come to mind.  
And finally, my acronym for Change:  which do you choose?
C: compromise vs. control
H:  harmony vs. hanging on
A:  agenda vs. adaptability
N: negotiate vs. negate
G: growth & gratitude vs. growl & give-up
E: embrace vs. endure.

What will be your #ChineseNewYear resolution? What will you do differently to deal with the stress of change?  Drop us a note in the comment section below for what works for you.  Kung Hey Fat Choy - Happy Chinese New Year! 
2015 – Year of the Goat.  *Now accepting patients at our new location in Seminole, Florida.  Call for appointment and a free consultation to discuss how Chinese Medicine can assist you in your best health yet!  
Audrey Steele, L.Ac.
Acupuncture Physician
(727) 417-8307
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference” (Reinhold Niebuhr)

“I’m a traveler, a pilgrim. No one can hold or stop me, not the bonds of joys and sorrows, not the room I live in” (Rabindranath Tagore)

I've been told my posts are sometimes too long.  I laugh at this because it confirms for me how we live in a microwave society and everyone expects results immediately.  The same folks who tell me to make my blogs shorter, are the same ones who come to me with their chronic conditions complicated by multiple co-morbidities and expect me to "fix" them in 1 magical treatment - FOR CHEAP - and WITHOUT DISCOMFORT!  Well, Dear Friends, you'll have neither of that here, and I make no apologies for that.  When I speak, I speak from the heart, and when information comes from the Elders, I share it with you as it was given to me.  “He who hath ears to hear”….. as they say in the Bible (Mark 4:9).  And so in compromise, I give you this month’s blog as a 2-part series. It is my personal story of change, letting go and the Law of Impermanence.  It speaks to how resistance versus allowing can impact our lives on all levels – Mind, Body & Spirit – and how #ChineseMedicine can help you with any transitional challenges you may experience along the way.  It begins with me selling the home and sanctuary I had created, a space that had birthed many dreams, fed a village, nurtured many of my Kindred spirits and Soul Family…. A home that I had set intention that would be unlike any other home I had ever owned, as it would serve as a beacon of Light with intention to heal the world.  I invite those of you, Dear Friends, who are patient enough to read this blog and savor its words, if you have a personal memory or experience from having been to my home, to share your story – if you are so drawn – in the comment section below.  My story begins (as Mercury prepares to go retrograde AGAIN!) as I reflect on the day I bought this last house, 10 years ago….

It was a blank slate back then; there was nothing perfect about the house on the corner, bordered by an alley on 2 sides, and steps away from 1 of the busiest thoroughfares in the neighborhood. .  But I had a vision for the space I would create, and that in itself made it perfect. The only thing that was on the property were 2 palm trees in the front, and a Cherry Laurel & Brazilian Pepper in the back.  I didn’t even have a fence, but my sister Lesley (the designated Fence Builder in my family who has built a fence around almost every property I’ve owned) spent almost an entire weekend building me a fence that would delineate the boundaries of the property, and contain the energy of a crystal grid that I buried on the land.  I had a vision for the space that would serve as a beacon of Light and a sacred sanctuary from the outside world.  “Build it and they will come”, I was advised, and so I envisioned a Peace Garden in the front with an altar where we could congregate & gather for full moon drum circles, a feast for the senses and a balm to the Soul.  A “Shalom!” plaque hung between 3 wrought iron candle holders nailed to a stately palm tree on the front lawn.  The “Group therapy practiced here” flag with wine glasses appliquéd all over it I had brought back from a visit to a winery & friends in Indiana -  it waved unashamedly & gloriously in the breeze. One of my dear friends Robin brought me buckets of pea gravel (pea-stones à peace stones) that we put in between the pavers.  Pretty soon, each of my friends began to donate items to the space.  My friend Pam, when the house she grew up in was destroyed by a fire the night after we celebrated Obama’s inauguration, we had a blessing and release ceremony for her lost home. This 'DirtSister' of mine, before the contractors came to bulldoze the remnants of the house, helped me rescue pavers from her yard, and we recycled them to become the foundation for my outdoor altar.  It would be here that I would sit some evenings, sipping on a martini while watching the sunset, and thank the spirit of Olive (Pam’s mother) for donating these St. Pete pavers that were over 80 years old.  My friend Lois offered up a non-GMO lilac colored rose with the most beautiful fragrance, and a circular flowered paver that was placed in the center of the garden to mark the location of the firepit.  I credit my mother and all the members of my family who invested countless time & effort, as well as blood, sweat & tears in helping me create the space.

It was here that when he was a baby, I would papoose & bundle up my nephew Elijah, & take him out at night to see the moon & the stars.  “Where are you from Elijah? Which one is your home?” I would ask the little bundle.  He would look up, even then as an infant, and babble in his baby tongue.  “Then say goodnight to Moon; say goodnight to stars, Elijah; Tomorrow is another day”, I would say, and he would drift off to sleep.  The next day, we would wander around the yard, to “Peruse the Perimeter of the Property”.  I trusted his baby cells would remember these moments as he got older, and it would bring him comfort in his later years, much as I had from my early years with my Great-Grandmother in Jamaica.  It was here on the front lawn that he learned how to connect with Mother Earth, and ground into her healing energy.  As I watched him grow up, it was here on the front lawn that - with eyes closed, he sharpened his skills at sensing the color & energetic temperature of my crystals, and he would identify the plants based on their smell.  Along with the regular culinary herbs like basil, dill, oregano and thyme, I grew Jamaican allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, lemongrass, rosemary, and Ai Ye (moxa), all surrounding Quan Yin & Buddha.  Crystals got charged out there on the altar every full moon night.  Clearing & Blessing sprays matured for 9 days at the feet of Buddha & Quan Yin, amidst all that was planted for their spiritual properties, and with a central theme of attracting butterflies and tantalizing the senses. It was there that bees, butterflies, white egret, crow, frog, owl, possum and snake would visit, bringing with them the messages and wisdom of the Animal Kingdom.

On  warm summer nights, our nostrils were bathed with the scent of jasmine vines that clung to and crept silently along  the picket fence, along with citronella, gardenia, geraniums, cerassee, cinnamon, and Bay Rum.  Night blooming jasmine flanked either side of the front steps.  Birds of Paradise, day lily, ornamental ginger, Mexican petunias, Florida sunflower, purple & orange lantana, Hens & Chicks all grew side by side, like a band of gypsy travelers who find each other along the way.  A Barbados Cherry tree in the front gave us beautiful pink blossoms, an abundance of fruits that Elijah would pick, and I would gleefully watch as Lola - my friend Lois’ corgi would jump up to pick the low hanging fruits, and I would plead with the blue jays & mocking birds to please leave me some to make jam.  Squirrels danced in & out the branches of the Florida sunflower trees, & feasted on the seeds.  My cherimoya tree – like me (at times temperamental and moody)  – some years offered only 1 fruit all season, and then other years I was able to give to my friends so that they too could  partake of this exotic Caribbean fruit.  My Mayan spinach plants – the original of which was a gift from my ‘SisterFriend’, Carmen, grew to hedge height & provided privacy from the street while hosting numerous Monarch butterflies. I planted three flowering pear trees that sheltered the sparrows; a scraggly twig of an oak barely 5ft tall, donated by my neighbor, and a discarded 6ft Laurel from Lowe’s – all grew  to majestic heights & became THE spot on my block where everyone (including myself) fought to park under because they had grown to offer shade from the afternoon sun.  They had anchored in nicely and grew to become a living testimony and symbol for the magic of transformation that occurs when One is cared for, and they reminded me to stay centered and grounded no matter what storms prevail around us.

In the back yard, the 2 jasmines I planted as babies had grown up to become sturdy trees and the place that supported my colorful Costa Rican hammock.  Imagine them in bloom… combined with the heady scent of frangipani, tangerine, lemon & orange blossoms; who wouldn’t brave the mosquitoes to bask in this seductive glory on a full moon night.  Then there was the water fountain my daughter Jessica built me for Mothers’ Day when she was about 17 years old – she dug a hole & sat in it to make sure it was deep enough to hold the fountain, and I will never forget that moment of silence as we turned it on and waited for the 1st bubbling sounds to appear at which time we squealed & applauded in delight.  Avocados from my neighbor’s tree would fall on my side of the fence, and if I was lucky enough, I would get them before the squirrels went shopping & sampling each one before it would hit the ground.  Bird baths abound.  A very special mango tree now grows along the western fence – as much as I wanted to take it with me when I moved, it had rooted itself in, and I couldn’t budge it to save my life.  My dad had planted a mango tree back in Jamaica way before we were kids, and on a visit to my homeland several years ago, I snuck a mango through Customs and now it was growing nicely, a testament to the invisible strength, support, perseverance, and connection of family.  Tamarind – glorious, exotic, deliciously sweet Tamarind – flourished beautifully, providing shade from the scorching afternoon sun, and loads of fruit to the point where they just fall off the tree. 10 years ago when I planted it, it was a mere 2 feet tall, grown from seed and a gift from Tita-Lola, my adopted Filipino Grandmother who lived behind me. 10 years later, it towered above the roof of my house, and carpeted the ground beneath with a blanket of fine delicate leaves.  There’s cardamom & turmeric & Hand of Buddha (a citrus tree whose fruit is shaped just like Buddha’s hand),  sweet Sambo lemon, a Kefir lime tree that I mixed with lemongrass for my Thai curry dishes, numerous variety of mints, leeks, callaloo, and a recently planted yam and sugar cane my Hunny – himself an Earth Man – had planted that luckily bore fruit before we sold the house.

This was where my tribe would gather – we had “Dolly-Momma” retreats where my Soul Family sisters helped me make dollies to take on my medical mission trips to Guatemala & Haiti (and I got hooked on Chick Fil-A chicken minis); we had fundraisers for my birthdays where all proceeds went towards the Fistula Foundation,  an orphanage in Kenya, or a particular charity (you get to a certain age, & material things mean nothing to you when your Universal family is lacking the basic necessities to survive); we had Poetry Night, where my friends shared their favorite piece & my 5 year-old nephew Elijah became the Town-Crier who would sound the gong to announce the next featured “poet”.  There was my 50th birthday party where many were invited but exactly 50 people showed up for my Croning & spiritual naming ceremony (Sanân Nariah Shafäth – at your service), and got (temporary) tattoos that reflected their God/Goddess self.  We hosted Magda from Poland who attuned us to Reiki, and we got together every month for energy healing (Caregivers must care for Self), and Spiritual Cinema night where the ladies wore tiaras & a boa and carried their own magic wand, and Charlie – the only gentleman in the group – became “King” for the night & got to wear a Burger King crown.  We watched & discussed movies like The Secret, Blue Butterfly, Peaceful Warrior, Spiritual Warrior, Celestine Prophecy, 7 Years in Tibet, 5 People You Meet in Heaven, and the Moses Code.  This is my Soul family, and the community that became a pillar of support for me during my spiritual journey – this wonderful band of fellow sojourners like myself, who over a decade taught me the lessons of connection and kindred spirit.  Ten years later, many of us have moved on to different places, different roles and responsibilities, different relationships, yet we remain connected by the unseen Web that has no Weaver. I am grateful to them for the many lessons they taught me, for the gift of their time and friendship, for being my teacher, for loving me kindly, for holding me in their hearts yet all the while willing to let me go.   And now it is time to turn the page… Remembering always that home is where the heart is, and Turtle takes her home with her wherever she goes.   I come because I was invited; I leave when it’s time to go.
*In part 2 of this series, learn how change can manifest in bodily symptoms, and how Chinese Medicine can help you on your personal journey.
“We leave something of ourselves behind every time we leave a place… we stay there even though we go away” (Pascal Mercier). 
Audrey Steele, L.Ac
Licensed Acupuncturist
www.Acupuncture4YourHealth.com