Willowbrook Acupuncture

10/11/2022

I have had to close the clinic for the time being, while I work out how best to do this.

Working full time during the week and then running clinic part-time at the weekends was too much.

My long-term goal is to have the clinic full time, I'm just not sure when that will be.

31/05/2022

https://www.willowbrookacu.com/

My new website is now live!

First day in clinic will be the 11th June. Very excited!!

It's time to heal your body naturally. At Willowbrook Acupuncture, I will aim to strengthen your internal immune system while treating any pain or discomfort you may be experiencing in a calm and relaxing atmosphere. Scroll down to learn more about what acupuncture can do for you.

28/04/2022

So, exciting news!

I think I have found a clinic I can practice from!

More details will follow very soon because I have a couple of important hurdles to get over before I can reveal all.

What I can say is that it will be in Cardiff, and I will initially be running the clinic on Saturdays.

A proper website is in the works too so lots to focus on over the next few weeks.

I'm hoping to be up and running in 4-6 weeks.

I offer traditional Chinese Acupuncture, Tui Na (medical massage), Moxibustion and Cupping.

07/04/2022

Something I am incredibly proud of. 3 years of exceptionally hard, but oh so rewarding, effort!

12/03/2022

Awesome dietary advice from my good friend Lydia at Phoenix Rising Acupuncture. If you're on the South Coast and in need of health advice and treatment, give her a call!

Did you know the food you eat has an impact on your mind, body and consciousness?

Within Chinese Medical food therapy, the foods natural energetic taste (Sour, Bitter, Sweet, Pungent and Salty) is taken into account along with the energetic properties of the food (Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold and neutral), Which foods can move certain substances i.e Qi, Phlegm etc along with different foods that naturally nourish the Yin or Yang - and of course all this knowledge is based on the individuals energetic "makeup" and what needs to be done to bring the body in balance.

If you would like to book an appointment to discuss Chinese Food Therapy to improve your health please email lydia on 07534013309 or lydia.edwards@pxrg.uk for more information. A full weeks food diary will be required, as well as short health questionnaire and tongue analysis.

A 45 minute appointment is £80 on Zoom.

03/02/2022

There are numerous diagnostic methods within Chinese Medicine. You can diagnose somebody's condition just by looking at them! You can also question them using classical topic areas (e.g. pain location and type, how their sleep is, how their bowels are, how much they sweat and even where they sweat!). All of these things are diagnostically relevant. I will even ask you to show me your tongue as you can tell an awful lot about somebody's health by their tongue.

The primary diagnostic method though is the pulse. Pulse taking in acupuncture is an art form itself and is very different to western pulse taking. There are 12 primary pulse locations (all situated on the radial artery) and each will tell me about the health of the channel systems that are associated to the primary internal organs (6 yin, 6 yang). You can tell from pulses if any of these channels and organs are excessive or deficient, whether there is a pathogen present, or even whether the patient is in pain.

Whilst questioning a patient helps, they may tell you what they think you want to hear, or they may omit things. The pulses (and the tongue) don't hide anything from you! Pulses will not only tell me what's wrong, but will also tell me how deep I should needle as well as how long the needles should stay in.

During a treatment, I will constantly take the patients pulse as I adjust the needles. What I am doing is essentially stimulating the needles and getting them to achieve the desired effect (boosting or sedating a particular point) and the pulses will tell me when that has been achieved. When the pulse quality changes, I take the needles out.

Pulse taking is at the heart of acupuncture and without a high level of skill at reading pulses, one would be flying blind. As I say, pulse taking is a real skill and is an area one should be constantly refining and improving as it is at the heart of a practitioner's skill and therefore their ability to affect someone's health.

01/02/2022

So, recently I shared some thoughts on what to eat during winter time to keep our body's happy and healthy.

Chinese Medicine has a lot of good dietary advice contained within eat and if followed, you can really become a lot healthier (quickly too). However, just as important as what you eat, is how you eat.

For example, we shouldn't rush when we eat. Eating on the go really should be avoided. We also shouldn't multi-task when we eat (don't read, watch TV or play with your phone when you eat); Chinese Medicine views the Stomach as digesting/processing information as well as food, so if you give it multiple things to process, you will weaken it. Just focus on your food, chew it thoroughly and be present when you eat.

We also shouldn't slouch when we eat (you'll compress your digestive tract and make it less efficient). Don't eat when stressed (basically, avoid any heightened emotional state).

Make breakfast your biggest meal (the digestion is strongest around 8am and weakest at 8pm) and make your subsequent meals smaller as the day progresses. Don't eat too much, too late (you won't sleep!).

Don't snack between meals. You need to give your system time to 'rest and digest'. Constant grazing will weaken it as you always asking it to do something. Don't over eat (always until two-thirds full) is another important one. If you have a slump after your meal that's a sign you've eaten too much and your digestive system is struggling to cope.

All of these principals are contained with "Yang Sheng Fa' (life nourishing principals) and if followed, will help you to become healthier and happier. Some are tricky to do (putting that phone down for example) but your gut will thank you for it!

04/01/2022

Some good advice for navigating through winter from one of my teachers, Roni Edlund:

In this video look at how to best live in balance with the energy of winter, not just for good health, but also to help replenish our deeper reservoirs of Yi...

10/12/2021

As we move towards Winter, we need to ensure that we look after our health and energy levels. Winter is a time for less movement as it is Yin in nature (Yang is action, movement and is more associated with Spring and Summer). There is a reason animals hibetnate in Winter! We can't do that so we must look to preserve our energy as much as possible during Winter. This will help boost our immune system and help to fight off the normal seasonal illnesses as well as Covid.

An easy way to do this is to look after our digestive system. In Chinese Medicine, the digestive system (and Spleen in particular), plays a key role in our energy levels, which in turn help with our immune system (our Wei Qi in Chinese terminology). The Spleen quickly and easily becomes deficient. Luckily though, it is easy to remedy. Eat well, eat simply and avoid too much sweet, processed food.

Warm, nourishing, easy to digest foods are what our digestive system likes best. Soups, stews, broths etc are perfect, Spleen friendly foods. Avoid cold and raw foods (and as I say sweet foods; refined sugar really isn't good for us!). Warming, simple, nourishing soups etc will help a weak Spleen/digestive system and will get back in balance quickly. This will in turn give our immune system a boost and will keep those nasty lurgies at bay!

The Kidneys also need to be looked after at this time (the work with the Spleen and digestive system in general to keep things working as they should). Keep your lower back nice and warm in winter and avoid situations that will make you fearful (turn that news feed off!). Fear, even low grade, will be constantly draining for our kidneys. Not keeping them warm will also tax them. This will make them less able to support your Spleen.

Look after yourself and your body will look after you!

10/12/2021

I was hoping to be treating by now but the on-going pandemic has made me reluctant to do so.

I still have plans for a clinic but these will have to wait until 2022, most likely Spring onwards.

I will however, start to post regularly on here with regard to acupuncture and Chinese Medicine in general. It is a fascinating treatment modality and I hope my musings will be of interest.

Stay well and sane (ish)!