Touchstone Acupuncture

12/30/2025

In Chinese medicine, yang is your body’s warming energy — your inner fire that keeps you vibrant and strong.

Winter’s cold and wind can weaken your yang if you’re not careful. That’s why simple habits matter:
🧣 Wear a scarf to protect your neck
☕ Sip warm teas
🛌 Rest and stay cozy

Protect your yang, keep your Qi strong, and let your inner fire shine all season long. ❄️✨

12/29/2025

12/26/2025

Greetings to all my precious people!!

We have arrived at the final Friday of 2025. The space between years. The liminal time when one cycle has completed and another hasn't quite begun.

This is the deepest winter when Water season is at its peak. Maximum yin. The darkest dark before the light slowly returns. And our culture desperately wants to rush through this. To skip the fertile void. To jump straight into New Year's resolutions, vision boards, and "New Year, New You" transformation programs.

But the soul knows better.

👉 Head to my blog
(link in bio) to read my latest post: The Seed Knows What It Will Become

Photo by Pao Dayag on Unsplash

12/25/2025

A cozy, warming side dish or snack that strengthens the Spleen, tonifies Qi, and disperses Cold while nourishing the Blood.

In TCM, sweet potatoes strengthen the Spleen and Stomach, replenish Qi, and moisten dryness. Black beans tonify the Kidneys and Blood, while ginger warms and harmonizes the middle Jiao (digestive center).

Nutritionally, sweet potatoes offer beta-carotene, vitamin C, and fiber. Black beans are rich in protein, iron, and antioxidants. Ginger aids digestion and immune support.

Ingredients (Serves 2):
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- ¾ cup cooked black beans
- 1-inch ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon olive or sesame oil
- Sea salt to taste

Instructions:
1. Steam or boil sweet potato until soft.
2. In a pan, gently warm black beans and ginger in oil.
3. Mash sweet potato with beans and ginger. Season with salt.
4. Serve warm, garnished with extra ginger if desired.

Modifications:
- Vegan & Gluten-Free: Naturally
- Protein Boost: Stir in h**p seeds

12/23/2025

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yin and Yang aren’t just opposites, they’re complementary forces that create harmony in your body and life. ☯️

Yin is the cool, quiet, nourishing energy; think deep rest, fluids, night, winter.
Yang is warm, active, expressive; think movement, digestion, day, summer.

When Yin and Yang are in balance, you feel grounded, energized, and at ease. But when one dominates, symptoms show up: fatigue, anxiety, hot flashes, insomnia, brain fog... sound familiar?

Acupuncture helps restore this inner balance. Especially during the transitions of midlife, when hormones and energy shift.

12/19/2025

Greetings to all my precious people!!

Sunday December 21 is the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Known as the longest night, it is the turning point, the moment when darkness reaches its peak and light begins its slow return.

This is the hinge point of the year, when Yin begins to shift to Yang. The threshold between the old cycle completing and the new one germinating in the dark soil of winter. We stand in liminal space—between what was and what will be, between who we've been and who we're becoming.

And here, in this tender in-between, I want to talk about something essential: we don't do this alone.

The journey of awakening—of remembering who we are, of reclaiming our fire, of coming home to ourselves—is not a solo ascent to enlightenment. It is not about transcending our humanity or escaping into spiritual bypassing.

It is about walking each other home.

This is Ram Dass's most beautiful teaching, and it captures something the ancient wisdom traditions have always known: we are interconnected. Our awakening is mutual. We cannot remember alone.

👉 Head to my blog
(link in bio) to read my latest post: Walking Each Other Home

Photo by Van Williams on Unsplash

12/18/2025

These easy-to-make, no-bake snack bites are the perfect seasonal tonic for cold December days. Designed to warm the middle Jiao, nourish Blood, strengthen the Kidneys, and calm the Shen, they’re ideal for that mid-afternoon lull or as a sweet, restorative treat alongside a cup of herbal tea.

In TCM, jujube dates (da zao) are sweet and warm, tonifying the Spleen and Stomach, nourishing Blood, and calming the Shen. Walnuts strengthen Kidney Yang, support Jing, and warm the body. Fresh ginger disperses Cold, promotes digestion, and enhances circulation, while a touch of cinnamon warms the channels and boosts metabolism.

From a nutrition perspective, jujube dates are rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and polysaccharides that support immune and adrenal health. Walnuts provide omega-3 fatty acids for brain and heart health, while ginger and cinnamon offer anti-inflammatory, blood sugar-stabilizing, and digestion-supporting properties.

Ingredients (Makes ~12 bites):
- ¾ cup pitted jujube dates (or Medjool if unavailable)
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch sea salt
- Optional: 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions:
1. Soak jujube dates in warm water for 10 minutes to soften, then pit and roughly chop.
2. In a food processor, pulse walnuts until crumbly.
3. Add jujube dates, ginger, cinnamon, flaxseed, and salt. Blend until mixture comes together into a sticky dough.
4. Roll into bite-sized balls. Optional: Roll in black sesame seeds for added Kidney-nourishing benefits.
5. Chill in fridge for 20 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Modifications:
- Gluten-Free & Vegan: Naturally
- Protein Boost: Add 1 tablespoon h**p seeds

12/16/2025

❄️ Winter is the season of deep rest, reflection, and renewal. ❄️
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter is connected to the Water element, the Kidneys, and your deepest reserves of energy: your essence or jing. It's the perfect time to slow down, nourish your body and spirit, and align with nature’s rhythm.

This is your invitation to embrace stillness, sip warming herbal teas, receive acupuncture, and support your inner transformation in order to emerge into spring replenished and radiant.

Rest is not lazy. It's medicine.

12/12/2025

Greetings to all my precious people!!

Last week, we remembered: you are made of stardust. You carry ancient wisdom. You've always had the magic.

This week, we turn our attention to what the Daoists call Shen—the spirit that lives in your heart. The light of consciousness. The fire that makes you uniquely, unmistakably YOU.

We are in the deep darkness of December now. The Winter Solstice approaches on December 21—the longest night of the year, when the sun seems to disappear entirely, and we are asked to trust that the light will return.

This is not accidental timing. The darkest night of the year is also the turning point. From this moment forward, the light begins its slow return. The days lengthen. The fire comes back.

But only if we tend it.

👉 Head to my blog
(link in bio) to read my latest post: Tending the Fire that Sparks You

Photo by Alex Shuper on Unsplash

12/11/2025

This earthy, aromatic dish is a grounding, Kidney-nourishing meal ideal for December’s deep Yin season. It gently strengthens Yang, replenishes Qi and Blood, and supports the Spleen and Stomach through winter’s cold months.

In TCM, chestnuts are sweet and warm in nature, tonifying the Kidneys, strengthening the lower back, and nourishing the Spleen. Shiitake mushrooms support immune function, nourish Qi, and dispel Dampness. Ginger and scallions warm the Stomach, promote circulation, and dispel Cold.

Nutritionally, chestnuts are rich in complex carbohydrates, vitamin C (unusual for a nut), and potassium. Shiitakes provide beta-glucans that support immunity, as well as B vitamins and antioxidants. This dish offers anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular, and immune-boosting benefits in a cozy, digestible form.

Ingredients (Serves 2–3):
- ¾ cup fresh or vacuum-packed chestnuts (peeled)
- 1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoons avocado or sesame oil
- 2 slices fresh ginger
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tamari or light soy sauce
- ½ cup vegetable or bone broth
- 1 teaspoon rice wine
- Pinch of white pepper

Instructions:
1. In a pan, heat oil and sauté ginger and scallions until aromatic.
2. Add chestnuts and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes.
3. Add shiitake mushrooms, stir to coat.
4. Pour in tamari, broth, rice wine, and white pepper. 5. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chestnuts are tender.
6. Serve warm as a side or light main dish.

Modifications:
- Gluten-Free: Use tamari
- Vegan: Use vegetable broth