tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399742917839709422024-03-12T21:13:30.779-07:00Moving QiJazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-58757797099275413422016-10-31T07:49:00.003-07:002016-10-31T07:54:57.524-07:00<h2 class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large;">Please Be Gentle
With Yourself</span></span></h2>
<h2 style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I
have found myself writing and/or saying those words to an unusually
large number of people in recent months. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">All in response to trauma,
stress, fear, illness, worry or the loss of a loved one.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">According
to Chinese Medicine, Autumn is the time for grief and awe, for
choosing the valuable jewels to keep in your pocket and letting the
rest go. Many people let go of life in the fall, leaving the rest of
us to grieve and cherish the gifts worth keeping. My mentor and
friend, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D1O3b-1u6c" target="_blank">BobDuggan</a>,
the one who taught me this, passed away this fall. I am thankful
daily for the many gifts he gave me and am inspired anew to share
them with the world.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Now,
we begin the plunge into the holiday season and Winter is making
itself known. It is the season of courage and fear, quietly facing
the unknown and being willing to sit in deep, dark, stillness with
it. Letting our resources rebuild until we're ready to rise back up
in the Spring. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Unlike the chaos many of us have designed for ourselves this time of year. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">As as a result, this
transition we're in, between letting go and unknowing, is often a
struggle for many in our culture. We seem to think that we should be
on the go constantly, happy constantly, no time to reflect. And yet,
nothing in nature does that. What makes us think we're exempt? I'm
seeing a lot of illness and dis-ease in my treatment room due that
struggle. Helping people let go and open back up to that deep, revitalizing stillness is a huge part of my work these days.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It
seems to me that it's no mistake that the presidential election is at
this transitional time of year. It is our nation's time to choose
what/who is valuable and let the rest drop away. It sets the tone for
the future, just as fall and winter in the natural world does for
spring.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Many
old wounds are being lanced of late in our world. So much pain. So
much suffering. So much ugliness. As we mend and recover, may we come
to cherish what's valuable while letting go of what's not. May we sit
quietly together, listening, as we repair these old wounds, not
knowing what will come of it.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">May
we show simple kindness to ourselves. And others. Rebuilding our
community, one moment at a time. Not in reaction, just quietly being with each other. The equivalent of my (southern) culture's tradition of just showing up with a ham and quietly doing the dishes. This is how we will heal and grow together.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So, <i>please</i>…
be gentle with yourself.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Until next time,</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Janice</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">p.s. Feel free to drop me a note or give me a call if I can be of help to you during this time. ~ jc</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</h2>
Jazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-1290230149089767862016-10-31T07:49:00.002-07:002016-10-31T07:54:14.803-07:00<h2 class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Please Be Gentle
With Yourself</span></span></h2>
<h2 style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I
have found myself writing and/or saying those words to an unusually
large number of people in recent months. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">All in response to trauma,
stress, fear, illness, worry or the loss of a loved one.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">According
to Chinese Medicine, Autumn is the time for grief and awe, for
choosing the valuable jewels to keep in your pocket and letting the
rest go. Many people let go of life in the fall, leaving the rest of
us to grieve and cherish the gifts worth keeping. My mentor and
friend, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D1O3b-1u6c" target="_blank">BobDuggan</a>,
the one who taught me this, passed away this fall. I am thankful
daily for the many gifts he gave me and am inspired anew to share
them with the world.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Now,
we begin the plunge into the holiday season and Winter is making
itself known. It is the season of courage and fear, quietly facing
the unknown and being willing to sit in deep, dark, stillness with
it. Letting our resources rebuild until we're ready to rise back up
in the Spring. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Unlike the chaos many of us have designed for ourselves this time of year. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">As as a result, this
transition we're in, between letting go and unknowing, is often a
struggle for many in our culture. We seem to think that we should be
on the go constantly, happy constantly, no time to reflect. And yet,
nothing in nature does that. What makes us think we're exempt? I'm
seeing a lot of illness and dis-ease in my treatment room due that
struggle. Helping people let go and open back up to that deep, revitalizing stillness is a huge part of my work these days.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It
seems to me that it's no mistake that the presidential election is at
this transitional time of year. It is our nation's time to choose
what/who is valuable and let the rest drop away. It sets the tone for
the future, just as fall and winter in the natural world does for
spring.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Many
old wounds are being lanced of late in our world. So much pain. So
much suffering. So much ugliness. As we mend and recover, may we come
to cherish what's valuable while letting go of what's not. May we sit
quietly together, listening, as we repair these old wounds, not
knowing what will come of it.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">May
we show simple kindness to ourselves. And others. Rebuilding our
community, one moment at a time. Not in reaction, just quietly being with each other. The equivalent of my (southern) culture's tradition of just showing up with a ham and quietly doing the dishes. This is how we will heal and grow together.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So, <i>please</i>…
be gentle with yourself.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Until next time,</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Janice</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">p.s. Feel free to drop me a note or give me a call if I can be of help to you during this time. ~ jc</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</h2>
Jazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-9375491643340323642016-09-28T17:43:00.003-07:002016-09-28T17:51:51.286-07:00<h2>
Our Words Can Outlive Us...</h2>
<br />
Often throughout the year, I think of my friend, Vienna Hagen, who left this world far too soon. She fought an amazing fight with a cancer that was only accidentally discovered and blazed out in wonder, love, and shear crazy glory for the days remaining to her. That woman sure knew how to live in the face of damn near anything.<br />
<br />
Always the brave one, Vienna, liked being a trailblazer. So, it is only fitting that she be the first (& possibly last) posthumous guest writer on my blog. Here is something she wrote a few years ago. Still one of my favorite pieces about Fall. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
And remember, you never know how what you say or write will come back to haunt somebody...<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman';">
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Fall Happens</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">by Vienna Hagen</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">There is a night when fall happens. Neither a function of calendars, nor exactly weather, seasons, like Mary Poppins, arrive when the wind changes. Spring comes in the morning, with the soft scent of damp earth and the glimpse of a green bud. Summer arrives one day at noon, with a dry sky and a single bead of sweat. Winter sneaks up and slides in with the cottony sound that muffles the world right before it snows, but fall happens at night.<br /><br />One night, after a warm day when it seems that summer is never going to end, autumn dances in. Fall is not a thief, like winter, nor blatant as the summer, instead it is a gypsy, strong and sure. “Come” it says, “see my pretties! I have colors galore, and tastes! I have glowing lights and magical bells! Come and share!”<br /><br />On the night that fall comes, the breeze shifts, becomes, even if for but a moment, a wind. In the blink of an eye, the air turns crisp and sharp. The lingering dusty warmth of summer is swept away, and leaves, even though still green, suddenly rustle as though they were made of paper, no longer liquid and growing, but all, as if on cue, beginning the countdown to falling in multi-hued mountains for use as the landing zones of childhood, and the funeral pyres of summer vacation.<br /><br />Apples are just the fruit needed by fall. Strawberries are too soft and sweet, designed for the wedding of spring to summer. Peaches, watermelon, nectarines are all for quenching the thirsty days of July and August, but apples are for fall. Tart skin snaps when you bite into it, like the little slap of cool air on your face on a clear autumn day. Apples are solid, and can stand up to a frosty morning. Apples have character.<br /><br />The window stood open after a warm, lazy day and it was too much of an effort to close it, so after the sun went down, fall waltzed in. A sudden, almost imagined chill brushed through, and the tree outside creaked a little as though feeling its age. In a subtle instant, it was time to take the blanket down off the shelf where it had lived since the day the forsythia popped open like corn. Lemonade was no longer the thing. Ice cube trays that had been freshly filled might remain so now for months. One lone fly that had gotten in the day before and entertained the cats enormously now, suddenly, disappeared.<br /><br />Outside, leaves clattered, calling attention to themselves as if knowing that the curtain was about to go up on their final, but most spectacular performance. Insect choruses packed their bags and gave in to the inevitable. Lightening bugs conceded defeat for the year. Air that had been leaden and flat became crystalline and bounced off the tip of the nose. Last night, fall happened.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
Ah... Vienna. The world is such a poorer place without you, my friend. I can still see you standing buck-naked in your graduation robe. Gotta' love a redhead!</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman';">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman';">
peace,</div>
<div style="font-family: 'times new roman';">
Janice</div>
<br />
<br />Jazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-56839157394389901542016-09-19T10:32:00.000-07:002016-09-19T10:38:45.095-07:00<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Treating
With An Open Heart</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="line-height: 100%;">This medicine is amazing.</b><br />
<br />
I
have an elderly, white, male patient who told me at his initial
intake that a) he was afraid of black people, b) he didn't trust his
wife's lesbian doctor, and c) he left his first acupuncturist because
she was Chinese and he didn't understand her or “her ways”. I
stopped him short by declaring the treatment room a politics-free
zone before he could finish telling me, I'm almost certain, that he
was a Trump supporter.
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Really.
</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>I'm
not making this up.</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
smiled, thinking of my other (black, LBGTQ, etc.) patients that he'd
be encountering in my waiting room on a weekly basis.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For
anyone who knows me, the next logical question is, <b>“<i>how could I
sit in the face of all that?</i>”</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Believe
me, it was not seamless. It took a minute to process each statement
initially and just as I was coming to terms with one of them, he'd
come out with another one. Luckily, I was able to keep my face
neutral.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Then
it occurred to me.</b> This is exactly the kind of patient that really
needs my help - to open back up to himself and his life, to
understand his body, what it's telling him and how he moves in the
world.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So,
I took a deep breath and looked past his ideas and listened to his
story of what it meant to be him living in his body. I went ahead
with my intake just like I always do. And you know what? I came to
see this frightened, lost man, who still, in his 70's, was carrying
and believing the negative internal dialogue his father had instilled
in him. A guy whose need for extreme frugality despite his very
healthy bank account, pointed to a life lived entirely under the
weight of lack. It broke my heart.
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And
so, we began the work. Letting the beauty of Chinese Medicine lead
me, I chose points to help him find center, reduce pain, appreciate
what his body could do – not bemoan what it couldn't – and he
began to heal. Using my SOPHIA skills, we looked at how the words
that he was using to describe being alive were causing him pain and
how to change them into something worth living into. We addressed his
diet, his sleep habits, and all the other usual stuff. And things
slowly began to change.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then,
during his 10th appointment, he mentioned that the majority of the
guys in his weekly exercise group were black and that, to his
surprise, he really enjoyed hanging out with them, talking and joking
around. He had accidentally found a community that he really
appreciated, and they weren't at all like he'd feared them to be.
<b>Wow.</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>This
“drawing the bigger circle” thing is not for the weak of heart.</b>
My chest would ache with grief every time this man came in and I
would make myself remain open, bearing witness to his pain and fear –
physical and otherwise. And then that 10<sup>th</sup> appointment
came and my chest ached again, only with joy for once. Just like the
Grinch, his heart has grown at least two sizes that day, and mine had
too.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
guess what I'm wanting to say is that although, there's almost always
more work to be done in a lot of situations -
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Don't
give up on people.
</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Be
strong. Love fiercely in the face of fear masquerading as hate.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>They
might surprise you.</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
until next time,</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
peace,</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Janice</div>
Jazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-20916561604250886892016-09-04T10:42:00.001-07:002016-09-04T10:48:43.451-07:00Don't Wait For Someone Else To Draw The Bigger Circle!<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 120%; }p.western { font-family: "Liberation Serif","Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; }p.cjk { font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; font-size: 12pt; }p.ctl { font-family: "FreeSans"; font-size: 12pt; }</style>
<br />
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In
the interest of full disclosure, I am a Southern born, white female
raised in a Democrat-turned-Republican household that supported
desegregation and my dad was appointed to Nixon's sub-cabinet. I'm
also a recovering union stage manager, recovering Southern Baptist,
current Chinese Medicine practitioner, Democratic Independent and
Taoist - oh, and bisexual, hetero-monochromatically married mother of
a 10 year old boy, living in Baltimore. Needless to say, I've got a
lot going on and there are people in my life from all across the
spectrum.
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
That
being said, regardless with whom I engage, what I'm hearing over and
over again is that we all need to change how we move in the world.
<b>The time for being armchair activists is over.
</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Years
ago, when GW got elected a second time, much to my horror, I decided
I needed to know why intelligent, compassionate people, that I loved,
had voted for him a second time. So, I called one of my sisters and
asked.
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
did not say, “How the hell could you do that?”
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
said, “I'm calling to ask you a question – not to be political or
to argue but because I really want and need to know the answer. Why
did you vote for him a second time? I need you to explain it to me
because I just can't reconcile it with who I know you to be.”</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And
so, she did. The conversation that ensued was eye-opening and amazing
and important. We did not change each other's point of view and yet,
we came to understand why we each did what we did in a way that was
healing and brought us closer.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We
are not all meant to get along and agree on everything. There are
just too many of us on the planet for that to be feasible. As one
might guess, I'm not fond of boxes. I learned years ago not to assume
that people fall neatly into ideological groups by what race,
profession, gender, or whatever they are. For example, I knew a a
theatrical technical director that was Republican. Who knew?! And
what a surprise when I learned that not all lesbians were well read,
interesting people.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It
is tempting, however, to want to insulate ourselves from those that
think and behave differently than we do. It can be a very needed form
of protection. For a while. It if becomes a habit, though, we become
too insular. The circle gets too small and chokes the humanity out of
us. This is why I continue to engage with people with whom I, often
vehemently, disagree.
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>I'm
drawing a bigger circle, however painful that may be. One we can all
live in. Because I believe that is the only thing that can save us.</b>
I am not saying condone abhorrent behavior. I'm saying find the
common ground where healing can begin. As the poet, Rumi, would say,
“There is a field out beyond right and wrong. I'll meet you there.”
I'm willing to meet anyone there, who is willing to do the work.
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This
brings me to G, whom I knew in high school and have reconnected with
on Facebook. We are on opposite sides of the political and social
spectrum. We are also both white. We disagree on everything from the
environment to politics to U.S. race relations. There are many times
I have wanted to shake him by his ears and on occasion, unfriend him.
I haven't, though. Articulating the things I feel strongly about so
that I hope he can hear them has taught me to hone my intention and
language in a way that draws that bigger circle. It is important that
our entire dialogue exists in type for all the Facebook world to see
and I am very aware that our discussions are not just for us. It's
like having guests over for dinner. Suddenly, everyone's table
manners are better. Both G and I are very aware of the wording of our
interactions and have, in the past, labored for actual months to be
able to find one sentence of common ground between us.
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And
we found it.
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Because
I continue to have these types of conversations with my family and
friends and strangers, I understand the fear and passion and sadness
of “the other side” while honing a clearer and clearer
understanding of what I hold dear and why. Were I only preaching to
the choir, none of us would learn anything and the world would remain
a very small place.
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Through
these discussions, I have not only learned more environmental
science, political history, and social history but I have also gained
more understanding of the lived experience of being transgender, a
person of color, Muslim, Jewish, devote Christian, Republican, died
in the wool Democrat, socialist, conservative, a member of the police
and so many other things. Most importantly, it has informed my
experience and understanding of being white, Southern, female,
educated, and American, and how that impacts me and everyone around
me.</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's
a practice. I don't always get it right. And I keep practicing.
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Because
of these conversations, when I am with my friends, family, strangers
and my patients, I have more ease in asking, “How are you? How are
you holding up?” after the killings of unarmed black people, GLBTQ
people, and white police officers - or in the case of Native
Americans, knowing why not to ask, “Did you have a good 4<sup>th</sup>?”
or “How was your Thanksgiving?”.
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then
– here's the important part - just listening - to their pain and
sadness and anger without judgment, my heart open to the point of
breaking and yet, not making it about me. If I can do this for
others, then I know, when my heartbreak comes, they will do it for me
because the circle is big enough for all of us and <b>together we will
heal</b>.</div>
Jazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-36362095537432240622014-03-17T12:11:00.002-07:002014-03-17T12:12:44.650-07:00The Passing On of A Friend<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A couple of weeks ago, I had a shamanic
healer tell me to keep a look out for a girl, a piece of paper, and
an owl. Weird, I know. And he, the shaman, is a trustworthy sort and
really knows his stuff. So, I have been holding that loosely in the
back corner of my mind ever since.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This past Friday, when I woke up, I
noticed that the world seemed quieter for some reason. Not making
much of the observation, I went on with my day, went to the office to
treat a few folks then had plans to go play chess with my friend,
Penny.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
About midday, I saw a text from my dear
friend, Marty. Our beloved Vienna Hagan (formerly Helen Sacher) had
died quietly in her sleep early that morning.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My heart broke open. Wide. Painful
yes... and painful like bright light can be painful... not painful
like a tearing away. The sensation was so different from anything I
had felt before with grief, even knowing each time is different. I
was awed. It was expansive not contractive. Weird. And I just let it
be as I cried great gulping sobs for the loss of my friend and
really, for the world's loss.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
You see, Vienna was one of the great
lights in the world. Her spirit – or shen as we say in Chinese
Medicine – was so clear, it radiated happiness and love to the
whole world. Not in a cheesy, intentional way – just by being who
she was. She was a big, red-headed girl in her 40's who loved life
and everyone in it. She embraced adventure and was very, very brave.
Especially in the face of the cancer that finally took her life. So much so that she truly <i>lived</i> for over two years after being diagnosed, rather than the handful of months they gave her to survive.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As I sat looking for words to describe
the expansive feeling in my chest, I looked up and there pinned above
my desk amidst a bunch of other stuff was a piece of paper with an
owl on it that said:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Miracles start to happen when you
give as much energy to your dreams as you do to your fears.</i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I began to
laugh. Loudly. In equal volume to my sobs from a moment before.
Vienna had such a great sense of humor! And that quote was a real
smack in the head. It sounded just like her.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It became clear to
me that her light had just grown so bright that a body couldn’t
contain it any longer. And when she died, I had been lucky enough to
get a refracted piece of that light that opened my heart wide. What
joy!</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I spent the rest of
the day smiling. And feeling as though I had been given my marching
orders. Those of us who were lucky enough to be touched by the
beautiful spirit that was Vienna Hagen have a mandate. Or at least, I
do. It is now my responsibility to continue to carry that joy and
wonder out into the world. That is the best memorial a girl could ask
for.
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It has been several
days now, and the feeling persists. I am no longer asking, “If not
now, when?” because<u> now is it </u>– in a very visceral way, I
am forever changed.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I wish you all much
light and love and laughter. And look out for miracles...</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
peace,</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Janice</div>
Jazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-44504841177163032742014-03-03T11:45:00.000-08:002014-03-03T14:22:07.772-08:00What's on your plate?<b>I'm back!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Life has provided a feast of opportunities for me over the last year and a half and blog updates have fallen by the wayside. Many apologies.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>On my plate, I have my rewarding acupuncture practice, my peaceful and lovely wellness center, the second year of my graduate studies in Chinese Herbs leading to my eventual Doctorate in Chinese Medicine, supervising in the student acupuncture clinic and teaching diagnostic interaction at MUIH, and last but far from least, my wonderful family.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>*whew*</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>So, where and when to breathe?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Now.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It's all we truly have.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>When a patient comes to see me, I often lead them in the following meditation:</b><br />
<br />
<i>Take a deep breath all the way down to your toes, breathing deep into your belly. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Now, with each exhale, I want you to let go of everything up to this minute. The past does not exist except in what we say about it. And we get to tell whatever story we want to... or none at all. So, for now, just let them all drop away like rain off a raincoat.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>At the same time, letting go of anything that might happen next. Letting all the what-ifs and the lists of things to do float away like a handful of balloons...</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Letting all of you sink down into right now.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Pulling your awareness down through your whole body to the soles of your feet.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Noticing the spaces between your toes...</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The weight of your body in space...</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>And giving yourself permission to stop doing... and let yourself be.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Alive and awake to this moment, </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>right now,</i><br />
<br />
<i>where life is happening.</i><br />
<br />
<b>It's all we have...</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>and more than enough.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>*ahhh...* </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I'll meet you back here next time.</b><br />
<b>Unless of course, I see you in the real world before then.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>peace,</b><br />
<b>Janice</b>Jazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-42444561183278357662012-09-27T08:20:00.000-07:002012-09-27T08:20:50.825-07:00Letting Go<br />
Fall is in full swing. It began creeping up in early August and hit its height at the Equinox last week. Everyone is beginning to feel the shift. Some welcome it and others, not so much. Now is the time that we begin the energetic slope into Winter. The days are getting shorter and it's time to take stock.<br />
<br />
The energy of Fall is all about awe and grief. The beauty of that first crisp day that causes us to gasp. It's so beautiful. The Chinese say this is the Lung taking in the "breath of heaven". And yet, as so much is letting go and dying at this time of year, there is also the grief that follows the declining of the light.<br />
<br />
Many of my patients report either being inspired or a bit down at this time of year. Both are appropriate. The inspiration, associated with the Lung, comes from that last glimpse of heaven before we burrow into the darkness. The "down" is that pulling in of energy in preparation for Winter. This is the Large Intestine's territory. Its physical function is paralleled by its energetic responsibility to extract what is valuable and let the rest go.<br />
<br />
There is a Chinese parable about two monks, one old, one young, who are walking along a road. They come to a muddy stretch and there they meet an aristocratic woman who is complaining loudly about not being able to get across the mud. Her servants, meanwhile, are wading through the muck, weighted down by heavy packages.<br />
The older monk kneels down and offers to carry the woman across. She begrudgingly climbs on his back and gripes the entire way across the mud. He then sets her down and continues on his way with his younger companion.<br />
Once they are out of earshot, the younger monk begins to complain about how rude and ungrateful the woman had been. He continues this tirade for the next hour, ending by saying, "How can you be so calm about this?" and the older monk replied with a smile, "I put her down an hour ago. You are still carrying her."<br />
<br />
As I began writing this, sitting here in a coffee shop, I was reminded about this story. Someone whom I am still carrying came in to get coffee. We did not speak or even acknowledge each other. However, I am sure we were both aware. It took me a minute to regain my center - to not be wobbled by the mere sight of this person.<br />
<br />
So, now it's time to walk my talk. Before Winter begins to creep up at the beginning of November, I will practice letting go of this person once and for all. I will take what's valuable from our association and let the rest go. It is a practice. By putting it in writing here, I am holding myself to it. Now is the time.<br />
<br />
So, want to join me?<br />
What have you not let go of? Who are you still carrying? Do you really want to lug them into the deep of Winter with you? Wouldn't it be better to make room for other things?<br />
<br />
May the peace and beauty of the season inspire you to simplify your life - shedding people and things and habits that no longer serve you as your best self. That's my plan.<br />
<br />
Until next time,<br />
<br />
Janice<br />
Jazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-76086716586151925942012-07-24T13:05:00.001-07:002012-07-24T13:07:29.603-07:00A ConundrumWhen a friend recently asked how I would feel when a certain difficult situation was resolved, I responded by saying:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"I really, really want to get the pebble out of my shoe. I'm just concerned that once it's gone, I will forget that I have feet."</span><br />
<br />
In the face of difficulty and hostility, we have the opportunity to become aware of ease and kindness. I know it sounds backwards. However, by their very absence, we become aware of them missing. And we have the chance to find the better parts of ourselves to counter them.<br />
<br />
Of course, we can choose the knee-jerk reaction of meeting like with like. You yell at me, I'll yell at you. And in the end, that gets us nowhere. Just more unhappy.<br />
<br />
We can also choose to bottle up that same reaction and cause physical and emotional harm to ourselves and those around us as it leaks out. Still not useful.<br />
<br />
Alternately, struggling with meanness and self-absorption in another can allow us to face these same things in ourselves and eradicate them. To acknowledge the demonstration in another of what we are also capable of. And yes, Virginia, we are all capable of some pretty heinous acts - as well as some very tender ones.<br />
<br />
Easily 20 years ago at my house, we were watching a PBS special about WWII. In it, there was a black & white clip of Hitler playing with his dogs. He was laughing and smiling and his dogs were bouncing around, tails wagging. A happy scene. I was stunned. It had never occurred to me that Hitler was anything but cruel and hateful. Dogs are pretty good judges of character, though, and apparently, to those two, Adolf was a nice guy - as appalling as it sounds.<br />
<br />
We all have it in us. And we forget that to our own peril. As they say, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Since seeing that documentary, a saying has evolved in our house. When faced with someone or a situation that we find hateful or mean, we remind each other that "Hitler loved his dogs." Shorthand for "We are all capable of great good or great evil. It is our responsibility to choose wisely."<br />
<br />
Having said that, in this current situation that I and my family have been wrestling with, I find that I have reached the point where I just want it to go away. Unfortunately, I am afraid that the better selves that it has called us to be, will also be forgotten once it's gone. There is more than one way to live "in reaction to".<br />
<br />
So, now, my practice, is to consciously thank the pebble while it remains... and mindfully prepare to remember my feet once it's gone.<br />
<br />
I'll let you know how it goes.<br />
<br />
Finally, as an old friend said to me, <i>:Very deep grasshopper! Make someone try and 'snatch the pebble from your hand' after you take it from your shoe. :)" </i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">Wax on, wax off....</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">Until next time....</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">peace,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">Janice</span></span></div>Jazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-70955037133324105372012-06-24T09:06:00.000-07:002012-06-24T09:06:23.931-07:00Anger Can Poison People - What's the Antidote?<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I have recently spent a good amount of
time with an older woman who has spent much of her life steeped in anger,
colored by fear and grief, and it has poisoned her. It’s a really a
tragic situation.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to Chinese Medicine bottling
up our anger causes stagnant Liver Qi. The Liver, aside from its
western responsibilities of filtering toxins and such, is
energetically responsible for our smooth flow of emotions –
specifically anger and kindness. It’s in charge of our muscles &
tendons, our ability to handle details, planning, &
follow-through. As part of our Wood energy – the Liver provides
motive force – similar to that which pushes the bulb up out of the
ground in Springtime. It fuels our vision through our eyeballs and
through our mind’s eye. Our hope for the future, our creativity –
all come from this same energetic.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, when we bottle it up, it stagnates.
Like a plant kept in a glass jar. It struggles to reach the light and
ends up balled up on itself and trapped. In a worse case scenario, it
rots, destroying itself.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And in humans, not only can it affect
our health, it can become infectious to others, if we’re not
careful.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After prolonged exposure to the woman I
mentioned above, I found myself getting angrier and angrier. And
since I didn’t act on that anger to move it forward into something
productive, it got heavier and heavier to carry. I could feel it in
my joints. I was getting more frequent headaches. My ability to plan
for the future was impaired. I was sighing a lot and lacking
motivation and worst of all, I was sharing it with everyone around
me, griping and unhappy.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our society does not know how to get
angry effectively – especially women. <b>Anger, in & of itself, is
not a bad thing – as long as it fuels growth towards the light. As
long as it supports and rectifies the idea that “something is wrong
here and I need to do something about it.” </b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Practicing directing
that aggressive urge into productive growth is one of the healthiest
things we can do for ourselves and it could save our lives.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, what did I do with all that bottled
up Liver Qi? I took action. I took myself for a walk and then I spoke
my mind, clearly and concisely. I was specific about what was and was
not acceptable and what needed to change for things to continue in a
healthy manner. I did not rage at her and yet, I let her know that
things could not persist the way they were, they had to change.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I feel a lot better. My body is
moving easier and suddenly, there is more room in my head for other
things. I am able to move forward in partnership and kindness with
this woman and sincerely mean it.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Did she like it? No. It made her mad.
But it also seemed to lance a boil of anger for her. It allowed her
to go ahead and feel it outright and release at least a little bit of
the pressure building up inside her.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My next goal: talk her into
acupuncture. It could relieve more of that stagnation and help her
live more smoothly in her own skin, reducing her negative effect on
those around her.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We all get toxic sometimes, even during
Summer, the time of joyful partnership in the Fire energetic. Being
able to move smoothly from that sudden urgent push of Spring into the joyous partnership of Fire isn’t always easy for some people. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>So, if you’re feeling
pent up or frustrated, take yourself dancing – even if it’s in
your own living room. Find ways to act on those impulses that allows
for more creativity and joy and partnership in the world.
</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><i>And call me for some acupuncture, if
you need a little help getting started. I’m here to help.</i></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Happy Summer Everybody!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
(and please share this with anyone you
think will benefit)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
peace,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Janice</div>Jazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-12518785378333532142012-05-14T10:33:00.000-07:002012-05-14T10:33:41.376-07:00PacingWe have been car-less for nearly two weeks now & it has inspired me to review how I move through the world - literally. <div>
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With the exception of short term car rentals on the weekends to enable me to reach my teaching gig, the whole family has been busing everywhere. And one thing, I've learned is that riding public transportation is a very trenchant example of how <b>outlook is everything</b>. </div>
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I have found it to be relaxing and a wonderful way of forcing me to slow down. It also requires me to really decide what is essential that I carry with me. Do I really need to pack for every natural disaster?! I'm sure I can find a place to buy a bandaid if I really need one.</div>
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It is also the great equalizer. No matter how you're dressed or where you're going, you are in the same boat/bus with everyone else from every other walk of life. When someone doesn't realize this and fights against it, it also has the power to create camaraderie among the remaining passengers.</div>
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One gentleman got on the bus the other day and spent every stop slamming his cane into the ground with aggravation and grumbling at whoever was getting on or off the bus as though they were intentionally going slow in order to make him late. He also barely contained his desire to backseat drive when the bus driver would err on the side of caution. The rest of us at first responded to him in kind, and then with amusement, and finally with offers of help, which he declined. </div>
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In truth, we can either fight against what is - the route the bus is taking, obstacles in our life, someone else's agenda - or we can take the time to be with what is and flow with it as best we can. It doesn't mean we don't continue towards our own destination, it just means we have a better time getting there. </div>
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A friend of mine is currently in the hospital with a severe emphysema attack and we talk about his allowing his body to relax rather than strain against the constriction in his breathing. Tensing against it only makes it worse. I know this from my own asthma attacks in the past. My friend says that when he manages to "take himself to the Grand Canyon" and "breath the big sky", his lungs relax a bit and it is the tiniest bit easier to breathe. He is still up against a terrible illness... and he is practicing flowing with it as best he can.</div>
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I think of him, as I sit on the bus, wanting it to move faster to get me where I'm going. And I relax, sit back, and enjoy the ride.</div>Jazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-2133472738665608662012-05-01T07:57:00.000-07:002012-05-01T07:57:28.300-07:00<b>Recent Reminders</b><br />
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My own acupuncturist & mentor said
to me the other day, “There is nothing in the ancient texts about
<i>doing</i> things! It’s all about <i>being</i>. We’re all
really just here hanging out between birth & death.”</div>
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And he’s right. I had gotten all
caught up in my to-do list and a sense of scarcity rather than
abundance.
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The fact is that there will still be
things on the list when we die. There will still be dirty laundry.</div>
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And my life is rich with love and
possibility.</div>
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That’s not to say that there’s not
work to be done, food to be prepared, household chores to be
maintained... and yet, it’s a completely different approach to
think, I’ll just do a few of these things while I’m here hanging
out between birth and death.
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My 6 yr old son has just started taking
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8xxgFpK-NM" target="_blank">capoiera</a> lessons. He loves it. One thing his teacher stresses is the
difference between being ice and being water. Ice resists things and
gets hurt in the process. Water lets things flow through and around
it and remains flexible. Now when we begin to have cross words in our
house, my son will say to me, “Momma, be water.” And he’s
right. It doesn’t mean that I don’t have to teach him things and
guide him toward more positive behavior. It’s the <i>way</i> that I do it
that makes the difference. And water gets a much better response than
ice – as is true with any of us.</div>
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The Tao Teh Ching, chapter 8, begins by
saying: “The highest form of goodness is like water. Water knows
how to benefit all things without striving with them.”</div>
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So, as we face the energetic beginning
of Summer this Saturday (May 5<sup>th</sup>), I wish for us all a
babbling brook of activity and joy and love while we’re hanging out
here between birth and death.</div>
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Enjoy.</div>Jazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-63941783905668907012012-03-04T07:18:00.000-08:002012-03-04T07:20:48.320-08:00Describing the Elephant: Modern Science & Ancient Wisdom<br />
As an acupuncturist, I have the intellectual hobby of following ideas & discoveries in modern science & medicine and then "translating" them into Chinese Medicine theory - particularly that of the <a href="http://acupuncturetoday.com/abc/fiveelementtheory.php" target="_blank">Five Element</a> model.<br />
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Yesterday, I was listening to <a href="http://www.studio360.org/" target="_blank">Studio360</a> on <a href="http://www.npr.org/" target="_blank">National Public Radio</a> and they did a segment interviewing <a href="http://www.mems.duke.edu/bejan-constructal-theory" target="_blank">Adrian Bejan</a>, the founder of <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/constructal-theory-introduction-to-the-inverse-of-biomimicry.html" target="_blank">Constructal Theory</a>. In short, Constructal Theory says, <span style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>"For a flow system to persist in time (to survive) it must evolve in such a way that it provides easier and easier access to the currents that flow through it".</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
In many ways, Constructal Theory speaks to both the art of <a href="http://fengshui.about.com/od/thebasics/qt/fengshui.htm" target="_blank">Feng Shui</a> (the arrangement of items in our environment to create the smoothest & most beneficial flow of energy through a space, which results in a greater sense of comfort & ease) and to what I endeavor to achieve with my patients in the treatment room every day.<br />
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I do not profess to fully understand Constructal dynamics at the moment, although I intend to study it further. However, it appears to be addressing the flow of qi both in animate and inanimate forms. While none of us are designed to live forever, acupuncture as a medicine seeks to reduce impediments to one's ability to live as well as possible or in constructal terms, "to evolve in such a way that it provides easier and easier access to the currents [of energy/qi/life] that flow through [us]."<br />
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It always tickles me when modern science and ancient energetic wisdom line up like this. We are all, indeed, just <a href="http://www.wordfocus.com/word-act-blindmen.html" target="_blank">the blind men describing the elephant</a>.<br />
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I wish you well & thanks for reading.<br />
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peace,<br />
JaniceJazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-66678664551408879742012-02-23T15:12:00.001-08:002012-02-23T16:27:04.722-08:00Who Has The Time?I've been thinking a lot about time lately. When I was little, I'd asked my dad what he wanted for a present and he's always laugh and say, "time". So, one year, I bought him a bottle of "thyme" as a joke - not really understanding why he felt like he had so little.<br />
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Later in life, as many of us finally got around to having children in our 40's, I can remember my friend, Steve's remark after the birth of his first child: "Ohmygod, the time I wasted! What was I doing with myself all those years?!"<br />
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Now, I've reached a point in my life where I'm beginning to understand how my dad felt. And I am seeking to recapture that sense of timelessness that I had when I was younger. As children, an afternoon lasts a lifetime. Next week might as well be next year. And a year... well, that's an eternity. Children are present to the joy of being alive on a moment by moment basis.<br />
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I look at the ever growing "List of Things To Do" and despair of having the time to get it all done. Am I just cramming more into my day? or am I not drilling down into each moment for all its worth? I have a sneaking suspicion that it's the latter. And I know I'm not alone.<br />
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As adults, we find ourselves ever tilting forward towards life. "I can't wait for the weekend." "When I retire, I'm going to..." "In my next career...." And the days just blur by, we're exhausted, and we miss so much... until the future finally begins to look a lot shorter and a bit scarier, and we find ourselves looking back. What did we do with all that time? Where were we? Racing to the future. Trapped in the past. Somewhere in between.<br />
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Every time my son tells me he hates my cell phone (because I'm often leashed to it), I am reminded of my mother's main piece of parenting advice, "Give your children your time." Life happens right now. In this moment. Don't miss it.<br />
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Put down the cell phone and schedule joy first. This is my reminder to myself.<br />
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I tell my patients this kind of stuff all the time and I need to hear it too. Today, it was from a patient, who shared his new list of goals with me. They are:<br />
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1) Be one with his environment.<br />
2) Understand what people tell and show you, not what you want to see.<br />
3) Be inquisitive.<br />
4) Seek pleasurable experiences.<br />
5) Try new things.<br />
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If not now, when?<br />
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I'll close with my favorite quote - one that I hope will be my epitaph:<br />
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"Living is<br />
A thing you do.<br />
Now or never?<br />
Which do you?"<br />
~ Piet Hein<br />
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I wish you joy... right now.<br />
Thanks for reading.<br />
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peace,<br />
JaniceJazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-30809618690514560712012-02-10T11:40:00.000-08:002012-02-10T11:40:19.196-08:00What Do I Do?When I tell people that I am an acupuncturist, they immediately think of the needles. Oddly enough, this always surprises me. It's like saying a poet works with pencils.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In short, my “cocktail party answer” for what I do is that 1) I make grown-ups lie down and 2) I help them – body, mind, & spirit – remember how to respond to life the way they did when they were little.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If you watch a small child, they have what we call a smooth flow of qi. They eat when they're hungry, they sleep when they're tired, they're happy when they're happy, they're sad when they're sad... they experience pain and yet don't suffer from it. They skin their knee and cry while it hurts and when it stops, they're on to the next thing. If you bring it up later, all they have to say about it is, “Look, I got a cool bandaid!” They aren't attached to the past, reliving the pain, or worried about pain in the future. They just roll along in the present.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As we age, we start to get attached to the past or the future. We begin to buy into what people say about us or what we say about ourselves. We learn to override the signals we get from our bodies: “I'll skip lunch and get this done.” “I'll just push through tonight & sleep tomorrow.” etc. And as a result, we no longer roll as smoothly. We begin to clunk along. And those clunks start to show up as physical pain, emotional upset, poor mental habits. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">All the needles & I do is ask experienced, intelligent questions that remind that version of life that is you how much smoother things could be. Really, it's you & your energy that do all the work. </div>Jazznesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10689390166202613879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639974291783970942.post-77860087390377904892012-01-27T13:17:00.000-08:002012-01-27T13:17:50.909-08:00Welcome the Water Dragon!Happy Lunar New Year!<div>According to the Chinese, this year we will experience good luck in comparison to the mixed bag we had in the Year of the Rabbit. Things will get better. Recovery may be slow and yet the chaos in the world should calm down a good bit. All in all, a good year ahead.</div><div>In that vein, I have decided to connect more with people, seek out like minds, and generally have more fun doing what I love. This blog is part of that venture & I look forward to connecting with folks & hearing what you think. My goal is to update it weekly. Please check back in & toss in your two cents as you see fit.</div><div>peace,</div><div>Janice</div><div><br />
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