More Tips to Alleviate Seasonal Allergies

• A Neti pot is an ayurvedic healing method to wash out the sinuses with a saline solution. This method clears the nasal passages of allergens as well as decreases inflammation in the mucous membranes. It can be challenging to use but is really worth the effort. My patients report feeling much better very quickly using this daily.

• I also recommend showering and changing your clothes after being outdoors. Your clothes, skin and hair will collect pollens and bring them indoors. Washing these off of your body will help alleviate constant exposure to allergens. This is especially important before bed, as the pollen on your hair gets on your pillow, causing nighttime exposure to allergens.

• Finally, stay hydrated by drinking fresh water.

NY Times Discusses Acupuncture Benefits

This article from last week's New York Times discusses how many people are finding relief for common health issues using acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. There are also some great tips on making acupuncture work within your budget.

Read the article here.

More Tips to Alleviate Seasonal Allergies

It's the height of allergy season right now. Spring flowers and trees are in full bloom. Patients are suffering with runny nose, congestion, headaches, watery eyes, itchy eyes, increased phlegm, sore throat, cough, and asthma. Chinese Medicine offers a natural approach to help alleviate these allergy symptoms. Even better, with continued care, TCM can help decrease the severity and occurance of allergies, using a combination of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and nutrition.

The next few posts will include tips to decrease seasonal allergies. These are a great starting place for overall health. Here's the first tip:

Eat organic whole foods and take the chemicals out of your diet. Packaged and processed foods are difficult for the body to process and deplete the immune system. Eat fresh, whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, pastured meat and wild fish, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, and healthy fats like ghee, olive oil and coconut oil.

Homemade Tea for Itchy Eyes

Allergy season is in full swing! Today the pollen count is high. Many of my patients are complaining of itchy, burning eyes and irritated sinuses. Here's a simple, homemade tea concoction you can make to support your sinuses during this particularly pollen-filled time of year:

The eye tea combination per 1 1/2 cups of water:

2-3 chrysanthemum flowers

1 tablespoon of dried peppermint leaves

about 6 goji berries

Simmer the goji berries for about 10-15 minutes in a cup and a half of water, then steep the chrysanthemum and peppermint in the hot water for about 10 minutes.

You can also try nettles tea either by itself 1 TBSP per cup of water or you can combine it with the above recipe.

Raw local honey can be added to the lukewarm tea (you don't want to cook the honey) to increase the benefits for allergies.

Holistic Stress Reduction Workshop employing Acupuncture, Yoga and Talk Therapy

Dear all,

I am pleased to announce an upcoming workshop I will be giving twice in May. Over the course of my years in practice, I have seen how much stress plays a role in creating ailments in the body, regardless of what symptoms or conditions patients are coming in with. In recent times, as my own Buddhist practice has deepened, I have become particularly interested in more effectively getting at the root of many of the imbalances that manifest physically, emotionally and mentally. This root, essentially, is stress, and more particularly, how we respond to stressors. I always encourage patients to try to develop practices and mindframes that create empowerment and a clearer, calmer state of mind. This workshop is an opportunity to hone these skills.

This workshop uniquely employs Acupuncture, Yoga and Talk Therapy to

1. Understand the negative effects of stress on the mind-body from 3 holistic perspectives,

2. Create a space that allows for each participant to experience a sustained peaceful, calm state, and

3. Give participants simple, everyday tools to help reduce stress, increase self-care, and create more peace of mind.

It will be a collaborative effort among myself and two other holistic practitioners: Robin Simmonds, Iyengar yoga instructor, and Susan Lambert LCSW, mind-body psychotherapist.

The workshop will take place Saturday, May 15th 1-4pm session but please note due to the high demand, we are also offering it Friday, May 14th from 6-9pm.

Be well,

Sharon

Stressed out? Overwhelmed? Or just want to approach your life with a calmer, clearer mind?

Come and experience the holistic tools of yoga, acupuncture and talk therapy to help you learn to reduce stress.

In this unique 3 hour workshop led by Iyengar yoga instructor, Robin Simmonds, Chinese medicine practitioner, Sharon Yeung L.Ac, and psychotherapist, Susan Lambert LCSW, we will explore ways to reduce and let go of stress through the modalities of yoga, acupuncture and talk therapy.

We will learn to identify stressors, understand the effects of stress on our minds and bodies, and incorporate simple tools to create more balance, improve self-care, and meet our daily lives and responsibilities with more clarity, buoyancy and peace of mind.

This workshop is well suited for those who have always wanted to try one or more of these healing modalities, to deepen their experience in any one of them, or discover the powerful effect of these therapies when brought together in unison.

Open to all, limited to 8 participants. No prior experience in yoga required.

Reserve your space now.

Saturday, May 15th from 1:00-4:00pm or

Friday, May 14th from 6-9pm

80 East 11th St. Suite 310

NY, NY 10003

Phone: 212-229-8318

Email: holistictools@gmail.com

Fee: $60 (payable in check or cash)

*please wear clothing you can move in.

More Thoughts About Improving Sleep

Poor sleep has been linked with high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart failure, heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, and obesity. Researchers have shown that getting at least eight hours of sleep is needed for good heart health and getting less than eight hours of sleep can put you at a greater risk for developing heart disease.

Acupuncture has shown great success treating a wide array of sleep problems without any of the side effects of prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids. The acupuncture treatments for problems sleeping focus on the root disharmony within the body that is causing the insomnia. Therefore, those who use acupuncture for insomnia achieve not only better sleep, but also an overall improvement of physical and mental health.

Source: Qi Mail™

Sleep and Hormones

Did you know our hormonal balance is affected by light? And hormonal balance is key for a healthy reproductive system and fertility. An important aspect of hormonal health has to do with being connected to night and day. Our bodies respond to a natural contrast in light and dark and we produce hormones accordingly.

A common, yet little known, issue for my patients who live in New York City, is exposure to light at night. Exposure to light while you sleep can set off a chain reaction within the pineal gland that can affect your circadian rhythms (your wake/sleep patterns). The pineal gland produces melatonin, a hormone that affects the reproductive system. At night, you want to make sure that your bedroom is as dark as possible when you sleep. This might mean covering your windows with thick light-blocking curtains.

Also, to balance the darkness at night, make sure you have an adequate amount of time outdoors during the day. As the weather is getting warmer, this is easier! You also need to get the proper amount of sleep for your body. Generally, 7 to 10 hours is a good range.