With the millions of baby boomers now present in our population, there is - especially now - an increasing interest in the organic process of aging. This process involves not only the body, but also the mind and spirit.
Unconventional modalities such as acupuncture offer a preventative alternative that can enhance longevity, beauty, quality of life and youthful vigor, while still honoring the accumulated wisdom that can be the reward of long life. We as acupuncturists are in a unique position to synergize ancient knowledge with modern technology, and likewise guide and educate the population about "healthy aging," constitutional facial acupuncture, acupressure and herbal support. This is a growing, comprehensive field with a captive audience, and facial acupuncture can serve as a wonderful adjunct to any standard acupuncture practice. First, however, there is a need to educate acupuncturists about this abundant modality, and then reach out to the public with knowledge, wisdom, compassion and skill.
While most acupuncture texts associate the concept of rejuvenation with aging and its corresponding treatment with facial acupuncture, we feel that the idea of renewal is more in keeping with the spirit of this new millennium. In these new times of uncertainty, fear and posttraumatic stress, renewing oneself implies embarking upon a journey that is not simply dedicated to the re-attainment of youth, but embodies much more.
In such a journey, there exists a kernel of possibility for transformative change. This revolution originates from within and manifests itself outwardly in the radiance of our shen, reflecting tolerance, compassion, beauty and peaceful balance.
In future columns in this series, we will discuss issues that are relevant to "healthy aging," beauty and longevity, both on esoteric and practical levels. Our ongoing exploration of this new, transformative approach to aging will include discussions of:
We look forward to establishing our connection with you in this new field of "healthy aging."
Structured water (H3O2) can be considered a fourth state of water between liquid and solid. It has the hexagonal structure of ice; however, missing a critical bond, it behaves more like a gel than a solid, but retains some of its crystalline structure.
In the past five years of my clinical practice, I have seen an astonishing upsurge in the chronic use of proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) medications for the gastrointestinal issue diagnosed by allopathic medicine as GERD. It is not uncommon to encounter patients taking these prescriptions for five-plus years.
Working with chronically ill patients entails acknowledging the reality that not all patients will survive their diagnosis. Chinese medicine and acupuncture play a crucial role in palliative and end-of-life care, addressing medication and disease side effects, alleviating pain associated with death, reducing anxiety and stress, and helping patients find peace during the dying process.
