If you're feeling overwhelmed in the moment or just feel like you need to center and focus, take a few minutes to close your eyes and repeat this mantra in your mind. Even 5-6 repetitions while breathing deep into your belly can make a world of difference in the middle of the busy day.
So breathe deep, and have a wonderful week!
Its from last year but it is a very good presentation by a NY Acupuncturist, Dr. Tsai. By her point selection in the demo, she went through a similar training to mine if not the same one.
Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture really can make a difference in your appearance, especially in the realm of fine lines and wrinkles. I often see fine lines disappear and I'd say deep lines can reduce by 50-75% depending on your age and the line location.
Facial Acupuncture is something I really feel passionate about, which I did not expect when I went through certification in 2006. I thought of it as a trend I could capitalize on to help me pay back my (somewhat insurmountable) student loans, but it has become one of my most favorite treatments to do because it is so transformative.
There's something about seeing patients change visibly before my eyes that is magical. It even goes beyond the incredible healing that acupuncture in and of itself creates. I personally find facial acupuncture sessions even more deeply relaxing that other acupuncture sessions of every stripe and color.
One session can brighten your complexion, and when the subtle and lasting changes of facial acupuncture really take hold, I can see in my patient's posture that they feel more confident and seated in themselves. It is something really beautiful to behold. Facial acupuncture often becomes a way to help their outside appearance match how they feel inside a little better, and this gives them more confidence and presence.
The changes Facial Acupuncture creates can be close to Botox, but it takes time - at least 6 treatments at a frequency of 2x/week - to really make it stick. A standard course of treatment is 12 treatments total, the first six at a frequency of 2x/week and the next six at a frequency of once a week, to really get the best results. With regular maintenance after that, results really can last 2-5 years. The younger you are the longer the results generally last. I also find that if you stagger facial acupuncture tune up sessions with traditional facials, the results last even longer.
I think the ideal time to start a full series is late 30's or early 40's. This is when permanent lines really start to become noticeable to the individual - not necessarily to the "world at large" but we are always our own worst critics. I've seen excellent results for people in their 50's and early 60's and fair results for people in their late 60's and early 70's as well, so it is feasible to pursue at any age.
I do not love the term "Acupuncture Facelift," however, I think it is a little inaccurate. The effects of a facelift are very drastic and acupuncture techniques can never truly match that level of surgical intervention. I prefer the term Facial Rejuvenation or Cosmetic Acupuncture because I think it creates a more realistic expectation for the patient.
Call it what you will - the results do stand and are tried, tested, true and completely natural. It is the closest thing you can get to a natural facelift, so I suppose if that is what people want to call it I shouldn't complain. If you meet somebody interested in a natural or acupuncture facelift, however, send them my way and I can set them straight about what actually can and cannot be accomplished!
Health insurance changes are coming down the pipeline, and the new plans under the Health Care Act (aka "Obamacare") will be unveiled October 2013 and will go into effect January 2014. I find this is causing concern for some, and that the biggest concerns are about cost and a general sense that people don't know what is going to change.
The Oregon Insurance Division has put out a great brochure reviewing the basics of what is included in all new plans and how rate review (regulation) works in Oregon specifically. Click the button below to download or be linked to the brochure in PDF format.
Its actually very exciting, and most consumers are going to benefit from the new plans. If you are insured through a large employer it is highly unlikely anything is going to change aside from a few new plan inclusions. Small business employees and privately insured individuals will see the biggest changes in the realm of covered services and rates, but there is much more rate regulation and review in place so the rate changes should be minimal and generally beneficial to the consumer - especially to older Americans.
Everyone is eligible for health insurance, regardless of current or past health status, meaning NO PRE-EXISTING CONDITION DENIALS FOR COVERAGE though there may still be exclusionary periods where a pre-existing condition isn't covered for a certain period of time when you sign up for a new plan. That is yet to be seen.
Health plans for individuals and small employers must contain basic (essential) benefits and will be easier to compare.
Cover Oregon, the state’s health insurance exchange, will offer one-stop health insurance shopping and link eligible Oregonians to financial assistance programs for premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
The Rehabilitative and Preventative care are the bigger areas of change, though "preventative" means wellness exams by your PCP, not alternative medicine (3,000 years of history and clinical evidence for preventative medicine here on the Chinese Medicine side of things....helloooo) fyi.
Most plans in Oregon will have a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (acupuncture, naturopathic, chiropractic, maybe massage) "rider," or supplemental plan, that you can include for an additional premium, but CAM services are not part of the Oregon essential benefits list. They ARE part of the Washington State essential benefits list, so ALL PLANS ORIGINATING IN WASHING STATE WILL INCLUDE COVERAGE FOR ACUPUNCTURE starting January 1st 2014!
If you want to review the full Oregon Insurance Division brochure, please click the button below. There is also a button for the Cover Oregon health exchange site where you can learn more about how the health exchange works, enter your household information to calculate if you are likely to be eligible for a subsidy (i.e. tax refund to help pay the cost of your insurance premium starting in 2014) and sign up for alerts to stay in the know about health care exchange happenings.
So click on, read up, and stay tuned here as well - I will be trying to disseminate information about health care act related changes, sign up dates and more through my blog as best I can. I also send out information via my eZine, so if you haven't signed up yet - its time!!