As a chronic pain patient, my experience is that there is no one treatment or pill or exercise that cures the pain. But, luckily, persistence and a multi-pronged approach can bring joy and ease back.
Read morePearl of a Location
So, I just can't wait to share this news with you all! I am planning to start practicing in March out of Northlake Physical Therapy in Portland's Pearl District. I will be renting a room and working with the two phenomenal and heart centered physical therapists there as well as with a lovely team of personal trainers and massage therapists.
The staff at Northlake PT is very familiar to me as I was a patient of theirs for a good chunk of last year. They are kind, fun and top notch. I feel like I've won the lottery getting to join them and learn from them. I'm also excited to share Chinese medicine with their patients! I'll definitely let you know when I'm starting to schedule patients. Thank you all for your continued encouragement as I'm transitioning from student to private practice!
Practice Update!
I am excited to announce that all of my boards are finally over! This means that in the next few weeks I will be getting certified by our national accrediting board and then awaiting final licensing by the Oregon Medical Board. Once they sign off I'll be up and running pretty quickly. The whole process should take no more than a few weeks.
In the meantime, I hope all of you are enjoying the crazy snow we have and staying warm and safe. In Chinese medicine, we really like to eat slow cooked hearty foods right now - think roots and roasts, soups and stews! Warm drinks also help keep the digestion running smoothly and the body warm inside and out. Interestingly, the classical texts also encourage us to keep our necks warm and to not allow a cold draft to hit them. So wrap up in scarves or pull out those turtle necks you've always wanted to wear. (Having a Masters in Anthropology I find this fascinating as there are many cultures that believe cold can invade and injure the body through exposed areas!)
Although it may seem counterintuitive, this is also a season to stay well hydrated. If you're like me, it's much harder to remember to drink enough water in the winter. On the cold and clear days, or the days you're inside with lots of heat running, it can be very dry. My usual water bottle just seems too cold and unappealing though. I'm trying to drink lots of very lightly steeped green tea and herbal teas so I keep warm, but still get the water. If you have forced air heat, a humidifier can keep down the static and keep the sinuses from drying out too.
Just in time for the holidays!
I finally have some prints (and iPhone cases for fun) available of both the Peony and the Cinnamon Twig block prints. People have asked me for a more affordable way to obtain my artwork so I'm experimenting with prints from Society6. Please note that these are not originals (which is why they are cheaper). I'm excited that you can get framed copies through Society6 too! You can still obtain original artwork by contacting me directly or through my shop here on the website. I have not purchased anything through Society6 myself yet so please let me know about the quality and such. Click here to go to my store on Society 6. OR, click here to go directly to my personal shop to order the original artwork.
I've been struggling with inspiration and motivation this past year with the unexpected death of my father, graduation and taking board exams. I apologize for not having any new herbs printed yet. I still plan to create ginger and da zao next so that you can have the complete gui zhi tang for your office or home.
Also, I'm especially honored to hear about my artwork making its way into treatment rooms or office spaces. If you happen to have my work hanging in your space, please do share a photo with me as this is super motivating for me! Below is a picture of my artwork in Ancient Fern Medicine's treatment room here in Portland, OR.
Thoughts For Shadowy Times
"All human beings have in common the desire to avoid suffering and to know happiness." The 14th Dalai Lama
I have personally been struggling this past week with maintaining equilibrium and avoiding falling into cynicism. I have see-sawed between the desire to shout and lash out in anger and the desire to draw inward and ignore everything around me. This "either-or" thinking makes me feel whiplashed and confused. What I do know is true for me, what my rudder can be in this time, is that helping others brings me great peace. For solace and guidance I'm doing the following things and I share them with you.
- I am spending one hour a day doing yoga and listening to a meditation or talk from Tara Brach - https://www.tarabrach.com. There are many other teachers, meditations and such online or in local bookstores. I am also reading one passage from a spiritual book each evening before bed. I am committing to doing this everyday to help ground me and to nourish me.
- I refuse to let cynicism take over my life and am committing to participating in creating the community I envision. A loving, inclusive and fair community. I am joining email lists from groups that support and advocate for people of color, LGBTQ issues, women's health, immigrants' rights and safety and in general protecting the marginalized.
- My wife and I have committed to finding community. We tend to keep to ourselves, especially spiritually. We are going to start exploring different spiritual groups and classes until we find the right fit for us.
- I am focusing on self-care, making sure to eat regular meals and food that is nourishing to me. I am increasing my appointments with my favorite support persons such as my therapist and acupuncturist.
I am also reminding myself that we are not the first generation or peoples to experience divisive times. There are lots of resources on how to live in challenging times. We do not have to do this alone, we can look to our ancestors and the writings of other cultures. We can't forget that small and simple acts of kindness, especially to those feeling most vulnerable right now, are of much larger importance than we can know. Kindness is not meek, compassion is not timid.
"If I can help, I can live with this." From Awakening Consciousness in Shadowy Times, Tara Brach
Image from the Sacramento State Capitol garden.
Treatment Room Ready!
In between studying for board exams, my wife and I have been hard at work getting one of our treatment rooms ready. (I am working on a second location, but that will be announced later as details are finalized.) I want to be ready to practice just as soon as my licensure is granted! Here's what's left - the last two are slightly out of my control time-wise:
- Board exam
- National licensure (dependent upon board exam completion)
- Oregon Medical Board certification (getting finger prints this week and dependent upon national licensure)
So, here's hoping everything goes smoothly and I'll be ready to treat you in this beautiful space in early 2017!
Newsletter Test!
Pardon us while we test out features that allow us to notify you when there are important practice updates or news!
Practice Updates
Still in the process of finishing up board exams! I just completed #2 of 3 a few weeks ago and have what will hopefully be my last one in early September. I've started the licensing process with Oregon so that I'll be ready to go quickly after my exam results come in. Can't wait to start treating patients! Hoping everything will be good to go by mid to late October or early November. At this time I'm looking at potentially seeing patients in the Pearl at a great physical therapy clinic.
I'm also working on setting up a newsletter and blog subscription so you can be notified as soon as I am able to see patients!
Fresh Prints (of Bel-Air?)
Sorry about the pun, but I have more prints posted in the Shop! (Check them out here: http://www.northwestfamilyacupuncture.com/shop/.) These are hot off the press. Well there is no press, these puppies are hand pressed with my own two hands. This is a bit labor intensive and takes longer than a press, but I like to work with the materials by hand. I love seeing the ink take to the paper from the back of the print as I rub the barren (a traditional round tool used to press the paper into the block) across the print.
And don't forget, if you are ordering three or more prints, you can enter "Discount" when asked for a promo code to get $10 off your entire order. (This reflects the savings on my end in shipping when you are ordering more than one print.)
Discount on Multiple Prints
Print prices in the "Shop" have shipping costs already included. If you are ordering 3 or more prints, I have created a discount for you of $10. This reflects the savings to me in shipping more than one print! When you check out, be sure to enter "Discount" when asked for a promo code. This is good for at least through the end of the year.
I'm still working out this online selling thing, in fact the selling my art thing in general, so future prices may vary as costs be come clearer. Feedback on shipping options, packaging etc. are always welcome. Just send me a quick email at maria.hicks@nwacupuncture.com. Thanks for your support!