February 16, 2018 begins the Chinese New Year. This year will be the Year of the Earth Dog.  Chinese astrology is based on a 12-year cycle, where each year is represented by a different animal- so some people are born in the Year of the Dog, some born in the Year of the Rabbit and so on.  There are 12 animals in a cycle and the cycle repeats every 12 years.
 
It is believed that each animal has particular characteristics that will influence your life, relationships, business, and personality. To find which animal corresponds to your birth year, go here:
https://www.yourchineseastrology.com/zodiac/
 
People born during the Year of Dog are considered sincere, loyal, honest, compassionate and dedicated to justice. Dogs can have strong opinions, are eager to help others and love children.

The five elements (earth, fire, water, metal and wood) also influence Chinese astrology. 2018 is the Year of the Earth Dog, so Earth energy is about getting grounded, creating security, and finding your balance as you move forward. This is a good year to go within for contemplation, so meditation can help. Earth energy moves slow, so if you feel you aren’t making a lot of progress remember that the foundation you lay this year will benefit you in years to come.

Do I tip my acupuncturist?

This can be a gray area since some acupuncturists work in spa-like settings where it is expected that you tip for most everything. I do have patients who will ask me if they are supposed to tip and I tell them the same thing, “No.”

I do not expect my patients to tip me. If you pay for your treatment with a credit or debit card, you will see an option to leave a tip when you sign during the transaction. This is built into the Point of Sale software that allows me to accept credit card payments and I’m not able to change it. I always tell patients to please ignore it. Tips are not necessary.  I find it kind when patients try to tip me, but I tell them to keep their money and go buy a cup of coffee or something special for themselves instead.

As one patient put it so nicely, “I do not tip my doctor or medical professional so I don’t tip for acupuncture.” Well stated. 

What I'm loving this winter…
 
This tube of hemp oil made by Equinox Botanicals.  It’s called Hemp Aid. I picked it up last month because I was curious and I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about hemp oil, but what I love the most about this is that it comes in a stick. Excellent! No greasy mess.
 
My fingertips have a tendency to crack and split due to all this cold weather and hand-washing during cold and flu season. I hate it! I rub this hemp oil stick over my fingertips a few times a day (and especially at bedtime) and voila! healed, smooth fingertips.  I also use it on cuts, scratches (I have two kittens) and rough patches of skin or eczema. I am so impressed with the fast results. I’ll definitely buy more and I love that it’s made in SE Ohio.  

So check out Equinox Botanicals and purchase the Hemp Aid here.

Happy New Year! It’s that time when I find myself thinking, “Okay, I’m going to accomplish so much more this year…no more slacking!” Goal setting, resolution making and dreaming big are all awesome, but if you’re like me, goals can also feel hard, overwhelming and out of reach at times.  So here are a few simple things I do to help me achieve my goals each year:
 
1. Post them in a visible place where you’ll see them everyday
 I use post-it notes, make collages and write simple one sentence "motivators" that I put on my bathroom mirror, refrigerator or car dashboard so that I’m reminded of what I’d like to accomplish this year.
 
2. Don’t try to implement a lot of changes at once
For example, I’d like to eat more veggies everyday, save money, create a budget, exercise regularly, write more blog posts, meditate daily, spend more time with my son, etc. etc.
When I put all this down on a list, I look at it, sigh and feel a bit intimidated. Where to start? I’ve decided this year, I’m going to just focus on one goal per month until it becomes habit and then add another one into the mix. We have 12 months, right? I don’t have to do it all before March.
 
3. Ask yourself, “What is one small step that I can do today to help me reach my goals?”
Once I’ve chosen the goal that I’m going to focus on for that month, I like to break it down into manageable steps. Let’s take exercise for example. Realistically, I know that I won’t go to a gym and exercise everyday, but I do have a Fitbit, so I can simply focus on hitting my daily step goal.  Or I could just tell myself, “I’m going to go for a 10 minutes walk after lunch everyday.” Pretty doable, right?
 
4. Have positive self-talk
 You know at times when you make a mistake or try something new (yoga class, anyone?) and it doesn’t go as planned and that voice in your head starts chiming in, “That was so dumb. You look ridiculous. What were you thinking?”
Yeah, that voice, it needs to take a hike. Seriously.
When you find that happening, think “stop”. Then replace it with what you imagine a close friend would say. Something like, “You did it! I’m proud of you for trying something new.” or “Not bad for the first time.”