Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that treats a person according to their individual symptoms, rather than a western diagnosis. It uses a holistic approach and looks at person's lifestyle, as well as their physical and emotional problems. No two people will be treated in exactly the same way, even if they share the same western diagnosis

Acupuncture is thought to date as far back to 200 BCE, where the earliest written record of it can be found. Acupuncture works by regulating the flow of energy within the body. When a person's energy or qi is blocked or diminished, this can result in poor physical and emotional wellbeing. Fine acupuncture needles are inserted into specific points within the body, to help this energy flow more freely or to actually build upon the energy. Acupuncture is a safe and affective form of treatment for a wide variety of ailments and illness that range from emotional problems such as anxiety, depression, insomnia and stress as well as other conditions such as migraines, infertility, muscular skeletal conditions, arthritis and many more.

 Most patients find the treatment itself highly relaxing and all the needles that are used are extremely fine and do not cause pain on insertion. Needles are left in for approximately 20 minutes and during this time people fall into a highly relaxed state. Many people find themselves falling asleep while their bodies begin to re-balance themselves. Acupuncture is used not only as way of restoring ill health but also as way a preventative treatment. It can be incorporated into someone's weekly routine in the same way that a person may choose to go to the gym and eat a healthy, balanced diet.

In my own experience as a TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) acupuncturist I have found it to be successful with a broad range of issues. In particular people living in a western society find themselves working long hours and showing signs of increased stress, which can result in signs of high blood pressure. Along with long working hours often comes little time to spend on healthy meals and a need to unwind which may often include high consumptions of alcohol, smoking and drug takings; all of which have an effect on an individuals well being.

I have found acupuncture to have a profound effect on stress levels and allow a person to feel more harmonised and balanced. This gives a person more clarity to make better decisions and as a result can often lead to a healthier lifestyle.

Yoga Books For A Great Workout

Leslie Kaminoff writes Yoga Anatomy, a book that provides step by step instructions on the various poses that you can take when performing yoga. They have photos as well as tips on how to perfect the pose and more importantly the beneficial effects of doing yoga at all and how it works in relation to the spine, breathing, and your entire body. The principles of yoga are outline and defined in the book so not only will you learn how to do it you will also learn the deeper meaning behind the exercise and see just why and how it is benefiting you. Whether you are a newcomer or someone who has been partaking in yoga for a long time, this book will still provide a valuable and rich experience.

B.K.S Iyengar writes Light on Yoga, a book that seeks to explain and explore the philosophy behind yoga and the various ways that discipline is necessary for body and mind. There are illustrations of all the breathing and positions as well as the descriptions of why these are essential for the body and the mind and the effect that it has on both. For someone seeking to really deepen their view of the subject, this book has great tips and a helpful foreword.

Cyndi Dale writes The Subtle Body, which seeks to argue that all healers use energy in order to help the body achieve a better spiritual, mental, and emotional state of being. This book produces an anatomy for these things, these unseen factors such as our spirit and mind, and shows the ways in which healing can affect these parts of your body. The unseen fields hinge upon the physical condition but can be affected and bettered with various breathing methods and exercises so that you get a really deep kind of therapy in your life.

Ray Long writes The Key Muscles of Yoga, a book that seeks to show the most important muscles that are affected by yoga and the ways in which that helps your body overall. Coming with a science perspective, the book allows you to really get an anatomical sense of how yoga is benefiting you as well as to see it all through color and three-dimensional photos that can help you understand just how it is affecting your overall person. No matter if you are just starting out or if you are an expert, this book will have something for you.

Finally, Martin Kirk writes Hatha Yoga Illustrated, a book t hat seeks to give you a complete intro on the benefits of yoga on certain focal points of your body and how it can affect your emotional wellness, overall. It takes the theories of hatha and anusara yoga and makes it accessible to people so that they can better figure out how to make it a useful thing in their lives. If you seek to get the benefits of yoga, then look no further than this book that will help you figure out all the important aspects of it in a way that will benefit you.