Lisa Facinelli, Licensed Acupuncturist

“The lotus flower blooms most beautifully from the deepest and thickest mud” - Buddha

Has anyone else tried the balsamic vinegar in a flavored (apparently ANY flavor) fizzy water to make a coke? It’s actually not bad! And definitely better for you than soda.

Movement is such a major contributor to keeping ourselves healthy. One of my hobbies is testing out different fitness classes because I think it’s important to move your body in different ways (change up your routine!) AND find something that you enjoy and are likely to continue on a regular basis.

Loved trying today!Thank you to Rachel for a great experience 💜

It’s in one week!!! Come see me for your introduction to acupuncture. I’ll answer all your burning questions and give you a treatment so you can experience it for yourself!

Acupuncture for all!! 🐢💚

We have another event coming! Join us at MOOD to get some info on supporting your immune system 🧡

The animal for each year is a symbol of the energy of the year and starting today it’s the year of the tiger! After the year of the ox where we spent a lot of effort putting in hard work and planning, this year we’ll regain some enthusiasm and vitality. Tigers are seen to be competitive, courageous, powerful and ambitious. This is the year to go big or go home. Make decisions and expect big changes in career and relationships. So pursue your dreams but remember to use your intuition, be generous, and consider the good for all involved. Things will change quickly and some will succeed where others will fail.

If you didn’t do your deep cleaning before the start of the calendar new year (Jan 1st), now is your chance!

Remember clean BEFORE February 1st - never ON New Year’s Day. If you clean on New Year’s Day it symbolizes washing away the incoming good luck and abundance of the coming year.

This is the last week of the year of the Ox! Did you put in the work over this past year? Did you create new, healthy habits and get organized? Think about an ox plowing the fields… it was a good year for planning for future growth and abundance. A year about patience and consistency. Congrats on your strength! You made it!

Join me at MOOD Wellness Lounge for this event in 1 week! It’ll be a great way to educate yourself on stress and how nutrition and acupuncture can help.

The last of the leaves are falling… have you thought about the things, people, and ideas you don’t want to take into 2022? It’s time to let go 🍂🍁

Join me for our acu-restore event at MOOD this Friday. Only a couple spots left!

It’s national espresso day! Swipe and read on for a reminder on my coffee drinking tips.

First, the timing. Wait about 90 minutes after waking to have that first cup OR some say between 9:30-11:30am. Our bodies naturally produce cortisol (peaking around 8-9am) which helps us feel awake and get moving in the morning. Because caffeine increases cortisol, if you have coffee at your peak cortisol time you are actually training your body to produce less cortisol on its own. So you’ll struggle to produce cortisol naturally without caffeine and can feel reliant on coffee to wake you up each day.

Second...let’s stop with the artificial creamers. Reach for milk or milk alternatives and add your own amount of sugar so you can really tailor how much you’re consuming.

Third... if you have ANY insomnia issues, stop coffee consumption by noon.

And lastly, consider drinking coffee in moderation, taking a few days off here and there. If you feel like you NEED it to get through the day you probably have some deeper imbalances in the body that need to be addressed. Chinese medicine says caffeine gives us energy by pulling from our “back up battery” so if we consistently do that we’ll end up very qi deficient and drained. This is similar to Western medicine that says caffeine can drain the adrenal system through its elevated cortisol effect.

Cute little snake in my office building today. Snakes represent transformation, change, and transition - think “shedding skin”. They also relate to healing, primal energy, personal growth, fertility, and staying grounded.

Bring a friend and join us Saturday for a relaxing morning of acupuncture and cider before the hustle and bustle of the holiday season! Sign up here
https://p.bttr.to/3nzqrxe

Come see me at Club Pilates Alexandria November 13th! Try out a Pilates class AND get your acupuncture questions answered!

Since autumn is associated with the Lungs in Chinese medicine, Lung 9 is a really nice point to help nourish our respiratory system. Try pressing it for 30 seconds or up to 3 minutes if you have breathing issues.

There are sooo many great seasonal foods for fall that I couldn’t fit them all on here. The classics like pears and apples are always easy to find. And I am totally here for it if you love pumpkin and pumpkin spiced things because squashes (like pumpkin) and those spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom) will definitely support your balance this season! Don’t forget your roasted root veggies, soups, and white veggies like cauliflower (white is the color associated with fall). I also love Brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, cranberries, figs, pawpaws (if you can find them), grapes, mustard and garlic. Enjoy this amazing harvest!

Autumn is associated with the lung system in Chinese medicine so the go to move for stress relief this season is breath work. Try focusing on your breath when you’re out for a walk, when you’re eating, or during a meditation.

The weather pattern associated with autumn is dryness so stay hydrated!

The element related to autumn is metal which symbolizes structure and organization so get out your planner and set your schedule for the upcoming months.

As always, follow nature! Watch the leaves falling to the ground and think about the things, people, situations, or emotions you want to let go of.

Autumn is related to our Lung system and in Chinese medicine this system can affect, not just our respiratory system and breathing, but also our immune system and skin. If you’re finding these symptoms to be prominent right now, you may be out of balance and need some help nourishing your Lung system.

Here’s your reminder of how to adjust for autumn so you’re the most in alignment with the season. Remember to follow what nature is doing!

Try acupressure on point SP 6 this season. Press with mild to moderate pressure and hold for 30 seconds up to three minutes. When you’re looking for the point, it may be tender when you press and that’s a good sign that you’re in the right spot.

Nature provides! Remember to eat what’s seasonal and local. Yellow is the color of the season and sweet is the flavor so stock up on those veggies in particular. Think mildly sweet yellow/orange veggies like yellow squash, yellow bell pepper, corn, carrot, and later in the season sweet potato. And remember to blend cooked foods with your raw.

You already know late summer is all about supporting digestion and nurturing yourself so let’s think about how we can do that.

According to Chinese medicine, the digestive system likes when food is already partially broken down (ie cooked!) because then it doesn’t have to work as hard to process everything. Now is a good time to start blending your raw salads with lightly steam veggies.

Being mindful when eating is good all year around but especially now and especially if your digestive system is weak. Don’t rush and chew thoroughly.

Eat seasonally. The food that’s growing in your area right now will best support you. Nature provides what we need.

Remember to digest your emotions too. Dive deeper and get to the root of your worry and see what actions you can take.

Singing is the sound of the season (yes there’s a sound associated with each season too!) so what better way to relieve stress than to belt it out?!

In Chinese medicine each organ system is associated with a season. Late summer is related to our digestive system so be on the lookout for things like IBS, stomachaches, and bloating. If you’re experiencing these things you might be out of balance. Additionally if digestion is weak it means you won’t be able to metabolize food well and use it for energy which then manifests as fatigue and muscle weakness. Emotionally, think of the expression “let me digest that”. A healthy processing of emotions means acknowledging them and feeling them but if you’re out of balance it’ll look like worry and ruminating.

In Chinese medicine we sometimes consider a fifth season known as Late Summer. This period is from mid-August to the Fall equinox and it’s a time of transition between the yang seasons (Spring and Summer) and the yin seasons (Fall and Winter). Considering its midway point, now is an important time to center yourself and focus on balance.

Physical we are still very active but we should be starting to incorporate a few days of slower activities.

Mentally, take stock of where you’re at with work projects. What have you accomplished already and what still needs to be done. Just like crops have their last burst of growth before harvest, we too should be wrapping up our transformation using the last of summer’s high energy.

Emotionally we want to “digest”. Process what you’ve been feeling, but be careful not to overthink it or worry. Focus on what nourishes you and makes you feel good.

I’ve been in practice for 10 years!! My how time flies!

Lisa Facinelli, Licensed Acupuncturist updated their info in the about section.

Sometimes when dealing with health issues, you feel powerless and like things are out of your control. This is your reminder that the body is amazing and capable of healing! But it might need a little help from you in the way of lifestyle changes (sleep, food exercise, stress relief) or from medical professionals (doctors, PTs, therapists, acupuncturists etc). I’m all about self healing BUT don’t be afraid to seek outside assistance if you’re not able to make changes on your own (for mental or physical reasons) or if the condition has progressed and become severe.

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