The London Acupuncturist

When the world is burning, how do you keep your own inner Fire Element in balance? So you can feel the sparks of joy in life that ignite your sense of awe and belief in love and humanity?

It’s hard. When even the sun itself is hiding in protest, in support of those in Gaza.

Spend time with people (and pets) you love and who love you. Act with love and compassion. Bask in the moments of happiness so they may help you navigate the darkness, filling your light source within so you can radiate it outwards.

🍉

The final instalment of is three sisters - Patria, Minerva and María Teresa Mirabal - who were middle class wives, mothers, and sisters from The Dominican Republic and their deaths ‘by automobile accident’ sparked the end of the reign of Trujillo, the Dictator who had seized control some 30 years earlier.

Active members of the underground resistance, these were women who had grown up under a regime that tortured, spied on its citizens, imprisoned, tortured, r***d and slaughtered.

Known together as The Butterflies, the assassination of these women sparked the beginning of the end for Trujillo.

Three deaths sparked a change. What will it take, how many deaths will the West stomach - and fund - before enough is enough and we see a change in the current situation? Before a corrupt, evil regime is toppled?

The tide is turning, if you are on the side of humanity then don’t let up. We have the power, in our hundreds, in our millions....

Of course I need to include an angry Scottish woman in my series and Mary McPherson, or Big Mary of the Songs was a poet and bard who agitated on Land Reform in the 1800s.

The crofters of the Highlands - my people - had their land stolen, the Highland Clearances seeing them scatter far and wide in their search for a home, a living. A population change from 30% of the population of Scotland living in the highlands & islands to just 8%. For the benefit of a few, many were displaced. Perhaps this is why I’m so affected by what’s happening in another land today. Their pain is my ancestral pain, the pain of the displaced and dispossessed. Witnessing the perpetuation of this kind of savagery with a ‘mine first’ argument or ‘it was promised to me’ is just an excuse for barbaric and extreme cruelty. As any Palestinian you meet will tell you, the land itself is part of them. I know that feeling, the land of my childhood is woven into the strands of my DNA.

Songs have always been a way to communicate, to tell story and share truth and to protest.

To those protesting 👊

To those musicians using their platform and their voice for justice 🙌

And to those trying to cry victim to provoke trouble, trying to create hatred and separation, to those buying land and property in an illegally occupied country so they can prosper on others pain, well, I have a few songs for you…

Not today but all the angry students🙌 rising up in protest. The Wood Element is young Yang, and young people see injustice and feel they can change the world. They haven’t become cynical, tied into the status quo, bellies fat on the injustice built into the system that allows only some of us to rise. The young Wood energy is expressed so beautifully, so powerfully when we see students rise together to break something that isn’t working FOR EVERYONE. Apartheid. Genocide. Racism. Homophobia. Islamophobia. Anti-semitism. Abortion. Transphobia.

Young people save us all. Rise up with them. Support them. Applaud them. And when they make you uncomfortable about your beliefs, question them. And question yourself.

All the fun last night celebrating the publication of the latest book from ‘Caledonian Road’ and I can’t wait to read it, once the hangover abates🥴. Congratulations Andrew🙌❤️🙌

Today I’m sharing the incredible power of the collective, the women at Greenham Common. Their anger was mighty as they protested for the future of the world, for their children and the children of others.

Obviously derided by the press - the ‘woke’ equivalent - this was real ‘girl power’ in all its might.

I can’t join the March today in London, I’ve been on several and it can be easy to think it doesn’t make a difference. But one of the most incredible gifts a healthy Wood element offers us is hope, optimism that we can create a better future, even as things seem at their darkest.

Activism is anger + hope. Resistance.

It is hoping you can have a different world and taking action to get closer to that reality.

There’s a 300% rise in miscarriage rates in Gaza. If you don’t miscarry then you will give birth without pain relief or sterile equipment. Even for a c-section. You will then face starvation meaning you probably won’t be able to breastfeed or get formula. And Israel will tell you that you it doesn’t matter, that you deserved this because your baby will be a terrorist and deserves to die anyway. And that their babies matter more than yours.

Which would you choose?

Thank you for including me in this frankly stellar list of London practitioners in 🙏

There’s a link to the piece in my bio if you’d like to see the full article.

You matter. Your words matter. Your actions matter. Your solidarity matters. Make it count.

Listening to Alistair Campbell on The Rest is Politics just now and he described the current stance of the Israeli government as ‘dispiriting’, partly because of their seeming unwillingness to parley with Hamas.

Dispiriting.
Causing someone to lose enthusiasm or hope.

Disheartening.

At its core, Five Element acupuncture is a spirit medicine. The ancient East Asian Medicine practitioners understood that our human experience as a body/mind was an embodiment of spirit. When something happens to occlude or disrupt our connection to Spirit we feel
‘dispirited’. How many issues could you connect to this?

I found myself extremely dispirited recently. Tearful, distressed by the news, rundown, disappointed by people. And then I saw my acupuncturist yesterday and I had a Spleen / Heart Block. So she cleared that, went to some Kidney Spirit points (which are amazing for those moments) and hit up my source points.
Reconnecting me to the source, my Spirit, which can deal with anything💪

Do I feel better? Absolutely.
I needed Spirit medicine. Not western medicine. What ails me doeusn’t need medicated, it needs liberated, calibrated.

Medicine for our times.

A still from the Zone of Interest, which looks like an incredible new film from Jonathan Glazer. This image depicts Hedwig Hoss showing her baby smelling the flowers in her garden, while on the other side of the wall unspeakable things are happening to a people who have been dehumanised, imprisoned, starved and will ultimately die. Their homes destroyed or given to those citizens who have a right to be there. Their possessions stolen, their art stolen, their dignity and right to life stolen.

And here we are. The sinned against have become the sinners.

Mary Oliver. I’ve never been so ashamed of our government as I have the last few years. Ashamed, ashamed.

If, like me, you are feeling a little run down (watching genocide unfold and be apparently endorsed by America and UK govt adds a particular emotional stress that impacts the immune system as much as the change in weather it would seem) then this is my own ‘go to’. A batch of this has been helping me keep a cold at bay this week, though it hasn’t stopped me weeping for every single one of us, and what is happening to our collective soul. If anyone has a soup recipe for that please let me know.

I’m ashamed of our government. But I’m proud of our NHS. And I am in awe of the midwives who help women day in, day out. I know it’s pretty tough in there right now but they never let you see it.
And I’m grateful for all the care we have access to. Care that should be a basic human right, even in war. Babies don’t start wars. Medics don’t fight wars. Humans don’t justify genocide.

Shame on you for making us complicit.

Enjoyed a morning off and loved this digital piece by who also created the really fun outdoor pieces you can see in my stories.

The NFT pieces on display were interesting but I can’t love them, something too cerebral, or too digital perhaps. They just weren’t moving, even when they were terrifically clever or innovative.

Surprisingly, to me, my favourite was the piece by - Untitled Sexy Robot type II and it’s always a kick to see up there, I once worked on a project with him and he’s an incredible artist as well as a remarkable and generous person.

My opening notes from Day One of the course I’m on and the view from the window. One of my favourite things about being a practitioner is learning new things. There is so much to learn, so many ways to help people. This weekend is all about learning how to disrupt trauma and its effects. Can’t wait to bring this into my practice.

Written in the 4th Century BC. Could have been written about modern Britain. The Tory Party Conference is actually shocking to me. Perhaps this is The Master simply helping us to lose everything, there certainly seems to be a lot of confusion in those who think they know.

Hey hey! So just before the Harvest Moon (29th September) I’m hosting Gathering In, an online gathering to work with the sweet energy of Late Summer.

Late Summer is when the Earth Element is at its most manifest and working with it at this time is powerful for our mental health, our emotional health, our immune system AND, of course, our ability to live into the next cycle of contraction and growth with ease.

Link in the bio if you’d like to join us - if you’d like oils too, then sign up soon so they can arrive in time.

Im back at the conference this weekend, hosting a morning AromaPoint Therapy session for delegates AND participating in a chat about marketing so if you’re there on Sunday please join me for one or both!

We open our doors soon for Autumn for The Harmony Principle’s Immerse programme, which is really for healing arts practitioners, including, of course, acupuncturists so if you hemming and hawing and trying to decide if it’s for you then this might just help you make your decision.

This was me in action last year, this year we are working with Roman Chamomile and Geranium - it’s going to be beautiful!

As we head deep into Late Summer I have been thinking about the 'thank yous' in my life.

You know, the people who are the scaffolding around me, who I can lean on and who lean into me.

The cultivation of gratitude is a powerful tool for happiness, for contentment, and is also a wonderful way to support a healthy Earth Element at this time.

Seeing - and acknowledging - the abundance in our lives, especially in a time of such fear and lack, is such important work for the soul and saying 'thank you' is a like an incantation for giving and receiving. Learning to give without expectation and receive without obligation can be hard if you didn't learn this in your family of origin, in your community, or if you have a deep sense of 'lack'.

One of the seasonal practices we suggest over is to write a thank you letter to someone. Your aunt, your mum, your son's teacher, your best friend, or your new friend. Or yourself.

Who do you want to say thank you to, to give thanks for this season? And where in your life have you truly been able to give without expectation and receive without obligation?

Managed to squeeze a visit to Tate Modern for the Klimt Mondrian exhibition (which was great) and had a wee moment on the balcony with my boy. This is the balcony where the IVF clinic confirmed my pregnancy. Here he is!!! A wonder and a joy!! I practise an ancient medicine but am so grateful for science. Both have a place in our world 🙏

Becoming truly comfortable in your own skin is a process, the journey towards maturity. And social situations can really shine a light on those parts of ourself we are still working on!

I went for a swim on Monday afternoon, after a very sociable weekend which left me feeling a bit wrung out and to be honest a teeny bit anxious, you know in that way that a few too many drinks can do. My inner Fire Element a bit burnt-out, I needed something to feel better and what balances Fire?

Water.

A solo swim sorted me out completely, my nervous system calmed itself right down and I felt ready to crack on with the week. So just a little reminder, if your social calendar is filling up and you are finding it a bit challenging, take yourself to the pool or the sea, or find a river to walk along and let Water do its thing.

And if you are going on holiday, with friends or family soon (summer holidays are around the corner, I see you) and are usually in the middle of it all, maybe sneak in a daily 15 minute walk away from it and see what a difference it makes.

It’s always about balance.

(Pics are from my birthday earlier this year, which was ALL the fun and included pockets of peace & quiet like this)

What is it that you want to 'be'? We wear so many hats in our lives and most of use are always engaged in the act - consciously or unconsciously - of 'becoming' something. More happy, more balanced, more productive. Less irritable, less sensitive.

But summertime is special. The peak of the year, the Fire Element at its most manifest. A time to give yourself permission to just 'be'.

I caught myself in my usual cycle of planning this morning, working out how to fill my day with productivity. And then I stopped. I gave myself permission to be.

What does this look like? Well, the course I signed up for (I love to study) is getting shelved until the Autumn. This time will be time to read, and to think, to potter and be outside.

Summer and Winter are seasons of replenishment.

Once you take away the imaginary finish line, the self-imposed sense of urgency, there's an enormous liberation. Time expands, space is gained, peace refound and our inner Fire Element is given the gift of this pause, this time in the year to be.

In this pause we reconnect with our selves. We check in, we align and realign so that our lives fit us perfectly. We don't need to wear someone else's suit when ours is bespoke.

I will be sharing more on this over if you are interested in going a little deeper, sharing some seasonal practices and insights to help you just 'be'.

Seems like we have an awful lot of free-riders in our society. The water companies just the latest.

Quote from Jeremy Lent “The Web of Meaning”.

I love how thoughts come to us in unexpected moments, popping up in the cracks of our day, and where they sometimes lead us. I was reflecting on a situation where I had acted in a way that felt mature, that was a real reflection of a way in which I have grown over the years (yes, giving myself a mental fist bump) and it got me to thinking about mazes…

Did you know the word “maze” itself dates from the 13th century and comes from the Middle English word mæs, denoting delirium or delusion? And what is a maze anyway?

“A maze is filled with dead ends. Often there are puzzles that help you find your way and alleviate frustration, but the idea is to get lost a few times before figuring out the terrain and finding your way.

So far, so real life. What else?

As always, we can turn to the ancient Greeks who have as much to say as the ancient Chinese when it comes to matters of philosophy and according to Plato “It is a confusing path, hard to follow without a thread, but, provided [you are] not devoured at the midpoint, it leads surely, despite twists and turns, back to the beginning.”

Yes, my Greek brother, yes.

The centre of the maze, of our life, IF it hasn’t devoured us, is where we find true maturity, illumination, acceptance, authentic self-love (all themes that are part of our Fire Element, more on this to come).

The path to the centre is full of wrong turns, dead ends, finding ourselves in the same place again; we don't have an aerial view so we must rely on ourselves and those with us to get us there.

And when we get there?

We go back to the beginning, which is also the end. But the walk back is completely different. We are Un-devoured. Illuminated.

Summer is the midpoint of the year, the full maturity of the cycle, it represents us in our fullest bloom.

Maturity is the centre of the maze and life gifts us challenges and puzzles to mature us to help us get back to the the beginning.

Are you facing challenges at the moment? And if so, what do you need to learn from these, for your maturing, your full blooming? To help you back to the start.

Been friends for 34 years, group 50th celebration, too much booze, far too May laughs. Yes, my queens.

Gua sha may be familiar as a beauty practice but this is a great example of how effective it can be when used therapeutically. My client this morning had been suffering with pain in her neck and restricted movement following some work trips, with long flights and hotel beds. The telltale of heat and stagnation here is the appearance of Petechiae, the tiny wee red spots you can that have come up here. Instant relief which will get even better over the coming days 🤓

P.S. Congrats to who’s art you can see in the background here, who has a piece in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 👏👏👏👏

Every season invites us to interact with the land we live in, live on, in a different way and Spring, ahhhh, Spring is the season during which we sow for the future. The future promise of summer blooms, of crops to harvest and jam to make, trees that will shade your favourite spot when you long gone.

This lovely quote from Braiding Sweetgrass tells us the reason why communities come together to collect rubbish from their local parks, or transform their local spaces.

To be in relationship with the ground beneath your feet, the streets you walk and the community you live it, to become indigenous, is a sacred thing, an act of spiritual self-care that is so easy to cultivate.

Our lives, and the material lives of those still to come, depend on it.