Right now millions of tiny plants are urgently pushing their tiny heads through the soil, fighting for survival and rebirth. The energy of spring is incredibly strong. It surges with the force of reproduction, more so when we're young. When we're young not only is the Qi of our reproductive system abundant, our bodies are relatively free of stagnation. So, when the crazy Qi of spring, also known as Wood or Liver Qi, starts moving, there are fewer blocks to its free flow. We feel frisky and happy. But, as the years pass, Qi that didn't move when it was supposed to creates stagnation. Imagine a pond where crud has jammed up most egress. If that pond suddenly had a giant influx of Qi/water, it would either overflow, or just become more stagnant. In your tiny body ecosystem, the giant influx of Spring Qi can make you frisky, or just plane grouchy, all depending on how much stagnation there is accumulated in your body. Lots of things move Qi stagnation. The two most common however, are exercise and coffee! However, if you find yourself unable to function without large influxes of either, you should consult and acupuncturist. Stagnation is the starting point of many disorders and while coffee may feel good, it isn't a long term fix.
Welcome to Spring 2010 and the first post to Stems and Branches, the blog of Milton Acupuncture!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Personal Statement from Daria Casinelli: Why I do what I Do
“Recovering from the chicken pox, which I contracted when I was 29, was a grueling multi-dimensional process. The sequellae of the virus – diagnosed as fibromyalgia – whittled away at my life until there was almost nothing left. Acupuncture, Chinese herbal remedies and meditation eventually cured my condition. Acupuncture specifically set into motion a process that connected me with the Qi of destiny and that, in turn, lead me to become an acupuncturist myself.
Before contracting the chicken pox, I was extremely “heady” and approached life from a predominantly left brain perspective. This made me very well read, but it didn’t make my any happier or healthier. Nor did it – or the talk therapists I consulted – lead me to any fantastic level of self-understanding. Today, I am someone who believes that the experiential, non-rational, spiritual, right brain world is as valid as all that other stuff. Although I believe in talk therapy, I believe that astrology is an equally valid method of learning about oneself. This is the journey that has led me to bring the spirit-centered healing that I describe in my About Our Services to my patients.
The world’s pain quotient is increased exponentially by people who feel sick, powerless and confused. Eastern philosophies and healing methods can ease this burden and kindle the fire of enlightenment. By practicing TAM and craniosacral therapy I can live my commitment to a more peaceful world and actualize my own true nature as a healer and guide. I deeply believe that if people live in accord with their true nature, the world will be a much better place. And what more could one ask?”
Before contracting the chicken pox, I was extremely “heady” and approached life from a predominantly left brain perspective. This made me very well read, but it didn’t make my any happier or healthier. Nor did it – or the talk therapists I consulted – lead me to any fantastic level of self-understanding. Today, I am someone who believes that the experiential, non-rational, spiritual, right brain world is as valid as all that other stuff. Although I believe in talk therapy, I believe that astrology is an equally valid method of learning about oneself. This is the journey that has led me to bring the spirit-centered healing that I describe in my About Our Services to my patients.
The world’s pain quotient is increased exponentially by people who feel sick, powerless and confused. Eastern philosophies and healing methods can ease this burden and kindle the fire of enlightenment. By practicing TAM and craniosacral therapy I can live my commitment to a more peaceful world and actualize my own true nature as a healer and guide. I deeply believe that if people live in accord with their true nature, the world will be a much better place. And what more could one ask?”
Frequently Asked Questions about Acupuncture
How can acupuncture help physical ailments?
In general, acupuncture can help “rewire” your body so that you are not aware of certain tendencies or physical ailments. Spinal abnormalities are a good example of how properly flowing Qi can obviate a physical disorder. Thousands of people have slipped disks, genetic abnormalities, bulging discs, and other issues with their spines. Some are painfully aware of them and others blissfully ignorant. Acupuncture can help make you one of the blissfully ignorant.
How do Milton Acupuncture treatments differ from other acupuncture treatments?
Many acupuncturists practice several different kinds of acupuncture, run several rooms and/or treat several people at one time and/or prescribe herbs. At Milton Acupuncture, an acupuncturist runs one room at once and practices only Japanese method acupuncture.
In addition, treatments are augmented with craniosacral therapy, healing meditation, and consultations on spiritual-physical issues. This means that after the needles have been inserted, instead of leaving the room and interviewing another patient, the acupuncturist will either perform a craniosacral treatment or meditate on your well being.
In addition, if you so choose, Ms. Casinelli will consult with you about your condition by interpreting your astrological chart and explaining to you at length the Traditional Chinese Medicine metaphysics of your disorder before or after your treatment.
What is craniosacral therapy?
Craniosacral therapy is a gentle fine tuning of the rhythms of the craniosacral fluid. The practitioner cups the patients head in her hands and presses almost imperceptibly on his or her skull to gently encourage the craniosacral fluid to come back to “true”. This method uses the power of the nervous system to heal disorders in the entire body.
How is Japanese method acupuncture different from other kinds of acupuncture?
In the Japanese method which we practice, the needles are thinner, the insertions very shallow (i.e. no more than 3 millimeters) and more moxa is used. In addition, the emphasis is purely on the meridians. Five phase treatments figure prominently as do using ion pumping cords to activate the Extraordinary Vessels.
There is no electricity in the ion pumping cords invented by Yoshio Manaka, MD. The plastic coated wires, diodes, and alligator clips provided amplify and ordinary treatment.
What role does astrology play in Milton Acupuncture Treatments?
This offering was developed in response to requests from patients for more information than can be communicated during a traditional acupuncture session. A one hour or 30 minute consultation allows us to discuss your condition from a TAM, Hindu astrological, yogic, and Buddhist perspective. These Asian philosophies offer a way of understanding bodies and the world that is very different from science, psychology, sociology and other western traditions.
More Jung than Freud, more inductive than deductive and much older modern frameworks, the categories used by most Asian philosophies, such as: metal, earth, water, air, wood, fire, are rooted in thousands of years of observation of natural phenomena, not the scientific method.
Astrology, as used by Milton Acupuncture, ascribes basic demographics and genetics to birth karma. We were each born into a time, place and body because of the karma generated in previous lives. This is our only harvest from those times. We are not culpable for anything that happened in a previous life; and we are completely responsible for all our actions in this life.
Genetics encompasses our physical inheritance and our mental and emotional proclivities. You can think of your astrological birth chart as a genetic map written in the language of poets. Before our session, we will use a computer program to cast your birth chart. The consultation sessions focus on your health. If necessary and desired, we will introduce you to the field and teach you how to use so that you can continue to explore your birth chart. If we feel you need more in depth astrological counseling, we will refer you to one of two recommended astrologers.
All discussions are confidential. Although I am not a therapist, most people come into such a discussion looking for answers, so I do my best to provide them. In this way, our approach is also different from most therapists. Our role is not to help you to understand mental/emotional terms, but to interpret what you were given at birth.
Does acupuncture hurt?
Acupuncture needles are very thin, smooth and solid, unlike the needles used to give injections or draw blood. They are inserted very quickly through the surface of the skin so that you either feel a slight pinprick or nothing at all.
Is acupuncture safe?
The needles Milton Acupuncture uses are all pre-sterilized with ethylene oxide gas, used once and then thrown away. In addition, acupuncture needles are typically only inserted into the skin – and only occasionally into muscles and connective tissue. They are not inserted into nerves, blood vessels or bones.
How much does it cost and is acupuncture covered by insurance?
The nature of illness and healing raises deep spiritual and moral issues for any healer practicing in a commercial environment. We by inviting patients who are able to make a donation to Physicians for Single Payer Health Plan.
Rates for all our services are: $90 for an 1.5 hour initial intake session and $60 for an hour follow-up or ongoing session.
Most Flexible Spending or Medical Savings Accounts available through employers will reimburse people for acupuncture treatments. Please speak with Milton Acupuncture if you believe your insurance covers acupuncture and we'd be glad to discuss how this typically works.
How many treatments will I need and how much time will they take?
The number of treatments you will need depends on your age, overall health, the nature and duration of your condition. We recommend that you come for acupuncture at least 4 to 6 times at intervals of once a week. Within those 4 to 6 visits, it will become clear how well acupuncture is working for you, and we will make recommendations for further treatment or refer you to another type of practitioner if specific follow-on treatment would be beneficial.
In general, acupuncture can help “rewire” your body so that you are not aware of certain tendencies or physical ailments. Spinal abnormalities are a good example of how properly flowing Qi can obviate a physical disorder. Thousands of people have slipped disks, genetic abnormalities, bulging discs, and other issues with their spines. Some are painfully aware of them and others blissfully ignorant. Acupuncture can help make you one of the blissfully ignorant.
How do Milton Acupuncture treatments differ from other acupuncture treatments?
Many acupuncturists practice several different kinds of acupuncture, run several rooms and/or treat several people at one time and/or prescribe herbs. At Milton Acupuncture, an acupuncturist runs one room at once and practices only Japanese method acupuncture.
In addition, treatments are augmented with craniosacral therapy, healing meditation, and consultations on spiritual-physical issues. This means that after the needles have been inserted, instead of leaving the room and interviewing another patient, the acupuncturist will either perform a craniosacral treatment or meditate on your well being.
In addition, if you so choose, Ms. Casinelli will consult with you about your condition by interpreting your astrological chart and explaining to you at length the Traditional Chinese Medicine metaphysics of your disorder before or after your treatment.
What is craniosacral therapy?
Craniosacral therapy is a gentle fine tuning of the rhythms of the craniosacral fluid. The practitioner cups the patients head in her hands and presses almost imperceptibly on his or her skull to gently encourage the craniosacral fluid to come back to “true”. This method uses the power of the nervous system to heal disorders in the entire body.
How is Japanese method acupuncture different from other kinds of acupuncture?
In the Japanese method which we practice, the needles are thinner, the insertions very shallow (i.e. no more than 3 millimeters) and more moxa is used. In addition, the emphasis is purely on the meridians. Five phase treatments figure prominently as do using ion pumping cords to activate the Extraordinary Vessels.
There is no electricity in the ion pumping cords invented by Yoshio Manaka, MD. The plastic coated wires, diodes, and alligator clips provided amplify and ordinary treatment.
What role does astrology play in Milton Acupuncture Treatments?
This offering was developed in response to requests from patients for more information than can be communicated during a traditional acupuncture session. A one hour or 30 minute consultation allows us to discuss your condition from a TAM, Hindu astrological, yogic, and Buddhist perspective. These Asian philosophies offer a way of understanding bodies and the world that is very different from science, psychology, sociology and other western traditions.
More Jung than Freud, more inductive than deductive and much older modern frameworks, the categories used by most Asian philosophies, such as: metal, earth, water, air, wood, fire, are rooted in thousands of years of observation of natural phenomena, not the scientific method.
Astrology, as used by Milton Acupuncture, ascribes basic demographics and genetics to birth karma. We were each born into a time, place and body because of the karma generated in previous lives. This is our only harvest from those times. We are not culpable for anything that happened in a previous life; and we are completely responsible for all our actions in this life.
Genetics encompasses our physical inheritance and our mental and emotional proclivities. You can think of your astrological birth chart as a genetic map written in the language of poets. Before our session, we will use a computer program to cast your birth chart. The consultation sessions focus on your health. If necessary and desired, we will introduce you to the field and teach you how to use so that you can continue to explore your birth chart. If we feel you need more in depth astrological counseling, we will refer you to one of two recommended astrologers.
All discussions are confidential. Although I am not a therapist, most people come into such a discussion looking for answers, so I do my best to provide them. In this way, our approach is also different from most therapists. Our role is not to help you to understand mental/emotional terms, but to interpret what you were given at birth.
Does acupuncture hurt?
Acupuncture needles are very thin, smooth and solid, unlike the needles used to give injections or draw blood. They are inserted very quickly through the surface of the skin so that you either feel a slight pinprick or nothing at all.
Is acupuncture safe?
The needles Milton Acupuncture uses are all pre-sterilized with ethylene oxide gas, used once and then thrown away. In addition, acupuncture needles are typically only inserted into the skin – and only occasionally into muscles and connective tissue. They are not inserted into nerves, blood vessels or bones.
How much does it cost and is acupuncture covered by insurance?
The nature of illness and healing raises deep spiritual and moral issues for any healer practicing in a commercial environment. We by inviting patients who are able to make a donation to Physicians for Single Payer Health Plan.
Rates for all our services are: $90 for an 1.5 hour initial intake session and $60 for an hour follow-up or ongoing session.
Most Flexible Spending or Medical Savings Accounts available through employers will reimburse people for acupuncture treatments. Please speak with Milton Acupuncture if you believe your insurance covers acupuncture and we'd be glad to discuss how this typically works.
How many treatments will I need and how much time will they take?
The number of treatments you will need depends on your age, overall health, the nature and duration of your condition. We recommend that you come for acupuncture at least 4 to 6 times at intervals of once a week. Within those 4 to 6 visits, it will become clear how well acupuncture is working for you, and we will make recommendations for further treatment or refer you to another type of practitioner if specific follow-on treatment would be beneficial.
Modernity- Scientists discover
Compelled by the positive results experienced by thousands of patients, modern science is coming closer to defining Qi as a pathway where chemical reactions occur faster than in other parts of the body. Ask your acupuncturist for copies of articles describing how magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) has traced the effects of Qi. Or better yet, come in and experience it yourself.
Waking Up- What happens during a treatment
There are over 400 known acupuncture points, each with its own unique effect on Qi and overall health. The most frequently used points are located below the knees and elbows. When the needles are inserted most patients feel a very small pinch, less than a mosquito bite, followed by a sensation of warmth or heaviness. That sensation is the Qi waking up and traveling through the channels to the affected area. Once the needles are inserted they remain in place for 10 to 30 minutes. During this time most patients are pleased to find that they become deeply relaxed.
Moxa - Increasing Effectiveness of Acupuncture
Moxa is one of several adjunct modalities that help make an acupuncture treatment more effective. Moxa wool, made of dried Mugwort leaves (Artemisia Vulgaris) is burned either above the skin, on the head of the needle, or directly on the skin over a layer of ointment. When burned, moxa produces an intense dry heat that moves your Qi and warms your body. Moxa is especially useful if you always feel cold or if your condition worsens in cold weather.
Asia- A Healing History
Traditional Chinese Medicine, also known at Traditional Asian Medicine, was born in China as herbology and acupuncture. In China the categories of herbology were grafted onto the parallel system of acupuncture in a way that doesn’t do acupuncture justice, in spite of their common heritage. Both methodologies migrated around Asia and were the dominant healing method for hundreds of years. During the modern era in Japan western medicine predominated and included acupuncture. Herbology fell out of favor but acupuncture grew and flourished. As a result herbology is much more developed in China than in other countries and the acupuncture practiced in Japan has more in common with science than Chinese style acupuncture. This is primarily because of the work of Yoshio Manaka, MD.
The Black Box- Penetrating interview, painless insertion
By inserting sterile, disposable, hair-thin needles into specific points on the body, an acupuncturist regulates the meridians and restores good health. Although the insertions are simple (and painless!) the procedure for choosing the points is not. Your acupuncturist formulates a TCM diagnosis and treatment plan using information gathered during an extensive interview and drawing on years of clinical experience and academic training.
The ancient Chinese were remarkably adept at figuring out what was going on inside the "black box" of their patients' bodies. As their heirs, our most important diagnostic tools are deep listening and careful observation. Today's acupuncture diagnosis is based on what, during an extensive interview, you tell your acupuncturist about your health; the quality, shape, size and speed of your pulse, what the acupuncturist sees when she looks at you and what she feels when she palpates your abdomen.
The ancient Chinese were remarkably adept at figuring out what was going on inside the "black box" of their patients' bodies. As their heirs, our most important diagnostic tools are deep listening and careful observation. Today's acupuncture diagnosis is based on what, during an extensive interview, you tell your acupuncturist about your health; the quality, shape, size and speed of your pulse, what the acupuncturist sees when she looks at you and what she feels when she palpates your abdomen.
The Weather- Acupuncture diagnosis and the environment
A traditional Chinese diagnosis is very different from a western diagnosis. To the untrained ear it may sound more like a weather report than a medical condition. For instance your condition may be called "damp" or "stagnant." This is because the ancient Chinese believed that the rules that govern the natural world also govern our bodies. Thus, they described bodily processes in environmental terms. The relationship between your body and the environment is one reason your acupuncturist may prescribe a seasonal tune-up.
Energy Channels and Waterways
Qi flows in meridians
The best analogy for the all the communication systems in the body – meridians, circulatory, hormonal, nervous – is that of the earth’s waterways. Water flows through oceans, rivers, swamps, brooks, and tiny temporary channels the same way biological information flows through the meridians, nervous system, digestive system etc. The acupuncture meridians, also known as channels, are the most subtle of all the body’s waterways, comparable to vernal streams that only appear when full. Filling or draining these channels as necessary is the aim of the acupuncturist.
Like all waterways our bodies are under the guidance of the moon and susceptible to other natural phenomena. For this reason your acupuncturist may, particularly for menopausal women, time your treatment with the phases of the moon, or question you closely about how you feel during particular seasons.
The best analogy for the all the communication systems in the body – meridians, circulatory, hormonal, nervous – is that of the earth’s waterways. Water flows through oceans, rivers, swamps, brooks, and tiny temporary channels the same way biological information flows through the meridians, nervous system, digestive system etc. The acupuncture meridians, also known as channels, are the most subtle of all the body’s waterways, comparable to vernal streams that only appear when full. Filling or draining these channels as necessary is the aim of the acupuncturist.
Like all waterways our bodies are under the guidance of the moon and susceptible to other natural phenomena. For this reason your acupuncturist may, particularly for menopausal women, time your treatment with the phases of the moon, or question you closely about how you feel during particular seasons.
You are a Cloud (A Very Old Interpretation of Illness)
Imagine your body as cloud made up of gases instead of a bag of liquids. That is, trillions of chemical reactions which happen faster in the cells located by acupuncture points. Now imagine that instead of grouping those chemical reactions by the organ in the vicinity of where they happen, you instead divided them into Five Phases. These Five Phases are one of the most basic concepts of TCM. Each phase has a physical and emotional aspect and encompasses hundreds of symptoms that may or may not overlap with western organ or disease categories.
The Five Phases operate like a circuit, each one leading to the next. Understanding the interaction of the phases, especially which Phase is distressed, is the key to diagnosis, especially when practicing Japanese method acupuncture.
The Five Phases operate like a circuit, each one leading to the next. Understanding the interaction of the phases, especially which Phase is distressed, is the key to diagnosis, especially when practicing Japanese method acupuncture.
Introduction to Acupuncture and Traditional Asian Medicine
Qi and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Acupuncture works by moving the natural energy of your body through twelve channels that connect your internal organs with your body's surface. In ancient China this energy was called "Qi" (pronounced 'chee') and was ascribed many spiritual, emotional and physical powers. If Qi is abundant and flowing smoothly, then an individual enjoys good health. Pain and other physical and emotional disharmonies are the result of Qi being deficient or not flowing smoothly.
There are several different kinds of Qi and each can be likened to a kind of electricity that travels through the meridian system of the body. Pre-natal Qi is the Qi of destiny. Its mission is to compel us to manifest our genetic and spiritual blueprint and it connects us to the metaphysical world. This is one of the reasons that acupuncture treatments feel so good.
During a treatment you may feel as if you’re having a transcendent experience or as if you are an embryo floating in the primordial womb. This is because when the pre-natal Qi is activated you are in touch with the metaphysical world; it is coursing through your body. And, because the meridian system is the communication system of the embryo, during a treatment you are an embryo again, that is nature before nurture. Your body is hearing and implementing its genetic message without interference from all that has passed since birth.
Acupuncture works by moving the natural energy of your body through twelve channels that connect your internal organs with your body's surface. In ancient China this energy was called "Qi" (pronounced 'chee') and was ascribed many spiritual, emotional and physical powers. If Qi is abundant and flowing smoothly, then an individual enjoys good health. Pain and other physical and emotional disharmonies are the result of Qi being deficient or not flowing smoothly.
There are several different kinds of Qi and each can be likened to a kind of electricity that travels through the meridian system of the body. Pre-natal Qi is the Qi of destiny. Its mission is to compel us to manifest our genetic and spiritual blueprint and it connects us to the metaphysical world. This is one of the reasons that acupuncture treatments feel so good.
During a treatment you may feel as if you’re having a transcendent experience or as if you are an embryo floating in the primordial womb. This is because when the pre-natal Qi is activated you are in touch with the metaphysical world; it is coursing through your body. And, because the meridian system is the communication system of the embryo, during a treatment you are an embryo again, that is nature before nurture. Your body is hearing and implementing its genetic message without interference from all that has passed since birth.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Consultations offer multiple understandings
“It is important to enlist patients’ conscious energies in the healing process. Understanding how it all fits together helps.”
Daria Casinelli, Lic. Ac.
Our Consultation offering was developed in response to repeated requests from patients for more information than can be communicated during a traditional acupuncture session. A 1.5 hour or 30 minute consultation allows us to discuss your condition from a TCM, astrological, yogic, and Buddhist perspective. These Eastern philosophies offer a way of understanding bodies and the world that is very different from science, psychology, sociology and other western traditions.
More Jung than Freud, more inductive than deductive and much older than modern frameworks, the categories used by most Eastern philosophies, such as: metal, earth, water, air, wood, fire, are rooted in thousands of years of observation of natural phenomena, not the scientific method. Astrology, as used by Milton Acupuncture, ascribes basic demographics and genetics to birth karma. We were each born into a time, place and body because of the karma generated in previous lives. This is our only harvest from those times. We are not culpable for anything that happened in a previous life; and we are completely responsible for all our actions in this life.
Genetics encompasses our physical inheritance and our mental and emotional proclivities. You can think of your astrological birth chart as a genetic map written in the language of poets. Before our session we will use a computer program to cast your birth chart. The consultation takes your physical health as a starting point. If necessary and desired, we will introduce you to the field and teach you how to use astrology so that you can continue to explore your birth chart. If we feel you need more in depth astrological counseling, we will refer you to one of two excellent astrologers.
Although these discussions are confidential, differ significantly from therapy sessions in that: 1. Our role is not to help you understand your life and health in mental/emotional terms or to decipher your personal history, but to interpret what you were given at birth and 2. most people come into such a discussion looking for answers, we do our best to provide them within the framework described above.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A Step Beyond Acupuncture
Milton Acupuncture’s philosophy takes us beyond acupuncture that only focuses on healing physical disorders. Many people understand that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a way to manipulate Qi to heal a range of physical disorders including but not limited to: muscular skeletal injuries, asthma, diabetes, insomnia, constipation, fatigue and reproductive issues. A treatment at Milton Acupuncture goes a step further – it is a deep, body-centered, experiential remembering of why we were born and what our mission is here on earth.
Our treatments always include treating the pre-natal Qi that is a direct link to our individual ancestors and the entire human family. This inherited Qi sets the course of our life. Because the body is the medium that transmits the message time can obscure but not erase its signals. Every physical disharmony is a message ranging from the mundane (e.g. “Drink less alcohol”) to the earth shattering (e.g. “Change careers”).
It is therefore not uncommon that after a series of acupuncture treatment patients find that their lives are very different than what they were before the treatments.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Daria Casinelli of Milton Acupuncture
Daria Casinelli is a graduate of the New England School of Acupuncture and licensed to practice acupuncture in Massachusetts since 2002. She has been actively involved in promoting natural alternatives to healing for over ten years and has a wealth of information to share about many modalities.
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