Clarity Fearless Childbirth

02/03/2022

Trying to maintain creativity in my home & work life can be challenging. There is power in routine for me. I detest chaos and desire flow to keeps me balanced. It can be hard to maintain an open mind when you’re having an off day. I know what my limits are when I can’t keep my head on the task so I just allow the day go on without forcing anything. The washing can wait for another day 😺

06/02/2022

Hormones, hormones, hormones. They are the driver of all humans and SO important. Funny how we begin to hate on them when they aren’t doing us any favors, when clearly it’s your body letting you in on the secret to shape up and take note! Funny also, how it is considered that perimenopause is about aging. It isn’t! It is purely a sequence of events and that’s where hormones come into play.

Eastern medicine is all about Yin and Yang - the cornerstone of Chinese philosophy and is a perfect concept of defining my favorite perimenopause hormones. Here are four hormone buddies that are drivers of how those ‘events’ begin to disrupt or shape your life.

Estrogen has many influences. We love it for cosmetic acupuncture because it makes skin look ‘on fleck’ as bangs on about. It is responsible for the growth of endometrial tissue, it impacts your libido, your mood and general mental state. It’s also significant for joints & bones.

Progesterone is estrogen’s calm demure little sister hormone. It is significant because it is governed by ovulation. If ovulation occurs, then progesterone is made.

Cortisol is a stress hormone assisting your nervous system, immunity and metabolism. It is produced in the adrenal glands and has a big role to play in everyday life.

DHEA = dihydroepiandrosterone sulfate can make skin look lush so clearly works with age as well as offsets cortisol since it is a bloody good stress hormone. It is also a precursor for testosterone.

Understanding the way these hormones work is a must for getting around perimenopause. Keep an eye out for the next few posts about these hormones. You’ll be surprised at how influential and necessary they are in keeping you upright and mobile. Stay tuned x

08/12/2021

It’s been a little time between posts - I’ve been unwell! I get the impression sometimes that you people don’t believe I am ever unwell and you’re right. It takes a fair bit to knock me down but I was out for the count. We all have an immune system and mine is pretty good. Though, like anything, the exterior can weaken and not be strong enough to hold off the strongest bug. It’s not just immune health either but also mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. I have worked consistently for the last 2 years in this insanely feared ‘C’ culture. It has placed immense strain on several areas of my life and just like I have seen in my clients, it can wear you down. So, it was my turn. I am quite conscious of rest and repair, balancing out Yin and Yang, supporting my body where it needs it with herbs, acupuncture, body work, nature, supplements and food but this crept up on me.

For the most part, being unwell is not difficult to cope with. I accept it is a clear message of being forced to stop. I have access to great stuff to help me out - I can stick needles in myself! You see, my family and myself were forced into quarantine. I didn’t have severe illness and no member of my family were unwell or even positive. The unnatural disconnection from humans was definitively challenging. The polarising effect of being excluded from society proved a strain with judgement & arrogance. Note, there was also compassion & kindness from many. The unnatural removal from 'life' for my family was improper. I am sorry for any of you that have been placed into a space where your basic human right to social connection directly impacts your health and well-being. This lack of connection speeds up poor health, it impacts aging, increases the risk of su***de and definitely left me without the ability to seek MY type of health care. For anyone reading this, I know I am lucky with these extra skills to care for myself. Please consider very honestly, how is your immune system really going? Do you need realigning with your mental, emotional and spiritual health? If this is you, then let me know or contact because this is our speciality - compassion and kindness for all x

11/11/2021

Ever been to the paint section in a hardware store? The blaze of colour is so varied particularly the pinks, reds, purples and browns. Most of you are grossly weirded out by the hue of period blood. There’s a lot of time spent ignoring it, disguising it, pausing it and being angry at it. This is a cultural norm we have going on. To heap shame upon an amazing physiological response detracts from what is actually a representation of your health.

The colour of period blood generally changes throughout a bleed and what you might consider normal, could be different from someone else. The colour can range from orange, to pink, red, purple, brown and black. It would be more common to see shades of red from pale red to light red, bright red, crimson red, purple red or dull red. They all have relevance.

The ideal menstrual red is a fresh red colour – something visually like Exotic Red, Red Alert or Rum Runner as in the Taubmans paint colour chart. A consistent flow with no clots represents harmony in your menarche.

From the perspective of my medicine (Eastern), anything contrasting to fresh red can point towards an issue. A light pink will indicate blood deficiency, also indicative of an iron deficiency/anaemia. Darkness to your flow such as purple shows there may be blood stagnation which would be common for someone with endometriosis or who experiences very painful or heavy periods. Anything thick and brownish would be considered a deficient or cold pathology.

There are several ways to work with harmonising and correcting any abnormalities in your cycle. Chinese herbs, supplements, acupuncture, dietary tweaking, regulating lifestyle are some easy steps to a better period.

05/11/2021

There are several aspects to skin care. This little bowl is one of mine. I say one because there are many parts to having healthy skin. Gua sha is my active skin care tool. I love the feel of each one of those instruments. Yes, there are a few and my son would say it’s the equivalent of my shoe collection, but hey, to each their own. Don’t forget to use oil to help your room slip too. It can save skin!

A jade tool is designed to fit the contours of your face. It’s angles trigger acupuncture points, rouses Qi flow and motivates a lymph system to be more active. The comb jade is a favorite for stimulating circulation through my scalp to relieve tension and tautness, feeling like a fabulous head massage. I’ll also use it on fleshy areas such as along thighs and hips/glutes to move sluggishness. My other fav is the jade wand for small and specific areas of the face like the eyes and lips where there might be fine lines or stagnation. I get under eye puffiness and this wand is amazing to get it moving.

Pimples are a rare occurrence for me and often are a result of overconsuming poor foods. But with teens in the house, I get to hygienically evacuate their pus-filled friends on their faces (with their permission) using my stainless steel pimple remover! I can’t stress enough to all of you how friggin dirty your hands are - worse than a toilet seat. Use an alcohol swab on clean skin to clear out the debris. You will have full removal and better healing of the skin.

Glow Masque is a quintessential Zhong Centre serum I value for instant firmness, brightness and smoothing. I use it when ever I need a zhooshing. And, my new fav is collagen. I have previously been apprehensive about consuming collagen as I haven’t seen or read effective or positive results. I am really liking this powder for its hair and nail strengthening and the clearness in my skin tone. It’s still in trial for me but I am liking what I am seeing so far.

24/10/2021

The pulse is a fantastic diagnostic tool we use in the clinic to give a better understanding of what is going on internally. It helps bridge that connection between what we ask, see, feel and observe and it seems to add a bit of magical flare to a consultation!

There are many interesting responses I hear when I ask to take a pulse - ‘I have been rushing so it is probably erratic’ or ‘my Dr says I have low blood pressure’ or ‘am I alive?’. All hilarious and within the general western context of pulse taking BUT it’s not what I am searching for.

Taking a pulse in Chinese medicine is a little more involved than getting a sense of the radial artery. It is based on verifying how the Qi flows, its rhythm, force and size. The Classics describe a minimum of 28 types of pulses. These pulses are felt along the wrist in 3 positions corresponding to different bodily organs and are felt at different depths to show me more specifically what is going on internally.

To give you an example of what this could mean:
- A strong pulse shows there is an excess in the body of some kind. This might present as stress, high blood pressure or a headache.
- A slow pulse shows there is something sluggish or inefficient going on the body indicating the body is too cool to function adequately e.g. poor circulation or cold hands and feet
- A rolling pulse feels wide under the fingers, like pearls rolling around in a dish. This pulse indicates there is poor digestion, allergies, or sinus/congestion issues. Outside of a disease, it is a common pulse indicating pregnancy.

Pulse taking exemplifies how personalized your treatment is. Chinese medicine is not a one size fits all and distinguishing the subtle differences between individuals makes way for a better treatment outcome.

20/10/2021

The most common facial line I would work on is in between the eyebrows. This space is called the Seat of the Stamp and the opening to the third eye. It is said to represent the ability to see beyond what is at a deep level!
These markings can be either be one line or two lines, deep or faint.

If there is 2 lines, we call them 11’s. They are the production of a busy mind, or some level of frustration, impatience or that the individual is easily annoyed. The 11’s represent a kind of reactivity, an old anger.

If there is 1 line, it is often quite deep and strong in its appearance. This is called the suspended sword and has a few symbolic inferences. Chinese theory suggests that the liver is cut in half and the issue resulting from the marking will stop forward progress as the sword will drop and cut off the foot. It also projects that there has been estrangement from father or a dominant parent or some sort of yang energy in response to the emotion rage.

If the line is smaller and fainter in appearance, it is referenced as a suspended needle – these are from smaller issues about anger still being blocked and with the potential of the needle to drop off and stab the foot.
To erase these types of lines takes effort, meaning working on emotions, your constitution, lifestyle and environment. You can definitely pop a little bit of BoBo in to straighten out and freeze the seat BUT wouldn’t it be much smarter and healthier to work on anger expression? I think so!

We have amazing techniques such as acupuncture, gua sha and herbal medicines to begin to soften frustration, to limit reactivity and to boost resilience so those annoying line/s can disappear forever

10/10/2021

This is where magic happens. MOXA! I love this sweet, heady aromatic and I love its instant warmth. Made up of compressed Chinese mugwort with a few other herbs, this classical Chinese medicine herbal remedy uses the action of fire to invigorate a potent effect on the body. It goes where needles can’t go, creating warmth to nourish, dredge and melt! Sounds quite apocalyptic doesn’t it! We use moxa where there is pain, numbness, cold – anything where the Qi/energy isn’t moving. It’s an instant pick me up.

19/07/2021

Acupuncture is not just for humans!

04/06/2021

01/04/2021

Wow, what a huge few weeks have just passed. Moving a clinic with minimal notice has been eye opening as to what a tribe can complete when brought together. I have extreme adoration and good heart palpitations for . Such a privilege to be a part of their girl gang with keeping it real and moving forward and up. I’ve hit Easter holidays early, peaking even before the kids finish term 1. Debating whether to move from the couch to the atrium into that warm lush sun. The happiest of holidays to you all. Love and enjoy your family and those close to you x

22/03/2021

This is where you will find me now. I’m all tucked up and cosy with pins in hand at the .