Blue Heron Acupuncture & Apothecary

11/03/2025

Year of the Yin Wood Snake

The lunar new year of 2025 welcomes in the Yin Wood Snake. The snake, a fire element creature, represents transformation, shedding one’s skin to step into one’s next incarnation, and unexpected twists. The fire element also embodies passion, curiosity, connection and letting your light shine. This reptile, while it slithers on earth, borders on the mythical. It is fluid, camouflaging itself easily, being both a forebearer of potential danger and a sign of fertility. It is the spiral, the foundation of life. It is yin and yang.

The Wood nature of the year tells us it will be one of growth, creativity, resilience, diplomacy and adaptability. To harmonize this Wood element, practice gratitude, introspection and restorative rest.

Balanced with these yang elements of fire and wood is the Yin indicator of the year. While the Wood Snake hints we will experience dynamic change, the incorporation of Yin gives moments of grace and steadiness to this shift.

28/02/2025

Thank you for your nominations ✨ Voting for Best Of Charleston is now open through March 22! I would love your votes for Best Acupuncture Clinic and Best Acupuncturist. Your support means so much. 💕

Link in bio for Charleston City Paper Best Of. 💌 It’s a great time to support local businesses!

26/02/2025

Herbal medicine is amazing. Herbs work beautifully to help the body overcome uncomfortable symptoms, rarely with any side effects (some people have sensitive digestive systems).

Two blends I am appreciating lately are IMMUNE DX and ALLER DX from Plantiva. They include fantastic herbs to strengthen immune function and open the sinuses, respectively. Unique to these formulas is the inclusion of yang tonics, which give an extra boost to one’s immune system and particularly the deeper Kidney energy, which is the foundation for one’s immune system and the genetic tie-in. The Kidneys are especially relevant for people who take a long time to get well from a virus, get sick often, or deal with intense allergies all season long and nothing seems to help.

Consider trying herbs to prevent and alleviate allergies this coming Spring or to boost your immune system any time of year. 🌱

22/01/2025

Happy Snow Day! We hope you’re staying warm and cozy and enjoying the awe of the world. Chinese medicine suggests keep your neck warm, enjoy warm, cooked nourishing foods prepared with lots of fluids, and take in the hush. Out of the quiet, introspection and rest of winter will burst forth creativity, growth and movement come spring.

It’s the last couple days of nominations for Best Of in Charleston’s City Paper. We would love your nominations for Best Acupuncturist and Best Acupuncture Clinic. We are grateful for you! 🤍

12/12/2024

New digs! We are excited to share Blue Heron Acupuncture’s new home at 1819 Meeting Street Rd. We’re loving the lightness of being + depth of healing. Schedule online to join us along this journey. ✨ Link in bio 🎄

09/11/2024

Libby Prim is back! Whether you’re a dedicated fan or have been curious about trying Neurostructural Integration Technique (NST), now is your chance to get on Libby’s schedule. Saturday appointments are open beginning November 16. Schedule via link in bio ☝🏽

NST is amazing for:
*spinal alignment, including scoliosis
*any and all body aches and pains - common areas where people experience relief are back, shoulders, hips, knees, legs and feet
*headaches
*digestion
*fertility
*stress and anxiety
*nervous system decompression
*children’s health, including torticollis

31/10/2024

We would love your vote 🩷 thank you for your support!

Official 2024 Community Voting Awards Platform for Charleston, SC. Where the community votes for their favorites every year.

19/10/2024

As a lovely woman reminded me recently, change is in the air! As the briskness of Fall sets in, we’re witnessing that shift in forms both global and personal. It has been an intense season in many ways.

Here at Blue Heron, we have some happy changes to announce. Yours truly, Dr. Lisa Abernathy, and Blue Heron Acupuncture are moving to a beautiful new office at the boundary between downtown Charleston and North Charleston: 1819 Meeting Street Rd, Charleston 29405. Come visit us at this new office as of October 28. It offers ample parking, little traffic, easy access to I-26 and centrality to all parts of the area. Enjoy this creative medicine amidst Charleston‘s newest creative corrider.

Over a year ago, I passed over management of our group practice to Sarah Welch of Epiphany Acupuncture. Epiphany will continue to operate out of 711 St. Andrews Boulevard and we will continue to collaborate. If you would like to see a practitioner at Epiphany, I am happy to recommend the person who I think the best fit for you. Epiphany also has rooms becoming available for rent, should you know anyone who might be interested.

If you could use support with this season’s changes, fertility, immunity, pain or any of the myriad of conditions Chinese medicine treats, reach out to any of us, your friendly neighborhood acupuncturists. We look forward to seeing you soon!

With Love & Gratitude,
Dr. Lisa Abernathy

15/10/2024

Homemade Cough Syrup 🍂

With the temps finally dropping and the kids back at school, cough season is also upon us!

In Chinese medicine, colds that occur during the fall often cause sore throat, dryness of the throat, and dry, hacking coughs. Where there is dryness, we want to add moisture. Acupuncture and herbal medicine are great ways to help ease symptoms, especially when you have a cough that lingers way longer than you want.
You can make a very easy homemade cough medicine, composed of just pears and honey. In Chinese Medicine, both pears and honey help to moisten, especially the throat and lungs, and in turn can soothe irritated throats and help reduce coughing.

Try this simple recipe…
🍐 Cut a pear in half and scoop out the seeds in the middle
🍯 Add a good-sized dollop of honey in the middle and put the two halves back together
🍐 Place in a pot of water that covers the pear
🍯 Simmer this until it becomes a syrupy reduction (cough syrup consistency) or blend all together once soft
🍐 Drink the syrup, add to your favorite beverage or smoothie, and eat the pear as well!

Call us at (843) 937-6890 or schedule an appointment online to make the transition through Fall easier using Acupuncture, herbal medicine or health coaching!

11/10/2024

Time to pull out your scarf! Even though it’s been warm here in Charleston, we’re finally starting to see changes in the weather. With this seasonal transition comes greater susceptibility to the common cold.

In Chinese Medicine, “wind” is said to carry 1,000 diseases. Wind, which blows in and out of town quickly, is a great metaphor for the spread of viruses, including the common cold and flu. There are several points along the back of the neck and upper back that are especially vulnerable to the entrance of wind. Wearing a scarf helps you protect yourself from a wind (or viral) invasion and assists your body in coping with the change from a warm season to a cool one.

Should you come down with a cold or flu, consider acupuncture and herbs to help your body recover! Health coaching, herbs and acupuncture can also help you learn appropriate habits to keep you healthy this season. Call or visit our website (link in bio) to schedule your next appointment.

10/10/2024

✨Acupuncture for Mental Health ✨

Today is World Mental Health Day. Mental health matters every day but let’s take today to spread awareness, learn more about mental health, check in with ourselves and others, & practice self-care.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine offer a holistic approach to supporting your mental and emotional wellbeing, healing trauma and helping you understand how your physical and emotional symptoms are related. Chinese medicine empowers individuals and releases them from the stigma and guilt that is often associated with mental illness, emotional disturbance and trauma. Rather than see mental health as a “problem”, we view it as a symptom that relates to what is physically going on in your body. We look to see what channels and diagnosis are implicated and how these are manifesting in your spirit. Coincidentally, we typically find you are experiencing physical symptoms related to these same channels.

Acupuncture is a “root and branch” medicine, meaning it treats the symptoms of a disorder as well as its underlying cause. Acupuncture induces a relaxation response, has been shown to affect the nervous system, and positively impacts neurotransmitter activity. Acupuncture can also help regulate the hormones, immune system, digestion, nutrient absorption and metabolic activity as well as modulate the body’s inflammatory response, all of which, when impaired, can influence one’s emotional wellness.

Acupuncture can help treat a wide range of emotional and psychological disorders, from mild to debilitating, including:
→ Depression
→ Anxiety
→ Panic Attacks
→ Fears and phobias
→ Lack of motivation
→ Hopelessness
→ ADD/ ADHD
→ PTSD
→ Eating disorders
→ Addiction
→ Stress
→ Insomnia
→ OCD
→ Borderline Personality Disorder
→ Bipolar Disorder


Visit our blog at the link in our bio to learn more about acupuncture for mental and emotional wellness. To schedule an appointment, you can book online -> link in bio 💖

08/10/2024

Acupuncture to Manage Stress in Pregnancy or While Trying to Conceive 💙

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are so beneficial for reducing stress and calming the sympathetic nervous system, but why is this important?

Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive are constantly being told not to stress but never told how – this notion can often create more stress. When your body’s cortisol levels are high, it is hard for your body to produce progesterone – a hormone crucial for fertility and pregnancy. Progesterone causes the uterine lining to thicken and accept a fertilized egg. It also helps prevent uterine contractions that could cause the body to reject the egg.

In addition to nourishing the uterine lining, acupuncture encourages feelings of security, “I’m safe. I can let this happen. I can become pregnant now.” What seems so simple can be significant in how our bodies respond to pregnancy.

We are so passionate about the work we do with women who are trying to conceive and pregnant women, whether it relates to stress and anxiety, balancing hormones, nutrition guidance, or even working around a diagnosis of PCOS or Infertility.

For more information on acupunture for fertility and pregnancy, schedule an appointment or visit our website -> link in bio.