Energy Matters Acupuncture & Qigong

Energy Matters Acupuncture & Qigong Energy Matters Acupuncture and Qigong is here to help you live a longer, stronger and healthier life!

Energy Matters Acupuncture and Qigong helps people of the Bay Area live longer, healthier and stronger lives through personalized wellness and healing services using traditional Chinese medicine. Our skillful practitioners and accomplished teachers bring deep experience and care to the development and maintenance of our clients’ vitality and good health in mind, body, and spirit. We offer an array

of services:
-Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs
-Orthopedic Acupuncture
-Pediatric Acupuncture
-Acupuncture for Beauty-
Qigong Classes
-21 Days to Better Health Program
-Health and Well-being Lectures

How are you doing? To say we are living in difficult times is both a truth and a gross understatement. Too much, too fas...
05/19/2026

How are you doing? To say we are living in difficult times is both a truth and a gross understatement. Too much, too fast. So much that is beyond our control.

When things get tough, I have taught myself to return to the basics as my best defense against overwhelm, inertia, and other unhelpful stress responses: Breath, Rest, Nourishment, Movement, and Connection.

And I always start my self-care review with the breath: it’s always available to me, it’s free, and it’s so easy that it’s often forgotten or discounted.

Here are three of my favorite “better living through breath work” techniques. Don’t discount them because they are simple. Remember - in the energy realm, little is big and simple is powerful.

1. One Breath Reset: lose your eyes and take a moment to shake/settle/relax your body as best you can. Take a soft, slow, unforced, and long inhale through your nose. Pause for just a moment, and then allow for a soft, slow, unforced, and long exhale through slightly parted lips. Pause for a moment. Slowly open your eyes and return to regular breathing. Repeat often throughout your day.

2. Box Breathing: The rhythm of the exercise is Inhale for a 4 count - Hold for a four count - Exhale for a four count - Hold for a four count. Repeat four times. The symmetry is like the four sides of a box. Click here for a cool video we created to follow for Box Breathing.

3. 4-7-8 Breathing: This follows a different pattern: Inhale to a count of 4, hold for a count of 7, slowly exhale for a count of 8. Repeat 7 times. Click here for a more detailed explanation of 4-7-8.

Pick one technique and practice it for 5 days. See how you feel. If you feel better, great. If not, try a different technique for the next 5 days. Not every breath technique works for everyone, but there is at least one breath technique that will help you navigate turbulent times.

Getting by, one breath at a time,
Kirstin Lindquist

Easier than pie, this fast whole food snack feels like a warm hug. You can substitute dairy butter with your favorite nu...
05/18/2026

Easier than pie, this fast whole food snack feels like a warm hug. You can substitute dairy butter with your favorite nut butter and add other spices like clove or cardamom. Bonus: apples benefit the lungs, a great choice for allergy sufferers.

BAKED APPLES
+1 apple per serving
+Butter
+Cinamon

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.
2. Core the apples making sure not to go all the way through and to leave the bottom on the apples.
3. Fill the hollowed out core with 1 tbsp of butter.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.
5. Bake until tender, about 30-40 minutes or until apples are soft.

Lately I’ve been sitting with a lot of despair and helplessness about the state of the country and the world. When I fee...
05/15/2026

Lately I’ve been sitting with a lot of despair and helplessness about the state of the country and the world. When I feel ungrounded, I return to the 14 Mindfulness Trainings—the foundation of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing. They help me remember how I want to live: with ethics, compassion, and peace… no matter what’s happening around me.

They remind me that creating peace in the places we actually touch—our hearts, our homes, our relationships, our workplaces, our communities—matters. It’s real agency.

A line that’s been supporting me: in times of upheaval, we each have “our own special part”—whether that’s self-care, community care, learning, grieving, creating, organizing, donating, practicing, laughing, resting, or showing up with steadiness and love.

If you could use a grounding anchor right now, I’m sharing the link to the Trainings. I hope they offer you refuge, too.

May you experience peace and help grow it where you can.

— Prajna Choudhury, L.Ac.
Chinese Medicine Practitioner + Mindfulness Teacher

https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-14-mindfulness-trainings

A few years ago, one of my patients shared a technique they were using successfully to stop worrying from interrupting t...
05/15/2026

A few years ago, one of my patients shared a technique they were using successfully to stop worrying from interrupting their sleep. It’s a deceptively simple yet powerful practice that I have shared frequently with others and have used myself.

In the increasingly complex and stressful circumstances we are navigating, it can feel like easy or basic self-care techniques are not strong enough. But simple may be exactly what we need - now more than ever.

So I invite you to try this method of retraining your brain about when, where, and how to worry — and, by extension, when not to worry.

Will it be “enough”? Maybe, maybe not. But there is no harm in trying. You may be surprised by what shifts for you.

The Worry Journal

As my patient explained:

“I give myself permission to worry for 10-20 minutes per day by writing my worries in a journal. This technique is meant to help those of us who awaken in the night, for whatever reason, and then toss and turn for hours thinking about this and that. It's meant to train ourselves to confine our worrying to those 10-20 minutes in daylight only.”

This is a wonderful example of mind/body retraining. Worry is indeed a habit, and habits can be reshaped with practice and consistency.

A few fine-tuning points:

Literally handwriting in a journal, vs typing on a computer or your phone, is often more potent for mind/body recalibration. That said, if you never write by hand, typing into a Worry Journal document will work just fine. But I encourage you to try going “old school” with pen and paper.

The writing must happen during daylight hours. If you forget and it’s already dark, don’t journal. This is a great use of your phone: set a daily daytime reminder.

Set a timer while writing. Stopping when the timer goes off helps train your mind in the habit of containing and redirecting worry.

Like any habit, change can take some time. Commit to the Worry Journal for 21 days. You may see changes right away, or it may take a bit of time.

If you try this out, please let me know how it goes for you.

May you sleep soundly and peacefully,
Kirstin

Super Seed MixMake a jar of Super Seed Mix and keep it handy to easily add seeds to your meals! Sprinkle onto oatmeal, y...
05/09/2026

Super Seed Mix

Make a jar of Super Seed Mix and keep it handy to easily add seeds to your meals! Sprinkle onto oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies, salad or soup to add a delicious and nutritious crunch. Seeds are tasty, affordable and their fatty acids, phytonutrients and fiber can all help manage hormone related symptoms

Combine 2 spoonfuls each of a variety of seeds into a jar and shake. Choose what you can find or enjoy, but I suggest flax, pumpkin and sesame.

Here’s a combo I’ve been enjoying lately:

Pumpkin seeds + Flax seeds + H**p hearts + Sesame seeds + Chia seeds

Tips for seeds: they spoil easily! Buy in sealed containers and throw them out if they taste bitter or rancid. Store your seeds in the freezer. You can keep your jar of mix on the counter while you use it.

Tension Soother CBD SalveEnergy Matters Pick for NECK +SHOULDER PAIN | MENSTRUAL CRAMPS | MENTHOL FREE RELIEFTension Soo...
05/08/2026

Tension Soother CBD Salve

Energy Matters Pick for NECK +SHOULDER PAIN | MENSTRUAL CRAMPS | MENTHOL FREE RELIEF

Tension Soother is a medicine cabinet ‘must-have’ with high-potency CBD extract in a soothing herbal salve that offers pain relief without menthol. Organic extracts and essential oils like crampbark, calendula, lavender, yarrow, clary sage, geranium and ginger soothe pain of all kinds.

Try it for neck and shoulder tension and menstrual pain!

Why we love it:
Organic, high-potency CBD extract, an anti-inflammatory superstar.

Warming pain relief that smells good and is gentler on the skin than menthol.
Organic herbs and essential oils traditionally used for pain and menstrual cramp relief.

Slather on your stiff neck before bed, or on your belly for cramps under a hot water bottle or moxa heat pack.

2oz salve $39.99, ½ OZ Travel Stick, $15.99. 10% off all of May

May is Menstrual Health Awareness Month! with May 26th sharing information, and ensuring everyone has access to supplies...
05/05/2026

May is Menstrual Health Awareness Month! with May 26th sharing information, and ensuring everyone has access to supplies and education for safe and healthy menstruation.

You can be part of local initiatives like Grace Period , started by a young Oakland woman, that brings menstrual supplies to our unhoused neighbors, and find out about The Free Period movement, also started by young women.

May is Menstrual Health Awareness Month!Gynecology has been an integral part of Chinese medicine for thousands of years,...
04/28/2026

May is Menstrual Health Awareness Month!

Gynecology has been an integral part of Chinese medicine for thousands of years, mentioned in some of the earliest texts we have. Even in our modern era, Western medicine is limited in the options it has for irregular cycles, painful or heavy periods, or premenstrual symptoms that can range from uncomfortable to debilitating. Hormonal birth control can be a life changing intervention, but it’s not the only option available. Our practitioners at Energy Matters use acupuncture and herbal medicine to regulate cycles, reduce pain and ease PMS.

Acupuncture + Herbs are a dynamic duo. Acupuncture can offer fast relief from menstrual pain and PMS symptoms like bloating, breast tenderness, headaches and mood swings. For deeper treatment, herbal medicine can bring your body into balance. Based on the nature of your symptoms and an assessment of your body and constitution, your practitioner will prescribe a herbal combination. This might change throughout your cycle, working to help your body find an easier rhythm. Extensively studied gynecology herbal superstars include Dang Gui (angelica) (sometimes called ‘Women’s Ginseng’), Bai Shao (white peony), Chai Hu (bupleurum), Shu Di Huang (rehmannia) and Chuan Xiong (ligusticum).

Self Care + Traditional Wisdom. Shame, trauma and the patriarchy can compound our menstrual experiences. The modern capitalist ‘work through it’ mentality we see in tampon commercials might work for some, but the suggestion from traditional medicine, backed by our clinical experience, is to rest on period days, staying warm and eating warming, easy to digest foods. Replenish blood loss with iron rich foods. Craving sweets on your period? The sweet flavor has an anti-spasmodic action in Chinese medicine, as well as calming the spirit. No wonder you want a sweet treat! (try these delicious black sesame cherry date balls) In the week before your period, getting some extra exercise can ease PMS and reduce cramps when you start to bleed.

What will treatment look like for me? That will depend on you! Some combination of weekly acupuncture, herbal medicine and adjustments to your food and exercise habits can offer dramatic changes. For menstrual issues of all kinds, 3 cycles or months is a rule of thumb to start to see lasting changes. Want to know more about how acupuncture and herbs can help? Schedule a New Patient appointment with Angela, Mandy or Prajna, or reach out to me (Clinic Manager Kirsten) for a free phone consultation

PS Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture offers support for menopausal symptoms too!

Good circulation matters, but microcirculation is where the real magic happens. That’s the tiny network of blood vessels...
04/10/2026

Good circulation matters, but microcirculation is where the real magic happens. That’s the tiny network of blood vessels that delivers oxygen and nutrients directly to your cells.

Modern life can work against it. Too much sitting, chronic stress, smoking, and heavily processed foods can all affect how well blood flows where it is needed most.

When microcirculation is not working well, tissues and organs may not get the steady supply of oxygen and nourishment they need to function at their best.

The good news is that daily habits can help support healthy circulation. Eating more unprocessed foods, moving your body often, and including foods like beets, dark leafy greens, berries, garlic, green tea, and dark chocolate can all be part of the picture.

Food can be powerful support for better health.

This vibrant green sauce is packed with nutrients and flavor, perfect for spring. Try it on your favorite seared protein...
04/08/2026

This vibrant green sauce is packed with nutrients and flavor, perfect for spring. Try it on your favorite seared protein like fish, steak or tofu. AND it's 21 Days friendly!

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
+Fresh Parsley: 1 cup, compact
+Fresh Cilantro: 1 cup, compact
+Fresh Oregano: 10 sprigs or about 2 TB
+Garlic 1 clove (or more)
+Red wine vinegar 1T
+Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) approximately ½ cup
+Salt, pepper to taste

Pur-éeeeeee away!
From the Boss of Sauches Class w/Lexa Walsh

Alternate Chimichurri Recipe
+1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems
+3-4 garlic cloves
+2 Tbsps fresh oregano leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
+1/3 cup olive oil
+2 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar
+1/2 teaspoon sea salt
+1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
+1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Finely chop the parsley, garlic and oregano (or whiz in a food processor). Add olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and stir. Leftovers will keep for 1-2 days in the fridge.

MOROCCAN CARROT SOUPThis fragrant golden soup will brighten dark November evenings2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1 ...
11/22/2025

MOROCCAN CARROT SOUP
This fragrant golden soup will brighten dark November evenings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 pounds carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
6 cups broth or water or a combo
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more if needed

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the carrots, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, saffron, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté until well combined.
2. Pour in 1/2 cup of the broth and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the remaining 5 1/2 cups of broth and another ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until the carrots are tender - about 20 minutes.
3. Put the lemon zest in a blender or Cuisinart and puree the soup in batches until very smooth, each time adding the cooking liquid first and then the carrot mixture. Use caution working with hot liquids! Or, let the soup cool before pureeing. If needed, add additional broth to reach the desired thickness.
4. Return the soup to the pot over low heat, stir in the lemon juice, and a pinch of salt, and gently reheat. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice and/or salt if needed.

From the 21 Days to Better Health Recipe Guide

Address

4341 Piedmont Avenue 2nd Fl
Oakland, CA
94611

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 3pm

Telephone

+15105979923

Website

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