Community Zen Acupuncture

07/23/2025

Ever wonder why Chinese restaurants serve tea with dinner? It’s because the tea helps with digestion. Not just as tea, but because it’s warm.

Our stomachs want things warm to break down and digest foods. Drinking iced beverages with a meal counters the digestive process. So even if you dont enjoy tea with your meal, at least have room temperature water, and avoid the icy beverages while eating.

Community Zen Acupuncture

07/09/2025

Sip Your Way to Wellness! 🌿🍵

Discover the amazing benefits of a special herbal tea featuring Luo Han Guo (Monk Fruit), Shan Zha (Hawthorn Berry), and Ju Ming Zi (Cassia Seed)! This traditional blend is a powerhouse for your health:

💚 Digestive Harmony: Helps with digestion, eases bloating, and keeps things moving smoothly. ❤️ Heart & Circulation Boost: Supports a healthy heart, aids in managing blood pressure, and promotes good circulation. Also lowers triglycerides and cholesterol. 👁️ Bright Eyes & Clear Vision: Traditionally used to soothe tired eyes and support overall eye health. ✨ Naturally Sweet & Soothing: Luo Han Guo adds a guilt-free sweetness while all three ingredients help cool "internal heat" and fight inflammation. Lowers blood glucose.

Ready to add this ancient wisdom to your daily routine?

Summertime Luo Han Guo Tea
-1 whole Monk Fruit - crushed (find the whole, dried fruit as in the picture)
-½ Cup Dried Hawthorn Berries
-¼ Cup Cassia Seeds

These can be found online or at an Asian grocer if you live near one.

Boil them for 30 minutes in 1 gallon of water, then filter out the solid materials. Store it in the fridge. It can be enjoyed warm or cool.

07/04/2025

Remember the movie “The Shawshank Redemption”? Lots of great themes in that movie, but especially the idea that freedom is a state of mind.

Whether it’s a beer after tarring the roof, caring for a pet bird, or hearing some beautiful music on the loudspeakers, the prisoners find ways to transcend their circumstance of physical bo***ge.

That’s the idea of meditation.

Meditation doesn't just make you "feel good" (though that can be a side effect). Its deeper purpose, in many traditions, is liberation. It dismantles the internal prisons of our minds, allowing us to experience true freedom, peace, and wisdom that is not dependent on external circumstances.

This isn't freedom in a conventional, external sense (like political freedom or freedom from responsibility), but rather a profound inner freedom from the mental suffering and entanglements that often dictate our experience.

So, Happy Independence Day!

From Community Zen Acupuncture.

07/02/2025

Yesterday I had the good fortune of not being able to find something to watch on the TV.

The room was silent when the distant rumble of thunder was heard from outside.

A brief summer storm was blowing through. It instantly had my full attention.

I sat there for a good while, listening to the falling rain. It rejuvenated me, to my bones - in a way I hadn’t, until that moment, known I’d needed.

06/27/2025

For food remedies that reduce inflammation - see our blog at Community Zen Acupuncture.

https://www.communityzenacupuncture.com/post/food-recipes-that-reduce-inflammation

Inflammation is one of the main causes of many types of pain and disease.Proper diet is a great way to reduce inflammation. That doesn’t mean meals have to be bland and tasteless. Here are some excellent recipes that are also great for reducing inflammation. (Recipes are taken from: Martha Stewart...

06/25/2025

This Wellness Wednesday I’d like to mention a colleague doing amazing things with essential oils. Helen LaLouisis, from Simply Sacred Essential oils, makes crystal infused essential oils. Each blend is infused with specific crystals to activate each of the body’s main Chakra energy points.

“Crystals, gemstones and essential oils all vibrate at different frequencies. When these elements are combined it creates a synergetic compound that assists you in bringing peace and harmonic balance to your mind, body and spirit.”

Please check out her online shop. She has many other great products:
https://www.simplysacredoils.com/

06/20/2025

"A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows."
- St. Francis of Assisi

Have a great weekend!

06/18/2025

Knowledge through the yin and yang perspective.

The lens of Yin and Yang reveals how opposites interact and support one another. It’s all about dynamic balance. In terms of knowledge, we can look at these two sides as depth and breadth.

Depth of knowledge (Yin) looks at details and develops expertise. It’s the deep dive. It’s reading the footnotes, the references, the whole enchilada.

Breadth (yang) covers a wider range of subjects. It sees the big picture and makes new connections.

When these are in balance, they feed into each other, encouraging innovation, adaptation, and wisdom.

For example, as a hobby, I love learning about film. Recently, I did a deep dive into all the Christopher Nolan movies I could find through the local library. (Depth)

On any given day, I watch a ton of Turner Classic Movies, where they play classic films spanning many decades. (Breadth)

Are there any subjects you’d like to dive deeper into? Or perhaps shift your focus to more general knowledge? I’d like to hear from your perspective in the comments below.

06/13/2025

A great way to support local businesses is to leave a favorable Google Review. (It only costs a few minutes of your time.) Here's what one client had to say about Community Zen Acupuncture.

"I met Michael to help me work through a knee injury, while also helping to alleviate my daily stress. He is so detailed with his work, and includes time (in every appt) to see how I am feeling and very clearly explains the ritual of acupuncture. I have made it a weekly MUST to go to see him. His space is a hidden gem."

-Jennifer P.

06/11/2025

Come for some relief with community acupuncture.

Community Zen Acupuncture is located at Centered - Mind Body Spirit in Commack, NY.

06/06/2025

Meditation Practice

With so much on our plate of busy schedules, finding time to meditate can easily wind up on our procrastination pile. Even though we know it's very good for us.

The key is consistent practice. For me that's meant squeezing out 10 minutes a day of Zen meditation. Where I just sit, and focus on my breath.

They like to say of Zen - "It's simple, but not easy."

But lately I've been thinking of kicking it up to 15 or 20 minutes.

I'm curious to hear from you, what's your meditation situation look like?

06/04/2025

Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Don't hold it in - let out a big sigh! It turns out, sighing isn't just for when you're fed up; it's a natural way your body resets itself. A good sigh can help regulate your breathing, reduce stress, and even improve your mood by releasing tension. So go ahead, take a deep breath and let out that sigh of relief. Your mind and body will thank you!

Community Zen Acupuncture
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