Amy Vlacich Acupuncture

01/02/2026

Starting the New Year where I feel most alive — deep in the forest, crunchy snow beneath my boots, a thermos of hot chai in my pack, sunshine glistening through the icy branches. ❄️

Full disclosure... I almost didn't go.

After waking up in the dark and eyeing the forecast, no part of me wanted to hike in below freezing temps with 40+ mph wind gusts. Solo. 🥶 I debated whether or not I should cancel altogether. I ran through all the reasons why staying in my warm bed and sleeping in was a much wiser plan.

But despite all logic and reason, I said yes anyway — to the adventure, to my future self, to the ice queen baddie buried under all those fuzzy blankets, ready to rise and remember her own strength. 💪

This is how I’m stepping into the new year: exploring freely and fearlessly, not waiting on anyone else to make the plan, book the trip, or take the leap. Just listening to that inner nudge and honoring it. 🌬️

Here’s to saying YES to ourselves in 2026, even (and especially) when it’s uncomfortable.

12/19/2025

"Tend to your own heart
As to a fire in winter
And all will be warmed."

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

As we move into the darkness and stillness of the Winter Solstice and New Moon, I am filled with gratitude for my time here at Aryaloka Buddhist Retreat Center. Grateful for the ancient, grounding practices of yoga and meditation, the healing force of community, and this sacred container of spiritual growth and connection.

After fully unplugging for a few days and nights, turning off all devices and screens, letting go of everyday habits and routines, it did eventually get quiet. But it always amazes me how loud the mind gets when you first begin to sit in silence. No music, no instruction, no distractions, just you there with yourself, with your ego mind.

It is so deliciously tempting to chase every idea that pops into your head, every lucid daydream or intrusive thought, and I would be lying if I said that I didn't have a busy mind as well. But the longer I practice meditating, the less my mind requires constant stimulation, constant problem solving, constant rumination or anticipation. It is a true dopamine reset for the brain and I highly recommend it to anyone suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, or other stubborn mental health problems.

I am feeling so nourished in mind, body, and spirit, remembering that I already have everything I need. I can trust my own intuition and offer myself the love and care that I give to others every day. Metta, or loving-kindness, is a cornerstone of the Triratna tradition, but it is also our true nature and the internal compass that guides us when we are open, receptive, and present. It is a powerful force of personal and collective healing.

Since this retreat, my heart has been overflowing with compassion, and I've been tapping into the deep well of energy within me, which we all have access to as part of this sacred web of humanity. On these darkest days of the year, I invite you to rekindle your own inner light, and know that it will illuminate the path for those around you.

🕯️🕯️

12/05/2025

10/21/2025

✨ ACUPOINT SPOTLIGHT ✨

Lung 3: Tian Fu (Heavenly Palace)

One of my favorites, Tian Fu is a major anchoring point for the Po, or the "corporeal soul," which helps to deepen our connection to the physical body and keep us grounded and present, even in times of deep sorrow and dissociation. 📍

This point sits about two hand-widths above the elbow on the outer edge of the arm. When gently pressed or tapped, it expands the breath and opens the airways 🫁 releasing any physical tension in the chest and deepening the breath to allow a greater sense of calm.

Emotionally and mentally, Lung 3 is famous for soothing grief and loss, helping us to "let go." In the fall, it can lighten the heaviness of seasonal depression and ease any feelings of suffocation or confusion. Stimulating this point on a regular basis may help to bring clarity, quiet racing thoughts, and create the space needed for more peace and presence in your daily life. 🕊️

On a spiritual level, Lung 3 is sometimes called the “uplifting gift of self-worth” as it restores trust in oneself, deepens connection to higher purpose, and rekindles one's sense of meaning or faith. In moments of darkness, Tian Fu brings light, expansion, and clarity. Use it whenever you’re feeling lost, hopeless, confused, or simply needing reassurance. 🙏

10/03/2025

My daily morning gratitude practice. 🙏

Inhaling the sweet, earthy aroma of freshly ground and brewed coffee, steaming and dripping into my cup, as my dog snores peacefully in the sunbeams on my bed. 💤

It's the quiet, simple moments like these that I cherish, which unwind my nervous system and remind me that I already have everything I need. ☕

In the chaos of this world, and in the frenzied pace of our modern lives, it's easy to fast-forward through these neutral moments as we rush to catch up on news, socials, emails, and to-dos.

What if we instead slowed down ⏳ and gave thanks for the simple things that are often overlooked or taken for granted?

This was my intention for 2025 and it has truly transformed my mornings. Making time for daily meditation and gratitude practice has boosted my energy, focus, patience, and joy. 🌻

So rather than hyper-focusing on the past, the future, what has already happened or what needs to get done, take a moment to yourself. Get still.

Engage all of your senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell), take a snapshot of this quiet moment, and remember that you are safe, nourished, and loved. 🫶

09/22/2025

Surrendering to the seasonal flow of the Autumnal Equinox... 🧡💛

🍂 Moving from the expansive, outward energy of Spring and Summer into the contraction and consolidation of Fall.
🍂 Slowing down and turning inward.
🍂 Processing grief and loss through journaling or meditation.
🍂 Letting go of old patterns, habits, or connections that deplete our energy.
🍂 Cultivating a daily breath work practice to strengthen the lungs and boost the immune system.
🍂 Shifting from high-intensity exercise to mindful, gentle movement such as Tai Chi, Qi Gong, or Yin Yoga.
🍂 Savoring the abundance of harvest season by supporting local farms.
🍂 Creating an altar or sacred space for meditation and prayer.

Herbal allies for the Fall Season: 🧄🫚

Warming 🔥 spicy flavors (Yang tonics) to improve overall circulation and break up mucus in the upper or lower respiratory tract (for phlegm and fluid accumulation):

Ginger, garlic, mustard, horseradish, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, fennel, nutmeg, star anise, and fire cider. 

Moistening 💧 cooling herbs and foods (Yin tonics) to soothe and heal the mucus membranes of the respiratory and digestive tract (for dry cough, sore throat, or constipation):

Loquat, licorice root, marshmallow root, slippery elm, wild cherry, mulberry, elderberry syrup, bone broth, h**p, flax, and chia seed. 

What are your favorite fall rituals and recipes? 🫖🥧
🍁 🍁

09/05/2025

This past week, I had the pleasure of meeting Cornelian Cherry (Shan Zhu Yu) in the wild, a sweet and sour fruit, rich in anthocyanins and antioxidants. A tree of beauty and longevity, her fruit helps to astringe and retain the vital fluids of body, known as "Yin" and "Essence" in Chinese Medicine. She is a nutrient-rich superfood with anti-aging and mildly aphrodisiac properties. 🍒

For those who are familiar with the traditional Chinese pharmacopeia, Cornelian Cherry is one of the chief herbs in Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, a formula crafted in the Song dynasty 900+ years ago to strengthen the Liver and Kidneys. It's often used to treat deficient heat conditions, such as night sweats, hot flashes, tinnitus, dizziness, and poor vision, but has shown promise in treating chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes as well. 🍵 

I'm planning to pot a handful of Cornelian Cherry seeds indoors, which will germinate over the fall and wintertime, then be ready for outdoor planting once the ground thaws. I look forward to someday enjoying her spring blossoms. In the meantime, I'm savoring her fruit and the abundance of late summer, daydreaming of future jams, jellies, and other recipes for my kitchen witch cookbook. 🪄

08/29/2025

A gentle reminder....

Growth isn’t a straight line—it’s a spiral. A continuous process of circling back to lessons we thought we’d already mastered, only to invite us deeper every time. What looks like “going backwards” is just another layer of the healing journey, reminding us that progress can be gentle, cyclical, and full of grace. 💫

🪵 Art by

08/12/2025

I've been reflecting a lot lately on the power of narrative and how the stories we tell ourselves can truly shape our emotional experience and our world. 

To clarify, in no way am I advocating for toxic positivity, as it is so important to acknowledge our own pain and suffering and in our communities as well. Life is full of ups and downs and there is always a time for grieving and healing. 

That said, where we start and end our stories matters. Do we look back on our lives as a string of good and bad times, or do we connect the dots, and see the overarching themes of resilience, transformation, and growth? 

We are more than the main character in our own story, we are the narrator, the one who illustrates the scene, creates the theme, and echoes the message, which can either be empowering or disempowering and deeply affect our mental health. Perhaps the key to awakening joy and gratitude is seeing our setbacks as our teachers rather than some cruel twist of fate. 

So who are you in your story: the victim, the hero, the maiden / mother / crone, the conscious observer, or is it ever evolving?

📖🪞💫

08/06/2025

Sooo excited to announce that I will be offering a FREE community acupuncture circle on the final day of the Northeast Eco Communities Convergence on Sunday 8/24 in Unity, Maine. 📍✨

I am honored to be able to learn from and give back to this inspiring collective of environmental movers and shakers working together to create a more collaborative and sustainable future here in New England. 🌎🌱

If you'd like to join us, follow the link below to register for a single day, weekend only, or all 4 days of workshops, arts, music, and community building. There are also volunteer openings for those who cannot afford a ticket or prefer to share their skills in exchange for attendance. Hope to see you there! 🌻🏕️

https://events.humanitix.com/permatours-ne-eco-communities-convergence?c=amy

🌎

07/20/2025

Reclaiming my power.
Remembering my worth.

Reflecting in solitude—because time alone in nature is how my nervous system unwinds and how all the solutions to life's problems become clear. 🌿

Truthfully, these past couple of months have been deeply unsettling—filled with heavy news and hard goodbyes. It stirred up old wounds, familiar and uncomfortable emotions, and at times pulled me back into a scarcity mindset that I thought I had outgrown. But even in the heaviness, I’ve been choosing to stay present, feel it all, and trust.

This chapter isn’t about loss. It’s about return.
Return to joy.
Return to truth.
Return to the version of me who feels whole, vibrant, and free. 🪽

Lately, I’ve been reconnecting with community through dance—moving my body, sweating out the tears, and letting the rhythm remind me that I’m not alone. I’ve been foraging and forest bathing, tuning into the Earth's quiet wisdom, and remembering that healing can be slow, sacred, and seasonal.

Not every challenge comes to break you—some come to awaken you. And I’m welcoming this chapter as a catalyst for deeper growth, transformation, and alignment. 💫

04/24/2025

I'm sure it comes as no surprise to those who know me, but I am absolutely in love with the alchemy of - teas, powders, tinctures, capsules, decoctions, infusions, salves, poultices, smudges, syrups, steams. Herbal medicine is an integral part of my practice as an acupuncturist and strongly influences my point prescriptions as well. 🌿

When creating custom teas from scratch or even modifying classic formulas from the ancient pharmacopoeia, I am in a flow state like no other. To an outsider, I probably look like a mad scientist in her laboratory: sensing, smelling, weighing, mixing. It truly is magic in motion. 🪄

While choosing which herbs to combine, I picture the patient in my mind's eye: their constitution, temperature, nature, emotions, and of course, any pathogenic factors or diagnostic patterns. There are at least a dozen herbs to treat phlegm or mucus, for example, so it's a matter of selecting the right herb for that person and for the affected organ or channel. ☯️

In TCM, every formula has 4 components: a "chief" herb (or two) that defines the primary goal of the formula and often carries the most weight (literally & figuratively). Then there are "deputy" herbs that support this main function and work synergistically. "Assistant" herbs may address other related issues to the chief complaint, while the "envoy" directs the entire formula to the correct channel or organ of the body, much like a messenger. 📫

I also take into consideration the temperature and flavor of the formula, not necessarily to make it more palatable, but to make it more effective for the condition being treated or the patient's underlying constitution. A patient with a fever and constipation may need a cold, bitter tea to clear the heat and unblock the bowels, while someone who runs cold and tends toward loose stools will need a spicy, sweet, and warming tea. 🍵

Creating a custom formula is a complex, dynamic, and personalized process, which never ceases to challenge and inspire me. Someday, I hope to establish my own herbal line or pharmacy, but for now, you can find me mixing powders and potions at in York, Maine. 📍