Breathing is one of our most basic functions. However, many people don’t breathe fully, deeply or naturally. This can adversely impact a person’s health and cause or worsen conditions ranging from insomnia to chronic pain.

You can positively influence your health by taking 5 minutes out of each day to meditate. Benefits will occur even without your understanding Chinese medicine physiology or the basic anatomy of breathing. Begin meditating when you first wake up, on the bus, or as a break after returning home from work. There’s no set time other than what feels right for you.

Below are instructions for several types of meditations. There are myriad meditation groups in every spiritual tradition throughout Seattle, the Northwest, and the world. These groups can be found in listings such as the Northwest Dharma Association or Meetup.com. If you’re just starting out, try different groups to find our which one best fits your needs. Look at the world as a grand banquet of meditation styles and you get to choose the one that appeals to you. You might even consider starting your own meditation group at your work place. Believe it or not, meditation groups have formed in place as unlikely as the Pentagon. All it takes is two people interested in sitting together to breath in silence.

Monthly Meditation ~ Dates and Details (1 pg. pdf)

Basic Breath Meditation ~ Simple meditation instruction. Includes sitting posture images and a lengthy list of benefits associated with meditation. (5 pg. pdf)

Meditation for Anxiety, Stress reduction & Insomnia (1 pg. pdf)

Standing Meditation ~ alternative to seated meditation (2 pg. pdf)

Additional Resources

Dietary modification has long been the first line of defense against illness and to optimize health within Asian medical traditions and in populations throughout the world. When it comes to considering one’s diet, there are so many conflicting messages in our culture. From our earliest years, we are influenced by changing trends that one year vilify the egg and the next year strike carbohydrates from our proverbial plate. It can be confusing and difficult to know what it means to eat a healthy diet.

In this article, I put forward some fundamental principles of Chinese medical food therapy, as well as my general recommendations about how food choices can support optimal digestive function and overall health.

Food as Medicine (2 pg. pdf)

Dietary Recommendations for Blood Deficiency (1 pg. pdf)

Dietary Recommendations for Damp & Phlegm Accumulation (1 pg. pdf)

Grief, an absolutely natural, human experience, can express itself emotionally, mentally and physically.These responses can arise not only after the death of someone close, but also in response to change or loss of any kind. This booklet offers an overview of normal grief responses and provides suggestions for self-care.

Finding Refuge in Grief (13 pg. pdf)

Additional Resources

Seattle is renowned for being an active, athletic city. However, many people struggle to incorporate regular exercise and activity into their busy lives, particularly during our long winters. This article looks at the importance of movement and offers creative ideas for how to incorporate activity into your days. Additionally, there is a list of internet links to facilitate that pursuit.

Activity in the Puget Sound (1 pg. pdf)

Learning to Move all Over Again (2 pg. pdf)
Text taken largely from Frank Bisio’s A Tooth from the Tiger’s Mouth. Bisio highlights what can be learned by observing movement in the animal kingdom. These observations apply directly to pain, movement and healing.

During my final year as intern and student at SIOM, I did extensive research into Multiple Sclerosis. This paper examines MS treatment from allopathic and East Asian medical perspectives. A lengthy list of web-links concludes the main paper, Preserving the Sea of Marrow: Chinese Medical Understanding and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.

Appendix A ~ my translation of the MS chapter from a TCM text on neurologic                     disorders.
Appendix B ~ outlines the herbal prescriptions of the primary case study.
Appendix C ~ examines Omega 3s and MS.

Additional Resources

While many people are increasingly familiar with acupuncture for adults, relatively few know East Asian medicine is completely safe, appropriate & effective for children. Acupuncture, herbal treatment, and dietary change can be used together to resolve a variety of conditions from skin and respiratory problems, to bedwetting, ear infections and digestive disorders. The need for pharmaceuticals can often be reduced or eliminated. This medicine can support development of healthy digestive and respiratory systems and result in life-long health and vitality.

Julie Nathon has been an absolute gift to work with in the process of creating this site. Her skills, orientation to detail, sensibility, and professionalism have made the process a joy. She has honed and embellished the design, while still allowing my own vision to be fully expressed.
Julie Nathon ~ 360.920.5600