How many people do you have on your team?
I honestly have the best team. I have been on maternity leave and my amazing team of Diana, Katie and our awesome Clinic Manager Chitra have been rocking it in my absence.
Some of the Embrace Acupuncture teamWhat is your favourite aspect of the work that you do?
I adore the broad range of symptoms Chinese Medicine can assist with. But for me personally? Fixing periods (especially Endometriosis) and helping people make beautiful babies is my favourite part of my job! I will never get tired of it.
Also, move your body daily if possible without exhausting it. Gentle and slow exercise if you're feeling depleted or have hormonal imbalances is best.
What is your biggest challenge/s, and do you have any strategies that help you navigate them?
Sleep, especially with a baby is a challenging one sometimes. Gentle exercise, lamps instead of ceiling lights in the evenings, taking magnesium and getting Acupuncture have been so helpful!
Do you have any tips for self care alongside caring for your clients?
Just because it's common, doesn't mean it's normal! Listen to your body, it's trying to tell you something. Period pain, bad PMS, exhaustion, infertility - they don't have to be your normal and there's so much that can be done to help. Choose to prioritise and seek that help.
Also, move your body daily if possible without exhausting it. Gentle and slow exercise if you're feeling depleted or have hormonal imbalances is best.
Take a good quality multivitamin and get your iron levels rechecked regularly! So many fertility and period issues come from iron and other nutritional deficiencies.
What is an average daily routine for you?
Getting up with my little one, having lots of protein for brekky and going for a nice long walk to start the day! I'll listen to an inspirational podcast or audiobook along the way. If its raining I'll do a yoga session.
Moving my body really helps set up my day!
Lunch, usually at home, lots of play time and while my little one sleeps, I'll either be doing research and preparation for seeing clients or working on how to share our beautiful work with even more of our community!
Another walk in the afternoon if I can, dinner, watch something very easy on Netflix and off to bed!
We're coming towards Summer, what does this mean from a TCM perspective?
Ooh, I love this season! Summer in Chinese Medicine is connected with the emotion of joy, of enjoying the great things in your life.
It's also connected with the heart organ, which for us in Chinese Medicine is linked with sleep and a happy soul. If things are out of alignment, insomnia, hot flushes, heavy periods and anxiety will tend to flare up in Summer.
And what are some health habits we can start do now to help us have a healthy and happy Summer season?
A really big tip is to avoid lots of iced drinks even when its hot outside. Couple of sips of something cool then just room temp water and no ice in your smoothies is best!
(as you know from putting an icepack on a swollen ankle, ) cold constricts blood vessels and reduces blood flow. This is one of the big reasons we get so much more period pain in Western societies, compared to those in Asian cultures that don't have much cold food and drink.