Kelsi Sando, DACM, L.Ac.

Gua Sha Gua sha is a soft tissue technique that breaks up fascial adhesions, alleviating pain and tension. It increases blood circulation, promotes lymph flow and detoxification. A gua sha tool is used to perform a scraping technique. Red marks, called sha, may appear on the skin and last for up to one week.... Gua sha is a great addition to an acupuncture treatment. It can be used on many areas of the body. I love to include it in my treatments especially for neck and shoulder pain and tension. Gua sha is available as an add on to my acupuncture treatments and is now available to be booked on it’s own, only $40 a session!

Do you know about seed cycling? If not, keep reading! Consuming different types of seeds during different times of the menstrual cycle can help balance hormones. During the follicular phase (days 1-14) of the cycle, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds help to balance estrogen levels, and during the luteal phase (days 15-28) sesame seeds and sunflower seeds help to balance progesterone levels.... Eating 1 tbsp of ground flax and 1 tbsp of ground pumpkin seeds each day of the follicular phase, and 1 tbsp of ground sesame seeds and 1 tbsp of ground sunflower seeds each day of the luteal phase can help to address hormone imbalances causing: infertility, irregular cycles, heavy, or painful periods, light or infrequent periods, lack of periods (amenorrhea), PMS symptoms, and some mental and emotional imbalances. It’s important to make sure the seeds are ground, this ensures that your body actually absorbs and utilizes the biologically active components of the seeds, instead of having them move straight through you. You can either purchase the seeds already ground or grind them yourself (I use a coffee grinder to quickly and easily grind my seeds). Store your ground seeds in a glass container in the fridge. Seeds, especially when ground, easily absorb chemicals found in plastics. Some of you may be thinking how am I supposed to do seed cycling when I don’t know where I am in my menstrual cycle? The answer is: cycle with the moon! Treat the new moon as day 1 one of the cycle and the full moon as day 14. This is an effective way to cycle for those who have irregular cycles, or have not had a menstrual bleed for an extended period of time. Seed cycling should be considered as part of a comprehensive treatment plan to address hormonal imbalances, remember to talk with your doctor or acupuncturist about how seed cycling might fit into your treatment plan and how else you might need to support your hormonal, physical, and mental health. Already on the seed cycling train? Let us know about your experience in the comments!