A Guide To FSAs and HSAs
A Guide To FSAs and HSAs Lately, we’ve had a ton of new patients calling to see if we accept their FSA card, and the answer is ABSOLUTELY! Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are definitely approved expenses when it comes to either of these accounts, we know we are biased, but it’s a great way to spend those funds too! The Difference Between a FSA and HSA FSA For starters, both these accounts are pre tax so they help you reduce your taxable income by putting money away for healthcare expenses. A FSA is a Flexible Spending Account that your employer owns. Employees decide how much they would like to contribute, up to a limit per the IRS. If the funds are not used within the calendar year, December 31st of each year, that money put aside goes back to the employer, this is what they call a “Use it or Lose it” account. If you don’t spend it, you lose it. It’s like leaving money on the table, we recommend not doing that! Also, for a few plans, there is a grace period all the way to March, but this is rare. HSA A HSA is a health savings account that you own. Usually it requires an eligible health insurance plan and contributions are limited to whatever the IRS decides for that year, for example this year, 2022, the maximum is $3650 for self and $7750 for family coverage. HSAs are not “Use it or Lose it”, they rollover year after year and if you were to leave your employer, the HSA stays with you, unlike the FSA which does not. How do HSAs and FSAs work? Almost all accounts have a ‘credit card’ if you will. Most times it’s as easy as swiping, other times accounts require proof of eligibility, which means a detailed receipt with our information, including tax ID numbers and NPI numbers to ensure we are a legitimate expense. In that case, patients usually pay for services in full, we furnish what’s called a Superbill and they get reimbursed directly from the FSA. What is Considered an Expense for my FSA and/or HSA? Usually anything health or medical related; copays, prescriptions, acupuncture, chiropractic, physical therapy, almost anything. That being said, depending on the account/plan; massage is sometimes even considered as eligible, so inquire! Recent Changes to the Approved Expense List! If you are having a hard time spending all your FSA funds, check out this list at the FSA Store, you will be shocked at what is now considered an approved expense thanks to the CARES act (Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act), things have changed! Now things like animal expenses, sunscreen, Neosporin, menstrual products and even Advil is approved. Tons of over the counter items are now included. Amazing! If you have any questions at all about FSAs or HSAs, we can help!
Acupuncture Can Stop You From Aging
Acupuncture Can Stop You From Aging In the world of scientific longevity research, we don’t calculate age by what’s on your driver’s license, and we pay no attention to the youth-obsessed culture that ascribes to the notion that ’50 is the new 30′. Scientists now calculate age on a cellular level, by the length of your telomeres. Telomeres are the “caps” at the ends of our chromosomes that naturally shorten as we age, they are similar to the plastic caps at the end of a shoelace. As the plastic ends shred, and the shoelace becomes frayed and damaged, so too the shortening of our telomeres can leave our cells and chromosomes vulnerable to damage. Telomere shortening means the cell’s lifespan is shortening. Telomeres become shorter with each cell division, at some point can no longer divide which leads to senescence (aging) and ultimately, cell death. Recent research shows that telomere shortening plays an important role in human disease and mortality. More than 20 studies, from top universities around the world, have shown associations between shorter telomere length and various types of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Shorter telomeres have also been associated with cancer, osteoporosis, cognitive function, dementia, and arthritis. On the flip-side, long telomeres are related to healthy aging and overall longevity. The longer and more stable the telomere, the longer we live. What causes telomere shortening Stress Poor diet Lack of exercise Too much exercise Unresolved emotions Toxins (industrial, environmental and food) Smoking and other recreational substances including alcohol Anything that creates free radicals It’s not surprising that this shortening or aging can be accelerated by an unhealthy lifestyle. However, there’s hope that we can actually turn back our cellular clocks. How to lengthen telomeres Researchers report that lengthening your telomeres isn’t directly related to healthy eating and exercise. Numerous studies, from Harvard University to UCSF, have shown the primary contributor to cellular aging isn’t fast food or a sedentary lifestyle, it’s actually stress. Accelerated cell aging has now been associated with many stress-related conditions, including trauma exposure, major depression and other psychiatric disorders. In Chinese medicine we believe that almost every symptom the body experiences primarily comes from stress. Stress wreaks havoc on the organ systems and creates stagnation and disharmony of Qi, blood and other important substances. So, logics will tell us that if acupuncture treats stress and balances the body overall, then it must lengthen telomeres. And we are happy to report that evidence based studies confirm that acupuncture, in fact, is effective in lengthening telomeres. Our Recommendation If you aren’t experiencing any symptomatology and are ‘healthy’, we recommend receiving acupuncture at least once a month. This will help de-stress the body overall, thereby creating the enzyme telomerase to protect and bring stability to the already present telomere. As a positive side effect, it will also do the following: Decrease inflammation Build immunity Strengthen the gastro-intestinal system Enhance circulation Regulate brain chemistry and hormones Relax the nervous system Clear trauma in the body memory Open the meridians and create a clear connection to the associated organ system hereby eradicating stress and free radicals. And lengthen telomeres. We are your support system for anti-aging and longevity.
How to prevent a cold this season!
How to prevent a cold this season! As my favorite season comes creeping in… “The forces of Autumn create dryness in Heaven and metal on Earth; they create the lung organ and the skin upon the body…and the nose, and the white color and the pungent flavor…the emotion grief, and the ability to make a weeping sound”. The Inner Classic Fall is the season of harvest, a time to pull inward and gather together on all levels, a time to store up fuel, food and warm clothing, a time to study and plan for the approaching stillness of Winter. Everything in nature contracts and moves its essence inward and downward. Leaves and fruit fall, seeds dry, the sap of trees goes into the roots. All the seasons are poetic, but something useful and timely for autumn is…how to beat a cold. How to beat a cold is really quite easy! At the very first feeling, and I mean the very first feeling of a tickle in your throat start loading up on your supplements. If you wait until the end of the day, it may be too late. Stock up on what you need and have it on hand. A tickle in the throat? Try one of our favorites, Gan Mao Ling…6 tablets initially, then 3 every 3 hours. Stop by anytime to grab a bottle! Vitamin C…2000-3000mg per day or a sore throat… Yin Qiao…6 tablets initially, then 3 tablets every 3 hours, it’s more common to find the pill version in places like Whole Foods, we have the powder version in the office. Echinacea Surpreme by Gaia…30 drop in water every 3 hours or Wellness Formula or any other Immune enhancer. Zinc Lozenges…1 lozenge every 3 hours Vitamin C…2000-3000mg a day If the cold progresses and you get sick, call the office, we have specific herbal formulas that you won’t find over the counter and because symptoms vary there isn’t always one basic prescription for every body. Of course, getting some Best Acupuncture Berkeley can help tons to release the ‘pathogen’ and boost your immune system. The other thing to remember is if you have done everything right and you still get sick, take a look at life, how is it for you? High stress? Doing too much? Perhaps your body needs a long waited rest. Being sick, isn’t the worst thing in the world, it could be the best, because it makes you slow down and can reset your whole body.
Happy Holidays, take the generosity challenge!
Happy Holidays It’s an interesting time of year. I always notice how the energy of the holidays is like a can of mixed nuts. There’s the cashews, the sweetness of generosity and giving. The pecans, that wintery nut giving us tradition. The walnuts, ahh, the all knowing ancestors, the family unit, the sense of community. And finally, the peanuts, highly allergenic and full of mycotoxins, symbolizing the mad rush, the panic, the “I have to get this person a gift, because they are getting me one, because what will the think of me if I don’t” kind of attitude. Face it, most of the country wind up being peanuts. I like to think that we who reside in the most radical and conscious area in America are cashews. And, yes, sometimes it’s not that easy. I am proud to say yesterday, I was a cashew. I went to volunteer at an organization called “Little Brothers” Friends of the Elderly. It is a fantastic, San Francisco based organization that visits the elderly in residences or convalescent homes. These are typically people that wouldn’t otherwise have any visitors at all. Christmas and Thanksgiving are great days to do this, but they need volunteers all year long. When I was waiting in line yesterday, I met a father and son from Moss Beach who was also volunteering as well, they do this each Christmas and after their visit, they take a ton of blankets and jackets that they have collected from friends and family and hand them out in the Tenderloin. A great idea for next year! But, while we are on the subject of generosity, here are some other suggestions that are anonymous and way fun, those of you who know me can just see me running around giggling like a maniac…. Buy a few individual flowers wrapped nicely and put them on people’s cars in the parking lot. Who doesn’t want to come out to a flower on their car for no apparent reason. Donate clothes, blankets or food to shelters who to someone you see on the street who looks like they need it. Be a meter angel and feed people’s meters. Pick up trash when you see and dispose of it. Throw money (dollars preferably, coins can be dangerous) out your car window as your driving or just drop some on the pavement as your walking down the street. Very fun! Totally anonymous, leave it up to the universe who will get it, and don’t worry someone will! Go into the office early and buy breakfast for everyone once a week, but don’t tell anyone it is you. See how contagious it gets when everyone else starts doing the same thing. Hysterical! As your leaving a cafe or restaurant, ask your waitress if you can pay for someone’s bill and don’t tell them it’s you. I love this one, I always wait by the door and to see their face and then dash out. Use acknowledgment as your weapon! Call or send a card to a shelter, a free clinic or charity and let them know what a great job you think they are doing and how much their work means to the community. Now, I’m all jazzed up and hopefully you are too! Here’s the challenge, do something this week (or each week), and share it with us in a post so we can all be inspired! It’s so easy and it really doesn’t need to take a lot of money or time. Thanks for stopping by and have a great and safe New Year!
How to Decrease Chronic Inflammation with Diet
How to Decrease Chronic Inflammation with Diet Chronic inflammation in the body is linked with many serious illnesses: heart disease, numerous cancers, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, arthritis and autoimmune conditions. We usually think of inflammation as on the surface of the body presenting as local redness, heat, swelling and/or pain. It actually signals our body’s healing response and brings more immune activity towards the site of injury or infection. But when inflammation persists or serves no purpose to increase healing, the end result is damaging to the body. Until recently chronic inflammation was thought of as idiopathic and insidious. Here are some foods to increase in your dietary regimen and foods to avoid in order to decrease inflammation in the body. Trans Fats According to the Mayo Clinic, trans fats can induce inflammation by damaging the cells in the lining of blood vessels. Always investigate labels for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and industrialized seed oils. Sugar Too much sugar can alert the body to send out extra immunity messengers, called cytokines, resulting in an inflammatory response. As good as it might taste, and as hard as it is to eliminate, sugar should be eaten rarely and in moderation. Like Dr. Mark Hyman says, treat sugar like a recreational drug. Simple Carbohydrates White breads and pastas break down quickly into sugar, which in turn leads to inflammation. In a 2010 study, researchers found that a diet high in refined grains led to a greater concentration of certain inflammatory markers in the blood. Conversely, a diet high in whole grains resulted in a lower concentration of inflammatory markers. Saturated Fats Animal fats are linked to inflammation. One research study by Scientific American tracked how our beneficial gut bacteria changed after eating saturated fats and found that “as the balance of species shift, it can trigger an immune response that results in inflammation and tissue damage”. According to U.S. News, saturated fats also contain a compound the body uses to create inflammation naturally called arachidonid acid. Diets lower in this molecule have anti-inflammatory effects and have been shown to improve symptoms in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients. Alcohol Alcohol is naturally irritating to our insides, but shouldn’t cause lasting problems unless you overdo it. According to U.S. News, with a few too many drinks, bacteria can easily pass through the intestinal lining, leading to irritation and inflammation. Omega-6 Fatty Acids The average American gets more omega-6 fatty acids via diet than omega-3s. This imbalanced ratio can lead to inflammation. The solution is to cut back on omega-6 heavy seeds and vegetable oils and add more cold-water, fatty fish and walnuts. MSG There’s some research in animals to suggest that the preservative and flavor enhancer MSG can create inflammation. While few of MSG’s effects are understood in much depth, it may be best to avoid. Gluten Even without a diagnosis of Celiac Disease, a number of people report feeling better after eliminating gluten from their diet. In fact, a full 30 percent of American adults are now actively avoiding gluten. Science is still largely inconclusive on what’s being called “gluten intolerance,” but many think that gluten sensitivity can lead to bloating or other digestive ailments and that gluten creates an inflammatory response. How to Eat a More Anti-Inflammatory Diet Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Minimize saturated, trans fats and industrialized seed oils. Eat a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish or fish oil supplements and walnuts. Watch your intake of refined carbohydrates such as pasta and white rice. Eat plenty of whole grains such as brown rice and bulgur wheat. Eat lean protein sources such as chicken; cut back on red meat and full-fat dairy foods. Avoid refined foods and processed foods. Spice it up. Ginger, curry, and other spices can have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Spotlight on Fertility and Acupuncture: A Real-Life Patient’s Journey
Sara had been trying to get pregnant for two and a half years. She had been pregnant about a year and a half prior, but unfortunately she lost the baby in the 8th week, they tested the tissue and found no genetic issue. Her and her husband had been trying to conceive naturally since then. They had also recently considered seeking out a reproductive endocrinologist to discuss intra-uterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Sara came to us to get her body back into balance and to support her fertility, whether naturally or alongside Western support through IUI or IVF. Like most of our fertility challenged patients, she was healthy overall, but there was some minor things that needed balancing. She ovulated monthly, but her cervical mucus didn’t match up with ovulation and her periods were a little short at 25-27 days, our aim is 29 days. She experienced some low back pain, some slight digestive discomfort once a week, a little fatigue, stress and sleep problems; she woke in the middle of the night with her head spinning with thoughts. In Chinese medicine, each symptom we experience is a clue for the practitioner and tells us what organ system might be out of the balance and causing a barricade around the door to fertility. One organ system that needed support was her Liver. Almost everyone has some degree of Liver imbalance and each person displays that imbalance with a different set of symptoms. For Sara, it caused tightness and impeding circulation into her uterus, which was compromising implantation. So often, we believe that a patient is conceiving, but implantation is where the issue lies. After acupuncture twice a week, a Chinese herbal prescription taking three times a day and relaxation techniques, Sara got pregnant in 6 weeks. She is now in her 27th week and everything is smooth. Both acupuncture and herbal medicine were mandatory for her and she needed to be diligent. She also discontinued coffee and her excessive bootcamp workouts. Essentially, we needed to relax the body allowing her to become more grounded in her lower abdomen, which would bring more circulation to the area. Her treatment plan also provided her with an increase in energy, deeper sleep and digestive harmony.
A real life patient spotlight: Teenage hormones, headaches and acupuncture
A real life patient spotlight: Teenage hormones, headaches and acupuncture Zoe is a sweet, sixteen-year-old girl. She’s like most kids these days, overbooked and overworked. She’s got tennis on Mondays, violin and soccer on Tuesdays, French lessons and volunteer work on Wednesdays and so on and so on. Zoe gets headaches almost every day, at least 4 times a week. They occur around 5pm and last until she goes to bed, luckily, she doesn’t wake up with them. They get much worse a few days before her period and on the day before her period she usually gets a migraine with nausea that leaves her not able to function. Also, her PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome) has become full of mood swings, she feels sad, depressed and angry almost a full week before her flow. Zoe is very much like so many of our young patients at Tao to Wellness. Teens these days have a lot on their plate, they’re dealing with stress level comparable to adults. In Chinese medicine, when too much stress impacts the body things become out of balance. We get symptoms like headaches, insomnia, emotional mood swings, etc. It happens to all of us. The interesting thing about treating younger people is for some reason they respond faster to acupuncture, meaning they get faster results! In most cases, the younger a patient is the faster they get better, because the body isn’t impacted with age and deterioration. My youngest patient to date was 3 days old… the baby got his arm stuck while coming out of the vaginal canal during delivery and somehow it twisted resulting in what is called, an herb palsy. One treatment fixed his ‘broken wing’ so we called it. So, Zoe came in and felt immediate relief after her first acupuncture session. Her headaches were about half of what they used to be. I continued to see her for acupuncture only (no herbs) weekly for about two months. Once her body was able to hold her sessions longer, I saw her every two weeks and still do. Zoe says, “I don’t think I would be able to function in life if I didn’t have acupuncture, it resets my whole body so I can accomplish the things I want to do and feel like a normal teen.” Much love, Christina “Mei Wen” Martin, L.Ac., Dipl.AC, MTOM, FABORM. christina@berkeley-acupuncture.com Christina Martin is the founder of Tao to Wellness. She is an Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist and Teacher and has been in practice for fifteen years. She holds a Master’s Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is a fellow of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine. Christina entered Acupuncture school without ever having an Acupuncture treatment. She simply felt it was her calling.
2017 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen list released!
2017 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen list released! If you never read any of our posts all year, read this one! The yearly release of the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen report is a list of which foods have the most and the least pesticide residue and will save you money all year. Who doesn’t love that? Since I’m in New York so often, I’m constantly assaulted by organic food prices here. And when I say assaulted, I really mean assaulted! $8.99 for organic blackberries? $4 for one organic avocado? $5 for one head of organic cauliflower? And even if I did spend $4 for that sad looking bunch of kale– four wilted leaves won’t get me far. “The Environmental Working Group released the 2017 edition of the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, also known as the “Dirty Dozen.” The guide is based on analysis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Data Program report. “Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is essential no matter how they’re grown, but for the items with the heaviest pesticide loads, we urge shoppers to buy organic,” Sonya Lunder, EWG senior analyst, said in a news release. The group identified the following items on its “Dirty Dozen” list of produce with the most pesticide residue: Strawberries Spinach Nectarines Apples Peaches Celery Grapes Pears Cherries Tomatoes Sweet bell peppers Potatoes The group also identifies the “Clean 15” or items in the report with the least likelihood to contain pesticide residue: Sweet corn Avocados Pineapples Cabbage Onions Frozen sweet peas Papayas Asparagus Mangoes Eggplant Honeydew Kiwifruit Cantaloupe Cauliflower Grapefruit” Of course, if you can buy organic all the time it’s ideal, but sometimes it’s just too much money, like I always say pick and choose your battles. Here’s to the day New York City produce looks, tastes and costs just like the produce at Berkeley Bowl! In Health, Christina Martin Tao to Wellness 809 Hearst Ave Berkeley, California 510.883.0383
Tips to having an awesome lymphatic system!
Tips to having an awesome lymphatic system! The lymphatic system, which is a complicated network of fluid filled lymphs, glands, organs and vessels, is rarely talked about, but so important. It’s basically the body’s garbage man or waste management, which in New York is really code word for mafia, but I digress. For patients who experience chronic problems, they might be a little more familiar with this slightly mysterious system. The lymphatic system’s main job is to get rid of toxins (internal and external) and protect the body against invasions. The largest lymphatic tissue in the body is the Spleen and plays a huge part in immune defense and red and white blood cells. One of the interesting things about lymph is, unlike blood, there is no pump, it relies on relaxation and contraction of muscles and joints to move it, so the lymphatic system can get sluggish and easily stagnant. When it becomes overwhelmed, it can lead to impaired immunity, cellulite, edema, chronic pain, fatty deposits, sinusitis and upper respiratory issues. As you can see it’s super important to keep this system moving! Thanks to The Chalkboard, A Guide to Living Well, here’s some easy tips to keeping the garbage men happy! ACUPUNCTURE You knew this was coming, right? Acupuncture is incredible for moving and balancing the lymphatic system, it’s one of the only modalities that can focus directly on the Qi and blood of the Spleen, which is the largest lymphatic organ. We also believe that stress plays a huge part in that potential stagnating energy of the lymphatic system, so acupuncture can also address stress in the whole body and the Qi flow of the liver as well. Remember there is no pump in the lymphatic system, so the body needs free flowing energy of Qi to transport those toxins. Acupuncture is your answer! REBOUNDING Rebounding is one of the easiest ways to pump the lymph. Rebounding is the practice of jumping on a trampoline (yes, remember when we did this for fun!?) for ten to thirty minutes. This passively moves the lymph while stimulating the circulation of blood throughout the body. Numerous studies have proven its efficacy, and have even shown it to improve muscle tone. INVERSION TABLE An inversion table is a padded table that allows one to invert upside down while strapped in by the feet. The inversion process decompresses the joints of the body and stimulates the lymphatic and circulatory system. This brings blood and oxygen to the tissues, which helps to clear the muscles of toxic build-up. By inverting, gravity works with, not against, the body, encouraging the movement of the lymph. It also improves spinal health by rehydrating the discs, reducing pressure on the nerves and relaxing tense muscles. LEMON WATER Lymph is about 95% water, making water essential for its health. Stay hydrated by drinking half your weight in ounces of water a day. Without adequate water, lymphatic fluid cannot flow properly. And one of the most common causes of lymph congestion is dehydration. Water, and only water, can adequately rehydrate the body, but if you want to expedite the process, add lemon to your water. Lemon is an alkaline fruit that helps to mineralize the body and lymph. Try sipping on warm lemon water throughout the day, but don’t forget your straw! This protects the teeth’s enamel from the lemon. ENZYMES Enzymes are produced by the body to break down food substances and to expedite countless metabolic processes. They are also utilized by the body to clear toxic-waste buildup in the lymph and blood, making their supplementation a key way to improve lymphatic health. Using proteolytic enzymes between meals can help to “digest” or breakdown organic debris in the circulatory and lymph systems, increasing lymphatic flow. They also help to ease the burden of allergy-like compounds, freeing the immune fractions traveling in the lymph system for other work. MASSAGE We all love a good massage, and here’s just one more reason why. Lymphatic massage is a special form of massage that specifically targets the flow of lymph in the body. It uses a specific amount of pressure and rhythmic circular movements to stimulate the lymph, encouraging its movement towards the heart for the drainage of fluid and waste. Lymphatic massage has shown in studies to push up to 78 percent of stagnant lymph back into circulation. This mobilizes toxins for clearance, lessening the burden on the lymphatic system. HERBS Many herbs have proven to be effective in improving lymphatic health, whether in their ability to increase lymphatic flow and drainage or in expediting the clearance of toxic substances. Red clover is a popular herb for the lymph, increasing flow, which helps to detoxify the body and reduce inflammation. Cleavers is another herb to try. Also known as clivers or goosegrass, it has been used for centuries and considered one of the best tonics to stimulate and help drain the lymphatic system. Coming from the Ayurvedic tradition is manjistha. Manjistha is an herb that is primarily utilized for its ability to de-stagnate lymph. It does this by detoxifying the tissue and supporting lymph flow. Finally, bupleurum (Chai Hu) and rehmannia (Sheng Di Huang) are herbal tonics known to treat lymphatic conditions in traditional Chinese medicine. We carry both of these at Tao to Wellness. These herbs are famous in Asia for maintaining the cleanliness of the lymphatic system and thus for naturally removing toxins from deep within the body on an on-going basis. DRY BRUSHING Dry skin brushing is a favorite Chinese medicine practice. It’s a technique commonly utilized in Ayurveda for assisting in lymphatic flow and boosting circulation. You simply take a dry brush with coarse bristle and brush the skin towards the heart. This stimulates the sweat glands, opens pores, and gets rid of dead skin cells. It also encourages the movement of lymph and blood in underlying organs and tissues of the body, which helps clear built-up toxins. As a result, it
What’s on the magical Tao to Wellness headphones?
What’s on the magical Tao to Wellness headphones? I wouldn’t have believed the hype, the website alone makes me cringe, you know those never ending websites with the HUGE “Try Us Now” button. It just screams scam to me. Guess what? It’s not a scam. In 2000 I shared an office with crystal healer, Clifton Harrison, he introduced me to these magical tracks and I’ve been throwing noise cancellation headphones on every patient since then. Amazing! The two tracks created by Centerpointe Institute are called Dive and Immersion, they are both 30 minutes each. The Dive helps ‘catch’ your brain as Clifton calls it, and slows it down into a meditative state, Delta to be exact. It then continues to take you deeper and deeper into The Matrix with Neo and Trinity, just kidding, just deeper into Delta states. Immersion follows and as the name implies brings you even deeper, however during an acupuncture treatment it actually brings you out of Delta and back to current space and time. I don’t have a solid answer as to why this happens, but I believe it’s a combination of the two working together. Acupuncture works with the Qi or energy of the body. It takes 23 minutes for the Qi to cycle through each organ, so it makes sense to me that in about 35 minutes or so the patient ‘returns’ since it takes most patients 10 minutes to drop into a quiet state initially. Almost every patient loves these tracks! And then every once in awhile, I would get a patient who felt irritated by them or a patient that couldn’t ‘drop down’. Maybe they hated the Bells (Dive) or they preferred the Rain only (Immersion). I came to find that these patients needed a little extra time in the initial stage, their brainwaves were moving much, much faster than others. So, I threw the headphones on and then I came back in 5 minutes, quietly entered the room and hit rewind to the beginning of the track, and then I did it again in another 5 minutes. It worked! After my 2 rewinds, patients were able to relax and go deeper like everyone else. Even more interesting is I usually only needed to do this for about 3 treatments, after that patients took to the Delta states much easier. To give you an idea of what all this feels like for a patient, here’s some quotes: I’m kind of here in the room, but not really here. I felt like I was levitating. It’s better than drugs! (my personal favorite) I felt like I was in another universe. That was an out of body experience. Christina Martin, L.Ac. Tao to Wellness Berkeley, California 510.883.0383
