On March 6th, I had my first massage shift at UCSF’s Bakar Fitness & Recreation Center at Mission Bay. This is great for anyone who would prefer to see me in an office location rather than in my home office. I currently have regular shifts on Saturday’s from 2:30 to 7:30pm, Sunday’s from 9:00am to 2:00pm, and a sub shift Tuesday’s from 4:00 to 9:00pm (beginning April 6th). Gym members and UCSF students & staff may schedule online via the UCSF Fitness & Recreation Center website. Non-members may schedule by calling the Service Desk at (415) 514-4545.

UCSF Bakar Fitness & Recreation Center
1675 Owens Street San Francisco, CA 94158

Pricing

Packages (purchase multiple packages and save)

On February18th, I began doing seated massage with On the Spot Massage at Whole Foods SoMa location in San Francisco. This is a great way for people to get a massage as a tune-up or a quick therapeutic treatment. I’m available Thursdays from 3:30 to 8:00pm. Appointments are on a walk-in basis only.

Whole Foods Market, SoMa 399 4th Street San Francisco, CA 94107

Seated Massage Rates 5 Minute Tune-Up $5 10 Minutes $15 15 Minutes $20 20 Minutes $25 25 Minutes $30 30 Minutes $35

I’m continuing to test Practice Fusion’s Electronic Health Record system as well as their Personal Health Record. I originally posted separately about that here. Having two new practice locations does change how I can implement it, not because of anything regarding the record system, but rather due to how things work at UCSF and with On the Spot Massage. If you’re interested in testing this EHR & PHR system with me in my private practice, sign up with me for 10 sessions of either 60 or 90 minutes each. I’ll discount these sessions as a package to $600 or $750 respectively, which can be paid in three installments of $200 or $250.

Finally, if you haven’t read my post on changes associated with the Chinese New Year back in February, take a moment to look at it. I think it’s a fun perspective on these changes in my professional life as well as on some on some of the volatility I’ve seen in events and the lives of people around me.

Beyond their entertainment value, I’m not  usually that into astrology. On the other hand, life clearly goes through many cycles: seasonal,  annual, biological, economic, political, etc.  Events in my life, in the lives of several people and groups around me, and even national and world events make me think this is a time of change marking a new cycle. As these changes are coming at the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year, I’m  persuaded to make note of this Year of the Metal Tiger.

Before getting into the significance according to Chinese astrology, I want to note that President Obama has now been in office for a little over one year, giving time for the beginning of change from the previous administration to take effect. Some changes in the culture of Washington are starting to show like new growth in spring following a long, dark winter. While there is a new flow of information and more openness than has ever existed before, at least to my knowledge, there are complaints about back room deals and that things are not as open as we were told they would be. Things do not change overnight.

Even amid the start of culture change in Washington,  there are those who went to halt progress and keep things essentially as they have been. These efforts to conduct arguments on old premises and theories which had been ascendant for over thirty years have brought out stark contrast in different elements of Washington culture as well as anti-Washington culture. Obstructionism and anti-government sentiment have been brought to new heights. At the same time, our financial system, though still in trouble, has been brought back from the edge of collapse. We are closer to  historic health care reforms than we have been in about 100 years of reform efforts.

I could go on and offer greater detail, but the point I want to make is not about politics or our political culture. I merely wish to establish the context that this is a time of significant change. Within that context, I’d like to suggest that looking at this time through the lens of the lunar new year can offer a foundation to supply some meaning to these changes. With that, let’s have some fun and look at 2010, the Year of the White Tiger, also referred to as the Year of the Metal Tiger.

In simple terms, tiger characters are active and aggressive. In Chinese astrology, tigers are also noted to be brave and generous, protective of their friends and community, and relentless opponents when challenged. The metal element of the tiger this year can be interpreted as gold, meaning the year may bring financial opportunities and innovations. (On a personal note, I’ve seen this aspect already, with new job opportunities coming in quick succession following a disturbingly lean year previously .) On the other hand, metal is also opposed to wood, tiger’s natural element, meaning this could be a very tumultuous year, presenting many challenges. Challenges though, are not in themselves negative. They can also be opportunities.

Following an unusually difficult year myself, recent changes for me have been positive, so  I’m even more inclined to look at the challenges  of the upcoming year as opportunities. For the potential challenges and turmoil that come my way, I look to them as part of the current cycle, and face them calm in the knowledge  that I am prepared to address them. I also take a measure of comfort that everyone else is facing the same cycle of activity and challenges, and know we can look to each other for support.

I was born in the year of the pig, also known as boar, or as my tai chi teacher once said, mu shu pork.  I’d like to share with you some of my horoscopes for the Year of the Tiger.

The Pig

The Pig is an innocent, sweet and lovable personality. They can also be quite melancholy and over-sensitive. The Pig loves the company of others, and adores parties, gossip and chit chat. They are highly intelligent, but prefer to keep this side of their nature under wraps. The Pig does not care that much for money, but is one of the zodiac signs that is very lucky.

Forecast for 2010

The Pig loves activity and challenges and the Year of the Tiger will certainly provide this. There may be additional financial pressure on the Pig this year, but with prudent spending and consideration, this need not be a problem. The Pig is an open, friendly soul and very trusting, but this year he must be wary. It’s possible that gossip may prove too tempting or that he may listen to false advice, causing upset and trouble. Be guarded and careful this year! The Pig must ensure that he follows up all correspondence or financial dealings – to delay or overlook details will prove costly. Short, fun, unplanned trips will feature throughout the year and will be excellent for off-setting any stresses and pressure the Year of the Tiger may bring. Interest in spirituality and self-development will be to the fore and any opportunity to study and explore these should be taken. November to January will provide excellent opportunities for changing career direction or to find a new job. August to December will prove particularly social, with many fun occasions and opportunities to make new friends.

Interesting Pig Facts

Zodiac Stone: Ruby

Special Flower: Chrysanthemum

Best Hours: 9-11 pm

Season: Autumn

Horoscope Colors: Purple, Red, White

From WayangTimes.com

A little shallow in some judgments of pig personalities, but interesting in many respects. And funnily enough, I do find that I tend to be a night person, with extra energy between 9-11pm.

How the Pig fares:

As a Pig sign person you are the fortunate recipient of not only that famous Tiger luck but also of Metal’s benefit, as it is the element most favorable to you. This is amply demonstrated by your looking forward to so many, positive months in 2010. Even your nemesis, the Snake, can only bring you a neutral one. It is likely to be an exciting time, even a little wild. One key to your success is maintaining self control. You can bet there will be occasions where it will not be easy. Enjoy the ride but do not let yourself get caught up in all the drama. Odds are you cannot keep up with the Tiger the whole way through. Conserve your energy and be ready to hop on your ship when it sails.

From OnlineChineseAstrology.com

Based on the year’s beginning. I’m hopeful this is a reasonably accurate forecast.

Pig (1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007)

Positive: Gallant, kind-hearted, and sincere. Pigs rarely lose their temper and always try to avoid arguing.

Negative: Materialistic and pig-headed. These individuals have a problem saying “no” — to people, and to food!

Chinese Astrology Horoscope 2010 for the Pig: While the love life is expected to be much improved for the Pig in 2010, the year is sure to demand much from these people, and sometimes too much. Money matters should be steady and strong. Exercising self-control will be especially important. Reducing your load and responsibilities if at all possible might also help. Uncomfortable with the quick pace of the year, you might feel uneasy and restless at times, but you will do well helping others through rough patches.

From CafeAstrology.com

While I would generally dispute the materialistic component cited here, and consider myself more open-minded than pig-headed, it does feel like this may be a bit more of a materialistic time for me than usual. I think that comes partly from having to be exceptionally restrained for the past year. I particularly like the prospects for an improved love life this prediction offers. But then almost anything would be an improvement over non-existent.

About the Year of the Tiger, generally.

The Tiger  is the third sign of the Chinese Zodiac. It is a courageous, authoritative, charismatic, initiating, competitive, dynamic, adventurous, and dramatic sign. Ruling over the first month of spring, other themes associated with the Tiger are renewal, initiative, changefulness, and new beginnings.

The Year of the Tiger 2010  is a Yang Metal year, and it’s a year of much activity, drama, changefulness, crisis, and unpredictability. Tiger years are associated with political and social instability or upheaval. Metal is not a very compatible element for Tiger (Tiger prefers Wood and Fire), and thus 2010 is expected to be challenging and turbulent overall. Nevertheless, the Tiger does prefer Yang, and 2010 is a Yang year, which strengthens matters somewhat. It is strong for technological advances and innovations.

The overall theme is one of change and unpredictability, and so all signs will benefit from remaining flexible and adaptable to changeful conditions in 2010. While caution and moderation were advised in 2009, the Year of the Ox, flexibility and the ability to deal with change are essential qualities in 2010.

The Tiger’s independent, innovative, assertive, leading, and honorable traits are qualities that will be especially favored in the year of the Tiger.

From CafeAstrology.com

Hot passion meets cold steel with the arrival of the year of the Metal Tiger. This combined sign signifies both the energy to begin activity and the determination to follow it through to the end. Forget about last year’s slow plodding. Events set in motion now will pick up speed and continue until either the objective is attained or the whole endeavor crashes and burns.

Bold, cold Metal rules in contrast to last year’s pragmatic, calculating Earth. This difference will be all the more dramatic as 2010 is a dynamic, Yang year. Metal’s Yang aspect is extremely aggressive and does not tolerate opposition.

Unfortunately Metal has a destructive relationship with the Tiger’s fixed element, Wood. In fact this is the fifth in a run of six years governed by an unlucky conflict of elements. This should come as no surprise given the recent history of US and world financial markets, massive numbers of foreclosures in the housing sector, and the terrible tragedy that is Iraq today.

The combination of Metal and Tiger is not, however, a totally negative one. Together they represent the kind of force necessary to accomplish the most difficult tasks. The impossible just might be possible during this exciting time.

[…]

The only thing we can say for sure is the year 2010 will be a tumultuous one. This is true for individuals, societies and the human race in general. It’s perhaps a better time for knocking down walls than building them. People who thirst for adventure and can reign in their emotions could experience a thrilling and rewarding year. Those who seek peace and harmony might find themselves running for cover more than a few times.

From Astrology.com

The Year of The Tiger begins on February 14th 2010. Drama, intensity, change and travel will be the keywords for 2010. Unfortunately, world conflicts and disasters tend to feature during Tiger years also, so it won’t be a dull 12 months for anyone. The Year of the Tiger will bring far reaching changes for everyone. New inventions and incredible technological advances have a good chance of occurring. For all of the Chinese horoscope signs, this year is one to be active – seizing opportunities and making the most of our personal and very individual talents. Everything happens quickly and dramatically in a Tiger year – blink and you could miss an important chance of a lifetime!

From WayangTimes.com

A word of caution.

2010 is Year of Tiger and it will arrive on February 14, 2010. Many people must be eager to know they have better luck in the coming year than 2009. Here, we want to use Chinese Astrology Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth) theory to explain people fortune in 2010 and foresee what will be happening to them in year of Tiger.

According to Chinese Five Element Astrology Calendar, 2010 is the Year of Metal Tiger . Gold is related to Metal and money. People who like to talk about wealth will say that 2010 is a Golden Tiger year. In Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth)  theory, the color representing metal is White. Therefore, we also can say that 2010 is the Year of White Tiger. The White Tiger is connected to the symbol of jinx in China history. Some Chinese might consider that 2010 White Tiger is a bad year.

Chinese Astrology is a Balance Theory of Five Elements. Each animal can be converted into Five Elements. Tiger contains Mainly Wood, Fire and little Earth. Wood and Fire together will make Fire stronger. Metal is afraid of Fire and Metal is also against Wood. That means Metal and Tiger together will fight each other, which implies 2010 won’t come quietly and peacefully. We can image that 2010 is a Tiger wearing armor. This Tiger doesn’t like armor on the top its body and keeps jumping around. For  safety, we should keep our distance from it. That’s why many Chinese don’t like White Tiger.

Tiger has the potential to become vigorous, ferocious and cruel. So Tiger is a symbol of power and authority. This kind of personality is good for the leadership. With the inflexible and destructive personality, Tiger has very poor people relationship, especially, with family members. In traditional customary, Chinese family don’t invite people born in year of Tiger to involve private wedding ceremony.

From chinesefortunecalendar.com

What will the year hold for you?

2010 Chinese Year of the Tiger Horoscopes by Sign

• Horse
• Dragon
• Pig
• Snake
• Rooster
• Rat
• Dog
• Rabbit
• Monkey
• Tiger
• Ox
• Sheep
• Overview

From Astrology.com

Other forecasts for each sign , including lists of years to help find your sign if you don’t know it.

http://www.wayangtimes.com/2010-year-of-the-tiger-chinese-zodiac-horoscope-forecast.html

http://www.cafeastrology.com/articles/chinese_2010_horoscope_year_of_tiger.html

Happy Valentines Day! May you have a prosperous New Year, filled with opportunity, growth, and adventure!

Later this year, my goal is to turn my degree in Chinese medicine into a license to practice acupuncture. As both an acupuncturist and as a massage therapist, I want to be able to work with other health care providers where appropriate. I’d also like to see modalities like massage therapy and acupuncture better represented in mainstream quantitative and qualitative clinical research. In addition to their benefits in streamlining and improving patient care, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), also known as Electronic  Medical Records (EMRs) offer potential for improved communication between practitioners as well as expanded  research opportunities.

Many recent developments have made EHRs available to practitioners even if they don’t belong to a large  hospital or medical group. For me and others like me, the most significant development is that several vendors are offering high-quality, low-cost or even free EHRs. This gives me an opportunity to test EHR solutions for my massage practice even before I add acupuncture to my practice. This in turn presents an opportunity for new clients.

While I can’t offer free massage as incentive to help me test Electronic Health Records, I will offer special discount packages. I am looking for 10 new  clients who will commit to a package of 10 massage sessions of either one hour or 90 minutes each. The packages will be $600 or $750 respectively – savings of  $200 or $250. At this stage, I’m not looking for any special qualities other than a willingness to sample the EHR for 10 sessions.

If you are interested, you don’t have to make a  commitment without being comfortable with me and my message style. We will set up an initial appointment that will include an intake of about twenty minutes. The initial massage will essentially be an assessment like I would do for any new client, after which we will check in for a few minutes to give each of us the opportunity for feedback. Assuming you are comfortable with your massage experience, I will offer some details on what I hope to learn from the trial and what would be different from a regular massage appointment. You may then choose to participate in the trial or not. If you choose not to participate, you will still receive the discount on the single massage, saving $20 or $25 off the regular one hour or 90 minute rate as appropriate.

If you choose to participate, I would prefer that you pay for the package up front. I understand that might make it difficult for some who would otherwise be interested in participating. Among my goals with this trial is to evaluate some of the patient and practice management tools of the EHR. Having the 10 visit commitment makes that possible, and paying up front makes it more likely both parties will follow through on the commitment. If paying for ten visits at once is not possible for you, we might still be able to work together to include you by working out a payment plan.

For more information, feel free to use my Contact page to see how to contact me. If you would like to get started right away, you can use the Book Now link available on any page of my site.

For this trial, I will be testing Practice Fusion’s Electronic Health Record, and hopefully it’s Personal Health Record (PHR) component as well. Practice Fusion’s EHR system is fully compliant with all relevant privacy laws, including HIPAA. Your personal information will be secure and will not be shared without your permission.

There is just a little more below the photos.

In the past 15 years, Wally Walker has given a lot to the ACTCM community. But I think there can be little doubt that one of his greatest contributions was the work he did to create a successful Alumni Association. Without his work, alumni services would not exist for ACTCM. I knew Wally as a great advocate for the students and alumni of ACTCM, and never met him without hearing words of encouragement from him, as well as feeling the warmth of his joyful spirit. The college has set up a scholarship fund to preserve and build on his legacy as a passionate advocate for the students of ACTCM.

Rest in Peace, Wally Walker.

I’ve also been busy developing a presence using other social networking resources. You can now follow me on Twitter: forbodyandmind, become a fan on Facebook: For Body and Mind Therapeutic Massage, and San Francisco Integrative Health Networking, and join my networking group on Meetup: San Francisco Integrative Health Networking.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised using Twitter these past few weeks. If you’ve been following the news lately, you’ve probably seen that coverage of the Iran elections has been heavily dependent on Twitter, Facebook, flickr, and YouTube. To me, that in and of itself is reason enough to get on Twitter. Learning #hashtags and @somebody’s id is relatively simple, and allows connection with a lot of information and people in small bits, very quickly. It might seem like a lot of noise to begin with, but becoming familiar with the nomenclature and finding resources to sort through the information and people you’re looking for is not that difficult. Seesmic Desktop is a particularly useful application. Other popular aps are Hootsuite and Tweetdeck. Here are 15 Highly Recommended Twitter Apps for Web Professionals. I found Tweet This! A Twitter Manifesto, 10 Twitter Tips for Professionals and 10 Tips for Twitter Professionals helpful guides for getting started.

Brevity inspires creativity. I think that is one of the true gifts of Twitter. URL shorteners like Cli.gs, Su.pr, ow.ly, bit.ly, and tinyurl.com make it possible to link to more in depth discussions of what you bring up on Twitter while reducing the characters you’re using overall. Many of the shorteners will also include tracking data so you can get an idea of who is following your links. Some like Cli.gs, bit.ly, and tinyurl.com also allow you to customize your shortened urls. There is poetry and wit to be had in 140 characters (see #hoekstra, and here, here, and here for background).

Having only been using it for a short time, I don’t have a definitive view of Twitter as a networking platform, but both the coverage of events in Iran and my personal experience suggest a powerful platform if properly employed. Facebook and Meetup have a track record that I’m more familiar with, and in my opinion, Facebook’s recent upgrade of professional pages has improved an already strong social networking presence for professionals. With For Body and Mind Therapeutic Massage, my goal is quite simply to support my massage practice and expand my potential client base. My goals with parallel San Francisco Integrative Health Networking groups on Facebook and Meetup are more ambitious.

My ultimate professional goal is to create a school for integrative medicine, outside of a traditional allopathic model, where practitioners in different disciplines learn to practice together. My intention is for the San Francisco Integrative Health Networking groups to be a foundation for developing such a school. Currently, the closest parallel would be Bastyr University in Washington. In San Francisco, UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and CIIS offer different integrative health models. The Haight-Ashbury Clinic and St. James Infirmary are probably two of the best implementations of integrative medicine that I’ve experienced, but their ability to provide services is severely restricted in the current economy.

Certainly allopathic medical schools are doing more to teach about complementary and alternative modalities like acupuncture/Chinese medicine, but from what I’ve observed, these programs still place the M.D. in the role of primary care provider over other disciplines. Since they are training M.D.s, this is perfectly natural. In California, acupuncturists, naturopaths, and chiropractors are considered primary care providers as well. While each discipline certainly has strengths and weaknesses, patients will predominantly see one provider for the majority of their care, especially with our economy in a condition like it is now. It is therefore necessary for practitioners to be masters of their own discipline, but also to be familiar enough with others to recognize when a patient should be referred to someone in a different modality for a specific condition. Even better is if that practitioner has a pool of skilled practitioners to whom they can refer. Thus the concept of creating an integrative health networking group. Starting with individual practitioners and small group clinics, a decentralized health network is able to pool a diverse set of resources and knowledge for each other and for patients. We’ll see how the tools provided by Facebook, Meetup, and Twitter can meet this goal.

Integrative Healing Clinic
30 Monterey Blvd (at Joost Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94131

View Map

By Trey Bundy, San Francisco Chronicle, May 18, 2009

It’s called a wince point. When Deb Follingstad runs a little metal rod along someone’s outer ear, she often finds a spot that makes the person grimace, which tells her whether the lungs or liver could use some TLC.

As an acupuncturist and doctor of Chinese medicine, Follingstad has great faith in wince points – tongues and pulses, too.

“They’re kind of our eyeballs on the body,” she says, “our X-rays.”

A longtime denizen of San Francisco’s music scene, Follingstad has started a Monday afternoon acupuncture clinic in her Bernal Heights flat to help bartenders, cocktail waitresses and others who spend their weekends working late hours in nightclubs detox from what can be a booze-fueled grind. Pitting 5,000-year-old techniques against 21st century toxins works well, she says, and the group setting feels more like a day off than a trip to the doctor.

“It’s me giving back to my music people who work really hard and party really hard,” she says. “I don’t want to see them hurt.”

Congrats on the great article, Deb! Best of luck in your practice!

]]> http://forbodyandmind.com/2009/05/friend-in-the-news/feed/ 0 http://forbodyandmind.com/2009/05/emotional-fitness/ http://forbodyandmind.com/2009/05/emotional-fitness/#comments Mon, 11 May 2009 17:00:29 +0000 admin http://forbodyandmind.com/?p=326 Emotional Fitness: Life presents difficulties, so learn ways to overcome them

By Barton Goldsmith
Ventura County Star, Sunday, April 26, 2009

When emotional pain hits, one of the best ways to deal it is to meet it head on and talk out the  feelings. That’s why good support from another human being helps our hearts. If there’s no one to talk to, writing also is a great way to release some of your inner anguish.

The point here is that the one thing you don’t want to do is hold your pain in. You need to find constructive ways of releasing your hurt without injuring yourself or anyone else.

For some, taking a drive, exercise, reading or meditation is helpful. Others need to process their pain verbally. Whatever way works for you is the one you want to try, but if it doesn’t do the trick, it’s OK to try something different.

There are numerous methods. Some are new, like visualization, positive psychology or guided imagery, and some are ancient, like acupuncture and massage. All have helped millions of people.

Over twelve years in health and fitness, as a massage therapist and during my experience as an acupuncture intern, many of the clients and patients I have seen have been seeking something to address emotional pressures in their lives. Some have been able to articulate this well, while others have struggled to define what led them to seek treatment other than some form of discomfort. I have come to believe that as a society, we have made a habit of overlooking and ignoring physical or emotional pressures in our lives in order to accomplish some goal, be it personal or professional.

I believe that one of the most helpful things we can do for ourselves is open ourselves to awareness not only that there are significant pressures influencing our daily lives, but acknowledging what those pressures are at a given moment. Through this acknowledgment, it is then possible to flow through the pressure and allow it to strengthen us in body, mind, and spirit; take steps to reduce the pressure; or seek help to face it as appropriate.

From personal experience, I know I do not always have the solutions to every challenge inherently within myself, and sometimes need to cultivate and seek the help from an extended personal network. I find this both from a personal perspective as well as a professional one addressing the needs of clients who come to me for treatment. I feel networking for health is every bit as vital, perhaps even more vital, than networking for business. Thus, I will always welcome new friends, clients, and colleagues into my network, and try to help others shape a network that is best to meet their needs.

When I got a massage for the first time about a decade ago, I was under the impression that it was something you did to pamper yourself when you had a little extra cash to burn (or better yet, a gift certificate). Now I’m beginning to think it’s a medical necessity.

Medical necessity might be a little strong, but as a massage therapist I certainly agree with the sentiment, especially with regard to health maintenance. Her post is short, but perhaps you’ll find some of your own issues reflected in what she writes.

Weak hips may lead to runners’ lower-leg injuries

Weakness in the muscles that support the hips may be a common contributor to many overuse injuries in runners, a new research review suggests.For most runners, overuse injuries occur at or below the knee — including chronic knee pain, shin splints, Achilles tendonitis and pain in the sole of the foot. The new study, a review of previous research findings published since 1980, found that weakness in the hip muscles may translate into a higher risk of these lower-leg injuries.

The findings are published in the journal Sports Health.

This is an article I read and thought, “Oh wow, that exactly describes some of my running experiences.” On the other hand, stretching works wonders for me in extending the time I can comfortably work out and reducing my recovery time.