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By Rina Liu, L.Ac. During a recent trip to Hawaii, I spent some time watching sea turtles resting quietly by the shore. The waves came and went. People stopped to take pictures, talked, and hurried on to whatever was next. The turtles seemed completely untouched by that pace. Watching them, I had a thought: maybe we have forgotten how to be slow. Modern life rewards speed. We eat on the run, answer messages immediately, multitask through lunch, and move from one responsibilit

By Gem Jankowski, L.Ac. This month we honor our veterans with Veteran’s Day on November 11th. There is an interesting connection between acupuncture and veterans that you may not have heard about before. As you might already know, acupuncture can be beneficial for easing both acute and chronic pain, as well as helping the body calm down from heightened stress levels and other psychoemotional ailments. Did you know that an entire treatment can be done with needles applied excl

By Rina, L.Ac. Summer in San Francisco has a beauty all its own. Morning fog drifts over the hills, cool ocean air moves in from the Pacific, and sunlight can suddenly break through the clouds. Even in August and September, mornings and evenings often feel chilly, and temperatures can vary quite a bit from one neighborhood to another. A well-known saying jokes that “the coldest winter is a San Francisco summer.” It may be a little exaggerated, but anyone who lives here unders

By David Lesseps Acupuncture is a rich tradition with many different approaches, each offering unique methods to promote relief from pain, health and balance. While modern clinical training often emphasizes Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), many practitioners draw deep inspiration from older classical traditions. Among these, Tung Style Acupuncture stands out as a highly respected, distinct system that offers a fascinating alternative approach. Two Paths: Standardized Medi

By Rina Liu Nature changes with the seasons—and so do we. Trees bud, grow, and shed their leaves. Many animals migrate or hibernate. Our bodies also respond to seasonal changes, often in ways we don't even notice. While modern life has softened the boundaries between the seasons with air conditioning, heating, and artificial lighting, changes in temperature, humidity, daylight, and our daily routines still influence our health. Every summer, I hear the same question from pati

By Rina Liu When patients come to see me for the first time, one of the questions I hear most often is: “Can acupuncture really help me?” Before I talk about acupuncture, I usually ask them a question in return: “Can you tell me what you’ve been going through?” Over the years, I’ve learned that pain is rarely just about pain. Behind a painful shoulder, there may be months of poor sleep. Behind chronic neck pain, there may be long hours at a computer, the stress of caring for

By Jimmy Chang Low back pain is usually the “scapegoat” rather than the real anatomical “criminal”. That’s because the lumbar is part of a kinetic chain—a biomechanical system that coordinates movement and transfers force. Dysfunctions in nearby muscles in the chain above and below will cause it to tighten up. The most common example is when we sit for long periods of time. Our hip flexor muscles become locked in a short-tight position which forces the top of your pelvis to

What is the lymphatic system? The lymphatic system is the body’s waste management system. It runs throughout the body removing cell waste, viruses, bacteria, and excess fluid moving in one direction only: toward the heart. The waste matter is filtered through the liver and kidneys to be expelled via urine or feces. Lymph moves mechanically through the movement of muscles as well as breath. When lymph flow is obstructed, a back up of fluid and waste matter can occur. If lymp