17 Fantastic Clutter Free Gift Ideas

The holiday season is upon us and for some last minute shopping we compiled a list of clutter-free gifts that is sure to please.

• Memberships - In Pittsburgh we have:
•  the amazing Carnegie museum system which includes four museums for one membership - Art Museum, National History, Warhol and Science (five if you count Sports Works as separate from the Science Museum!) 
• the Children's museum,
•  Heinz History museum (which also includes Meadowcroft and Fort Pitt),  
• Phipps
• The Frick
• the Pittsburgh Zoo 
• the Aviary

• Groupon - check out the deals on groupon and gift someone with an art class (take it along side them), a massage, a meal out, a day of sledding or skiing, yoga classes there are tons of deals to choose from.

• A gift certificate to their favorite restaurant.

• A massage from their (or your) favorite massage practitioner.

• A gym membership.

• A year (or a few months) of netflix or hulu plus.

• A series of yoga classes from your favorite yoga studio

• A play, opera, musical or the symphony. There are tons of great shows in Pittsburgh all year. Pick out your favorite and get tickets to give as gifts.

• Tickets to hear live music. From smaller venues to hear local and up and coming artists to big ticket items playing at Heinz Hall, Carnegie Music Hall and Consol Center, you can find great musicians playing in Pittsburgh year round. 

• A gift certificate from Trader Joe's, The Food Coop, Whole Foods or other specialty grocery store.

 What other ideas do you have for clutter free holiday gifts? Comment below to share your idea with everyone!

Happy Holidays,

David and Melissa Sokulski
acupuncturists

Heading Into Winter

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and if you celebrated Chanukah that it was warm and joyful!

As the autumn gives way to winter, the energy moves from the metal element into the water element. In our bodies that relates to the meridians of Kidney and Bladder.

5 elements chart from Wiki Commons

This fall at the Birch Center we were able to help lots of people manifesting weakness in the Metal element: asthma, pneumonia, allergies, colds and flu. As we move to the next element in the cycle – water, which relates to the Kidney, we still may see some of that, as the two elements are closely connected and the Kidneys have the specific function of “grasping the qi” after the lungs take the breath. People may continue to see flare ups in asthma and other lung issues as the energy moves deeper into our bodies to connect with the water element.

The kidneys govern growth and development, any developmental issues can be supported by supporting the kidney energy. This goes for children as well as adults and elderly: issues we often associate with age: memory loss, dizziness, hot flashes, weakened bones/osteoporosis, insomnia, ringing in ears/tinnitus can all be helped by supporting the kidney energy with acupuncture, food choices and herbal medicine.

Other issues associated with the kidneys include

• back and knee pain
• teeth weakness (cavities) 
• bone weakness (osteoporosis)
• diabetes especially Type 1 (Type 2 is associated with the Earth energy as well as Water)
• hair loss and premature graying of hair
• endocrine imbalance including thyroid 
• reproductive and fertility issues
• all issues relating to the brain such as development and memory.
  

At the Birch Center we can treat these conditions, support and strengthen the water element/kidneys with acupuncture, herbal medicine and dietary suggestions. 

The water element follows the Bladder meridian from the eye up over the head, down the back in two lines touching on all the organ systems: the inner line accesses physical aspects of that organ system the outer the mental and spiritual, down the back of knee and legs, outside the ankle then connecting to the Kidney at the bottom of the foot, running back up the kidney meridian on the inside of the ankle and leg, up the front of the abdomen to the collar bone, where it enters the body more deeply as well as connects to the next meridian organ system, the Pericardium.

During acupuncture treatments we commonly needle points on the back and ankle to access and strengthen the water element. This powerful element is said to be the root of all yin and yang in the body.

Now is a great time to come in for an acupuncture tune-up to bring the body back into balance and alignment as the seasons shift and the energy moves from one element to the other. A balancing acupuncture treatment helps the transition flow smoothly and any subtle weaknesses in the organ systems can often be overcome by a simple relaxing acupuncture session.

In blog entries throughout December and into the winter, we'll discuss 

• Chinese herbal and Western botanical treatments for the water element to strengthen the kidneys
• Sea vegetables and other foods like black beans which benefit and strengthen the kidneys 
• Other ways to strengthen the kidneys and support the all important water element of our bodies

Stay tuned to the blog and enjoy the holiday season! You can follow our blog by getting each post sent directly to your inbox by subscribing to the box on the top of the right margin. And don't forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter!

If you are interested in foraging for wild foods, check out Birch Center acupuncturist Melissa Sokulski's new ebook: Winter Foraging Holiday Feasting, for great ideas, color photos and fantastic healthy vegan recipes. This book identifies over 25 common edible plants easily found in winter with information on how to harvest and prepare them

.

Happy Holidays!

~ David and Melissa Sokulski

Autumn and the Metal Element: Lungs

We are in the throes of fall! Cooler weather, windy days, beautiful leaves dropping off trees leaving bare branches.

At the Birch Center we are seeing lots of manifestations of the season: lung ailments.

In Chinese Medicine, the season autumn relates to the metal element, which corresponds in the body to the Lungs and Large Intestine. People are noticing:

• asthma flair-ups
• colds and flu
• increase in allergies
• pneumonia
• coughs and bronchitis
• eczema and skin ailments
• IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome) flair-ups
• constipation
• diarrhea

Fall is also a time of year when anything can make a comeback: old injuries, joint pain, sleeplessness, fatigue. It is a great time of year to come in for a treatment, whether for something specific or a tune-up! (We recommend acupuncture "tune-ups" at the change of seasons to clients who either have been in before and had their issue resolved as a way to maintain balance and optimal health, and also for people curious about acupuncture but who have no specific ailments.)

Thanks so much and we hope you are enjoying the beautiful autumn!

In health,

David and Melissa Sokulski

licensed acupuncturists

Menu Monday: Enjoy a Salad Today

It is the time of year for salads. As the weather heats up and up, no one wants to heat their house by cooking or baking. Salads are cooling and can be embellished by wild plants and flowers growing in your backyard like dandelion, red clover, even day lilies.

Here are some Birch Center suggestions for making a great salad. And make sure to read our homemade delicious salad dressing ideas!

For your salad:

• Start with your favorite salad greens, like Romaine lettuce, green bib, or whatever lettuce is in season or you love.

• Add darker greens (you can chop these up small at first) like spinach, kale, collards or chard.

• If you can identify wild plants like chickweed, dandelion, clover, lambsquarters or purslane, grab those. (For more information on using and identifying wild plants, visit Food Under Foot.)

• See what you have in your garden: lemon balm, mint, greens, radishes, Jerusalem artichokes etc.

• What's in the fridge or pantry? You can chop cucumber, tomatoes, grate carrots or beets, even sweet potatoes can be grated raw onto salad.

• Nuts and seeds add protein and give you a more satisfied feeling: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans.

• How about edible flowers: nasturtium, dandelion, clover, day lily petals, kale flowers (last year's kale is currently flowering in our garden!)

Salads are the perfect way to get vitamins, minerals, enzymes and all sorts of vital energy into your life. They give us energy, leave us feeling light yet satisfied, clear complexion, strengthen teeth and nails, help heal your body.

The cooling energy of salad helps offset "hot" conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, headaches, overheating, hot flashes, feeling hot due to pregnancy, obesity, and many other conditions. This is definitely the time of year to start incorporating fresh salads into your lifestyle if you haven't already.

 In health,

David and Melissa Sokulski, L.Acs.

Seasons Are Changing, Spring Is On Its Way

In Chinese Medicine, spring is associated with the wood element. In our bodies the wood element relates to the liver and gallbladder. This is the season that if our liver is strained or out of balance, we may experience symptoms related to the liver:

• anger
• headaches
• dizziness
• aches and pains
• digestive complaints
• menstrual complaints
• insomnia
• depression
• mood swings
• jaundice
• hepatitis
• a feeling of "stuck-ness", not moving forward with life goals
• a groggy feeling in the morning

Acupuncture at the Birch Center is a wonderful way to balance the liver energy. There are powerful points such as Liver 3 on the foot and Liver 8 near the knee which move and smooth the energy of the body. Gall bladder points on the back of the head and neck can ease headaches and help us sleep more soundly.

There is also a wonderful point combination: Liver 3 on the foot and Large Instestine 4 on the hand, which when paired are called The Four Gates. This treatment gently yet powerfully allows the energy in the entire body to flow freely.

At the Birch Center we carry Chinese herbal formulas such as Xiao Yao San (Rambling Powder) which help move liver energy, easing menstrual complaints as well as elevating the mood. Western herbs such as dandelion, burdock, milk thistle and motherwort can also work on balancing the liver and often grow wild all around the United States. 
The spring has a lot of wonderful energy too: growth, green-ness, creativity, movement!

Spring is an excellent time to come in for acupuncture. Acupuncture helps keeps us strong and balanced, especially during the change of seasons when we are most vulnerable to finding ourselves off balance, run down, and coming down with something. 

In fact, I have heard the Stomach Flu is going around again. If you haven't seen it, check out What to Do if the Stomach Bug Gets You, which I wrote this past winter for ways to speed recovery from the stomach bug.

In health and joy,

David and Melissa Sokulski

Licensed Acupuncturists


Read these articles by Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac. in Natural News for more information:

• Cinnamon, Ginger, and Onions Strongly Protect Us From Cold and Flu

• Easy To Make Fermented Vegetables Boost Immunity and Improve Health 

• Rejuvenate Your Liver This Spring With Dandelions

5 Flavor Coleslaw

This delicious coleslaw is a great way to end cravings and balance health and emotions by balancing all five flavors (bitter, sweet, pungent/spicy, salty and sour) in your diet. Certainly you don't always have to eat a balance of flavors in every single dish, but here is one that balances all five flavors beautifully (especially with the apples added at the end!)

The dressing was made in the vitamix:

• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (sour)
• 2 Tbsp gluten-free tamari (salty)
• 1 Tbsp brown or deli style mustard (pungent, salty, bitter)
• 1/2 inch nub of ginger (pungent)
• 2 small cloves garlic (pungent)
• handful raw cashews (sweet)
• mustard (pungent, sour)
• water (enough to cover cashews, you can adjust water depending on how thick or thin you'd like the dressing.)

The salad consisted of:

• cabbage (bitter, pungent, sweet)
• beets (bitter, sweet)
• carrots (sweet)

Sliced apples (sweet) were added at the end.

Delicious!

In Health and Wellness,
~ Melissa and Dave Sokulski
Licensed Acupuncturists


Read these articles by Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac. in Natural News for more information:

• Cinnamon, Ginger, and Onions Strongly Protect Us From Cold and Flu

• Easy To Make Fermented Vegetables Boost Immunity and Improve Health 

• Keep Kidneys Strong All Winter Long With Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Rejuvenate Your Liver This Spring With Dandelions

Detox With Ear Acupuncture And Herbal Tea

In Chinese medicine, ear detox treatment consists of five points, which balance and support detox organs and systems of detox. We needle shen men, which balances the nervous system, sympathetic point, which balances the endocrine system, and then the 3 organs of detoxification; lungs, liver and kidneys.

These points can help when the body is detoxing from anything physical to emotional. These points are used in hospital detox clinics as part of the support for people detoxing from drugs and alcohol. They can also be used when people are detoxing from sugar, caffeine, nicotine, wheat, dairy, or even unhealthy relationships, lifestyle choices, or toxic thoughts and self-talk. Needling these points bring immediate and lasting balance and relief.

Another way to support the body with detox is with herbal tea. We can choose herbs which mirror and support the points and organ systems chosen:

• oatstraw for the nervous system
• cleavers for men and red raspberry leaves for women, to support the endocrine system
• nettles to support the kidneys
• dandelion to support liver
• mullein to support lungs

We can choose one at a time, mix and match, and add things like lemon balm, spearmint and peppermint for flavor.

Many of these plants can be found right outside most people's doors. They can be harvested, dried and stored to have available year round. We have a sister website, Food Under Foot, filled with information, pictures, videos and recipes for identifying and using wild plants. Cleavers, nettles, dandelions and mullein are easy spring weeds to find.

Be well,
~ Melissa and David Sokulski
Acupuncturists

Read these articles by Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac. in Natural News for more information:

• Safe Nutritious Purslane Proves To Be As Powerful As Western Drugs

• Wild Burdock Root Cleanses Blood, Clears Acne and Speeds Weight Loss

• Rejuvenate Your Liver This Spring With Dandelions 

Feel The Qi: Laser Acupuncture Great For Children and Others

In the ancient Chinese texts that both the Chinese and Japanese use as the basis for acupuncture, there is the directive to needle until qi is felt. Interestingly, there is no pronoun as to who is to feel the qi: the practitioner or the patient.

The Chinese have interpreted this text to have the patient feel the qi, and is why the practitioner may manipulate the needle asking the patient to let her or him know when a sensation is felt: a pulling, heaviness, tingling, ache, whatever the sensation may be (qi is felt differently at different points, and differently by different people.) The Japanese have interpreted so that the practitioner feels the qi, which has led to different styles of technique.

In general, Japanese needles tend to be inserted much more shallowly and the patient may not feel them at all. The practitioners develop strong sensitivities in their fingertips, feeling for subtle energy. In fact, a tradition of blind acupuncturists has grown in Japan, where their fingers are so sensitive they often don't even insert the needles into the skin to feel the qi, and changes in the body's energy. An entire style of Japanese acupuncture, Toyahari, has grown from this style.

We are able to see is that as long as the acupuncture point is stimulated with intention, change can be affected in the body. Inserting needles may not be necessary to affect this change. In fact, moxibustion, or burning an herb over specific points, is also enough to cause desired effects in the body.

Laser acupuncture, or stimulating points with lasers, has also proven to be a successful way to affect change and treat disease and conditions. In Germany, a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial showed that laser acupuncture was extremely effective in treating children with headaches and migraines. There have been many other studies, too, exploring the use of laser acupuncture on children and adults with all sorts of conditions, including carpal tunnel disease, paralysis after stroke, pain relief and headaches. Laser acupuncture is also useful and effective for treating pets, especially animals like birds and cats, who will not stay still for needles (dogs usually love the needles, and relax right away.)

After taking a pet acupuncture class,  we bought a laser used for these acupuncture treatments, and we use it at the Birch Center today. We use it mostly for young children who are afraid to have needles. Severe fear of needles can be counter-productive to treatments, if fear is strong enough it can cause qi to become scattered. We have also used it on adult clients who are afraid of needles (though every single one of those people have gotten over their needle-phobia once they saw the needles and have gone on to needle treatments), people with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia where needles seemed too fatiguing.

Laser treatments take less time than regular acupuncture treatments., The points are stimulated but obviously no needles are left in while the client relaxes on the table, which is common for regular treatments. After the intake, pulse and tongue examination, the acupuncture points are stimulated with the laser (which the patient does not feel at all), Depending on the reason for the treatment and client, adjunct treatments such as moxa or cupping may be employed just as in a regular acupuncture treatment.

Stay healthy,
~ Melissa and Dave


Read these articles by Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac. in Natural News for more information:

• Traditional Chinese Medicine Eases People Into Spring Without Allergies
  

• Sinus Issues Respond Powerfully to Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Rejuvenate Your Liver This Spring With Dandelions 

• Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine Effectively Treat Insomnia

Turning a Breech Baby with Acupuncture and Moxibustion

Many people may not know this, but acupuncture is quite successful in turning breech babies!

American Studies have shown 60-70% success rate, while Chinese studies put the success rate at 80-90%. And the treatment is comfortable and easy: just heating the outside of the (mother's) little toe with moxabustion.

A moxa pole is a cigar-shaped stick made from the Chinese Herb Ai Ye, commonly known as mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris. A Chinese species of Artemesia - similar to vulgaris - is also commonly used.) The moxa is held over a point at the end of the Bladder meridian, heating and stimulating the point.

Like most acupuncturists who use moxabustion to turn breech babies, at the Birch Center we often combine this treatment with acupuncture (though it can be done alone.) The acupuncture treatment helps relax and balance the energy in the body and is helpful at any stage in pregnancy. Often the mom reports feeling the baby become very active right away or later that day. We send her home with a moxa pole and diagram of just how to do the treatment, and let her spouse or friend continue the treatment until the baby has turned (usually to be checked by midwife or doctor.)

The treatment is most effective done at the end of the pregnancy: after 36 weeks. This is so that once the baby turns it has less chance of turning back around.


Stay Healthy,
~ Melissa and David
Acupuncturists

Read these articles by Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac. in Natural News for more information:

• Breastfeeding Protects The Hearts of Mothers

• Rejuvenate Your Liver This Spring With Dandelions 

• Acupuncture Treats Peripheral Neuropathy

(above photo credit: pexels.com, free stock photos)

Heart Healthy Sweet Treats with Nuts and Dates

Chocolate treats don't have to be bad for you. And if you don't like cocoa/cacao, simply leave it out...these treats are no worse for it! (In fact, they taste even sweeter, because the cacao adds a bitterness that is eliminated when it is.)

They don't have to be hard to make, either. These took a few minutes (literally!) and no cooking or baking was involved.

 I took heart healthy whole ingredients: walnuts, cashews and dates, blended them in a food processor, and molded them into hearts with cookie molds. You could also simply roll them in balls. They store well in the refrigerator and will be gone before you know it!

 Walnuts are full of omega 3 fatty acids (like those in salmon and flax), anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories. Walnuts are protective against metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular problems, and type 2 diabetes. Cashews are good for the heart, good for the teeth, and eating whole raw nuts can actually aid in weight loss. Dates are an incredibly sweet whole fruit that easily takes the place of any added sugar, honey or syrup in any recipe. Dates contain fiber, nourish the muscles by containing high amounts of calcium, iron, and magnesium (among many other minerals and vitamins.) Dates are great for the intestines, preventing constipation while also protecting against diarrhea (high potassium content.)

Heart Healthy Sweet Treats:

•  1/2 cup raw walnuts
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup medjool dates, pitted
• 2 Tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, or *raw cacao (optional)
• pinch sea salt
• pinch pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves)

Blend in food processor. Mold into shape or roll into balls. Eat immediately or refrigerate to preserve.

Looking at our 5 taste chart, we can see this is a balanced food that will satisfy and reduce cravings.

The sweetness is produced by the dates, cashews and coconut.
Bitter is provided by walnuts and cacao (or cocoa.)
Sour is given by walnuts.
Salty: I added a pinch of sea salt.
Pungent: I added some pumpkin pie spice, which has ginger and cinnamon.


Love to all,
~ Melissa and Dave


Read these articles by Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac. in Natural News for more information:

• Cinnamon, Ginger, and Onions Strongly Protect Us From Cold and Flu

• Keep Kidneys Strong All Winter Long With Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Rejuvenate Your Liver This Spring With Dandelions 

Happy Valentine's Day, Here's To Your Heart

Happy Valentine's Day!

Perhaps with a nod to St. Valentine's Day, February has become American Heart Month, in honor of the health of our hearts.

There has been a lot of research about what is healthy for our hearts. Many arrows point to the incredible benefits of a plant-based diet. There are books such as The China Study, and movies like Forks Over Knives (watch for free on hulu with commercials, or if you have netflix without commercials) which highlight the correlation between heart disease and a diet high in animal products such as dairy (milk and cheese), eggs and meat.

Below is a CNN documentary, The Last Heart Attack, by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, MD featuring former President Bill Clinton. It is worth a watch.




Here at the Birch Center we advocate plant-based diets. We find that they allow people to feel lighter, happier, more energetic and healthy. We offer great recipes on this blog, but also on our sister blog Food Under Foot, which incorporates super wild foods into recipes.

We hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day. Do something special for your heart today! For more information or to set up an appointment you can give us a call: (412) 381-0116.

Love to all,
~ Melissa and Dave Sokulski


Read these articles by Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac. in Natural News for more information:

• Keep Your Heart Healthy and Strong with Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Breastfeeding Protects the Hearts of Mothers

Balance Emotions End Cravings With Five Tastes

In Chinese medicine, there are five elements - fire, earth, metal, water, wood - which correspond to organ systems, emotions, tastes, color, seasons, and many more attributes.

Often, when we experience cravings, it is because we are not eating a balance of all 5 tastes. In our culture, we tend to stick with sweet, salty and sour, ignoring bitter and pungent/spicy almost completely. (Incidentally, the amount of wild greens that fell into the sour category was huge!)

Check out the chart below and see if you can add more balance to your menu. You will feel more satisfied and widen your range of nutrients. The balance and health of your emotions, organs and whole body is effected by the foods we eat.

Taste	Element	Emotion	Organs	Food	Wild food
Bitter	Fire	Joy, lack of joy	Heart/small intestine	Lettuce, endive, kale, green tea	Dandelion, chicory, broad dock greens
Sweet	Earth	Compassion, worry	Spleen/stomach	Grains, spinach, squash, fruit	Lambs quarters leaves and seeds, nettles, chickweed
Pungent/spicy	Metal	Sorrow, letting go	Lungs/Lg. Intestine	Onion, garlic, arugula	Garlic mustard, onion grass, ramps
Salty	Water	Fear, wisdom, will power	Kidney/Bladder	Sea salt, seaweed, soy/tofu, swiss chard	Wild orach, plantain leaves, seaweed
Sour	Wood	Anger, creativity, growth	Liver/gall bladder	Fermented foods, cheese, collard greens	Yellow dock leaves, Japanese knotweed shoots, staghorn sumac, sheep sorrel, wood sorrel

Love to all,
~ Melissa and Dave


Read these articles by Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac. in Natural News for more information:

• Cinnamon, Ginger, and Onions Strongly Protect Us From Cold and Flu

• Easy To Make Fermented Vegetables Boost Immunity and Improve Health 

• Keep Kidneys Strong All Winter Long With Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Rejuvenate Your Liver This Spring With Dandelions

Acupuncture, Herbs, And Tea to Treat Colds and Flu

photo: Wikimedia Commons

According to Chinese Medicine, when we catch a cold or the flu, an external pathogen has entered the body, like a foreign invader entering a country. We must mount our own defense and try to push them back out. The symptoms we feel: aches, headache, stuffy nose, sore throat - are evidence of the battle going on.

Acupuncture treatment helps in two ways:

1. It strengthens the body to help it mount the immune response
2. It helps to release the pathogen.

Instead of using the terms bacteria or virus, in Chinese Medicine we use the terms: Wind, Cold, and Heat. Usually Wind-cold enters the body, causing the classic cold and flu symptoms: headache, runny nose, aches, fatigue. If it turns to heat in the body, you will feel a sore throat and may have more of a fever as well. We use special herbal formulas depending on the symptoms: classically Yin Qiao for the Wind-Heat type, and Pe Min Gan Wan for the Wind Cold. If the symptoms linger in the sinuses or a sinus infection is present, we may also use Bi Yan Wan. These formulas are groups of many herbs which are specific to those symptoms.

At the Birch Center, during acupuncture we tend to use points such as:

• Spleen 6 and Stomach 36 (on the lower legs) to support the energy, giving strength to the body to be able to fight the infection
• Large Intestine 4, (on the hand) especially if headache is present
• Triple Warmer 5 (on the forearm), to help release the pathogen, especially useful if there is fever alternating with chills
• Lung 7, (wrist) to stimulate the "Protective Qi" of the body, which is controlled by the Lungs
• Large Intestine 11 (forearm, near elbow crease) which is an immune point
• We may use points on the head and face, especially if headache or sinus symptoms are present
• Gall Bladder 20 (where the back of the head meets the neck) to release the external pathogen
• Bladder 12 and 13: to clear sinuses, and stimulate the Lung energy
• Bladder 20: to help support the body's energy and digestion

We also frequently use a technique called sliding cups along the Bladder meridians of the back. This gentle treatment feels great, and also powerfully released Wind (Cold or Heat) that is trapped in the body, especially causing achiness and other symptoms.

Things you can do at home include:

• using plenty of garlic, onions and ginger
• making a tea by simmering pieces of fresh ginger and cinnamon sticks (you can add honey before drinking. Recipe below.)

All the above foods and spices are also considered herbs in Chinese medicine. They help release Wind and Cold from the body. They are also slightly warming, and the ginger cinnamon tea is great this time of year!

Ginger Cinnamon Tea

Fresh Ginger
Dried Cinnamon Sticks

• Cut 3-5 slices from the ginger and put in pot with 4 cups of water.
• Add a cinnamon stick and bring to boil.
• Turn heat down and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Pour liquid into a mug, add honey to taste and enjoy.

*If you like a stronger tasting tea, add more ginger and/or cinnamon, or simmer longer.

Love to all,
~ Melissa and Dave


Read these articles by Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac. in Natural News for more information:

• Cinnamon, Ginger, and Onions Strongly Protect Us From Cold and Flu
• Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Protect Us From Colds and Flu
• Keep Kidneys Strong All Winter Long With Traditional Chinese Medicine

2013 Is The Year Of The Snake

Picture from Wikimedia Commons

  Gung Hay Fat Choy!

According to the lunar Chinese calendar, February 10, 2013 begins the Year of the Snake.

Snakes are powerful totems. They represent transformation and healing. Creative forces are awakening this year. You may notice your intuition sharpening.

Famous people born in the year of the snake are Bob Dylan, Greta Garbo, Brad Pitt, Brooke Shields, Oprah Winfrey and Virginia Woolf. Snake years include 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, and of course 2013.

Caduceus picture, Wiki Commons

Snakes represent wholeness and infinity. You will find the snake a powerful symbol in mythology. The two intertwining snakes - caduceus - is a symbol of modern medicine, but the caduceus was also used in ancient Greece as a symbol of Hermes (as readers of  Percy Jackson will know: they were named Martha and George). They are also symbols relating to the gods/goddesses Isis, Hera and Athena. The most famous Gorgon, Medusa, had snakes for hair. Snakes are strong symbols which can evoke power as well as fear.

We hope you have a wonderful year full of healing, power, intuition and creativity. This is the year to shed your skin and transform, becoming ever closer to your true essence with each shedding.

Happy New Year, Gung Hay Fat Choy!

~ David and Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac.

Chronic Back Pain Gone! - Thanks to Dave at Birch Center

 Dear Birch Center,

I want to let everyone know how much David Sokulski of the Birch Center helped me with my chronic back pain. In fact, it is still unbelievable to me that it is completely gone.

I have been living with back pain most of my life. I am 44 years old now. It began when I was a gymnast in high school with a pinch in my low back. In college my first episode hit when I could not stand up straight or put weight on one leg because of intense pain. I went to the doctor and he said it was a herniated disc in between my sacral and lumbar vertebrae, and he wanted to operate immediately. I was terribly afraid to do this so I convinced my parents to wait. Meanwhile, the doctor gave me muscle relaxants which I took, and it felt better enough for me to play frisbee (I know, maybe not the smartest thing!), but after that the pain did not come back to that degree and surgery was off the table, thank goodness.

Throughout the years it would be better and worse. I am athletic - running, walking, swimming, yoga, and I was able to manage even with the constant sharp low back pain. I find when I cut out gluten and dairy the pain almost goes away completely, but I have let dairy back into my diet and recently the pain returned so severely I was again at the point of not being able to stand, walk, function in my daily activities. I was feeling depressed and frustrated. I was seeing a massage therapist and going to yoga. The yoga helped me through the day, yet every morning it was back worse than the day before. The massage felt great but truthfully, it hurt so badly right afterwards from laying on the table it was hard to get up and function afterward until I had stretched quite a bit. I was convinced it was my mattress.

I have had success with acupuncture for other things before but really didn't think it could possibly help (especially since I had convinced myself nothing would change until I got a new mattress, changed my diet and lost weight, all of which I have not.) However I was desperate and I gave it a try.

David put some needles into my low back/sacral area right where the pain was. I didn't even feel the needles, they are so tiny. I had to show him where the pain was and he just tapped them in. He added a couple needles to my ankle and low leg (only one leg because of how I had to lay on the table...on my side.) He simply left the needles in for half an hour and did nothing else. When he took the needles out I was shocked - I cannot express how shocked I was - the pain was gone.

The next morning I stretched and rolled in bed and cringed with fear, afraid the pain would return (this was my worst point of the day), but it didn't. Over the next couple days I noticed my depression lifting - I hadn't really connected it to my back pain but living with constant pain for so long must really take a toll. For a few days I was entirely pain free.

Then one morning I felt it return slightly as I moved around in my bed - oh no! I called Dave immediately and had another treatment. I was so scared it wouldn't work again, but it did. I got off the table totally pain free and the pain has not returned. I am still eating dairy (which I know I shouldn't, but I just want to say that I didn't get rid of this trigger) and am still on the same old mattress. I didn't think I could go skiing this year with the pain (I was unable to sled with my daughter earlier this winter), but I went cross country skiing the other day with no pain and have a day planned to go downhill.

My fear is leaving, my outlook is up, and I just feel so much better overall than I have in years. I wanted to write this and asked Dave to share it with others. I am telling everyone I know about him. Thank you so much!

~ H.C. from Pittsburgh, PA

Birch Center note:

In Chinese Medicine low back pain is often associated with Kidney energy needing to be supported. The Kidney relates to the water element, and kidney problems often increase in the winter. Other symptoms which may be associated with weakened kidney energy are:

• dental cavities
• infertility
• back pain
• knee pain
• weak bones/osteoporosis
• fear
• lack of will
• growth issues
• developmental delays
• neurological issues

Any time of year is appropriate for treatment, especially as symptoms occur. When we have symptoms associated with the water element (winter), winter is a particularly powerful and effective time to receive treatment.


We hope you are enjoying your winter! The ground hog didn't see his shadow today, so spring is surely on the way!! ;-)

~ David and Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac.