Birch Center 2017 Review

It was so nice seeing you at the Birch Center in 2017!

Birch Center acupuncturist David Sokulski continued seeing acupuncture clients both at our South Side office and in his new location in Gibsonia, at St. Barnabas Health Center (open to the public.)

It's fun to sit down together and review our year, highlighting some of the top moments. I hope you take the time to do it for your year as well! Here are some of this year's highlights we came up with:

1. At the beginning of 2017, Dave and I went to Pittsburgh's Fermentation Festival at Spirit in Lawrenceville, where we took a workshop on making no knead sourdough bread, and hung out with friend Jenneta from Prescription Foods. We were inspired to bake delicious sourdough bread, make our own sauerkraut and kimchi, and brew bubbly kombucha throughout the year. Yum...and so good for you!

2. Spring arrived and Frick Park's Earth Day Celebration moved back to Beechwood Blvd for the unveiling of the NEW Environmental Center! It was an exciting day, and we found lots and lots of wild edibles, including dandelion, clover, burdock, chickweed, cleavers, violet, and so many more!

3. Birch Center acupuncturist Melissa Sokulski spent a weekend in June at the Satchidananda Ashram - Yogaville - meditating, writing, doing yoga, and nourishing herself with healthy, delicious, vegetarian food.

4. Birch Center acupuncturist David Sokulski continued providing acupuncture at Three Rivers Free Clinic for the People, which was mostly held at the Union Project the first Wednesday of each month, though sometimes the location moved around a bit.

5. David also had lots of speaking appearances and offered acupuncture demonstrations this year to people as diverse as Fed Ex employees to Duquesne nursing students.

6. In September we traveled west, and we harvested and enjoyed fresh prickly pear fruit for the first time in Sedona, AZ! Yum!

7. We tried lots of vegan restaurants all around the country, from Maryland to Ohio to Nevada to Arizona! Some of the highlights were:

• Glory Doughnuts in Frederick, MD
• Loving Hut, Columbus, OH
• Loving Hut, Cincinnati, OH
• Banana Leaf in Columbus, OH
• Vegenation, Las Vegas, NV
• Panchos Vegan Tacos, Las Vegas, NV
• Whyld Ass in Flagstaff, AZ

And in Pittsburgh we tried some new vegan restaurants as well:

• Onion Maiden 
• B52
• Apteka

And our tried and true favorite brunch spot:

• Zenith Tea Room

8. We were written about in newsletters and websites around Pittsburgh including St. Barnabas's Health Network and South Side Slopes summer newsletter (scroll to page 5 to find us!)

That's about it! We have big plans for 2018, including a YouTube channel promoting health and wellness. We hope you'll stay tuned.

Stay healthy this winter! 

Happy Holidays!

~ David and Melissa Sokulski
acupuncturists


photo credits: 
kombucha - pexels.com (free stock photos)
LOTUS (Light Of The Universal Shrine) Temple in Yogaville - Sokulski, 2017
prickly pear - Sokulski, 2017
vegan breakfast at Glory Doughnuts - Sokulski, 2017

Read About The Birch Center in South Side Slopes Newsletter!

Not only is the Birch Center located in Pittsburgh's beautiful south side, acupuncturists and owners David and Melissa Sokulski also live in the south side, right up the hill!

This summer, the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association's newsletter featured a story on the Sokulski family and the Birch Center, and you can read about it in the newsletter (scroll down to page five!)

And if clicking links is not your thing, I'll paste the article below:

Slopes residents, state-licensed acupuncturists, and husband and wife team David and Melissa Sokulski have been treating patients for conditions ranging from high blood pressure to depression in their East Carson Street health center, The Birch Center, since 2005. Time-tested for thousands of years, acupuncture is known around the world for its safety and effectiveness. Not only can treatment help balance the body's energy, allowing one to heal from pain and illness, but acupuncture can also be used to help prevent disease and optimize health and vitality.

David and Melissa treat people from all walks of life and all ages, including professional athletes, dancers, and musicians. They bring a wealth of knowledge to their clients and are also experts in wild edibles, leading walks throughout the city. Melissa recently won a grant from the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council for writing, and she writes The Birch Center blog as well as monthly newsletters which help people lead healthy lives. David treats people at the office most weekdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and can answer any questions or to schedule an appointment.