Late Summer: The Fifth Season

Late Summer, the fifth season in Chinese Medicine, is upon us and with that an opportunity to recenter. This fifth season begins the third week of August and runs through the fall equinox. It is, in essence, the shift between the fullness of the summer and the beginning of autumn. You may already feel the transition from the long, carefree days of summer to a more inward, quiet energy drawing you back to routine and regularity. Although this is a short season, it can be marked with intense transformation in nature and within yourself.

Late Summer season relates to the Spleen organ system and the Earth element. According to Chinese Medicine, the power of the spleen is responsible for overall digestive health and overall energy. It is also in charge of making our body's qi and blood, which are the vital substances needed to stay healthy. When Spleen and Stomach are strong and in balance, we would expect a healthy and regular digestion, strong immune defenses, good energy, relaxed mood, and well-developed or defined muscles. When the spleen is weak, it creates dampness in the body that can create symptoms such as; feeling heavy, fatigue, weight gain, worry, overthinking, loose stools and IBS and low immune system functioning.

Living in harmony with the Late Summer season will help boost vitality of the Spleen/Stomach:

Back to Routine: Late Summer calls us back to a sense of routine and regularity. Establishing a sense of structure and schedule with our lifestyle habits and our meals will help support us this season.

Warm it Up: If you’ve been living off of salads and smoothies all summer long, now is a great time to start adding some cooked food. Our Spleen/Stomach prefer cooked, warm foods and regular meals. Increase your Spleen Qi with foods like lentils, quinoa, sweet potatoes, yams and carrots.

Decrease Worry: Work on your state of worry and anxiety by introducing habits like meditation, journaling or mindfulness exercises. Acupuncture can help support your emotional state and and help you cope with over-thinking, fretting and constant worry. By balancing your Spleen/Stomach this season, you’ll notice these emotional symptoms subsiding.

Get Outside: Late Summer season is the Earth element so get out and connect with the Earth. Take time in nature, walk barefoot in your backyard, take a trail walk or perhaps a quiet day at the beach. Whatever makes your heart happy - get outside and do that.

Acupuncture: This season is a great time to check in with your acupuncturist and have a seasonal ‘tune up’. A few Acupuncture treatments can help support your Spleen and Stomach to ensure you stay in balance during this transitional season and set up for a healthy winter ahead.

Acupressure Spleen 9: When you can’t get in for your Acupuncture treatment, a quick at-home point is Spleen 9. Run your finger up the inside of your leg, and you will find a dip as the tibia bone begins to flare out. This can be quite a tender point, so gently massage it using different depths to find what feels good for you.

Wishing you a beautiful, balanced Late Summer season. We are here to support you through it all.

Is Your Lymphatic System "Clogged"?

One of the essential systems for clearing wastes and maintaining healthy circulation is the lymphatic system. When the lymph flow becomes stagnant and congested, wastes and toxins begin to build up. This can lead to weak immunity and a wide variety of health issues such as:

• Soreness/stiffness in joints and muscles

• Frequent headaches

• Bloating and Digestive Issues

• Chronic Fatigue and Stress

• Skin issues

• Swelling

• Allergies

• Brain Fog

We have double the lymph fluid compared to blood. The heart pumps our blood, but the lymph does not move on its own, relying on exercise and manual movement. 

Get the system moving:

Manual Lymphatic Drainage is a systemic, rhythmic method of purposefully stretching the skin to move the lymphatic fluid towards clusters of lymph nodes, which in turn, promotes lymphatic drainage. It calms the inflammatory response and supports the body’s own mechanism to detoxify. Moving your lymphatic system can help aid in detoxification, reduce swelling, bloating, relieve sinus pressure and reenergize you. It is also an incredible boost to your immune system and can help ward off viruses and bacteria by helping the lymphocytes better perform their job. 

Manual Lymphatic Drainage is highly recommended for anyone looking to support they body’s detoxification system with:

• Allergy season

• Migraines

• Stress

• Excessive fatigue

• Anyone undergoing oncology treatment

• Anyone who has just undergone a surgical procedure such as; liposuction, tummy tuck, facelifts or any other medical or cosmetic surgery.

While one session will leave you feeling great, a few sessions may be recommended for best results.

Book a Manual Lymphatic Drainage session on Wednesdays, Fridays, + Saturdays.

Staying Balanced in Summer

On June 21st, we celebrated summer solstice, the longest day of the year and the official start of the summer season. According to Chinese Medicine, summer is the season when our Yang energy is peaking. It is a season filled with abundant energy, long days and sunshine and fosters expansion, growth, activity, and creativity.

This season is also associated with the fire element which governs joy, enthusiasm, and vitality and the heart organ, which is responsible for maintaining internal peace and harmony. In this summer season, it’s essential to shift our lifestyle and dietary habits to maintain balance. When our fire element is out of balance we may experience symptoms of irritability, rashes or skin eruptions, hyperactivity, restless sleep, excessive perspiration, and/or heartburn. When the fire element is balanced, your mind is calm, your sleep is sound, and your heart is healthy.

Tips to Stay Balanced This Summer Season:

• Rest: One of the key components to staying balanced especially through the summer months is to 'take it easy' and 'stop and smell the roses'. Take a nap, lie in the shade with a book or swing in the (shaded) hammock. Whatever it is – make sure you enjoy part of your day doing nothing. As summer is a season for play, make sure to create time each day to destress and rest.

• Stay Hydrated: Drink cooling (not iced) beverages such as coconut water, cucumber juice, watermelon juice. Add a pinch of sea salt or electrolytes to your water. Make cooling, peppermint, iced tea (without the ice).

• Happy Heart: Focus on keeping your heart harmonious by letting go of anger or resentments. Cultivate more JOY and happiness by doing the things you love. Surround yourself with people who make you laugh and your heart happy.

• Cooling Foods: Summer is the season to enjoy some cooling foods that have cooling properties, are nutrient dense and off-set the summer heat. It is a good time to avoid hot, spicy food and enjoy some raw foods and cooling fruits.

• Sync Your Sleep: Take advantage of the long days by rising early, staying up late and resting in the afternoon. This practice will help keep balance within your circadian rhythm and ensure you can enjoy the myriad of benefits of taking in the morning sun.

• Take Time For YOU: With the busyness of the summer season, it’s important to carve out your own time for self-care. Stay committed to your own downtime - an appointment at TB, some time reading, a solo walk on the beach, a 10 minute meditation. Whatever you need to recharge your batteries - don’t forget to prioritize it in the midst of all the fun.

Get to know the woman behind TB

Therapeutic bodywork founder, beth warner

When did you open Therapeutic Bodywork? 

I took my first massage client in this building, upstairs on June 8th, 2004. Really hard to believe that I’ve been in this very building for 19 years. That wasn’t exactly the plan, but it turned out better than I imagined. 

Why did you want to open a wellness center?

Well, the short answer is that I grew up ‘holistically’. My mom sought other ways to help us with our health - mostly treating us through dietary changes - less sugar, cutting out gluten, etc. That seems status quo these days, but this was in the late 80’s/90’s so it was a bit unconventional. I’m forever grateful to her for teaching me at such a young age how food can affect our health. That awareness had a profound shift on my health and has stayed a constant in my life. I always wanted to open others up to that idea - to empower them to take control of their health. That a pill isn’t always necessary and certainly isn’t the only way. It’s been amazing to see how this understanding has grown since the 80s. My entire IG feed is FULL of people practicing medicine this way - I LOVE IT! 

How has TB changed over the years? 

Someone once told me that running a business is like flying a plane. The plane takes off and then you have to learn how to fly the plane. Somehow this plane hasn’t reached altitude yet - I feel like we’re still climbing and I’m like ‘let’s hit cruise control’ - haha. 

I think the biggest shift I’ve seen is that in 2004 some of my clients were referring to their massage as their ‘luxury’ or ‘a treat’. When we expanded in 2016 and diversified into the Wellness Center, I wasn’t sure if the cape was ready for it. Acupuncture, CranioSacral - I didn’t know if we were maybe a little too in front of the curve, so to speak. 

But I would say over these last 7 years not only has the community completely embraced us, they really understand us and value us. When we reopened after covid, those first few summer months I would overhear clients say ‘I go to the grocery store and I come here.’ I was always like - ‘whoa, first of all what a complete honor that we had earned that kind of trust’. But also - ‘whoa, something has changed’. What we're doing here is really understood and prioritized. That feels different - and really good. 

What is your favorite part of running TB? 

Oh, so many things. I’m grateful to work with an incredible group of women each day. That can never be taken for granted. We work closely together, so of course there are bumps, but at the end of the day we are all here for one another and have moved through so much together. Particularly the group that went through those early days of covid with me - I mean, we didn’t know the answers to any of the questions, but we navigated with love, respect and deep trust and that formed a profound bond. 

Our wellness community is incredible and some of our clients have been here since I opened in 2004. They’ve gone on to fall in love with other practitioners, try other modalities, but they’re still here and that makes me so happy. I want to make t-shirts that say “TB OG” - they were my ‘originals’ and are still fixtures here. 

And of course, just hearing the stories of how TB has helped someone through a tough time, or with a particular health challenge. Those stories are a constant reminder of why I started and the reason that I keep going - even through the hardest of days.

What’s your favorite service to have?

I don’t think I’m shy about telling everyone how much I love reflexology. It never ceases to amaze me how profoundly effective it is. Everything is better after a reflexology session - my digestion, my sleep, my body just feels lighter. And there is nothing that puts me into such deep relaxation as a reflexology session. I’m forever grateful to Michelle Becz for starting the program here and really introducing me to the benefits of reflexology. Michelle moved back to CT in 2020, but continues to train and mentor all of our Reflexologists.

I’ve also been going to seeing an acupuncturist since I was in my early twenties, so I’d say Acupuncture has been a constant in my wellness regime for decades. Chinese Medicine is where it’s at for me - they treat the root cause and imbalances in the body, not the symptoms. Our patients are often getting the results they’ve been seeking for years. And we are consistently hearing that their doctors referred them - how exciting. Integrative is the future of medicine. It just is. 

What are your go-to products in the wellness shop? 

Oh, gosh - so many. There are several products that are in here because I’ve had incredible experiences with them over the years and needed to share them with the masses.

But, I have a few that I cannot live without - my Nasya Oil. I swear once you try it, you’ll be hooked. It just helps clear my sinuses, makes me feel more alert. I use it every morning faithfully. 

Sweet Dreams Magnesium Cream is my other favorite. I never really had problems with sleep, but since using the sweet dreams, my sleep is just deeper and I wake up feeling more rested. I think I have everyone I know and love using it. We all need more magnesium. 

Kind of random, but the Yoga Toes are my other must have. I don’t know if my feet aren’t aging well, or if this is happening to everyone after living in sneakers/shoes for all these years, but I use these as I’m relaxing, watching TV at night. I always describe them as using a retainer for your feet. You know that feeling? When you put in an old retainer after your teeth have shifted and it almost hurts so good? The Yoga Toes allow my feet to stretch out and realign after being in shoes all day. You’ve got to try them. I have so many friends who are going to laugh when they read this because I’ve been pushing these things on them for years. 

And, of course anything Cosmedix - I’ve seen such an improvement in my skin since I faithfully started using these products. The Revert has been a new favorite. I have noticed such brightening of my skin since I started using it.

Love Your Liver

Spring is in full swing bringing new life, new beginnings and new energies. In Chinese Medicine, spring is the season associated with the liver and a very important time to keep your liver in balance.

Your liver is commonly referred to as the ‘general’ of the body having more than 500 functions. According to TCM, it is the organ that governs a woman’s health more than any other organ. Everything we eat and drink is filtered by the liver including medications and drugs. It is always working hard to get rid of what we don’t need and is responsible for the smooth flow of “qi,” blood, and emotions.

When the Liver is out of balance it may show up in symptoms such as; headaches, frustration, anger, depression, digestive disorders, menstrual disorders, teeth grinding and high blood pressure, to name a few. If you are waking up between 1am and 3am and have an overall feeling of being ‘stuck’ in your life, your liver is probably in need of a little attention. With simple lifestyle adjustments, we can harmonize our liver and ensure we are living in sync with nature, which will allow our own health to thrive.

Keep the Liver happy this Spring season:

• Move: The Liver needs movement and so do you; take walks in nature, dance, do yoga - whatever makes you happy and keeps you moving.

• Castor Oil Packs: One of the best ways to detoxify your liver is using a Castor Oil Pack. The essential fatty acids in the castor oil encourage removal of toxins. *Packs available for purchase in the Wellness Shop

• Practice Forgiveness: Old resentments and grudges can do damage to Liver energy. The more we practice forgiveness, the happier the Liver is.

• Spring Clean: Purge your closets, organize some drawers and give your space a good spring cleaning.

• Eat Clean and Green: Cleanse the Liver with leafy greens and begin eliminating foods that stress the Liver such as fried, sugary or processed foods. Remember even little adjustments can help create big shifts.

• Warm, Lemon Water: Keep the Liver flushed by starting your day with warm mug of lemon water. This will help the Liver eliminate any toxins you’ve released during your sleep and help nourish the Liver.

• Take Baths: Enjoy warm baths filled with Epsom salts to help rid your body of toxins and support your Liver.

• Acupuncture + Herbs: Your Acupuncture sessions and specific recommended herbs can help support your liver health an any emotions associated with the Liver Qi disharmony; stress, anger, frustration.