acufunkture

[acufunkture]

Thank you to all the awesome ladies who nerded out with me on skincare! I couldn’t have asked for a warmer, more enthusiastic group! What a way to close out 2017. Looking forward to manifesting many more successful workshops in 2018! I hope you’ll join us in the new year! @definelivinghouston _ #Guasha #Skincare #DEFINEworkshops #FunkGuaShaMethod (at Define living)

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RADIO INTERVIEW on MON at 1:36PM // Hey Friends! I’ll be chatting with All Business Media FM about Facial Rejuvenation w Acupuncture, my business and what I’m doing at @definelivinghouston! Catch it LIVE (http://www.allbusinessmediafm.com/studio2) and check back for the archive link :)

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NEW CLASS ALERT // QIGONG & MEDITATION THURS 11AM _ I’m very excited to introduce Qigong & Meditation to a whole new audience in #Houston!  If you’re free on Thursdays at 11am, please come join me at @definelivinghouston for a introductory Qigong & Meditation class. (See Below for Class Description & Instructor Bio). DEFINE living is Houston’s premier meditation & wellness studio complete with a tea bar (YAY!) and community area (Come hang out and chat!). The space is absolutely gorgeous! I hope you’ll stop by and practice with me 🙏🏼💙✨ _ Class Description: Qigong (prounouced “Chee-Gong”) is an ancient Chinese system of energy cultivation. It can be described as a moving meditation that syncs breath with continuous, flowing movements. This is a low impact practice designed to help decompress and deeply relax while boosting your energy. You will leave this class buzzing! _ Instructor Bio: Kathleen is a 4th generation traditional Filipino healer and a Licensed Acupuncturist & Herbalist that practices out of her Houston-based private practice, Acufunkture. Currently, she is finishing her Doctorate in Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine with a specialization in Gynecology. She has guest lectured at Baylor University and Dell Medical School at UT and has taught mind-body classes at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Kathleen has been a student of martial arts, meditation and energetics for over 20 years. She loves teaching mindfulness classes that help people tap into their innate healing potential. _ #houstonevents

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Tea of the Day // Ya Bao _ Ya Bao, which means “Bud Treasure” is made entirely from hand-picked buds from a wild-growing tea tree.  Ya Bao are a rare and small batch tea as the buds have to be picked sparingly and respectfully to ensure that the tree continues to thrive.  This particular variety is found on Nannuo Mountain. _ The flavor is sweet, fresh and herbaceous. On the initial steep, the water is near clear yet tastes particularly aromatic. _ Wild tea has a special place in my heart because of its strong Shen.  The effect on qi is strong and immediate. This is one of the best teas to get “Tea Drunk” on! Drinking Ya Bao has a cooling effect and drinking it regularly helps to lower the blood pressure. _ Tea from @westchinatea. _ #tea #teatime #meditationmonday #gongfucha

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How to Balance your Metal Element Pt. 2 Change up your routine- Take stock of what no longer works for you and add something different. Stop and Smell the Roses - Keep fragrant flowers around your home or use therapeutic scents that enliven you and encourage you to breathe deeply Dry Brushing - Full body exfoliation and lymph massage can help to slough off the dead skin and get things moving Acupuncture - Lung /Large Intestine Tonification and working with the Po to encourage the “coming and going of the essence”. Energy Work - Need help identifying where you are stuck? Energy work can help to identify and unblock these areas to allow flow and make space for energies beneficial to your growth. Meditation - Set intentions for letting go and allowing space for things that nourish your soul. Qigong- Daoyin specifically for lungs/metal. Pranayama - yogic breathing practices, specifically ones that work with the first and second chakra.  Also, any which help with detox and elimination.

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How to Balance Your Metal Element Pt. 1 The Autumnal Equinox ushers in the Season of Metal in Chinese Medicine (CM) . Metal corresponds to two organs in the CM system: the Lungs and the Large Intestine. As with each of the main organs in CM, there is a corresponding emotion and virtue. Metal corresponds to Grief and Integrity/ “Appreciation of preciousness”. The essential psycho-emotional character of this element is a “coming and going”. Like the Lungs, it’s taking things in and exhaling to allow fresh, nourishing breath to enter again.  Like the Large Intestine, it’s the absorption of nutrients, moisture and an evacuation of toxins and waste. Emotionally speaking, the Autumn season is taking stock of the things that nourish you and letting go of all the metaphorical and literal sh*t in your life; It’s allowing things to arise and gently letting go. When we experience loss and cannot process letting go, we experience grief.  Yet if we are able to appreciate the preciousness of what was lost, we can create space for something new. Common Physical Symptoms of Disordered Metal: Asthma, allergies, stress-related skin problems, bowel disturbances, restlessness, chronic tension and pain, unexpressed embodied emotional issues. Emotional/Spiritual Symptoms of Disordered Metal: obsessions, anxieties, depression, a vague feeling that something isn’t right, but no clear sense of why, extreme sensitivity to outer influences on a psychic or even wei-qi level (ex: other people’s negativity “gets in” without awareness), “Stuck Destiny”: being unable to move on in life; repetitive karmic cycles typically indicating that one is unable to process and move on.

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Looking out at the future atop Longjjng Tea Fields near Hangzhou // #TBT 4.5yrs ago when I had just passed my board exams and Acufunkture Clinic was merely a dream. I knew that I would eventually want my own clinic, but I didn't think I'd start one up on my own so soon after graduating. Standing on that summit, I had so many dreams and aspirations for a practice. I can honestly say that it all turned out better than I could have imagined. Starting my own business and practice took everything I had and it was worth every ounce of effort. I'm proud to have co-created a space in which people can come to heal and reconnect with themselves. This hurricane experience is a reminder that everyday that I get to do what I love in a space I love with people I love is an absolute blessing. I can't wait to get back to work! ❤️ #WorkLove #Acupuncturist #Herbalist #Healer

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In Daoist texts, caves are often represented as a symbol of the womb; a representation of feminine (Yin) Energy.  They are quiet, cold, dark, damp, deep,  etc. - all physical manifestations of Yin Energy.  They are particularly useful for cultivating Yin in Daoist internal alchemy.  Numerous Daoist and Chinese folktales allude to caves as being a passageway between the world and the spiritual underworld.  Chinese folktales tell of hermits entering caves to visit other spiritual beings. The ancient Daoists would descend into caves to cultivate and reemerge with new insights.  In a sense, they would enter a cave to gestate and be spiritually reborn into the world. _ These caverns are the very manifestation of Utmost Yin Transforming to Yang. 800ft deep underground, yet this majestically decorated cavern resembled a cathedral more than the dark and dreary caves we know. Stalagmites formed by gently dripping water towered 60 feet over our heads.  Seemingly hard rock looked like subtle billowing curtains. Even in all this darkness these massive, powerful structures were able to grow.  From the Yin emerged Yang. _ “All things carry Yin yet embrace Yang. They blend their life breaths in order to produce harmony. “ _ #naturephotography #photography (at Carlsbad Caverns National Park)

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WHILE THE CLINIC IS BEING REPAIRED // I'm finding some peace and recharge in nature. #ThanksHarvey #nature #naturephotography (at Guadalupe Peak)

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Hello Friends, Thank you so much to those who have reached out to share their blessings and condolences. As you may have heard in the news, Hurricane Harvey has been hammering Houston these past few days. We have experienced the “greatest flood in the history of the United States”. My fiance, Alan, and I packed up our cat and drove to El Paso as soon as we saw the forecast models for the storm.  Thank God we got out when we did. We’re hiding out high and dry in the desert of El Paso with my family.  Unfortunately, my clinic, Acufunkture, is now under several feet of water and is only accessible by boat.  Needless to say, it will be a while before business will be up and running again. I am heartbroken, but hopeful. I’m sure that I will continue to process these emotions in the coming days.  I hope to one day understand the lessons hidden in these losses.  I don’t know what the next steps are yet. I do know that above all, I am blessed to be safe and surrounded by the people I love. Kathleen (at Houston, Texas)

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SOLAR ECLIPSE ENERGETICS // Some old school classical med tips for solar eclipses warn pregnant women from going outside while sunlight is obscured and businesses should close. Daoist practices say to avoid practicing qigong, having sexual intercourse or performing strong energetic practices (like Astral Projection). Deep meditations should be avoided unless you are experienced as all of these lead to Qi deviations if practiced during the eclipse. • • Although I haven't found a definitive answer about what exactly happens (according to Qi Theory) during a Solar Eclipse, I have been contemplating the Yang aspect of the 🌞 and the Yin Aspect of the 🌚. Energetically, I believe it is the manifestation of Yin holding Yang or Yin obscuring Yang. It's a time when our inner world bubbles up to consciousness. All that is repressed in our collective unconscious is bursting into our conscious lives. (See: the News). These are our latent emotions front and center. Like most things we keep hidden, it is ugly and difficult to process, but it's still a part of us. How can we reconcile and integrate this? • • My suggestion: Take a few minutes of silence today and pay attention to what comes up for you. Each eclipse has massive amounts of manifestation energy. Use whatever insights come up to propel you to the next phase- whatever that may be. I'd love to hear your feedback about your insights and experience during this solar eclipse! #chinesemedicine #traditionalchinesemedicine #qigong #taiji #meditation #reiki #prana #qi #energetics #alchemy #inspiration #eclipse2017 #solareclipse #fengshui #classicalmedicine #health #wellbeing #holistic #neigong #dragon #sun #sf #sfacupuncture #sfsoma #houston #htx #houstonacupuncture (at Houston, Texas)

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Repost from @rit.kit.tattoo // I'm obsessed with this woman's work! i love how organic and harmonious her pieces look. I have some traditional herbs in mind for this style :) 🌿🌿🌿 (at Kyiv, Ukraine)

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The true spiritual cultivation test- How long you can you spend time with your family without reverting back to your acquired habits and negative thought patterns? ••• Making & Honoring Boundaries :: This formula assists our awareness of how to make and honor healthy boundaries: to be able to interact with others without becoming enmeshed with their perceptions of who we are; to be able to give others the information they need to respect and honor us; and to facilitate removing the walls of alienation. // Inner Mother :: is excellent for activating and deepening our inner sense of "mother", the receptive, caring and nurturing aspects of ourselves. It enhances feelings of basic security... when we cultivate a healthy relationship with our inner mother, we learn how to care for our physical needs.

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Morning Rituals // Filling my cup to share // I start my day with my daily practice. My AM practice is usually a combination of meditation, prayer, yoga and qigong. It helps wake me up and energizes me. Most importantly, it centers me and sets the pace for the rest of my day. Through my practice I'm able to bring the subtle things that guide me to the forefront. Am I acting out of Love or fear? Am I trusting or anxious? Where in my body am I holding these tensions and emotions? 🌺🌺🌺I'd love to hear about your morning rituals. What modalities or practices do you incorporate? #acupuncture #acupuncturist #herbalist #herbs #skincare #cosmeticacupuncture #facialrejuvenation #antiaging #natural #beauty #skin #tcm #traditionalchinesemedicine #classicalchinesemedicine #orientalmedicine #meditation #mindfulness #gratitude #sunset #nofilter #houston #htx #houstontexas #texas #houstonacupuncture

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As I was contemplating on gratitude, I felt the details of counting each thing fade away. What I found was a sensation that was immense and humbling. At the core of it, I felt in awe of the unconditional Love that is available to all of us even in our most difficult moments. Looking up, I witnessed a beautiful display of sunset and birds... also noting that this may be the longest stop light I've ever experienced, lol. I'm grateful for the time to pause and appreciate the grandeur of this moment. I hope you are spending the holiday with people who love and appreciate you. Thank you for connecting with me and for sharing your moments with me. #gratitude #everyday #acupuncture #acupuncturist #herbalist #herbs #skincare #cosmeticacupuncture #facialrejuvenation #antiaging #natural #beauty #skin #tcm #traditionalchinesemedicine #classicalchinesemedicine #orientalmedicine #meditation #mindfulness #gratitude #sunset #nofilter #houston #htx #houstontexas #texas #houstonacupuncture (at The Galleria)

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I met up with Ervina Wu of @5yina past weekend. What cool girl!! One of my favorite things about travel is the ability to connect with like minded individuals who inspire you to cultivate and grow your individual practice. Seriously, it feels so deeply nourishing to meet with other practitioners who are blazing trails, living their passion and are flourishing in their space. It was so lovely to meet you, Ervina 💙✨ (at Samovar Tea Lounge)

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Acupuncturist by Day // Tech Advisor by Night When I'm not working and traveling for my practice, Acufunkture, I help advise start ups with my fiancé. This weekend I'm at the Intel Extreme Masters in Oakland with our start up, @node.pro . If you're at all interested in gaming and esports please check out our IG where I share backstage access pics/vids and updates on our tech. 🕹🕹🕹 (at Oracle Arena and Oakland Alameda County Coliseum)