My Approach: |
I see everything as interconnected. |
Pillar #2: Body-Centered Medicine
Another core aspect of my approach is what I refer to as “body-centered medicine,” which means I treat the body in order to affect the whole being.
This method is based on the fact that our body holds our history. It is also rooted in the idea that we all possess the innate ability to heal. Working with the body creates a powerful healing effect across all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Another core aspect of my approach is what I refer to as “body-centered medicine,” which means I treat the body in order to affect the whole being.
This method is based on the fact that our body holds our history. It is also rooted in the idea that we all possess the innate ability to heal. Working with the body creates a powerful healing effect across all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
In order to access our own healing potential, we must restore harmony to imbalanced systems in the body and mind. |
Pillar #3: Treating the Root Cause
Why is working with the body so powerful when it comes to balancing emotions and healing past trauma? It treats the roots of emotional experience.
A primary condition we treat through the lens of TCM is called stagnation. Stagnation implies there is some sort of holding pattern that is creating a lack of movement, which then creates an array of symptoms (from pain to anxiety to fatigue and so on). Without healthy movement and flow in our bodies or minds, disease and bothersome symptoms arise.
In the case of trauma, an experience or event sends a shockwave through our entire system that has lasting effects of stagnation. We can become "stuck" or stagnated in the experience- physically, mentally and emotionally. But here's the amazing part... we can treat the roots of trauma and anxiety by unlocking these stuck places in the body.
Why is working with the body so powerful when it comes to balancing emotions and healing past trauma? It treats the roots of emotional experience.
A primary condition we treat through the lens of TCM is called stagnation. Stagnation implies there is some sort of holding pattern that is creating a lack of movement, which then creates an array of symptoms (from pain to anxiety to fatigue and so on). Without healthy movement and flow in our bodies or minds, disease and bothersome symptoms arise.
In the case of trauma, an experience or event sends a shockwave through our entire system that has lasting effects of stagnation. We can become "stuck" or stagnated in the experience- physically, mentally and emotionally. But here's the amazing part... we can treat the roots of trauma and anxiety by unlocking these stuck places in the body.
This means that the effects of traumatic experiences that have become stuck in a holding pattern in our body and minds finally have the opportunity to be set free. |
Releasing past trauma means just that-
We let it move through us, and then we let it go.
We let it move through us, and then we let it go.
Check out the final article in this series which will offer guidance on this process of letting go of past traumatic experiences. When you begin to reconnect with yourself, you will learn how to move past fear and into your own power.
Interested in working with Cailin?
Schedule a complimentary consultation.
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The Body is Our Story-Teller
by Cailin O'Hara, MAcOM, LAc, Dipl OM
“…our bodies are the agents by which we exist in the world. They are also the receptacles of memories that, often vanished from our conscious awareness, are still deeply etched within our being. When those memories are triggered, we experience suffering at a highly existential level that transcends consciousness.”
Anyone that experiences anxiety, flashbacks or panic will tell you that their feelings are not only in their minds but also in their bodies.
A rapid heart rate, sweats, shakes, sensations of numbness or feeling like you're not actually in your body are all examples of this. When we experience any kind of trauma, whether it be shock, grief, abuse or a physical event (like a car accident), this creates a shock to our physical system. This abrupt stop can create holding patterns and stagnation in the body.
In effect, we hold our experiences in our being.
"Trauma victims cannot recover until they become familiar with and befriend the sensations in their bodies."
-Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD
I would argue that Chinese medicine is a somatic approach to healing on all levels- mind, body and spirit. The wisdom of this medicine transcends the study and compartmentalization of symptoms alone. Chinese medicine is holistic in the truest sense. It follows the laws of nature and takes everything into account- physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
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My Approach:
"Body-Centered Medicine"
"Body-Centered Medicine"
I refer the to the work that I do as “body-centered medicine,” which means that I engage and harmonize the body in order to heal the whole being. I consider the body to be our greatest story-teller. It holds our stories and experiences. It tells of the past in how it moves and functions. I can perceive small imbalances in areas of the body that speak to deeper root causes. It can be an ache in the back that is actually more connected to a person’s stress at work. It can be a sensation of numbness that a person experiences that is actually a remnant of past trauma. It can be as obvious as arthritis that has set in deep within an ankle that was broken decades ago.
| On every level, our body tells our story. When you don’t honor the power and innate intelligence of the body, you’re missing the point in providing medicine. |
...
In the medicine I practice, it’s the smallest adjustments that can make the greatest impacts. A subtle shift in posture lights up the mind-body connection and sends a ripple effect across all systems. Through literally and physically coming into alignment, everything has the potential to shift for the better. And the body is incredibly intelligent! It wants to be harmonious and well. It works tirelessly to achieve that state 100% of the time. Our symptoms, in fact, are often signs that our bodies are trying their very best to heal whatever imbalance exists.
The Present Moment:
The Only Place You Can Heal
The Only Place You Can Heal
When you work with the body, you come into the present moment. And it is here in this very moment that all the power to change and heal exists. When you stay lost in mental stories about why something is happening or how it happened and neglect to dial into the here and now and how it’s manifesting, change is less likely to occur.
Connecting with the body in order to heal the whole person has proven in my practice to be a deeply transformative way of healing.... |
If I’m working with someone and they tell me they have “anxiety,” I ask them what that means to them and where they feel it in their bodies. I ask them to describe where it sits within them, how it moves, if it has a color. This is a powerful way to connect to emotions and feelings. It helps the person feeling them to become more of an observer of their experience instead of getting overwhelmed by it. More so, it brings them into the present moment, quiets their racing mind, and provides essential clues about where their feelings are affecting their physiology and physical body. I then use this to inform my diagnosis and treatment.
Have you tried to work through your anxiety or past traumatic experiences only to feel more anxious, triggered or retraumatized?
I understand how that feels. I know how frustrating and overwhelming the process of healing can be when you can’t find your way through your pain or symptoms. But I have also learned one of the most effective and powerful ways to treat the spectrum of anxiety, panic, grief and PTSD.
Stay tuned for the next article in the series where I will offer a more in-depth look at my experience, my approach and how I can help you.
...
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Embracing the Dark
by Cailin O'Hara, MAcOM, LAc, Dipl OM
We all have seasons of our lives. We all experience ups and downs.
In the practice and scope of Chinese medicine, winter is the time of utmost yin. What is yin? Yin is darkness, consolidation, stillness. In winter, we descend into darkness, literally. The nights grow longer and there is less light. The temperatures drop. When it’s cold and dark, we naturally slow down. Our bodies want to rest. We crave rich foods to help us stay nourished and warm. This is the natural order of things.
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What does it mean to be in your winter?
Our winters are the periods of our lives when we feel the need to pull away, turn inward, retreat and stay quiet. It could be a time of grief or sadness. It could be a period of reflection and a need to collect ourselves. Regardless, it’s a very natural process of being human. We have seasons in our lives. They can last hours or days, months or even years. Sometimes we are on an upswing; sometimes we’re at a low point.
It’s normal to experience ups and downs, highs and lows. Our resistance to the changing tides of our lives or feelings can create more problems for us and keep us stuck in the dark.
It’s normal to experience ups and downs, highs and lows. Our resistance to the changing tides of our lives or feelings can create more problems for us and keep us stuck in the dark.
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How to Embrace Your Winter
It’s easy to embrace feeling happy and excited. It can be incredibly difficult to embrace what doesn’t feel good… fatigue or illness, shock or grief, anxiety or loneliness, loss or heartbreak. These are our winters. These experiences ask us to look within, to slow down, to sit with ourselves, to retreat. Most of all, they are times when we need ourselves most. We need our own support. We need to be on our team and nurture ourselves through the darker times we face. After our winters, we have the potential to be reborn. We can reemerge with new insight, compassion and self-love. We can feel renewed in a way that only our dark times could have provided. Consider that upswing as your personal shift from winter to spring.
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When You Willingly Enter the Dark
How can you abide and sit with yourself through your winter? How can you willingly enter the dark?
1) Know that it’s just you that you will find
The darkness is a place where we can meet the sunken, hidden and rejected aspects of ourselves. They are essentially our emotional wounds, the negative stories we’ve been told, the dysfunctional patterns we repeat in our lives. But these are also the places where we can heal the most. The sad, hurting parts of you are simply the places within you that you’re not acknowledging or honoring. Acknowledgement is the first step toward healing. We can infuse the dark with the light of our compassion and awareness, thereby creating an opportunity for things to change.
2) Seek someone to help you go on your journey inward
Find someone that you connect with, that helps you to feel empowered. Read books that inspire you on the topics you’re struggling to explore. Get whatever help you need, and assemble your support network. Some books you might want to check out are The Places that Scare You by Pema Chodron and Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach.
3) Accept how you feel
We create so much of our own pain by neglecting our feelings. If you feel anxious or angry, you may not want to look at it. You may shove it away; you may become resentful; you may get even more upset with yourself for having negative feelings. All of that is a recipe for harder days ahead. If you sit down and say to yourself, “What is it that I need? What am I feeling? How can I support myself?” then you’ve made a massive internal shift. We often don’t provide ourselves the space, safety and self-compassion to experience our feelings. Accept how you feel, and watch how everything improves.
4) Accept your life
Here’s the even harder part. This is a key aspect of mindfulness training. Instead of labeling the experiences of your life as “good” or “bad” and allowing what’s happening to dictate how you feel, you instead practice allowing life to happen without so much judgment. This is an art, but its payoff is a much more harmonious existence. When you dive into your winter and harder times, you can accept that winter is just a natural and important tide of life.
As you allow yourself to enter your winters, you will come to find that they will eventually lead you into the light, beauty and rebirth of a new season of spring.
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Interested in working with Cailin?
Exploring the Connectedness of the Body
At Sun Tree Healing Arts, we refer to our medicine as“body-centered medicine.” It means that we treat the body in order to affect the entire being. Acupuncture, cupping and massage are some treatments that offer this benefit. But how does it work?
It works through the interconnectedness of the body.
The reality is that every aspect of you is interrelated. So, through using a system of medicine that works specifically with the body (i.e. acupuncture), we can affect all levels of physiology- from cellular to muscular to hormonal to emotional and so on. Plus, treatments like acupuncture have one MAJOR benefit: it generally doesn’t have any unwanted side-effects.
Sounds too good to be true, I know.
It works through the interconnectedness of the body.
The reality is that every aspect of you is interrelated. So, through using a system of medicine that works specifically with the body (i.e. acupuncture), we can affect all levels of physiology- from cellular to muscular to hormonal to emotional and so on. Plus, treatments like acupuncture have one MAJOR benefit: it generally doesn’t have any unwanted side-effects.
Sounds too good to be true, I know.
Good Enough to be True
I was very unwell when I eventually tried acupuncture. I had no Western medical options left, but I didn’t stop searching for answers. That being said, I was HIGHLY skeptical of acupuncture.
I thought, “how can something so simple actually help me if everything else I’ve tried hasn’t?”
I had tried it all- medications, expensive imaging, thousands of dollars’ worth of supplements, and more. Even then, it took me nearly a year of being persuaded by a friend to finally try acupuncture.
After my first treatment, I got off of the table feeling different in a way I couldn't explain. I also started feeling better. Since then, acupuncture and Chinese medicine have improved my health in countless ways.
Good Enough to be True
I was very unwell when I eventually tried acupuncture. I had no Western medical options left, but I didn’t stop searching for answers. That being said, I was HIGHLY skeptical of acupuncture.
I thought, “how can something so simple actually help me if everything else I’ve tried hasn’t?”
I had tried it all- medications, expensive imaging, thousands of dollars’ worth of supplements, and more. Even then, it took me nearly a year of being persuaded by a friend to finally try acupuncture.
After my first treatment, I got off of the table feeling different in a way I couldn't explain. I also started feeling better. Since then, acupuncture and Chinese medicine have improved my health in countless ways.
Interconnectedness 101
Let’s take a look at these two images below. In Chinese medicine, they are referred to as “sinew channels.” They are related to other terms you may have heard of: acupuncture channels, meridians, or pathways.
 Copyright Peter Deadman from A Manual of Acupuncture |  Copyright Peter Deadman from A Manual of Acupuncture |
Neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain and sciatica are linked to these channels. You can see why, right?
Here's one really cool feature about working with these channels: since everything is connected, you don't have to treat the area of pain directly! In fact, some of the best places to treat back pain or sciatica aren’t located anywhere near the back. Acupuncture points in the lower legs and feet successfully treat many types of pain.
Here's one really cool feature about working with these channels: since everything is connected, you don't have to treat the area of pain directly! In fact, some of the best places to treat back pain or sciatica aren’t located anywhere near the back. Acupuncture points in the lower legs and feet successfully treat many types of pain.
It’s Not Just About Physical Pain
One big misconception about treatments like acupuncture, cupping and massage is that they only treat physical or musculoskeletal pain. While they are effective treatments for pain, they can treat infinitely more conditions than you probably realize- anxiety, insomnia, allergies, IBS, PMS and sexual dysfunction, to name a few. There are many more pathways in the body than the ones in the images above, and they are linked to all facets of our physiology like: heart and lung function, gastrointestinal health, and brain chemistry. Much of the research around acupuncture explores these connections. Explore the web and you'll find countless studies!
Stay tuned for explanations that explore healing the emotions with body-centered medicine.
-Cailin O’Hara, MAcOM, LAc, Dipl OM
Flowing Freely Again
Photo: Cailin O'Hara
We have all experienced pain. Nearly everyone is in some kind of pain at some time... and for some of us, it just won't stop. Today we will look at one very important principle in working with our pain. This key to working with and healing our pain comes from Chinese medicine (think acupuncture and herbal medicine), what I study and practice in my clinic. There is a reason why you keep hearing or reading about acupuncture in the news and how it helps people in pain. It does! But pain doesn't just mean physical pain... we are talking pain on every level.
But how? And why? Big questions! But first…
Let’s talk about pain.
Pain is a Signal
What kind of pain do you feel?
What is it? Where do you feel it? It is from an old injury? Is it new? It is in your stomach? Your chest? Is it a result of emotions? Past abuse? Does it keep you up at night? Does it distract you from your work? Interfere with your relationships? Is it sharp or dull? Does it come and go?
Pain is an alarm alerting us that something isn’t right in some way. That sounds simple, but think about it. Pain is a signal. It is what we do with that signal that makes all the difference in our experience of our pain. And let’s be real- what we really want to do is END it, make it stop once and for all! But for those of us who have experienced pain, which I imagine is everyone, we have learned that there aren’t many quick fixes to make pain stop immediately and for good. So what can we do for ourselves? What are our options?
Pay Attention to Your Pain
First of all, we have to dial into the pain signal, really pay attention to it, and figure out what it needs in order to make it stop. Not all pain is the same, so it shouldn’t be treated in the same way. If you bang your knee on your dresser in the middle of the night, that feels a lot different than if your back aches from working long days lifting boxes, which also feels a lot different than the hurt we feel when someone betrays us. Each of these scenarios is an experience of pain, but they are vastly different, and should be treated differently. Makes sense, right?
Once we figure out the type of pain we are experiencing, we are better able to address it. This is one reason why using Chinese medicine, acupuncture and herbal medicine can be so beneficial. The treatments for pain are not one size fits all. The treatments depend entirely on what kind of pain you’re experiencing.
Why Pain Happens
The key when working with pain is to remember this: you hurt because something is blocked. Blood, circulation, hormone production, feelings, thoughts- something isn’t moving freely. Where things once flowed freely, there is now a blockage. It could be physical, like an injury to your shoulder that causes pain. It could be emotional, like persistent anxiety after a stressful experience (PTSD is an example). The idea is that something happened, some kind of impact, and where that impact occurred is where things have stopped moving properly. In Chinese medicine, we refer to this as “stagnation.” And stagnation (of many varieties) is the most commonly diagnosed condition in Chinese medicine.
So how do you treat it?
Flowing Freely Again
We have to restore movement where movement is blocked in order for pain to fade. How do we get things moving? One of the powerful effects of acupuncture is its ability to help restore flow and balance in the body. For instance, your chronic neck ache can be alleviated with acupuncture because it helps to clear up the stiffness and congestion that are causing your neck to hurt. Your grief that sits in your chest and weighs you down can be alleviated with acupuncture because it helps to move what has become stuck.
Pain makes us feel stuck, like we can’t move freely, like we can’t live our lives in the ways that we want. It feels like our pain is holding us back. THAT is stagnation. We have all felt it in some way, probably many ways and many times. When it doesn’t go away on its own, when we can’t un-stick ourselves, that’s when the power of Chinese medicine can really come to our aid and help us flow freely again.
Feel free to email us with questions or comments. And stay tuned for part two!
-Cailin O’Hara, MAcOM, LAc, Dipl OM
The Best Road to Take
I have a great respect and an abundance of gratitude for Western medicine. I grew up in a family of nurses, and I worked in the veterinary field (including emergency medicine) for 6 years. I even considered a career as a nurse practitioner before I decided on Chinese medicine. The life-saving capabilities and the incredible advancements in Western medicine and its technologies are often nothing short of miraculous. More than likely, we all know someone who survived an illness or injury through the use of Western medicine. I surely have, and I surely do. I think it's not so much about Western vs. Eastern medicines... it's more knowing the best road to take and when to take it. In fact, these very different medical approaches can work best when they are used together. Teamwork... it makes things better. Go figure. :)
So...what is the Chinese medicine approach about?
Getting to the Roots
Chinese medicine works with “roots” and “branches,” like that of a tree. Symptoms are like the branches- they are what you can most easily see/experience (for example, headaches). What we work toward treating in Chinese medicine is the main cause of the symptoms- these are the roots. We, of course, address the branches/symptoms, but if we don't get to the roots, the problem will mostly likely not resolve.
So, let's take a look at the tree. Why are the leaves discolored? Why is the bark spotted? Why won't it grow? There is something wrong. We can remove the leaves, or perhaps spray the bark with chemicals in the spotted areas, but will that solve the problem? What about the environment that the tree is growing in? What about the soil that the tree is rooted in and pulling its nutrients from? What about the tree's early years… what was happening as it was growing in the environment around it? Were there droughts or floods?
More than Meets the Eye
While this is a simplistic model, it is an easy way of describing how holistic medicine views well-being: there is more than meets the eye, and everything is connected. It requires critical thinking by analyzing groups of symptoms, not isolating one symptom and treating it solely. For instance, if you have dry eyes, you can apply eye drops every day. Your eyes will always be dry without them. The drops don’t correct the problem that’s causing the dryness, they simply add moisture.
Let's use dryness as an example. In Chinese medicine, we are most concerned with what is causing the symptom of dryness (the branches, so to speak). Often, we find other similar symptoms in the body- perhaps your skin or hair is dry, too; perhaps you experience photophobia (sensitivity to light); perhaps you have trouble sleeping at night; perhaps you suffer from constipation or acid reflux; perhaps you have trouble concentrating. We take what may seem like unrelated aspects of your physiology, overall health and even mood, and we group them together through a complex, centuries-old system of diagnosis (Chinese medical theory). From there, we can work toward treating the root cause of the symptom(s).
The Big Picture of You
So, we would help to resolve the dryness in your eyes, for example, but do so through treating a much larger scope of your health and well-being. With treatment, you may then also notice improvements in sleep, digestion, concentration, energy, and the like. This is because we are integrated beings. All aspects of our being are connected. Our mental health affects our entire health. Our digestive health affects our entire health. Even our physical pain is connected to all of this. So, through investigating all body systems, Chinese medicine enables a practitioner to see the big picture of you, the patient, and put it all together to provide treatment that works.
This is why I practice (and love/revere/am constantly amazed by) Chinese medicine-
it works. It allows me to utilize both ancient and modern medicine to truly help other people heal… and heal deeply. I'm the kind of person that needs answers. I don't like when I can't tell a story about why something is happening in regard to health. If we can't put things in context, we can’t find meaning in them. So, why does something hurt? Why does something not work properly? I can often find the answers through the medicine that I practice. Even better, I can then utilize safe, effective, gentle and enduring treatments that work. As a career, a passion, and a life-long commitment, Chinese medicine has been one of my greatest blessings, and I am privileged and honored to share it with you.
-Cailin O'Hara, MAcOM, LAc, Dipl OM
Sun Tree Healing Arts, LLC
Author
Dr. Cailin O'Hara, DACM, Dipl OM, LAc, is a nationally board certified Doctor of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, intuitive and coach. She is based in Phoenix, AZ, and works with clients worldwide.
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