Happy Chinese New Year from M & R Acupuncture!

Chinese New Year is celebrated on the second new moon each year after the winter solstice. This Chinese lunar year, we are entering the time of the fire monkey.

The monkey is a very important figure in Chinese mythology. He is featured as the Monkey King in many folk stories and is mostly known as being brave, ingenious and resourceful while also being erratic, irrepressible and selfish.

What does this mean for you? This year it is important to correlate your own Chinese astrological sign with the nature of the monkey. Overall it is important to see yourself as a brave monkey hero that is relentless during adversity.

Below is a link for a well-researched article on how each Chinese astrological sign interacts with the year of the fire monkey:

Year of the Fire Monkey

Originally published February 9, 2016.

Stay rooted this new year with M & R Acupuncture!

With the new year comes the opportunity to set goals and intentions. This is a time to embrace change and to make improvements in areas of your life that need a little extra attention. Clear intention is a very powerful thing, and we at M & R Acupuncture believe than when the mind is backed by will, even the loftiest of goals can be achieved.

Here are some of our personal goals and intentions to stay rooted in the New Year...

1. Daily Meditation - every morning, before starting the day, we want to take 10 minutes to sit and meditate in a calm envieronment. Ten minutes each day can provide a feeling of confidence and stillness that can help to establish a manageable rhythm for the day ahead.

2. Exercise - even a short walk can do the trick, making you feel more centered and providing an opportunity to gather your thoughts, work through stressful situations, and release some tension. Our goal is to exercise at least five times a week!

3. Limit Cell Phone Use - we realized that it has become commonplace to play on our cell phones and browse the internet during down time, but what good comes from this habit? None that we can think of. We want to limit our cell phone use to communication and connecting with people, not for killing time.

4. Smile - it is often said, "smile at life, and life will smile back at you," and we believe this is true. Maintaining a positive outlook and being frateful for all the good in your life, despite the bad, attracts more positivity and good fortune. Remember to be kind to yourself and others, and extend a smile in the New Year!

Originally published January 1, 2016.