January 28 is the anniversary of a day that would forever change the course of my life.

The events of this day impacted how and why I practice energy medicine today. Through these events so very long ago, I learned that each one of us holds a powerful wisdom that can be harnessed to heal from within. Because of this incident, I have dedicated my energy to becoming a guide and now hold space for seekers on their own healing journey.

The year was 1967, I was thirteen years old. This photograph was taken shortly after my extended stay in the hospital. More about that later.

My newly divorced mother, Doris, my younger brother, Mark, and I had just moved to the west coast. I had left my hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, kicking, screaming, and crying to arrive in this very strange town called Sacramento, California.

I was the new kid on the block with a southern drawl and polite ways. I said, ‘yes mam’ and ‘no sir.’ The teachers loved me. To my classmates I was a novelty. They asked me if I ever went to school or even wore shoes where I had come from way down south in Tennessee.

This amused me, as I felt superior to them all. Of course, I wore shoes. I wore ballet slippers and floated above the rest of them. I was a graceful, dainty ballet dancer. At the age of five, I enrolled in a ballet class at the Jessie Whaley school of dance, where I felt truly myself. As a child I knew that dance was my way to soar and to find pure joy. My dream was always to be a dancer.

After moving to California, I quickly found a dance studio in our new hometown and biked to classes daily. Life is beautiful at the ballet. Dance class served as refuge from my chaotic home life as a child and now as a young girl of thirteen.

On that fateful day, January 28, 1967, I was five months into my freshmen year at Mira Loma High School. I remember it was a half day at school and we were released at lunchtime. I made an impulsive decision to go for a ride with my friend and her boyfriend in his car. We ended up at a house where kids were hanging out and smoking pot.

I knew I needed to leave immediately, since my dictator mom would kill me if she ever found out that I attended this gathering and did not walk straight home from school. Indeed, there would be hell to pay if I did not get home asap.

Curt Silvia, an eighteen-year-old boy who had completed early graduation from our high school that very day, was kind enough to offer to take me home. We barely knew each other, simply in hallway passing, and only because we both attended the same high school.

His mode of transportation was a small motorcycle. This was my first time ever on a motorcycle and I was a little nervous. We were only fifteen minutes from my home, and he was driving down familiar neighborhood streets well under the twenty-five-mile-per-hour speed limit.

The next thing I recall is that we were lying on the pavement. I remember the school nurse beside me, an ambulance with its lights flashing, and confusion all around us. On the ambulance ride to the hospital, I kept trying to talk to Curt, but he did not answer me.

I later found out that a drunk driver had not seen us coming, and being impaired, turned right in front of us. Curt had crashed into her windshield. The impact tossed me into the air, and I then landed on the pavement, headfirst. No, we were not wearing helmets.

I lay wide awake in the intensive care unit for a number of nights, in a bit of fog yet completely calm in that surreal hospital room setting. There was relentless pain to endure. But through it all, I was able to tap into a deep internal knowledge that somehow, I would survive this horrible accident.

There was a parade of ‘dark cloud’ doctors reporting that I would lose my right eye, suffer permanent brain damage, and there would be probable kidney failure. I was told that I would never dance again.

This was when I stopped listening to all the negative predictions of disastrous health outcomes. In my mind, my life was only just beginning. I knew that I would dance again. I knew that I would heal completely.

The doctors’ negative prognoses were not going to stop me from pursuing my dreams.

Our ability to heal is a miracle. I knew at this youthful age. We can heal ourselves.
Yes, at times intervention is needed, but ultimately, we heal ourselves.

Weeks after the accident, I learned that Curt never regained consciousness. I was in disbelief that he was gone before we arrived at the emergency room. In that mere fraction of a second, a young man was gone. The guilt was devastating. Later, his parents wrote me a lovely letter telling me that I must be a special human since I was the last to talk and be with their son. I have released the guilt but not his memory.

It is a miracle that I am alive. That I survived such a devastating accident. My body has healed completely. I moved to NYC in the early 1980s, and against all odds became a professional dancer. I believed in miracles as a young girl.

Today, as a wise older woman, I still believe in miracles. Practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine has been my way to tap into the powerful healing energy that we all process within. Through this medicine, patients can be guided to return to their own innate ability to heal themselves.

My message to each of my patients: You are the expert of your own body, mind, and spirit. You know the way. Take care not to fall prey to doctors, practioners, friends and family that want to control your personal healing journey. We are all on a healing continuum that evolves and changes with each day we are alive. Honor the miracle of life and the innate ability for the body to heal. Life is a precious miracle.

I am so grateful that my body, mind, and spirit knew the way back to radiant health. I now pay it forward in my work and my life.

TONG ZE BU TONG; BU TONG ZE TONG.

    — HUANG DI NEI JING

The above quote is taken from the ancient Chinese text known as the Huang Di Nei Jing.

“If there is free flow, there is no pain; if there is pain, there is lack of free flow.”

HOW can you keep your free flow/life force flowing!

The answer; don’t block your flow!

Living the “way” and cultivating the balance of yin and yang flowing unobstructed  in the body and mind is key.

Each week I will be sharing teaching of TCM that will help  to keep your qi/life force flowing.

Intentional breath practices can go a long way to keeping your qi flowing.

I like to think that I am micro dosing myself with increased oxygen and healing qi.

Qi gong a TCM practice  has many breath patterns for cultivating  a strong life force.

XiXi Hu breathing; Breath in twice, first into the  lower level of lungs and then into the upper level of the lungs. After 2 deeps breaths, exhale through the nose or mouth.

Breath in through the nose (twice) and exhale though the nose or mouth once.

This practice is best done for 2 to 5 mins.  You can perform seated or standing.  Maintain a slower rhythm to activate the (yin) parasympathetic nervous system.  Maintain a more vigorous rhythm to activate the (yang) sympathetic nervous system. In the morning, activate the yang energy with faster breathing rhythm. In the evening, go for a slower more calming breathing rhythm to active the yin energy.

This breathing pattern benefits are;

Creating more lung capacity with the 2 deep expansive breaths

Clearing and releasing more toxicity from the body with the full exhalation

Supports immune function

Calms and balances the nervous system

Reduces stress and anxiety

Keeps the body and mind in free flow

Winter is the season of stillness, whispering to us to look inward, and explore our innermost selves.

***

Chinese Medicine encourages us to live in harmony with the cycles of nature for maintaining robust health of body, mind, and spirit. Winter is the most yin time of the year, directly opposed to summer, the most yang time of the cycle. Winter is still, cold, and dark in nature as contrasted to summer, which is active, warm, and bright.

Wintertime beckons us to find the stillness and to look inward, embracing the darkness and seeking deeper self-reflection.

Water is the element associated with winter, the very essence of life, the beginning of all things. Water is a feminine element, the element of the subconscious, purification, intuition, and mysteries of the self. We can learn from the essence of water by awakening our own divine wisdom and awareness.  This can be a time of truth-seeking and finding the deeper meaning of life.  Water is love – life-giving, and is flexible, adaptable, powerful, and gentle.

“In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans”
— Kahlil Gibran Jr.

The yin of winter is an ideal time for inner reflection, purification, and revitalizing your qi (life force).
These are a few ways to build your yin and life force during the winter months:

Qigong, pronounced “chi gong,” developed in China over five thousand years ago as part of traditional Chinese medicine. Qigong is an ancient Chinese health practice that harmonizes mind and body to increase mental and physical well-being. This practice encompasses flowing postures, breathing exercises, and meditation.

Practicing qigong is a way to cultivate the free flow of “life energy” within the body and mind. When the qi or “life force” is in free flow there is optimal health and wellness in our bodies and minds.
As an acupuncturist, this is the basis of our practice. The meridian system is how the qi “life force” flows through the body. Acupuncture, tui na, gua sha, and cupping, encourage the free flow of qi to optimize health and well-being. There are several forms of qigong; medical (healing), and spiritual and physical qi gong.

Practicing qi gong can provide lifelong benefits for cultivating the free flow in body, mind, and spirit. Enjoy this easy-to-follow practice from Lee Holden.

I have begun a formal study of medical qigong. This practice is an extension of Traditional Chinese Medicine that works to improve health and wellness for me as well as my patients.  This is an interesting and rewarding study that will deepen my knowledge and practice of TCM in my clinic.

Yin yoga
The practice of yin yoga is based on ancient Chinese philosophies and Taoist principles and the understanding that there are pathways/meridians of qi “life force “moving through our bodies. Yin yoga can help restore the free flow of life force with poses.
The yoga poses open and releases blockages and stagnation within the meridian system of the body. A slower, more meditative practice that uses longer holds to target deep connective tissues like fascia, ligaments, and joints. Postures are mainly performed on the floor and held for 2-5 minutes. These classes can help restore calm, and relaxation while balancing your parasympathetic nervous system.

Sound therapy
Sound Therapy uses sound, music, and specialized instruments played in therapeutic ways, combined with deep self-reflection techniques to improve health and well-being.
This therapy is an efficient and effective tool for achieving physical, mental, and emotional clarity and harmony. Incorporating sound healing can help restore mental, physical, and energetic balance.

For group sound therapy, you may be interested in OHM Center.

Journey box is a home device that can bring sound healing into your daily life whenever you need it! I love this device. I use it during my retreats, in my clinical practice as well as in my personal use during mediation practice.

Meditation
Starting a practice of quieting the mind and taking that deep dive to your inner knowing can be life-altering.
My current practice is based on Vedic Meditation practice.

Journaling
Organizing your thoughts and writing them out on paper can help your mind reframe and heal from stress and trauma.

“Things falling apart is a kind of testing
and also a kind of healing”

-Pema Chodron

***

Things have been falling apart and with this comes an opportunity for collective healing, positive change and meaningful transformation. This falling away, allows for greater illumination, clearer vision and elevated consciences towards a superior path forward.

Can we realize ourselves as cooperative, connected web of beings that seek to serve each other and our collective world – not only just for ourselves and personal gains?

The breaking apart of systems and beliefs that no longer serve our nation and people can be the very catalyst for creating a more sustainable and caring society that is inclusive and empowering for all citizens.

We are facing environmental devastation, political upheaval, racial injustice, economic and health crises that are threatening our very existence on this planet.

It is apparent with the emergence of this pandemic that collective well-being is contingent upon the health of our entire globe. We cannot be free of disease as long as we neglect the health of our environment, our personal heath, underserved communities, cruelty to animal and wildlife or benefit from a world economy that ravages the earth and its inhabitants.

As Joni Mitchell sang–

“We are stardust, we are golden and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden”

Chinese medicine is based on the philosophy that we are of nature and intrinsically tied to the natural world. To live well, is to live in harmony and balance with the season, and the rhythms and patterns that connects all things with each other. What is good for the health of our body and mind is to promote and cultivate the well-being of the whole, the earth and all of life. We then can all flourish – unified and connected.

“The world is like a garden. The garden is nature –
the living earth, the human person, the
biosphere, the circle of all life.
When people are like gardens, then doctors are like gardeners.
The role of the Chinese doctor is to cultivate life.”
~ Between Heaven and Earth

During this pause, I left NYC and sheltered in place with my husband, in our upstate home where we have lived for over 30 years as our respite from city life. Cultivating and tending to my garden became my way of coping and dealing with the devastating suffering, deaths and collapse of our vibrate city and later effecting the rest of the country.

As I reopened my practice in June, I started thinking of myself as a gardener – cultivating and tending to the health and well-being of all my patients. TCM is like water and sunlight supporting and optimizing health for each one of you to reach your greatest potential.
As one of my mentors said to me “When you heal – I heal”.

This resonating philosophy is a guiding force for how I move forward in my practice. I will be part of the healing process and I will lead with an open heart, full of hope and light for us all during these times uncertainty and darkness.

Traditional Chinese Medicine can be part of the solution, supporting with the healing process of the body, mind and spirit.  This ancient medicine encourages and gently reminds the body and mind of the innate ability for self-healing.  This powerful medicine has been used for over 2,000 years to restore and renew the human body and spirit.
At Parris Wellness, we can address and treat many of your health and wellness concerns.

Immune health is a big topic these days with the looming pandemic that never seems to end.
TCM can be helpful in keeping the immune system robust in fighting the Covid-19 virus as well as supporting the recovery phase and the often-lingering side effects from the virus. We are now hearing about the “long haulers” that will need support to fully recovery from this viral invasion.

Enjoy these two articles that illustrate the effectiveness of acupuncture and herbs for combating the virus. Article #1 and  #2.

Mental health is a concern for all of us living with fear, uncertainties during these unprecedented times. We can help restore and balance the nervous system to help ease the discomfort.

Musculoskeletal health care has been a chief complaint with many of my patents. Working from home, lack of exercise, stress and tension causes muscle pain, tightness and discomfort. TCM can be very beneficial in restoring function and ease in the musculoskeletal system.

Preventive Care is the basis of TCM. We have a saying “don’t wait to build the well until you are thirsty”.

Hormone and reproductive health are optimized with acupuncture and herbal therapy.

Sauna detox therapy can help the body detoxify as well as improve immune function. We are fully equipped to properly offer sweat therapy in a private safe treatment room.

 We are here to restore vibrate health for all that need care.
 Our number one job now is helping our patients achieve the most robust and optimal health.

Parris Wellness has a new website !

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Making it easier for you to book your appointments and to learn more about our office and how TCM can best serve you. We now have ONLINE booking to make scheduling your appointments that much easier and seamless.

A big shout out and Thank You to Nicolas Turek for creating the beautiful PW website. If you are looking for web design, this is your guy. Click here for his info.

***

Please support our small businesses here in NYC. As a business owner of over 28 years, this is perhaps the toughest time that I have ever experienced. Many of my colleagues have closed their practices because of the lack of meaningful support with overhead and lost income during the city’s total shutdown during the spring /summer this year. We need our healers more now than ever and we healers need your support to return for your ongoing care. I feel honored and humbled by all of your continued trust and support that you have given to me and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Thank you.

In the face of much adversity, I have chosen to reopen my practice and to continue to offer care when my patients need it more than ever before.

You can help with purchasing gift cards for your family members or friends, coming in for treatments, scheduling tele-medicine.

Let’s come together to create a more vibrate, sustainable, healthier community and world. It’s up to each one of us to make a positive difference.

The COVID-19 Virus

These are challenging times worldwide with the novel corona virus slowly entering our communities.

There are so many unanswered questions regarding the spreading of the infection, incubation period of the virus, and severity of the possible illness.

Unknown facts can cause much uncertainty and fear.

Fear and panic can undermine a smart, level-headed approach to keeping ourselves, our families and our communities safe.

Self Care Recipes

Steaming the face for 10 minutes over a pot of hot water infused with several drops of essential oils such as lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus helps support respiratory health. These essential oils are safe and have anti-viral properties.

Parris Wellness Make Your Own Stay Safe Room & Body Mist

What you need:

• 4oz Spray bottle (Blue or Amber)
• 100% Grain Alcohol
• Essential oils:
  + Lemon Grass 20 drops
  + Lavender 40 drops
  + Tea Tree 30 drops
  + Eucalyptus 30 drops

Mix essential oils with the alcohol!
Now you have your safe mist to spray on your scarfs, jacket collars, your room etc.

Optimizing Immunity 

*Eat 2 to 3 servings of organic fruits daily that are rich in anti-oxidants. Fill your freezer with frozen organic blueberries, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, that can be used in smoothies, cereals and yogurt. Fresh fruit is best when in season but for now I find that fresh frozen fruit can be a second best to fresh.

*Eat 4 to 6 servings of green nutrient dense organic vegetables daily; kale, spinach, collards, swiss chard, broccoli etc. Greens are one of the best ways to give our bodies the much-needed nutrients for increased immunity.

*Soups; miso, vegetable, chicken, bone broth soups are good ways of delivering high quality nutrients and hydration. Instant Pot is a great addition to have in your kitchen for quick healthy cooking.

*Hydrate with high quality water in glass and organic teas throughout the day.  Drink ½ of your body weight in oz’s of water. Example if you weight 100 lbs. you would need to drink 50 oz’s of water daily.  Mountain Valley Spring Water is a great choice.

* Sleep deeply 7 to 8 hours a night. This is our body and minds rest and repair time. Honor and hold scared your sleep. I highly recommend this book about why we sleep. It is fascinating and so educational.

* Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams is a science book about sleep by the neuroscientist and sleep researcher, Matthew Walker. Walker is a professor of neuroscience and psychology and the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley.

*Eliminate refined sugar, alcohol, soda, white flour and processed foods. These low nutrient foods and drink all feed viruses and this is the last thing that we want to do is feed the viruses in the body!!

Supplementing the Diet!

Anti-oxidant supplements; Pure Encapsulated and Garden Of Life are trusted brands that I often recommend to my patients.

Vitamin C 500 to 1,000 mg daily, zinc picolinate 30mg, Vitamin D 1,000 – 5,000 mg every other day are anti-oxidants that can be helpful for optimal immune function.

Adaptogens herbs and medicinal mushrooms are powerful allies for enhancing our immune system in times of stress and disease.

The herbs that our clinic relies on are; ginseng, astragalus, schisandra, & cordyceps, shitake, chaga, reishi and maitake mushrooms. Excellent brand is OM Mushrooms.

Golden Tread Plant Based Tonics are excellent premade blends.

Many of my patients are taking Chinese herbal formulas that support immune function.

One of my preferred immune enhancing formulas is the Jade Screen Formula. It has been effective in immune enhancement for over 2,000 years!

There are many effective adaptogen herbs that you can find at your local health food store as well, Wilners Chemist at 41st and Park has many excellent adaptogens formulas to choose from.

Maintaining good gut microbiome is vital for healthy immunity as well as for physical and mental well-being. Gut health refers to the balance of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. Maintaining the right balance of the microorganism is crucial for optimal health. There are over 100 trillion of these bacteria, yeasts, and viruses that support a healthy gut while preventing gut inflammation and other intestinal issues as well as having a positive effect on immunity. Chose a daily serving of;

• Fermented vegetables (Sauerkraut, Natto beans)
• Kefir
• Kimchi
• Kombucha
• Miso
• Coconut living yogurt (such as COYO)

Dr. Ohhira’s is the probiotic that I recommend to take 1 pill in the evening.
And the RX immune + probiotic in the morning. IHERBS is selling them for discounts.

Acupuncture can help the body’s resilience in fighting viruses and pathogens. Weekly acupuncture can be a powerful investment to make towards your health and wellness.

Infrared sweat has been shown to increase the immune function. Virus can’t thrive in elevated body temperatures.  We offer private infrared body wrap therapy at PW.

Stress reduction goes a long way in improving immune function. Stress and anxiety cause cortisol levels to rise, which in turn can lower immune response to disease. Mediation, breath work, yoga, community service, singing, warm baths, laughing, all can help immune function and reduce stress responses.

Chinese Medicine encourages us to live in harmony with the cycles of nature for maintaining robust health of body, mind and spirit. Winter is the most yin time of the year, directly opposed to summer, the most yang time of the cycle. Winter is still, cold, and dark in nature as contrasted to summer, which is active, warm, and bright.

Wintertime beckons us to find the stillness and to look inward, embracing the darkness and seeking deeper self-reflection.

Water is the element associated with winter, the very essence of life, the beginning of all things. Water is a feminine element, the element of subconscious, purification, intuition and mysteries of the self. We can learn from the essence of water by awakening our own divine wisdom and awareness.  This can be a time of truth seeking and finding the deeper meaning of life.  Water is love – life giving, and is flexible, adaptable, powerful and gentle.

“Always be like water. Float in the times of pain or dance like waves along the wind which touches it’s surface”- Santosh Kalwar

The yin of winter is an ideal time for inner reflexion, purification, and revitalizing your qi (life force). These are a few ways to build your yin and life force during the winter months:

• Mediate, enjoy deep breath work, and try restorative exercise like qi gong, yoga, and tai qi — which can all help to build and restore your “health bank account.”
• Rest more and sleep earlier and longer to reinvigorate your qi.
• Eat warming foods like stews, root vegetables, and roasted nuts, and add warming herbs such as ginger, turmeric, garlic, and black sesame seeds to your meals.
• Get acupuncture treatments to boost immunity and strengthen your constitution.
• Incorporate super foods into your diet such as goji berries, chai seeds, medicinal mushrooms, and adaptogen herbs such as; panax ginseng, astragalus, nettles to restore energy and stamina.

Benefits of Goji Berries

• Provides high levels of antioxidants and nutrients
• Improves immune function
• Promotes healthy glowing skin
• Helps stabilize blood sugar
• Detoxifies  the liver
• Increases energy and uplifts mood
• Enhances fertility

I would like to recommend these two easy warming Gogi Berry recipes and Chinese Herb Chicken Soup to boost the immune system.

Enjoy!

Boost your constitution with Nettle + Goji Berry Tea Infusion Recipe 

• Fill an 8 oz jar with:
• 4 tablespoons of nettle leaf (or 2 tea bags)
• 4 tablespoons of red Raspberry leaf (or 2 tea bags)
• 2 tablespoons of Goji Berries
• Pour boiling water over herbs in the jar.
• Cover the jar and steep for 4 hours.
• Strain and enjoy 1-2 cups a day.

I like “Traditional Medicinal Tea” brand which is organic.

Warm yourself with medicinal Goji Berry Infused  Vodka Recipe 

• 3 cups organic Vodka
• 1 cup organic goji berries
• Soak in air tight mason jar for 1-2 weeks
• Strain and decant in a glass bottle

Chinese Herbal Soup for Immunity

You can shop at Kamwo on Grand St in Chinatown to purchase these immune and digestive enhancing herbs. Kamwo also sells the herbal soup prepackaged if you don’t want to shop for the herbs
This Chinese herbal chicken soup recipe is good for overall well-being; improving immune and digestive function.

Slow Cooked Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Organic pasture raised chicken cut into quarters.
• Astragalus Root (Běi Qí) – 20 g   Enhances immune system
• Codonopsis Root (Dǎng shēn) – 20 g   Enhances digestive function
• Soloman’s Seal (Yù Zhú) – 20 g   Enhances lung function
• Chinese Angelica Root (Dāng Guī) – 10 g  Enhances immune system and activates circulation
• Dried Chinese Yam (Huái Shān) – 20g   Enhances digestive function
• Dried wolfberries – 15 g   Improves immune function and increases energy
• Dried Figs – 4   Improves digestive function
• Dried Red Dates – 8  Improves digestive function
• Rhizoma Ligustici (Chuan Xiong) – 5 pieces
• 6 to 8 cups water or broth (enough liquid to cover the chicken and herbs).  A quarter cut whole chicken with the bones is best for this recipe.
• Salt – to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse all the dried herbs (then put all herbs into a cheesecloth sachet) to be discarded after cooking. Put the dried herbs and water into a clay or stainless- steel pot and bring to a boil.
2.  Once the water starts boiling, add the chicken parts.
3. Lower the heat and simmer for at least 1.5 hours or 2 hours. The chicken should be tender but not falling apart.
4. Season with salt before serving.
5. To make a vegetarian herbal soup add firm organic sprouted tofu and root vegetables instead of chicken after the herbs have simmered for 45 mins and then cook until vegetable are tender.

Winter Specials

Immune Boost Sweat Therapy

– Renew and Regenerate in our PW 55 min session   –
$100 for the month of February and March. ($50 savings)

The session begins with;

•  A full body dry skin brush to stimulate lymphatic drainage
• Followed by lymphatic massage with organic massage oil to stimulate and enhance circulation
•  Gentle cupping using soft silicone cups to move lymph and release tight fascia, to couture and tone the legs and buttocks.
• Your body is now prepared  for the optimal sweat experience.
• You are then enveloped in our infrared body wrap for 55mins of relaxation and inner reflection.
• After the sweat you will be soothed with a hot towel and massaged with La Bonne Paris creams to increase circulation and lymphatic drainage.
• 32 oz immune boosting herbal tea + electrolyte drink

 PW Organic Facial + Gentle Peel

– 55min session -$125 for the month of February and March -($50 savings)