Are you wondering how herbs, qi gong, and meditation can support you? They each have the potential to help ease both physical discomfort (ie like pain with menstrual cycle, issues with menopause, digestive upset, sinus issues etc) and emotional discomfort like anxiety or depression. They can facilitate physical ease, emotional ease, and help the body be a more comfortable and comforting place to be. What I really want to talk about, though, is how these practices actually Continue Reading
Strengthening Your Center During Challenging Times
Times of transition and change can seem unsettling, as if the earth is moving beneath your feet and there is not a stable place to rest and regroup. Change and transition can be anything from the death of a loved one (human or animal), a new job, new home, the end or even the beginning of a relationship, unsettling world events, just to name a few. Chinese medicine offers not only wisdom but practical ways to take care of yourself and to cultivate a stronger sense of trust and Continue Reading
New Medical Qi Gong Offerings
Michele and Andres recently completed the coursework for a masters in medical qi gong. This has been a very rewarding and intense three year process that has involved a lot of study, travel, and focus. For those who do not know what medical qi gong is, it is an ancient, powerful system of healing from China that is useful for a wide variety of health concerns. It is Chinese medicine's version of energy healing, and one of the four branches Chinese medicine. Medical qi gong has been Continue Reading
Strengthen Your Digestion with Chinese Medicine
In Chinese medicine, the earth forms the center of a five element configuration of any given human being. Many traditional systems, like Ayurveda and Native American systems, understand each human body as a unique combination of the natural elements, with each system identifying and working with specific elements, such as water, earth, wood, air, etc. The purpose of using natural elements in identifying body systems is to have an easy, succinct and efficient way to explain and to address any Continue Reading
How Chinese Medicine Can Help Anxiety
Written by Andres Vergara, Dipl.OM, L.Ac. and Michele Collins Vergara, RH (AHG), MPH Anxiety often represents an advanced progression of various smaller imbalances and thought patterns. In Chinese medicine various symptoms are used as clues to understand how to easily and practically address the reality of anxiety. In order to best help we ask clients to breakdown how does anxiety feel in their body. Are there heart palpitations? Is there a shortness of breath? Spinning thoughts? Sleep Continue Reading
Experience all 4 Branches of Chinese Medicine
In the interest of providing more comprehensive care, we have designed some opportunities to better promote a deeper healing facilitated by the synergy of the 4 branches of Chinese medicine. Each of these therapies serves to support and reinforce the other. Also, in addition to receiving acupuncture and a customized herbal formula, we also will teach you important self care tools from Chinese nutritional therapy and qi gong to help you manage your own healing process. Here is more information Continue Reading
Modern Research for the Ancient Practice of Acupuncture
Andres Vergara and Michele Collins Vergara Acupuncture, a therapeutic technique that is thousands of years old, is part of the larger system of Chinese medicine. It involves the use of very small, sterile, stainless steel needles in specific areas on the human body called acupuncture points. These points fall along specific acupuncture meridians that usually originate or end in the digits of the hands and feet, but can also originate in the head. Usually body points and points on the arms and Continue Reading
4 Branches and the Heart of Chinese Medicine at New Address
by Andres Vergara and Michele Vergara As of November 1st, Andres and Michele will be moving their office from the Naturopathic Health Clinic (2522 Reynolda Rd.) to a few doors down at 2594B Reynolda Rd. As many of you may know, Andres and Michele have been practicing at the Naturopathic Health Clinic in Winston Salem, Michele for the past eight years and Andres for nearly three years. It has been a wonderful home for us, but we are ready a little more space. It is an exciting expansion for Continue Reading
The Quality and Safety of Chinese Herbs in the United States
by Andres Vergara, L.Ac., M.Ac. and Michele Collins, RH (AHG), MPH Herbs are a powerful and natural form of medicine that has distinct advantages over other medicines such as pharmaceuticals, in part because of their long and well-established tradition of use and also because they are more akin to foods and therefore easily assimilatable by our systems. As herbs become more popular and available in raw and in prepared forms, an issue that is being raised more is the quality of the herbs being Continue Reading
The Effectiveness of Chinese Medicine For Treating Male and Female Infertility
Michele Collins, RH (AHG), MPH and Andres Vergara, L.Ac., M.Ac. Chinese medicine can make a tremendous contribution in promoting fertility for both men and women. On the March 26th episode of Holistic Healing with Herbs and Chinese Medicine, we discussed why Chinese medicine is so effective at treating male and female infertility. Chinese medicine is a holistic system of medicine that identifies and treats a specific pattern of imbalance that could inhibit the ability to either create Continue Reading