Emotional Health Talk

On Thursday the 6th July 2013 at my clinic in Glasgow I gave a two hour talk and workshop on emotional health; focusing on stress.

I took the time to give people a bit of background on Acupuncture theory (Traditional Chinese Medicine); explaining more about Yin Yang, Qi  and how its made.  Also discussing the elements and how they all work together to make us the people we are.

My focus of the talk was to attempt to get us to accept emotions, that they are NOT negative, that they have a place in our lives to help us see where things are perhaps not as they should be.  Getting furious at some one who cuts you up on the motorway is typically NOT about said person, but usually unvented anger at someone else, e.g boss? partner?? and it is displaced because we don't know how to process the anger we feel at those who we should feel it towards.

I explained how anger is appropriate in that the element associated with Anger is Wood.. and its job, purpose in life is to help us grow in the direction in which we are destined, and its response to being blocked is to express anger, or at least irritability (at the beginning).  So its about our CHOICES: if I cant get from A to C by route B perhaps I have to go via Q, or accept that I cant get from A to B and therefore find another route for my creative expression; perhaps going from A to D, its about how we shift our expectations and plans etc to get what we want, and that can sometimes include accepting that at this moment there is NOTHING we can do, other than ACCEPT.

Fertility

As an acupuncturist in Glasgow I work with women and men almost daily to help improve their chances of creating or extending their family.  As such I need to know about menstrual cycles and when my ladies ovulate etc to optimise their treatments.

I often find women are almost obsessive over their cycles by the time I am working with them (usually after a year or so of 'trying') but on occasion my ladies don't.  As such I have compiled some information to help said ladies get to know their own bodies:

Ovulation: The KEY to getting pregnant.

Ideal world when your trying to get pregnant is to be having sex every 2 to 3 days
throughout your cycle.. but there is what is known as the 'fertility window' which lasts
approximately 5 days during which time one is said to be more fertile.. however this is very
difficult to predict, based only on cycle duration, so checking when you ovulate can help to
predict better when you are most fertile and therefore most likely to conceive.
Count your cycle from day 1 of your period. On a 28 day, regular cycle most women ovulate
10 to 16 days BEFORE their period starts (so days 12 to 18)
Ways to check you are ovulating:
The most reliable is changes to vaginal discharge. Normally is it non existent or
white/creamy.. but prior to ovulation it becomes clear and stretchy (should be able to stretch
it between your fingers up to about 2 cm). It changes to help the wee sperms work their way
up the fallopian tube to the just released/about to be released egg!! (but not as reliable if you
have PCOS)
other signs include:
breast tenderness; increased sexual appetite; increased body temperature; bloating; mild
abdominal pain.
Measuring your body temperature is time consuming, but effective and relatively cheap.
Please note the spike in temp shows you have already ovulated so is useful for checking you do
rather than finding your window for that month.. Charts are readily available online, sites
listed below; PDF of one on my site also:
http://www.acupunctureglasgow.co.uk/phdi/p1.nsf/supppages/5046?opendocument&part=9
Useful sites?
Babycentre.co.uk
http://www.fertilityfriend.com/ : has FREE online and app based ways of charting your
temperature.
As always consult your doctor or other medical professional to discuss your signs, symptoms
and/or if you have any concerns.