A Healthy Curiosity

What do you do when your back hurts, or when your neck and shoulders get tight and sore? Acupuncture is a potent medicine for joint pain, muscle pain, and nerve pain that provides an immediate relaxing, anti-inflammatory effect in a way that other healing modalities can't. A growing body of research shows that acupuncture is a potent medicine for joint pain, muscle pain, low back pain, neck pain, osteoarthritis of the knee, as well as chronic conditions like fibromyalgia. But people often try it only after drugs, physical therapy, chiropractic, massage and aren't yielding optimal results.

In this episode, Licensed Acupuncturist and host Brodie Welch and Dr. Anthony Lombardi unpack why acupuncture should be your go-to treatment modality available for muscle and/or joint pain due to its ability to neuromodulate, returning the neuromuscular system to homeostasis: improving range of motion, strength, while reducing inflammation.

On Today's Episode of A Healthy Curiosity:

• How Dr. Lombardi's journey to acupuncture began in chiropractic school
• What advantages he sees in acupuncture compared to chiropractic therapies
• What motor points are and how they overlap with acupuncture points
• Why a series of treatments is typically necessary for lasting change

Dr. Anthony Lombardi is a 2002 graduate of the New York Chiropractic College and McMaster Contemporary Medical Acupuncture program in Hamilton, Ontario, and has been practicing acupuncture for 19 years. Upon graduation, he founded Hamilton Back Clinic and since then has become a private consultant to athletes in the NFL, CFL, and NHL. Over the past 19 years Anthony has given over 100,000 acupuncture treatments. In addition to practicing, Dr. Lombardi was also an instructor in the Contemporary Medical Acupuncture Program at McMaster University from 2004 to 2013. He developed his EXSTORE® system, which he currently teaches along with motor points and electro-acupuncture, to physicians and practitioners the world over.

He regularly writes and contributes articles on motor points in the Canadian Chiropractic and Chiropractic Economics magazines. Dr. Lombardi's library continues to grow, with some 60 webinars available on a variety of MSK and pain conditions, as well as patient practice management topics. He holds live courses throughout the U.S. and Canada, and has a mentorship/education community on dranthonylombardi.locals.com.

Links:

Dr. Lombardi's Webinars

EXSTORE Certification

Connect With Dr. Anthony Lombardi:

Website

Locals Profile

Instagram

Email

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For more of the science on how acupuncture works, check out episode 203.

Work with Brodie

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Chances are, if you're checking out this episode, you're looking for tools and techniques to help tune into yourself and be a better self-healer. You're probably also aware that the things we do every day can make a massive difference in how we feel as opposed to only finding healing in a bottle.

In this conversation, Amy Kuretsky, L.Ac. joins us to examine the deceptively simple, yet powerful technique of breathwork. As a broad term, breathwork is about simply bringing some intention to how you are using or manipulating your breath to reach specific outcomes such as regulating energy, clearing trauma, and reprograming old beliefs.

On Today's Episode of A Healthy Curiosity:

• What some of the differences are between types of breathwork
• Who often benefits the most from the type of breathwork Amy practices
• The benefits she found for herself through her practice
• How breathwork can help to unpack trauma
• A short example of the breathwork Amy works with

Amy Kuretsky (she/her) is a breathwork facilitator and business coach working on Dakota and Anishinaabe ancestral land. Her work is focused on helping successful businesses tap into their intuition and do business differently so that they can fall back in love with their work.

She uses the breath as a tool for healing and business building and has led online and in-person breathwork groups all over the world. This past year, she organized with a group of other breathwork facilitators for more anti-oppression and trauma informed training as part of the Breathwork for the People collective.

Along with her coaching business, she also has a background in acupuncture and Chinese medicine and co-owns Constellation Acupuncture and Healing Arts, a healing space in NE Minneapolis.

Links:

Stanislav Grof

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.

Holotropic Breathwork by Stanislav Grof & Christina Grof

Breath by James Nestor

Get Amy's free 15-minute guided breathwork meditaton to relieve stress and move energy!

Connect With Amy Kuretsky:

Website

Constellation Acupuncture & Healing Arts

Instagram

Constellation Instagram

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Learn more about Brodie's Classes and Meditations

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Winter is cold, dark, slow time of year, and since we're a part of nature, it's easy for us to feel the same way: sluggish and more inclined to hibernate than to get things done.

This most yin of seasons is necessary to balance the yang of life, and we ignore its gifts at our peril. In this episode, we examine how we can embrace the yin nature of winter, along with:

• The connection between slowness, empathy, and connection
• What winter is about according to Chinese Medicine
• How qi gong can make you a better listener
• Why doing less is seasonally appropriate
• How to overcome winter's inertia to keep moving forward

Links:

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What would you really like to make time for on a regular basis, that somehow keeps getting pushed to the back burner? Whether it's writing a book, starting a meditation practice, or dropping a few pounds, developing a consistent routine is often the key to realizing your goal.

And developing a new routine -- or stopping an old behavior -- is hard. And it's about more than just willpower.

It takes time, energy, strategy, planning, and support.

It takes examining the emotional triggers, and being able to see what hidden subconscious forces might be holding us back.

In this episode, Brodie shares not only share a personal win, but also some of the healing that it took to make it happen. You'll hear which tried-and-true techniques helped her succeed, and an old story she was forced to examine and break up with. May it inspire you to Do the Thing!

On Today's Solo Episode of A Healthy Curiosity:

• What helped with keeping a daily exercise commitment for over 13 months
• Why it's important to get well acquainted with the forces of resistance
• How defining what enough is can help us stay balanced

Links:

Episode 120: How to Change Habits with James Clear

Episode 167: Brain Science and Behavior Change with Dr. Kyra Bobinet, MD MPH

Glo yoga app

Aaptiv workout app

Dr. Kristin Neff

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Learn more about working with Brodie

Email Brodie

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From time to time, every one of us makes mistakes and bad decisions. Once we recognize what happened, it can often be hard to regain our self-trust.

Kelly Thiel joins us for this conversation to share her own experience of losing self-trust and how she's been able to work on rebuilding it. Her story inspires us to let go of resentment and anger to move forward; to move on from perfectionism and mistakes to find trust in ourselves once again.

On Today's Episode of A Healthy Curiosity:

• How discernment relates to self-trust in Chinese Medicine
• What some of the conditions were that led Kelly to the NXIVM cult
• The difference in the feelings of evolution versus things that are actually dangerous to us
• Why the answers we seek always come from inside ourselves
• How she defines enlightenment for herself now

Kelly Thiel is an accomplished voice actress, author, speaker, consultant, and spiritual seeker. She practices yoga, does Pilates, and and has worked with spiritual healers around the world on her personal journey towards enlightenment.

She is also a former member of an abhorrently abusive cult called "NXIVM", which has been the subject of multiple documentaries on HBO, STARZ, and A+E

Kelly has survived and reckoned with her trauma such that she now helps others conquer theirs.

Kelly is set to release her much anticipated second book in 2021. This candid telling is an inspiring call to action, that champions readers to be their own guru, take ownership, action, and take back control, on their way to becoming "Unapologetically Glorious".

Links:

The Frank Report - NXIVM Archives

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.

Dr. Kristin Neff

Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult (2020)

Connect with Kelly Thiel:

Website

Instagram

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Explore the Basics of Chinese Medicine course

Our digestive microbiome supports every other system in our bodies. Since we can't use what we can't digest and what we can't digest can cause problems, we can see cascading effects through our bodies if something's not right.

Here to unpack how the digestive system works and its central role in the body is Dr. Darlene Easton. She brings us some practical insights to help us understand our digestive functions and shift our understanding of our place in the world as living ecosystems.

On Today's Episode of A Healthy Curiosity:

• Why Dr. Easton thinks everyone should be obsessed with digestion
• What she would like people to do differently to improve their microbiome and digestive health
• How we can use Chinese Medicine to address common issues like acid reflux, instead of over-the-counter medications
• Why bile is so important to our bodies

Dr. Easton earned her MSAOM (1998), MSACN (2011) and DACM (2020). She is an NCCAOM diplomate and board certified CNS. Dr. Easton has earned 2 post-graduate certifications from Guangzhou TCM Hospital and 9 certificates from Zhejiang University Hospital. With 20 years in higher education, she's taught all aspects of TCM including dietary therapy and nutrition. She was an associate professor at NY College of Health Professions (1999-2003) and NYCC's Finger Lakes School of AOM (2003-2019). Dr. Easton is now in private practice offering health and nutritional consulting while she continues to teach online to professionals around the world.

Links:

TCM Hub

Dr. Easton's Free Resource Handouts

Connect with Dr. Darlene Easton:

Website

Dr. Easton's Online Course

Facebook

Email

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Explore the Basics of Chinese Medicine course

Given the stress and restriction of the last year, a lot of us might be carrying around some neck pain or unproductive posture. In the spirit of allowing ourselves to do less than we're humanly capable of, this conversation will address how we can work to reverse these issues with very gentle movements. Movements that invite us to be curious about the sensations we feel rather than trying to force our bodies to move in a certain way.

To help guide us, Kieran Schumaker joins us for this episode to share their unique approach to bodywork. If you're into optimizing the functioning of your autonomic nervous system or the blood flow to your brain, you won't want to miss what Kieran brings to this conversation.

On Today's Episode of A Healthy Curiosity:

• How Kier started connecting different sets of knowledge they were studying through structural integration
• What neurovascular release is and how it's different from structural integration
• Some background on where the vagus nerve is and what it does in the body
• A tutorial on a couple self-care strategies for working with the vagus nerve

Kieran Schumaker has been helping people with discomfort and pain discover greater agility and ease of movement while cultivating curiosity and an appreciation for our amazing bodies, for 23 years. A Board Certified Structural Integrator since 2005, Kier has been developing their unique approach to working more specifically with nerves and arteries over the last eleven years.

In addition to working with clients, Kier had been mentoring and teaching other practitioners until the COVID crisis shut down their practice and put an end to in-person classes. In response, Kier started adapting their Neurovascular Release techniques so that they could work with clients over Zoom, and soon after began teaching other practitioners how to lead their clients through self-treatment sessions.

Links:

Rolfing - Dr. Ida Rolf

Connect With Kieran Schumaker:

Email to learn more about their upcoming course!

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Explore the Basics of Chinese Medicine course

It's been a tough year. As we slowly begin to emerge from, hopefully, the worst of the pandemic, we're also entering the full on yang-mode of summer. In the spirit of self-compassion on the heels of such a trying time, what would it look like to give yourself the gift of doing less? How can we lean into play and joy instead of the temptation of sending all of our energy and attention outwards this season?

These questions are tough to untangle as we try to move from a mode of surviving to one of thriving.

Dr. Yvonne Farrell, DAOM, L.Ac., joins us in this conversation to share her wisdom regarding how we can find the balance between these two phases. She provides insight into how we can attempt to harvest useful things from the pandemic experience in order to pursue meaning and purpose in life.

On Today's Episode of A Healthy Curiosity:

• Navigating the tension between going with the flow of the summer season and doing what's important to stay balanced
• How Dr. Farrell uses gratitude as a tool for getting us through
• Why acupuncture can be a crucial tool for self-examination in times of survival
• Why grounding and stability are necessary for lasting, effective change
• How she guides patients through the three levels of qi

Dr. Farrell has been practicing and teaching Chinese Medicine and Channel Theory since 1996. Her focus is on empowerment of students and patients so that they will embody the spiritual aspects of Chinese Medicine and make them their own. She believes that self-cultivation, self-knowledge and critical thinking are essential in developing capacity as a practitioner of Chinese Medicine.

Yvonne is the author of two books: Psycho Emotional Pain and the Eight Extraordinary Vessels and her latest, Acupuncture for Surviving Adversity published by Singing Dragon.

Links:

Psycho Emotional Pain and the Eight Extraordinary Vessels by Dr. Yvonne Farrell

Acupuncture for Surviving Adversity by Dr. Yvonne Farrell

Breath by James Nestor

Dr. Kristin Neff

Connect With Dr. Yvonne Farrell:

Website

Dr. Farrell's Courses

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Register for the Free Inaura "Power of You" weekend virtual retreat

Free Balancing Yin and Yang Meditation

Almost everyone that comes through the clinic is dealing with some combination of two things: stress and dampness. This episode is a masterclass, or at least a lengthy public service announcement, on dampness since some of the most common questions that come up are regarding what it is and how to address it.

If you're dealing with tiredness, lethargy, poor digestion, brain fog, congestion, or are struggling with weight loss, understanding more about dampness can change your life. In this episode, you'll hear some guidelines for things to include in your life, but the ultimate focus should always lie on subtracting the dampening effects in the first place.

On Today's Solo Episode of A Healthy Curiosity:

• Some things to look for on the tongue, as well as other signs, that can indicate dampness
• Why dampness usually comes from dietary indiscretions
• How Phlegm relates to dampness
• What causes of dampness can occur that don't come from food

Links:

The Tao of Healthy Eating by Bob Flaws

Nutritional Healing with Chinese Medicine by Ellen Goldsmith and Maya Klein

Episode 223: Moving Through Trauma with Chinese Medicine with Ellen Goldsmith

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Explore the Basics of Chinese Medicine course

Learn more about the Level Up program

Apply to work with Brodie

As the world slowly begins to emerge from the worst of the COVID era, there is a lot of collective trauma that we'll be working through for years. While any healing takes time, there are ways to move through trauma in accordance with the principles of Chinese Medicine that invite more ease into the process.

Bringing with her some practical tips for processing grief, being soft with ourselves, and aligning with the season of spring, Ellen Goldsmith joins this conversation to elaborate on ways that Chinese Medicine can support us as we heal from trauma.

On Today's Episode of A Healthy Curiosity:

• What aspects of Chinese Medicine Ellen identifies as helping to work through difficult times
• What we can learn by learning from and aligning with the patterns of nature
• The advice she has for those of us having difficulty being with what is
• Why resilience and flexibility are so crucial

Ellen Goldsmith is a licensed and board certified acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist with over two decades of experience helping people solve their complex health challenges. Her integrative, body- centered and intuitive approach is grounded in years of study and experience in helping people from all walks of life. She is the author of Nutritional Healing with Chinese Medicine: + 175 Recipes for Optimal Health. She teaches and speaks frequently to professionals and the public as well as consulting for companies and organizations. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Links:

David Kessler

Sighing Until You Yawn

Nutritional Healing with Chinese Medicine by Ellen Goldsmith

Episode 104: Nutritional Healing with Chinese Medicine with Ellen Goldsmith

Episode 006: Energetics of Food with Ellen Goldsmith

Connect With Ellen Goldsmith L.Ac.:

Website

LinkedIn

Twitter

Facebook

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Learn more about Brodie's Classes and Meditations