Sarana Community Acupuncture

Practitioner Substitutions and Schedule Changes

2012-01-29T16:55:00.000-08:00

Practitioner Substitution:

Sunday 2/5, 10 am – 2 pm ~ Amy Chang* works for Sarah Liners
*Amy Chang, LAc is one of our wonderful substitute acupuncturists. She is a skilled, dynamic and dedicated practitioner, committed to providing accessible care. She has served as the main organizer and acupuncturist for HeeBeeGeeBee Healing Oasis during the Burning Man Arts Festival in Nevada. Amy is fluent in Mandarin.

Long-Term Schedule Change:

Starting on Friday 2/10, Amanda Quvus will take over working the
Friday 11 am – 3 pm acupuncture shift.

Sarah Liners will no longer work on Fridays,
but will continue to work Sundays 10 am – 2 pm.

Happy Lunar New Year of the Water Dragon

2012-01-26T23:19:00.001-08:00

Happy Lunar New Year!

On January 23, 2012 the Year of the Yin Metal Rabbit, a year characterized by small efforts and tenuous peace gave way to the Year of the Yang Water Dragon, a year of boundless expansion and limitless resources. The Chinese horoscope is based on a cycle of 12 animals (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat/sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig) and 5 elements, (wood, fire, earth, metal and water). Thus, a particular animal-element combination recurs only once every 60 years.

In previous water dragon years:

1892 ~ Ellis Island and Angel Island were open to new immigrants, the first basketball game was played, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was published. New products included: toothpaste in a tube, the portable typewriter, and the diesel engine.

1952 ~ England’s Queen Elizabeth II was crowned after the death of King George IV, the Big Bang theory was proposed, Nehru was elected premier of India, a polio vaccine was developed after a huge epidemic that infected almost 60,000 children, and in California, the Kern County magnitude 7.6 earthquake rocked 100,000 acres.

Famous dragon people include: Joan of Arc, Pearl Buck, Sigmund Freud, John Lennon, Bruce Lee, Al Pacino, Placido Domingo, Roseanne Barr, J.R.R. Tolkien, Vladimir Putin, Amy Tam, and Salvador Dali.

In Chinese Astrology, the dragon is a symbol of central power embodied in the emperor. The dragon is the only magical, non-natural zodiac animal. In Chinese philosophy, the dragon’s immense power has value when it is mature, unselfish and is used to benefit others.

The water dragon is characterized by a combination of patience, humor, and great strength and intensity. The water aspect helps calm the dragon and quell its pride, allowing for respect and consideration. But at the same time, Yang water is moving water, such as a river, a waterfall or a tsunami, so this year's image is both powerful and dynamic..

Following are prognostications offered by Daoist scholar and teacher Liu Ming during his annual Lunar New Year lecture in the San Francisco Bay Area.

World Politics: New and dynamic leadership is possible in the Water Dragon Year, but the meaning of leadership will likely change and the conventional idea of a leader will become outdated. There will be more emphasis on community–based governing and a great opportunity to redefine who is in charge. This year may become the pivot of ruthless innovation in leadership that will reshape history. There will be an increase in worldwide political movements.

Business and finance: Scale will be the key word, as international corporations grow even bigger than they are. The rich will get richer but also will give more to charity. Financial risks will be taken and will yield system-wrenching, transformative results. The nature of business and the world economy will shift dramatically.

Relationships and family: The Water Dragon is a loner. This year will be characterized by infidelity, socially-innovative or unconventional relationships, and unusual pairings – (celebrity gossip writers will be in heaven!). Many future leaders will be born. It’s a good year to be part of a family, and family life based firmly in clan or tribal expressions will prove most successful.

Health: 2012 will be a turning point in development of “world medicine”. Socio-political shifts in healthcare delivery are likely to occur. Incidence of death from injury will outnumber those from illness (with wars still being a major cause). The Dragon represents constitutional integrity of the whole body rather than just one organ system. Although it is not a good year to develop new habits, it is a good year to reap the benefits of the healthy habits one has already acquired. It is a good year to join others who have a similar perception and approach to healing and health (take a Qi Gong class or get community acupuncture!).

Spirituality: This is a good year either to be very scrupulous about religious ritual and prayer or to avoid organized religion altogether. Focus on self-reflection and expression of ordinary goodness as a spiritual path. It is a year to seek awakening in one's own heart, beyond dogma and doctrine. It is also a great year for pilgrimage and retreats.

This year will be especially favorable for those born in the years of the Rat, Rabbit, Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Rooster and Pig. The Water Dragon year will give way to the Year of the Water Snake on February 10^th 2013.

January 2012 Newsletter

2012-01-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Please check out our January Newsletter for details about our new acupuncturist,
plus upcoming events and announcements.
You will find it here.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-09T09:15:00.000-08:00

Please check out our Holiday Newsletter for exciting news and upcoming events.
We wish you health and joy of heart!
All the folks at Sarana Community Acupuncture

End of Year / Holiday Schedule Changes and Practitioner Substitutions

2011-11-16T09:37:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Weekend Schedule:
Wednesday 11/23: 9:30 am– 2 pm – Pam Chang, 2 – 6 pm – Donna Chang*
(Note - reduced hours – close 1 hour early)
Thursday 11/24: CLINIC CLOSED for Thanksgiving
Friday 11/25: Reduced hours 11 am – 3 pm only – Sarah Liners, NO massage
Saturday 11/25 and Sunday 11/26: Regular hours and practitioners
(Note - 11/26 is Ellie’s last Saturday at Sarana)
Wednesday 11/30: 9:30 – 11:30 am - Tatyana Ryevzina

December Schedule Changes:
Wednesdays 12/7, 12/14, 12/21 and 12/28: 9:30 – 11:30 am - Tatyana Ryevzina
Saturday 12/3: Tatyana Ryevzina
Sunday 12/4: Donna Chang*
Saturday 12/10: Donna Chang*
Saturday 12/17: Pam Chang
Sunday 12/11: 10 am – 12 pm - Tatyana Ryevzina, 12 – 2 pm – Mari Kubota
Friday 12/23: NO massage, 3- 7 pm - Donna Chang
Saturday 12/24 and Sunday 12/25: CLINIC CLOSED for Christmas
Saturday 12/31: CLINIC CLOSED for New Years

*Who is Donna Chang?
Donna is a community acupuncturist, preparing to open Alameda Community Acupuncture in December of 2011. She is a talented and sensitive practitioner and she will be occasionally substituting for us at Sarana.

More about Donna: I was born in Alameda, CA and grew up in Hong Kong, returning to Alameda when I was 17. From a young age I had an interest in Chinese Medicine and Taoism. In my twenties, my search for ways to improve my health led me to study natural medicine, self-care principles, nutrition, and ultimately to get a master's degree from Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College in Berkeley. I am passionate about building community and making acupuncture and Chinese Medicine accessible to more people.

FALL 2011 SCHEDULE CHANGES

2011-11-10T09:12:00.000-08:00

A Time of Change and Transition…

Ellie Schafer: At the end of November Sarana bids farewell to Ellie Schafer as she moves on to work full-time at another local community acupuncture clinic - we will miss her and wish her all the best!
Ellie’s last day will be Saturday November 26th. If you want to stay in touch with Ellie, please ask us, and we'll give you her contact information.

Sarah Liners: Starting in mid-November Sarah Liners will no longer work on Wednesdays but will continue to work Fridays and Sundays.
This means that we are suspending Wednesday massage until further notice. The last day for Wednesday massage and acupuncture with Sarah Liners will be November 16th.
(We will continue to offer massage on Fridays with Sarah Lovett.)

Tatyana and Pam will be working on Wednesdays 9:30 - 11:30 am and on Saturdays 10 am - 2 pm until we find another practitioner to join our crew. We will post schedule updates as they are confirmed

Thanksgiving Weekend Schedule:
Wednesday 11/23 –slightly reduced hours: 9:30 am - 6 pm
Thursday 11/24 – CLOSED
Friday 11/25 - reduced hours 11 am – 3 pm only, NO massage
Saturday 11/25 and Sunday 11/26 – regular hours

Our November 2011 Newsletter

2011-11-07T12:51:00.000-08:00

Our November Newsletter can be found here. Please check it out for schedule updates and other fun stuff!

Help Us Move Toward Being Fragrance-Free

2011-10-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

Several of our clients have illnesses that make them extremely sensitive to indoor air-quality. They may experience headache, migraine, irritated eyes, nose and throat, coughing, nausea, dizziness, chronic fatigue, or body aches after exposure to chemicals that linger in indoor air from smoke, building materials (carpets, plastic, adhesives, paints), and cleaning and personal-care products. Because increased exposure to man-made chemicals, especially petroleum-byproducts, has been associated with increased incidence of cancer, asthma, and multiple-chemical-sensitivity, we at Sarana would like to follow the Precautionary Principle and minimize our -- and your-- exposure to toxic triggers.

As a Certified Green Business, we at Sarana already take great care to use environmentally-friendly natural products wherever possible. We use baking soda and vinegar for most of our general-cleaning. We use Marin County - based EO/Small World organic hand sanitizer, hand soap, and lotion without synthetic fragrances and we will be switching all of our natural-lavender sanitizers to unscented ones during the next few months. Our dish soap and laundry detergent are fragrance-free. We do have some CitraSolve citrus-based spot-remover that we use occasionally. We also maintain a BlueAir filter (located in the corner nearest the massage table) to help purify the air and we provide filtered tap water for tea.

While we know it is not possible to control the clinic environment fully, we do ask you to support our efforts to minimize indoor air pollution and accommodate the chemically sensitive members of our growing community.
You can help us by avoiding wearing perfumes and other scented products while at Sarana. You also might consider reducing your use of fragrances, scented cleaning products, pesticides, smoke, and petroleum products (plastics, solvents, gasoline, etc.) for your own health. Thank you!

For more information on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Fragrance-free issues, please see the following links:

List from East Bay Meditation Center (lots of additional resource links on side bar)
Myths and Facts about Chemical Sensitivity
How to Be Fragrance Free

Schedule Substitutions - Late Oct / Early November 2011

2011-10-25T23:13:00.000-07:00

Sunday 10/30, 10 am - 2 pm - Pam works for Sarah
Wednesday 11/2, 9:30 - 11:30 am - Ellie works for Sarah, NO MASSAGE
Thursday 11/3, 11 am - 3 pm - Mari works for Pam
Friday 11/4, 11 am - 3 pm - Tatyana works for Sarah

Schedule Changes and Substitutions

2011-09-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

Sarah Liners has now taken over the Friday 11 am - 3 pm acupuncture shift.

Ellie Schafer continues to work Saturdays 10 am - 2 pm.

Sunday, 9/11 – 10 am - 2 pm – Pam works for Sarah
Monday 10/3 – 9:30 am – 2 pm – Sarah works for Pam
Tuesday 10/4 – 2:30 – 6:30 pm – Mari works for Pam
Wednesday 10/5 - 9:30 - 11:30 am - Tatyana works for Sarah
Thursday 10/6 - 11 am - 3 pm - Sarah works for Pam
Friday 10/7 – 3 – 7 pm – Tatyana works for Mari
Thursday 10/13 – 3 – 7 pm – Sarah works for Tatyana
Monday 10/17 – 2 – 6:30 pm – Sarah works for Tatyana
Wednesday 10/19 – 11:30 am – 3 pm – Pam works for Tatyana
Thursday 10/20 – 3 – 7 pm – Ellie works for Tatyana
Saturday 10/22 – 10 am – 2 pm - Mari works for Ellie
NO MASSAGE on Fridays in October (Wednesday massage available as usual)

Note: we will have regular hours on Columbus Day, Monday 10/10

Please remember:

Frequent and consistent acupuncture produces the best results:

following through on your acupuncture treatments plan is more important for progress than seeing a particular practitioner.

We all communicate with each other

and strive to give you the best possible care.

Schedule Changes for Aug / Early September 2011

2011-08-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

Monday 8/15 - 9:30 am - 2 pm - Sarah Liners subs for Pam
Saturday 8/20 - 10 am - 2 pm - Sarah Liners subs for Ellie
Wednesday 8/31 - 9:30 - 11:30 am - Ellie subs for Sarah Liners, NO massage
Sunday 9/4 - 10 am - 2 pm - Tatyana subs for Sarah Liners
Monday 9/5 Labor Day - Reduced Hours and FREE acupuncture - 11 am - 3 pm
Wednesday 9/7 - 9:30 - 11:30 am - Ellie subs for Sarah Liners, NO massage
Sunday 9/11 - 10 am - 2 pm - Pam subs for Sarah Liners

Keep up with your treatment plan - do not hesitate to come in and see a substitute practitioner. We all read each others chart notes and are committed to take very good care of you. Show up and let the acupuncture do its work!

Summer Deals and Updates

2011-07-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

Check out our latest newsletter right here.

Schedule Changes for July / August 2011

2011-07-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 7/13 - 3 - 7 pm - Pam Chang working for Mari Kubota
Thursday 7/14 - 11 am - 3 pm- Sarah Liners working for Pam Chang
Wednesday 7/20 - 3 - 7 pm - Pam Chang working for Mari Kubota
Wednesday 8/10 - 11:30 am - 3 pm - Pam Chang working for Tatyana Ryevzina

Our June 2011 Newsletter

2011-06-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

Please check out our June Newsletter right HERE.

Schedule Changes for June / July 2011

2011-06-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 6/15 and 6/29: Pam substitutes for Tatyana 11am-3pm
Thursday 6/16: Mari substitutes for Tatyana 3-7pm
Monday 6/20: Ellie substitutes for Tatyana 2-6:30 pm

We are closed Monday July 4th for Independence Day

Schedule Changes for May 2011

2011-04-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

Monday 5/16 - 9:30 am - 2 pm - Ellie works for Pam
Tuesday 5/17 2:30 - 6:30 pm - Tatyana works for Pam
Thursday 5/19 11 am - 3 pm - Mari works for Pam
Wednesday 5/25 11 am - 3 pm Pam works for Tatyana
Monday 5/30, MEMORIAL DAY - reduced hours: 11 am - 2 pm with Pam and 2 - 5 pm with Tatyana

"My Unexpected Career" by Pam Chang

2011-04-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

We are sharing this piece that Pam wrote recently describing her personal journey of becoming a community acupuncturist:

In acupuncture school, I never knew how – or if – I'd ever practice Chinese medicine. In fact, all through my training, I never quite knew why I was studying Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In August 2003, vaguely bored with my freelance architecture and civil engineering practice, I saw a notice of an acupuncture college open house in the local newspaper. I showed up on a whim. Throughout the presentation, I wondered why I was there while simultaneously recalling a play I'd just seen about the life of Alberta Hunter. Hunter was a jazz-age singer whose popularity faded in the 1950s when she was turning 60. Needing another career, she claimed to be 40, enrolled in nursing school, and worked as a nurse for 20 years before being forced to retire at age 80. She then returned to the stage for the last five years of her life. Inspired by Hunter, I could not come up with sufficient good reason for not enrolling in TCM school. True, the thought of sticking needles in people was not appealing, but I liked the idea of learning Chinese medicine theory and herb lore. I began studies for my masters degree in TCM that fall, just prior to my 48th birthday.

TCM school was a slog, a vast amount of rote memorization: Western medical concepts and terminology; Chinese medical concepts and terminology; acupuncture point names, locations, functions and combinations; and herb names, functions and combinations. Hardest was superimposing an Eastern mindset on a Western-trained mind. TCM entities were invisible functions rather than things. They were associated with certain symptoms but didn't necessarily cause those symptoms. And Chinese 'logic' seemed circular and slippery: a diagnosis was right if it led to beneficial treatment but a seemingly opposite diagnoses could also suggest beneficial treatment and therefore was right, too. Without supportive classmates and a driving thirst for soaking up knowledge, I would have dropped out – as did at least half of my starting class.

Despite not knowing why I was studying TCM, I benefited from my new-gained knowledge. Midway through my second year, I awoke one morning and noticed the indented imprint of my hand on my swollen left leg: pitting edema. By now, I'd completed enough anatomy and physiology classes to ask the right questions. After my Western MD ruled out deep vein thrombosis, I speculated on venous obstruction and began palpating my lower abdomen whereupon I felt an abnormal mass. Scans and surgery quickly followed and I was diagnosed with stage I ovarian cancer – my first major illness.

Becoming a patient changed my relationship to TCM. Before then, TCM was theory, something I studied out of curiosity and love of learning. Afterward, I opted for TCM over chemotherapy and experienced the process of gradually re-building my health by getting weekly acupuncture, boiling raw herb decoctions, taking powdered and pill-form herb extractions, renewing my qi-gong practice, altering my diet, and taking time for adequate rest. By the time I began my internship, I had received acupuncture from several competent clinicians and I had made many of the lifestyle changes that I would be recommending to my clients.

I can't determine how much of the confidence I was able to bring to the school clinic came from my experience of being a patient, how much of it was due to my age and having felt successful in prior careers, or how much of it derived from the comparatively quick point selection methods I'd learned in a meridian theory class. In any case, I enjoyed clinical practice and had several regular clients. Even so, up until my last trimester, I did not expect that I would continue to practice acupuncture except, perhaps, as a hobby.

The big stumbling block for me when I thought of opening a practice was cost, both mine and my clients'. Throughout school, the only practice model we saw was one that involved lots of time with individuals in a private room. We were trained to see at most one client per hour, asking the “ten questions”, feeling pulses and looking at tongues before inserting and manipulating needles, administering moxa or massage, and maybe prescribing herbs. I was afraid to run the numbers but I assumed that I would have to charge the standard $50-100 fee per visit to cover my rent, insurance, equipment, overhead, and profit. However, I wasn't comfortable paying $50+ per treatment myself. If I hadn't received deeply-discounted acupuncture at the school clinic, I wouldn't have been able to afford weekly treatments for very long. I didn't expect I'd be able to build up a practice at that fee among my friends, particularly those who earned, maybe, $25/hour, or who worked part-time, or were on fixed incomes. So I figured I'd keep on doing architecture for a livelihood and maybe do a few house calls per week, or be a substitute acupuncturist if my study-buddies ever wanted to take vacations.

Toward the end of my internship, eavesdropping on a conversation between a clinic supervisor and another intern, I learned about the community acupuncture (CA) practice model. In community clinics, one acupuncturist treats several clients, all seated in recliners together in one large room. Intakes are minimal and therapy mostly is limited to acupuncture at points on the head, neck, or lower arms and legs. Treating several clients per hour allows the acupuncturist to charge fees as low as $15/visit yet still earn $50 -100 per hour. Simultaneously, the low fees enable clients to afford more treatments – perhaps enough treatments for them to experience the often-gradual benefits of acupuncture. Community clinics typically offer sliding scale fees to all clients. They are for-profit businesses, supported by user fees, and they do not require the acupuncturist to spend time pursuing insurance monies or grants. Suddenly, I saw the possibility of acupuncture becoming my career.

In the months that followed, I attended a workshop on “the nuts and bolts of community acupuncture” sponsored by Working Class Acupuncture, the Portland, Oregon clinic that pioneered the community acupuncture model. I finished school, passed my licensing exam, and realized that if I wanted to be a community-style acupuncturist, I would have to open my own clinic. In September 2007, I started talking to Tatyana Ryevzina, the clinic supervisor from whom I had first learned of CA, about starting our own clinic. Six months later, we opened Sarana Community Acupuncture in an 800 square-foot storefront in a strip-mall in Albany, California. Furnished with one (later two) massage tables, three La-Z-boy armchair recliners, four folding recliners, and an assortment of used tables, lamps, shelves, rugs, wall-hangings, etc., the space looked more like a living room than a medical clinic.

From opening day onward, we attracted enough clients to cover our monthly expenses. Our first month in business, we were open twelve hours per week and typically saw 20-30 clients per week. Some of our clients came from Tatyana's prior practice where she'd been offering community-style treatment two days per week for several months. Other clients came through contacts I'd accumulated from having lived in the neighborhood for 28 years or because they'd seen the notices we'd posted around town. After two months, we increased our open hours to 18 per week and were scheduling about 40 appointments per week. In ten months, we had earned back all of our start-up costs. This month (March 2011), Sarana will celebrate its third birthday. We are now open 40 hours per week with four acupuncturists and we see 140-150 clients per week. Our clients are referred to us by other acupuncturists, non-acupuncture therapists, word of mouth, and Internet list-serves or web-searches. Not all CA clinics are this successful – some more so and others less – but based on the Community Acupuncture Network's (www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org) current listing of 160 clinics –up from 80 in 2007– this model of practice is clearly spreading.

As a new acupuncturist, one of the things that was hardest for me was developing speed. For my first two months, I scheduled appointments at 20-minute intervals, then at 15-minute intervals for the next year. In May 2009, I started scheduling five clients per hour and since October 2009, I've been scheduling six per hour. The slow transition to six clients per hour was a mistake. It allowed me to be far too chatty with my clients. Chatting more, I've since learned, just means that it takes longer for a client to settle into the deep relaxation of acupuncture treatment. Moreover, working slower encouraged my tendency to spend too long selecting the 'perfect' point prescription. As my schedule sped up, I had to choose points without thinking about them so much – and learned that my 'on-the-fly' points worked as well or better than the TCM-diagnosis – based selections. My most recent colleague at Sarana began scheduling six clients per hour immediately. By this time, of course, we had trained our clients to need little chatter and we had created lists of point protocols for the most common ailments.

The other thing that was hard for me was becoming comfortable as a clinician. During my first several months, I felt that I was doing performance art, playing the role of acupuncturist, “faking it until I could make it”. I didn't feel that I was a healer. I didn't feel that I had the “magic fingers” that one of my classmates seemed to have in her instant ability to find ashi (sensitive) points. But one day, after I'd been practicing for 6-12 months, one of my clients burst into tears during her intake. In silence, I passed her the box of tissues, stepped back while she recomposed herself, then inserted her needles. She slept during her treatment, awoke in better spirits, went home and wrote me a thank-you note. She's still a regular client. I realized then that my gift for healing is in holding a space where people can feel safe and acknowledged. I can listen to them and bear witness of their struggles. What happens with the acupuncture needles, I think, is that people heal themselves but to do so, they must allow themselves to relax. I don't have “magic fingers” but it doesn't matter. My job is to be as trustworthy and caring a person as I can be and then to step aside and let people heal themselves.

So, having stumbled cluelessly into TCM and fortuitously onto the CA scene, I feel incredibly lucky. I thought I liked what I was doing when I worked as an architect, but now I feel I've found my proper life work providing a useful and widely-appreciated service to my community. Sarana provides my business partner and me a very modest income but it enables us to live well-enough and earn, probably, about as much as most of our clients. Our clinic also provides partial incomes and lots of practice to two other acupuncturists – a job option that was rarely available when I finished school. And we provide lots of acupuncture to lots of people. Last month, one of my clients told me that losing her health insurance may have been a blessing – relying only on weekly acupuncture and traditional medicines, she now feels less pain than when she was taking prescription pain-killers. When I was in school, one of my instructors said that he taught because school gave him the social interaction that he could not have in his doctor/patient relationships. I disagree. I give some 40-50 treatments per week and, even though I may share only five minutes of conversation per visit, I've come to feel very connected to my clients. They come in – regularly or sporadically – and bring their friends and family members, share news of major and minor events of their lives, offer us gifts and garden produce, and thank us again and again. But I am equally grateful – for having clients who support us and our version of affordable health care.

April 2011 Schedule Changes

2011-04-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

Thursday 4/7
Pam 11 am - 2 pm
Mari 2 - 4:30 pm
Ellie 4:30 - 7 pm
(NO Tatyana)

Friday 4/15
Tatyana 11 am - 3 pm
Ellie 3 - 7 pm
(NO Mari)

Saturday Schedule Change

2011-02-24T10:24:00.001-08:00

Pam will be substituting for Ellie this Saturday 2/27 10 am - 2 pm.

Happy Year of the Rabbit

2011-02-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Lunar New Year!

February 3^rd, 2011 marks the beginning of the Year of the Yin Metal Rabbit. The Chinese horoscope is based on a cycle of 12 animals (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig) and 5 elements, (wood, fire, earth, metal and water). Thus, a particular animal-element combination recurs only once every 60 years.

In previous metal rabbit years: (1831) Nat Turner's slave rebellion broke out, Charles Darwin embarked on the HMS Beagle; (1891) Carnegie Hall and Stanford University opened, basketball was invented, the US Court of Appeals was created; (1951) the Rosenbergs were convicted and the US anti-communist “red-scare” began, the first Univac computer was delivered to the the US census bureau, and “I Love Lucy” was first aired.

Famous rabbit people include: Confucius, Albert Einstein, US Chief Justice Earl Warren, Israeli statesmen Moshe Dayan and Yitzhak Shamir, Senator Patrick Moynihan, labor activist Cesar Chavez, ice cream manufacturers Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, and entertainers Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Depp, Robin Williams, and Sting.

The rabbit is typically a gentle, quiet, intuitive, peace-loving animal who seeks safety and domestic harmony. Perpetually bridging the space in the Chinese horoscope between the powerful tiger and dragon, the rabbit prefers to avoid conflict and to act behind the scenes. When feeling secure, rabbits can be capable managers, advisors, and negotiators. When threatened, they can become paranoid and vicious. Thus, this year has potential for both peace and violence. Following are prognostications offered by Daoist scholar Liu Ming.

General Recommendations: Daoist astrology is only loosely predictive. Individual conduct is most important now as this year, potentially inauspicious, is influenced by our collective behavior. This is a good year for looking inward and creating collaborative action. Real security and trustworthy leadership will emerge from our cultivating spontaneous kindness and supporting friends and family. Local generosity adds up. Work cooperatively to prevent the outbreak of fear-driven violence.
Politically, ethnic and regional identity movements will be important in the US, China, India, and the European community. Nations will act to protect their borders and economies but non-traditional, non-national communities will emerge via business, artistic, Internet, and other alliances. Behind-the- scenes diplomacy will be fruitful.
In business and finance, nations will place domestic agendas first thus straining international treaties and markets but real estate sales will increase and stabilize.
In regard to health, the rabbit's affinity for intuition leads to a reinforced mind-body connection. Poor health will heighten mental distress and vice versa. Conversely, mental security will improve physical well-being. Participatory healing practices that fully engage the imagination and intuition can be dramatically effective this year. This is a good year to start or renew a yoga, taichi, or qigong practice.
In the Inner Realm, religion will be less the focus of social and political identity. This isn't a good year to find a righteous cause. Instead, do your own authentic, individual, and intuitive practice.

The metal rabbit year ends and the water dragon year begins on January 23, 2012. How this year goes will be enlarged next year, so act as best you can to promote cooperation and freedom from fear.

Written by Pam Chang, LAc

NEW Sarana Herbal Soup MIx

2011-01-25T07:57:00.001-08:00

We are expanding our medicinal food offerings at Sarana!
In addition to the popular Pam's Breakfast Grains, we now have Sarana Herbal Soup Mix. It is a pleasant-tasting, energy boosting herbal mix to add to your favorite chicken or vegetable soup recipe. Made with certified organic and pesticide free herbs from the reputable Spring Wind Herbs, the mix is available for $3 per bag.

Ingredients: *lotus seed (lian zi), *red ganoderma (ling zhi), *astragalus (huang qi), **coix seeds (yi yi ren), **goji berries (gou qi zi), **codonopsis (dang shen), **longan fruit (long yan rou), **solomon's seal rhizome (yu zhu)

*organic, **premium quality tested for pesticides.

Benefits:

All of these herbs can be used for general wellness. Astragalus and ganoderma help boost energy and immune function. Coix seed and codonopsis assist digestion and enhance energy. Lotus seed and longan are calming and nourish the heart. Goji berries are a blood tonic and assist eye health and also have some immune boosting function. Polygonatum helps restore moisture and nourish the lungs.

Preparation Notes:

The herb mix bag is enough for a soup recipe for 4 – 6 large servings. Use your favorite chicken or vegetable soup recipe and add the herbs to the water or broth at the beginning of the cooking process. For best results, simmer the herbs in the soup for at least 45 minutes. You can add fresh garlic, ginger, or any seasonal vegetables you like. All the herbs are edible, but some might be too fibrous, so you can discard them after cooking. If you prefer not to eat the herbs, place them in a cheesecloth pouch, boil the pouch in the soup and remove after cooking. Eat the soup daily for a week while recovering from illness or once a week to support wellness and boost energy. Enjoy!

Meditation Cancelled

2011-01-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

Due to low attendance we are suspending the Sunday evening meditation until further notice - the last session will take place this Sunday 1/16 at 7 pm.

If you have interest in resurrecting this activity at Sarana and can commit to be a regular meditation leader at least once per month, please email us at info@saranacommunityacupuncture.com and let us know.

Thanks to all those that have shown up to meditate these past few months!

MId-Winter Mid-week Acupuncture Special!

2011-01-02T08:41:00.000-08:00

Come in on Wednesdays during January and February 2011 for a great deal:

$15 acupuncture for new clients

$10 acupuncture for return clients

Tell your friends!

Make your appointments here.

No More Gaps!

2010-12-21T08:59:00.000-08:00

Starting in January 2011, we are eliminating shift breaks by tightening up our schedule.

We hope this will make it easier for folks to remember when we are open and to drop in for treatments when they need it.

New hours:

Mon 9:30 am - 6:30 pm

Tues 2:30 - 6:30 pm

Wed - Fri 11 am - 7 pm

Sat 10 am - 2 pm

Holiday Schedule Changes

2010-12-10T19:34:00.001-08:00

Friday 12/24
Reduced hours
11 am – 3 pm with Ellie
NO massage

Wednesday 12/29
Pam works for Mari

Saturday 1/1/11, New Years Day
Reduced hours
11 am – 2 pm with Ellie
ALL ACUPUNCTURE IS FREE ON 1/1/11!

We will be CLOSED on:
Saturday 12/25
Friday 12/31

Have a joyous and healthy holiday!
~ the folks at Sarana Community Acupuncture

Poke-a-thon Fundraiser for Cherie McGee

2010-11-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

Cherie McGee, co-founder of East Bay Community Acupuncture in Berkeley, CA has recently been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. To help our friend and fellow community acupuncturist while she is undergoing treatment, Sarana Community Acupuncture, in conjunction with other Bay Area Community Acupuncture clinics, is participating in a series of benefit treatment-days. Join us in supporting Cherie by making an appointment for acupuncture treatment at Sarana Community Acupuncture on November 14.
Acupuncturists Pam Chang, Mari Kubota, Tatyana Ryevzina, and Ellie Schafer will donate their time.

Whatever you pay for your treatment that day will be donated to Cherie.

When: Sunday November 14, 2010
10:00am ~ 4:00 pm

Make appointments online or by calling:
510.526.5056

(If you wish to send a donation directly, you may address it to:
Cherie McGee, 2527 - 46th Ave., San Francisco, CA 94116)

November Schedule Changes and Substitutions

2010-10-29T07:34:00.001-07:00

Sunday 10/31 - NO meditation due to Halloween
Friday 11/5 - NO MASSAGE
Monday 11/8 and 11/22, 2:30 - 6:30 pm - Mari works for Tatyana
Monday 11/15, 9:30 am - 1:30 pm - Ellie works for Pam
Wednesday 11/24, 10 am - 2 pm - Pam works for Tatyana

Thanksgiving Schedule:
Thursday 11/25 - CLINIC CLOSED
Friday 11/26 - REDUCED HOURS - 11 am - 4 pm with Ellie as practitioner, NO MASSAGE
Saturday 11/27 - regular hours

Announcing our New Appointment Scheduling System

2010-10-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

Starting on October 20th, 2010 we will begin using a new appointment scheduler, Appointment-Plus.

We believe that in the long run this will prove to be a much better service provider for our business and our clients.

Important things to know about this transition:

* Any future appointments you already booked will be transferred into the new system.

* The first time you use Appointment-Plus, you will need to re-register and create a new user id and password.

* You may not be able to see your previously booked appointments at first, so please call or email us if you need a reminder of what you booked prior to 10/20.

* New massage appointment structure: the massage appointment lengths will start with 10 minutes and go up to 60 in 10 minute increments. The minimum massage appointment length will be 10 minutes.

Please go online and visit our new appointment calendar system through our website or through this link.

If you have any questions or problems, do not hesitate to call or email us!

With much gratitude for all your support,
The folks at
Sarana Community Acupuncture

October 2010 Schedule Changes

2010-09-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

Monday 10/11
Shortened schedule due to Columbus Day:
Pam - 11 am – 1:30 pm
Tatyana – 2:30 – 5 pm

Substituting for Pam week of 10/25 - 31:

Ellie: Monday 10/25 – 9:30am – 1:30 pm
Tatyana: Tuesday 10/26 – 2:30 – 6:30 pm
Mari: Thursday 10/28 – 10 am – 2 pm

No Massage on Fridays Oct 1 and 8

NO meditation on Sunday 10/31 due to Halloween

Meditation at Sarana

2010-08-17T22:53:00.001-07:00

ANNOUNCING SARANA DROP-IN MEDITATION GROUP

SUNDAYS 7 – 8:15 PM

Starting August 15th, 2010
(No meditation on 10/31)

We will practice 30 minutes of silent sitting meditation followed by tea, stretches or conversation / short reading.
We will end with another few minutes of silent sitting.

Open to anyone - feel free to invite friends.
Any silent sitting meditation method is ok.
Simple instructions will be given to total beginners.

For questions:
info@saranacommunityacupuncture.com
510.526.5056

Upcoming Schedule Changes

2010-08-09T21:16:00.000-07:00

The following changes commence on Tuesday August 17th:

No more Tuesday mornings - Tuesday hours will be only 2:30 - 6:30 pm with Pam
Wednesdays: 10 am - 2 pm with Tatyana, 3 - 7 pm with Mari (NEW evening shift, note that Pam will no longer work Wednesdays)
Thursdays: 10 - 2 with Pam (NEW morning shift)
Fridays: 11 am - 3 pm with Ellie and 3 -7 pm with Mari (Expanded hours)
Saturdays: 10 am - 2 pm with Ellie (Expanded hours)

All our other hours will remain the same, see our website for details or pick up a schedule at the clinic.

Short-term changes and substitutions:

Monday, 8/16 - 2:30 - 6:30 pm - Mari covers for Tatyana
Monday 9/6 (Labor Day) - shortened schedule:
11 am – 1:30 pm with Pam & 2:30 – 5 pm with Tatyana
Friday 9/10 – shortened schedule: 1 – 5:30 pm with Ellie
No massage on: 8/20 and 9/17

2010-07-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

JULY PRACTITIONER SCHEDULE CHANGES

Regular hours over 4th of July Weekend - Open Sat July 3rd and Monday July 5th

Wednesday, July 7
1:30 - 4:30 pm - Ellie covers for Pam

Friday, Jul 9
Fri 4 -7 pm - Tatyana covers for Mari

Monday, July 12
9:30 am - 1:30pm - Ellie covers for Pam

Tuesday, July 13
2:30 - 6:30pm - Ellie covers for Pam,
NO morning shift that day

Wednesday, July 14
11 am - 3 pm - Ellie covers for both Pam and Tatyana
shortened schedule

Thursday, July 15
2:30 - 6:30 pm - Mari covers for Tatyana

Monday, July 19
2:30 - 6:30 pm - Ellie covers for Tatyana

Our May Newsletter

2010-05-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

Please check it out here.
Thanks!

Practitioner Schedule Changes

2010-05-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

Monday 5/10, 2:30 - 6:30 pm - Ellie substitutes for Tatyana

Monday 5/17, 9:30 am - 1:30 pm - Ellie substitutes for Pam

Tuesday 5/18, 2:30 - 6:60 pm and Wednesday 5/19, 1- 4:30 pm - Mari substitutes for Pam

Thursday 6/3, 3 - 7 pm - Mari substitutes for Tatyana

We will be OPEN on Memorial Day, Monday 5/31

New Massage hours start Friday 5/21 - Fridays 3 - 6 pm with Sarah Liners
Last Day for Monday massage is 5/17

Practitioner Schedule Substitutions

2010-03-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

Ellie and Pam will switch shifts on:
Tuesday 3/16
(Pam works 10 am – 1 pm, Ellie works 3:30-6:30 pm)

Tatyana will substitute for Pam on:
Saturday 3/27, 12 - 3 pm
Saturday 4/10, 12 – 3 pm

Happy Lunar New Year!

2010-02-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

February 14^th 2010 marks the beginning of the Year of the Yang Metal Tiger. The Chinese horoscope is based on a cycle of 12 animals (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig) and 5 elements, (wood, fire, earth, metal and water). Thus, a particular animal-element combination recurs only once every 60 years. In previous metal tiger years: (1830) the US congress passed the Indian Removal Act, France invaded Algeria, and the French July Revolution took place; (1890) The Japanese Meiji Constitution took effect, the US Congress established Yosemite National Park, and the Battle of Wounded Knee occurred; and (1950) the Korean War began, China invaded Tibet, and Mauna Loa in Hawaii and Mt. Etna in Sicily erupted. Famous metal tiger people include: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770); Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria (1830); Dwight Eisenhower, Ho Chi Minh, and Charles de Gaulle (1890), and singer Stevie Wonder and Olympic medalist Mark Spitz (1960).

The white (=metal) tiger is one of the most potent magic symbols in Asian shamanic traditions. The tiger is dangerously powerful, intense, unpredictable and fearless. The metal element adds a quality of precision to temper the raw strength of the tiger but will not reach its full strength until September-November. Thus, this year is one with great opportunity for direct and forceful actions, but, especially in the early part of the year, there is much potential for mishap and instability. Following are some prognostications given by Liu Ming, a wise and witty scholar of Daoist philosophy and astrology, who annually gives a talk on what might be expected in the upcoming year.

General Recommendations: Delay actions if possible until after April when the Tiger energy will be less chaotic, more focused, and more productive. If you are a tiger or dragon, enjoy your power but be wary of impulsiveness and excess. Horses, roosters, dogs, and pigs can expect a good year. Small animals –rats, rabbits, snakes, and monkeys—as well as oxen and sheep should lie low to avoid the Tiger whirlwind.

Globally, instead of Earth-Oxen year earthquakes, the Tiger will bring heat and unpredictability. Expect volcanoes and explosions as well as water-related catastrophes.

Politically, it will be a poor year for diplomacy – tigers neither make nor keep treaties. Influenced by uncompromising and aggressive Tiger energy, world leaders are likely to listen to their military advisors.

In business and finance, competition will be fierce on all fronts but the recalibration of “big” and “small” that began in 2001 will continue. Big conglomerates have so far driven a growth economy, but increasingly, small businesses that retain integral ties with their local roots – local pride, sense of community and concern for environmental protection – will find opportunities to succeed. Hard work and good products may become the basis of a new economy as conglomerate power becomes slow to react and unreliable.

In regard to health, the Tiger is tremendously powerful but has little immunity to the slightest infection. Metal is associated with the lungs. This year, be prepared for lung diseases, flu, widespread virulent contagious infections, allergies, and recurrent illnesses. Pay attention and make good choices for your health. This is an especially good year to adhere to a regular health practice.

In the Inner Realm, self-righteousness and spirituality are a call to war in Metal Tiger years. Instead, use the daring of the Tiger year to examine the spirituality inherent in your own heart. This is a good year to plunge yourself in a meditation practice, go on a retreat, and dig deeply.

The Metal Tiger year ends and the Metal Rabbit year begins on February 3, 2011 – a good time for recovering from the excesses of Tiger energy.

Alternative Medicine for Cancer

2010-01-20T12:59:00.000-08:00

Recently, a friend asked my advice regarding alternative medicine approaches for cancer patients. I have to start out with the disclaimer that acupuncturists are only authorized to treat the side effects of cancer and its treatment, not cancer itself. I also have to say that I cannot generalize about cancer – every cancer patient has a different experience of the disease. But I can offer my perspective from having been diagnosed with stage I ovarian cancer in 2005 while I was studying traditional Chinese Medicine. This is the letter I wrote to my friend.

Dear X:

Unlike with Western Medicine, there are no standard protocols, no statistics, no controlled studies for treatment of cancer with alternative medicine. If you choose alternative therapies, you will be performing an uncontrolled experiment on yourself in real time with no guarantees (but then when were there ever guarantees in life?).

I speak only from my experience in having had cancer and having elected not to follow standard western protocols for radiation or chemotherapy post-surgery. What you can take from this that may be applicable to yourself is something that you have to figure out. No one else, really, can do this research for you. You have to take a very proactive approach because, ultimately, you have to convince yourself that you are making the right decisions for taking care of yourself regardless of whether or not you will die from them.

After my surgery, I had to assume that cancer would recur unless I made radical changes both in decreasing my exposure to carcinogens and improving my inherent resistance to disease. There are a gazillion claims in the world for therapies that cure cancer; probably most of them sometimes work for some people. There is a book, Brain Longevity (by Dharma Singh Khalsa,), that makes the point that you can't know which one therapy is best for optimum health, so try as many as make sense to you – they may act in synergy.

My particular approach included dietary changes, dietary supplements, Chinese herbs, weekly acupuncture, daily exercise, meditation, and increased sleep. Most of these changes I continue to follow (5 years post surgery), although I have relaxed much of the regimen over time.

Diet changes are the biggest. I eliminated most dairy, refined sugars, refined flours, and processed foods, and I switched from canola oil to butter, coconut or grapeseed oils for stir-frying. I have become mostly vegetarian and, when eating meat products, I try to stick with < ¼ lb per serving of organic products only. I also avoid fried foods, cured foods, and barbecue. I eat my blend of 9 whole grains for breakfast daily (See this link for the recipe and preparation instructions.) and I now subscribe to a Full Belly Farm box of organic vegetables delivered every other week. For diet, I strongly urge following Michael Pollan's guidelines in In Defense of Food. Immediately after surgery, I took the advice of my Chinese and Western Nutrition instructor about taking dietary supplements. These included Vitamins A, C, E and selenium (antioxidants), vitamin B complex, cod liver oil, (for Vitamin D), flax oil (for omega-3s), alphalipoic acid, pycnogenol, a 'green' drink (concentrated powdered green vegetables including seaweeds), and digestive enzymes. It was a huge regimen. (Many of these supplements are also recommended in Brain Longevity). I tapered off most of the supplements after my 2-year post-surgery date as I believe that getting nutrients from whole foods is best. Now the only supplements I take are cod liver and flax oil. I took anti-cancer specific Chinese herbs for 2-1/2 years. These were prescribed by an acupuncturist who specialized in treating cancer patients. He provided me with herb powders that I drank as a tea 2-3 x / day, 4-6 days per week (about $100 for a 6 week supply). I bought and mixed the raw herbs and decocted those on weekends (about $200 for a 1-year supply). Talk to your oncologist before you start any Chinese herbs. As I was not a chemo patient, my doctors didn't care what I took, but I understand that many oncologists have objections to mixing Chinese and Western medicines. I also drank a homegrown kefir culture, for 20 days/month for 3 years and have recently started it up again. These days, I no longer take the anti-cancer herbs but I do take Chinese herb pills for boosting energy, blood, yin, and yang. Exercise-wise, I started off with the aim to do Tai Chi daily. After about a year, this became 3-5 times per week and now is about 2x / week, but I get daily exercise either by bicycle commuting or doing a minimum 3 minutes of stretches. I also took adult swimming lessons, which, I believe, contributed to the re-normalization of my blood pressure. For about 1.5 years, I meditated for at least 15 minutes at the end of each day. And for 5 years now, I have received weekly acupuncture treatments. From all indications, I do not have cancer currently and, in many ways, am healthier than I was 5 years ago. My blood markers for ovarian cancer are extremely low and my blood pressure has gone from borderline hypertension to normal. My cholesterol levels have remained very low – nowhere near the high levels of others in my family. My complexion is clearer, my flexibility and balance better, my pulse is stronger, and my tongue looks healthier (from a Chinese medicine standard); my friends say I look good and I feel good. I mention these because they are the markers that you will need to use as a measure of your own healthiness. I hope this helps you in charting your own course for living with a cancer diagnosis.
-Pam Chang

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T09:50:00.001-08:00

Sarana 2009 Monthly visit chart - click on the picture to see it bigger.

We wish you a happy and healthy 2010!

1. Thanks for a great year!
Our community keeps growing. In 2009, our first full calendar year of business, we gave 4,452 acupuncture treatments and 230 massage sessions. See the picture above for a monthly visit chart. We are deeply grateful for all your support. Because of your referrals, we will be able to continue adding practitioners and expanding our business hours in 2010 -- Stay tuned for new schedules this spring.

2. January "Two for One" Acupuncture Special!
Acupuncture works best if it is received regularly and frequently. To encourage everyone to get more acupuncture, for the month of January 2010, every new acupuncture client will receive a free second acupuncture session to be used within two weeks of the first one. Invite your friends and family to come in and try it! Appointments can be scheduled online or by calling the clinic.

3. We need your help!
Action alert: the national regulatory agencies of the acupuncture world are trying to make becoming an acupuncturist more expensive and more difficult. They have proposed changing the educational requirement for licensure from a master's level to a doctorate degree. This would mean that fewer people could afford either to become acupuncturists or to open affordable, sliding scale, community clinics -- which is the opposite of what we want!

We are asking you to visit and sign our petitions that say "NO" to more expensive and longer acupuncture education. Look for the petition in Sarana's reception area or ask the receptionist when you come in.

If you cannot come by in person, please consider sending an email letter of opposition to the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine: coordinator@acaom.org. (Please include info@SaranaCommunityAcupuncture.com as a CC or BCC recipient if you do this.) A sample letter to copy is here.
The deadline for comments is on 1/15/10, so please do not delay!

4. Reception volunteers still needed
Have you ever thought of volunteering at our front desk? Our reception volunteers receive free acupuncture in exchange for their work.
We are currently looking for reception help for full or half shifts on:
Tuesdays 9:15 am - 1:15 pm
Thursdays 2:45 - 5 pm
Fridays 3:45 - 8 pm.
If you are interested in joining our crew, let us know!

Warmly and gratefully,

the folks at Sarana Community Acupuncture

Action Alert - Help us defeat the plan for First Professional Doctorate for Acupuncturists!

2009-12-28T20:20:00.000-08:00

At Sarana Community Acupuncture we take your access to quality acupuncture care very seriously. In fact, everything we do here is designed to make acupuncture as accessible as possible so that you can get the care that you need. We consider creating access to care a mission of social justice and we are entirely committed to partnering with you to create a positive impact in our community. And now we need your help in a big way.

Part of this commitment to social justice demands that we take an active part in ensuring that members of our communities also have equal access to acupuncture education. There is currently an effort by certain individuals in national acupuncture regulatory agencies as well as some influential acupuncture colleges to increase both the cost and length of education in acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM), programs that we believe already produce safe and effective practitioners. This is being done by raising the degree status for AOM from its current masters-level, to an entry-level first professional doctorate. The first step in that direction is attempting to develop standards for and pilot these programs at schools around the country. And that is what we are taking a stand against with you today.

Our position is that a first professional doctorate in AOM will have the effect of making access to acupuncture study and practice more exclusionary, thereby limiting the potential of acupuncture to integrate itself into more diverse communities. Increased costs for tuition will be passed onto the public through increased rates, further limiting access to care. There already exists an optional doctorate level program of study in AOM. Changing the entry-level is simply unnecessary.

We consider all of you that sit in our recliners the most important stakeholder in this conversation of a first professional doctorate. While we are happy when we can tell you that there is someone doing community acupuncture where your friends and family live, 90% of the time there is no one practicing acupuncture there the way that you experience it here. This is just plain wrong. This trend can only reverse if we all stand up and say “NO!” to the first professional doctorate in AOM together.

You all are our greatest resources, and we are asking you today to email your letter of opposition to coordinator@acaom.org (and a copy to info@saranacommunityacupuncture.com) in the name of access to care, access to education, equal rights and social justice in our communities. The deadline for comments is January 15th 2010. A sample letter is below.

Thank you for your continued partnership in true social change.

-The staff at Sarana Community Acupuncture
_______________________________________________
ACAOM SAMPLE LETTER:

To: ACAOM (coordinator@acaom.org)
Maryland Trade Center #3
7501 Greenway Center Drive, Suite 760
Greenbelt, MD 20770

RE: Patients of OM OPPOSED to a First-Professional Doctorate

January XX, 2010

To the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine,

As a patient of Oriental medicine, I consider myself to be a key stakeholder in the successful practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine in this country. I am strongly opposed to the development of standards for and subsequent piloting of a first professional doctorate in acupuncture and in Oriental medicine. As this will likely lead to a change in entry level education for the profession, I believe this would reduce the number of new practitioners entering the profession, thus limiting access to this medicine. Additional financial responsibilities incurred by students, if a doctorate became a requirement for practice, would very likely have the effect of increasing the cost to the consumer. I believe that the current level of education required that my practitioner received was adequate for me to safely receive the benefits of Oriental medicine.

Sincerely,

NAME
ADDRESS

Holiday Schedule and Updates

2009-12-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in our Miriam Lee Tribute Day on December 9th; we gave 39 free "tune up" acupuncture treatments and collected $190 in donations to Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic!

Ever thought of volunteering at our front desk? Our reception volunteers receive FREE acupuncture in exchange for their work. We are currently looking for reception help on Tuesdays 9:15 am - 1:15 pm and Fridays 3:45 - 8 pm. If you are interested in joining our crew, let us know!

Our holiday schedule:

We will be CLOSED for Winter Holidays on:
Thursday 12/24 and Friday 12/25
Thursday 12/31 and Friday 1/1/10

There will be NO massage on Mondays 12/28 and 1/4

Tatyana will substitute for Pam on:
Tuesday 12/29, 3:30 -6:30 pm
Saturday 1/2/10, 11 am - 2 pm

Have a joyous and healthy holiday season, see you soon!

Noodle fun!

2009-11-21T14:04:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday 11/11, about a dozen of Sarana clients, staff and volunteers gathered to eat some yummy noodles (and things that go well with noodles:) and to discuss the book Acupuncture is like Noodles. After a brief introduction and a short report from the latest Board meeting of Community Acupuncture Network, we ate and talked and ate some more. It was a wonderful evening, full of nourishing food and stimulating conversation. Among the foods we sampled: Mexican spaghetti, Vietnamese noodle soup, kugel with fresh apples, mac'n'cheese, noodly-looking green beans with pesto sauce, and a surprise pumpkin pie that had no noodles in it at all, but was welcomed with open mouths nevertheless.

We passed around a clipboard and collected written comments on the book. We would like to share a few quotes with you.:

"... I enjoy the writing style that anticipates a reader's potential questions and concerns and lets them know that they will be answered and addressed in a humorous way."
- Carol S., client

"Thanks you for so clearly and definitely asserting that the ability to be helpful implies a moral obligation to do so, for a medical practitioner"
- P.M.

"My favorite bit of Noodles is about social businesses - businesses whose primary purpose is social benefit rather than profit. "
- Pam C., practitioner

"There is a strength and beauty in the access / freedom from so many restrictions that are standard to health care, which you address so nicely in Noodles. A point I really appreciated was your description of how what's important to a person, everyday values, can be and should be transferred into a sustainable business (i.e. the woman preparing for a party analogy)".
- Anna, volunteer

"I love how this book debunks the oh so popular conception that acupuncture is only for few people as in 'boutique' health care. Noodles are for all kinds of people all over the world, and so is acupuncture." - Pam F., volunteer

Did you know that Noodles is being sold at the famous Powell's Books in Portland, OR? If you have digested your Noodles and would like to leave a comment about the book on Powell's website, follow this link, sign up for an account and comment away!

If you still haven't read the book, you can get one at Sarana or from Working Class Acupuncture. It makes a lovely holiday gift :)

Miriam Lee Tribute Day - FREE acupuncture on December 9, 2009

2009-11-15T13:15:00.000-08:00

Bay Area Community Acupuncture Clinics Honor Pioneer Miriam Lee
With A Day of Free Acupuncture

Seven Community Acupuncture clinics in the greater San Francisco Bay area will offer free acupuncture on December 9, 2009 to honor Miriam Lee, the woman who set off the movement to legalize acupuncture in the US. An eight clinic in San Rafael will offer the free treatments on December 8.

Born on December 9, 1926 in China, Lee immigrated to the United States in 1969 and settled in Palo Alto, California. Because it was illegal to practice acupuncture, she took a job on an assembly line. However, Lee found it impossible to not offer her skills and was soon seeing patients clandestinely. Over time, her reputation grew, until her practice became too large for her home. One anecdote related in her book, Insights of a Senior Acupuncturist, mentions the collapse of the steps to her back porch due to the number of people waiting to see her. Eventually, she found a sympathetic M.D. who allowed her to work out of his office during off-hours.

In 1974 Lee was arrested for practicing medicine without a license. Her patients filled the courthouse at her hearing, demanding the right to receive acupuncture. Miriam Lee had offered them compassion and health, and now they came to her defense. Thanks to this public outcry, acupuncture was declared an “experimental procedure” and Lee was granted the right to see patients at San Francisco University. In 1976, acupuncture was legalized in California. Lee retired in 1997 and died at age 82 on June 24th of this year.

Miriam Lee felt compelled to offer the healing power of acupuncture to as many people as possible. She treated a variety of illnesses for two decades in Palo Alto, starting her day early and treating as many as 10 patients per hour using tables and chairs in several rooms. In order to work quickly and effectively, Lee developed a simple 5-point, 10-needle protocol which proved helpful for the majority of common health complaints.

Community acupuncturists draw inspiration from Miriam Lee and share her desire to provide acupuncture to as many people as possible. Following the example of Working Class Acupuncture in Portland, Oregon, Community Acupuncture clinics in the Bay Area offer affordable, sliding-scale acupuncture in quiet group spaces. Their mission is to increase access to regular and frequent acupuncture treatment for people with ordinary incomes and to build a sense of community among those receiving and providing care.

In Lee’s memory, several Community Acupuncture clinics in the Bay Area will provide her treatment protocol (known as the "Miriam Lee tune up") free to clients on December 9, 2009. Participating clinics are listed below. Contact them directly for business hours and other details.

Albany:
Sarana Community Acupuncture
968 San Pablo Ave., Albany, CA 94706
(510) 526-5056
www.SaranaCommunityAcupuncture.com
Free “Miriam Lee tune-up” treatments by appointment from 10am-4pm.
100 % of optional donations will go to the Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic, which offers free alternative medicine care to low-income women with cancer. Book appointments here.

Berkeley:
Berkeley Community Acupuncture
2880 Sacramento St., Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 704-0593
www.bcaclinic.com

Davis:
Davis Community Acupuncture Clinic
Itay Neta, LAc
817 4th St., Davis, CA 95616
(530) 219-0761
www.PainlessAcupuncture.org

Newark:
Oasis Community Acupuncture
36614 Newark Blvd., Newark, CA 94560
(510) 552-2208
www.oasiscommunityacupuncture.com

Oakland:
Oakland Acupuncture Project
576 Laurel Ave., Oakland, CA 94602
(510) 326-3710
www.oaklandacupunctureproject.com

Pleasanton:
Body in Balance Community Acupuncture Center
4133 Mohr Ave., Ste E, Pleasanton, CA 94566
(925) 417-8800
www.pleasantoncommunityacupuncture.com

San Francisco:
Community Acupuncture Works
2889 24th St #A, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 861.0104
www.caworks.org

San Rafael:
Community Acupuncture of San Rafael
2130 Fourth St., Suite C, San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 302-8507
www.communityacu.com
Free “Miriam Lee double” treatments by appointment from 11:30am to 3:30pm on December 8th (not 9th). 100 % of optional donations will go to the Marin Abused Women's Services.

Schedule Changes and Updates

2009-11-01T21:06:00.000-08:00

Thursday Massage suspended
Mari is done with acupuncture school and is getting busy studying for the state licensing exam!
Starting in November, massage will take place on Mondays only (3:30 – 6:30 pm)

Ellie will substitute for Tatyana on:
Mondays 11/23 and 11/30, 3:30 - 6:30 pm
Wednesday 12/2, 10 am – 1 pm

Ellie will substitute for Pam on:
Saturday 11/28, 11 am -2 pm

Pam will substitute for Tatyana on:
Wednesday 11/24, 10 am – 1pm

We will be CLOSED for Thanksgiving Holiday on:
Thursday 11/26 and Friday 11/27

"NOODLES" potluck and discussion 11/11/09

2009-10-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

Have you read Acupuncture is Like Noodles yet?

If you have, you are invited to a NOODLES potluck and discussion on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009, starting at 6pm at Sarana Community Acupuncture.

Please bring a noodle dish (or something that goes well with noodles) to share and your "NOODLES" thoughts. Sarana will supply silverware and compostable plates and cups (but if you prefer, you can bring your own non-disposable dishes). If you need directions to Sarana, please visit this link.

Please e-mail to let us know if you are coming (regrets are unnecessary).

Looking forward to a lively discussion and yummy noodles!

Fall News

2009-10-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

Fall greetings!

We hope you are enjoying the change of seasons and staying healthy. If you feel your body is struggling with the arrival of colder weather, maybe it's time for an acupuncture "tune up"!

1. Expanded hours on Tuesdays!

Our new acupuncturist, Ellie Schafer, L.Ac, will offer acupuncture treatments on
Tuesday mornings from 10 am to 1 pm, starting October 13th.
You can schedule your appointments online through this link. Ellie will continue to work on Fridays from 1-4pm. For more about Ellie, see our webpage.

2. Save the date: Wednesday Dec. 9th - Miriam Lee Tribute Day and a Winter Holiday Gathering

Dr. Miriam Lee, was one of the pioneering acupuncturists in the United States and was responsible for the legalization of acupuncture in California. She popularized a simple 5-point protocol which she showed to be helpful for the majority of common health complaints. In the acupuncture community this treatment has become known as the "Miriam Lee tune up". To learn more about this revolutionary acupuncturist, check out this blog post by Circle Community acupuncture in San Francisco.
Dr. Lee passed away this year, and on her birthday, in tribute to her life's work, we will offer free acupuncture using her tune up treatment.
In the evening we will gather to share some holiday cheer - stay tuned for details!

We look forward to seeing you soon!
-the folks at Sarana Community Acupuncture

Upcoming practitioner schedule changes at Sarana

2009-09-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Pam substituting for Tatyana:

Friday 10/23

Ellie substituting for Tatyana:

Wednesday 10/07

Thursday 10/08

Ellie substituting for Pam:

Monday 11/02

Tatyana substituting for Pam:

Saturday 10/31

Help us be chosen Woman-Owned Business of the Year!

2009-08-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Sarana Community Acupuncture has been nominated for Woman-Owned Business of the Year award from Women's Initiative for Self-Employment - a non-profit that trains low-income women to be small business owners and achieve economic independence. (Tatyana went through their training several years ago.)

This is a local (Bay Area) organization looking at local businesses, so we think we do have a pretty good chance of being selected. The winner gets a fair amount of press exposure (more in the local business-oriented media), which would be great for Sarana and the Community Acupuncture movement.

The number of nominations we get counts as as part of their selection process. You can nominate us here: http://www.womensinitiative.org/emails/WOB_Nominations.html

Selection is next month, so please do it NOW!

Thanks a lot for your support!

- the folks at Sarana Community Acupuncture

End of Summer acupuncture special and other updates

2009-08-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

Summer greetings,

1. End of Summer Acupuncture special: TWO for ONE acupuncture!

When: Between Monday August 17th and Saturday August 22nd, 2009

What: Bring a friend with you and one of you will receive a FREE acupuncture treatment!
At least one of you must be a NEW client.
How: Make an appointment online or over the phone: 510.526.5056.
Book soon for the most availability!

2. Schedule changes

Pam will be substituting for Tatyana on Friday 8/28
There will be NO massage on: Monday 8/17 and Thursday 8/20
We will be CLOSED: Monday 9/7 for Labor Day.

3. Volunteers needed - Help us transform health care in our community!

Our wonderful front desk crew is growing, but we are still looking for volunteers to help with reception for late afternoon / evening shifts on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Fridays. If you are interested, please let us know!
All volunteers receive free acupuncture in exchange for their service.

With gratitude for all of your support,
the folks at Sarana Community Acupuncture

Summer News and Updates

2009-07-11T22:19:00.000-07:00

Our new acupuncturist, Ellie Schafer

We hope that you are enjoying summer's warmth!

We're growing and adding new shifts and new people!

Ellie Schafer, L.Ac, will offer acupuncture treatments on Fridays from 1-4pm starting on July 17th. You might recognize Ellie from the reception desk where she's been helping us on Thursdays. For more about Ellie, see this page.

Monday Massage is back! In addition to Thursday afternoons, you can now schedule a massage on Mondays between 3:30 and 6:30 pm starting July 13th.

Volunteers: We currently have 5 reception volunteers, 1 housekeeper, and a flyer-distributor. We are extremely grateful to our volunteers – They welcome us all, hold the healing space together, and keep everything running smoothly. They make it possible for our community to grow so that we can continue to offer affordable acupuncture. So please thank them. And if you want to become a volunteer, please let us know.

Important On-line booking changes:

Starting in July, you will no longer need to choose a specific acupuncturist when you are booking an on-line appointment. Just choose what type of appointment (acupuncture first visit, acupuncture return visit, herbal/nutrition/self-care consultation, or massage / acupressure) and what day/time you want.

If you do want an appointment with a specific person, please refer to our practitioner schedule here before booking your appointment or call the clinic for more information.

About Pam's Breakfast Grains

2009-06-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what those little bags of grains and seeds are in our clinic waiting area?

People say that a cancer diagnosis is an invitation to change your life. Certainly, in terms of modifying my diet and exercise habits, cancer has been a huge motivator for me. Shortly after my surgery, a friend brought me a batch of her multi-grain breakfast cereal. I liked the nutty taste and texture of the whole grains. I started experimenting with cooking whole grains and eventually settled on this recipe.

I've been eating my breakfast grains most days for the past 4 years. Along with other lifestyle changes I've made, the grains have helped me remain cancer-free. The whole grains provide lots of fiber. They are 5-10% protein and the rest mostly carbohydrates but because they are unrefined, the carbohydrates are slow-release. This breakfast (plus a teaspoon of omega-3 - rich fish or flax oil) gives me enough energy to keep going for 5-6 hours. Because of its high fiber content, it has also helped cleanse my intestines and keep my cholesterol level very low.

If you buy bulk grains and mix them yourself, they cost about 50 cents per serving – something that met the budget and appetite of my starving-student nephew during his first year in foggy, wet Arcata.

-Pam Chang
____________________________________________________________________________________

Single sample batches of pre-mixed breakfast grains including the dried fruit condiments and a printed copy of the the recipe are available at Sarana Community Acupuncture for $5 each.

The mix recipe:
Each batch of breakfast grains contains:
1/4 cup each of any of the following grains: wheat berries, rye berries, oat groats, millet, quinoa, barley, coix seeds(=yi yi ren)*
1/8 cup brown rice
1/8 cup amaranth
1 Tablespoon of red (aduki) beans
1 Tablespoon of green (mung) beans
1/4 cup almonds or hazelnuts

Preparation method:
• Soak the grains (not the condiments) overnight (6-12 hours) in a medium size saucepan
• Rinse and drain 2-3 times
• Add water to cover 1/2" above the top of the grains. (like boiling rice, but because you've soaked the grains, you don't need to add as much water).
• Turn to high heat, boil, then turn down and simmer for 20-30 minutes (or cook in a rice cooker)
• Turn the heat of when most of the water has been absorbed but before the grains have started sticking to the bottom of the pot
• Stir in condiments or other dried berries (we use gou qi zi*), chopped dried fruit, toasted walnuts, cinnamon, sesame seeds or whatever you like to give the grains a nice flavor
• Let everything sit for 5 minutes to steam the dried fruit

Variations:
• add maple syrup or brown sugar if you like, but the raisins may provide enough sweetening
• add flax oil, cod liver oil, and flax meal to increase the omega-3 content
• for softer grains, soak for up to 24 hrs and add a little extra water when preparing to boil, let boil for an extra 10-15 minutes

* you can look for yi yi ren and gou qi zi in the bulk section of a health food store, an Asian market or a Chinese herb shop or ask the clinic to order some for you in bulk.

This recipe makes enough for 5-8 servings
Refrigerate the leftovers and re-heat enough for breakfast each day
Chew carefully, as there may be occasional grain hulls present

Schedule Changes

2009-06-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

substituting for Tatyana on:
Friday 6/26 - Pam
Monday 7/20 - Ellie Schafer (our new practitioner!)

We will be CLOSED:
Saturday 7/4 for Independence Day Holiday

How does a community acupuncture clinic grow?

2009-05-19T19:28:00.001-07:00

Click on the chart to get a bigger view!

New ! Great Book about Community Acupuncture

2009-05-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

Want to know more about the Community Acupuncture Movement?
Do you want affordable acupuncture to be available to more people?

This book explains not only how acupuncture works, but how community acupuncture clinics work. Acupuncture Is Like Noodles is written for patients, acupuncture students, prospective acupuncture students, licensed acupuncturists, other medical providers, and anyone else who is curious about the “calmest Revolution ever staged.” Your purchase of this book supports Sarana Community Acupuncture, the Community Acupuncture Network, and the emergence of affordable acupuncture clinics into communities throughout the world.

Please enjoy this delicious excerpt from Noodles

Just as nobody knows where acupuncture originated, nobody really knows why it works.

There are many theories about acupuncture. The ancient Chinese, while they may not have invented acupuncture, developed an elaborate theoretical foundation for it. More recently, Western medical research has suggested biomedical mechanisms for acupuncture. None of these theories, no matter how interesting they are, actually explain why inserting tiny needles under the skin stimulates the body’s ability to heal itself. None of the theories explain how they can all contradict each other, and yet all of them still work. Acupuncture is not like any other form of “alternative medicine”. It is unique. It is nothing like chiropractic treatment, or massage therapy, or naturopathic medicine. It is not like Western medical interventions such as surgery or physical therapy. It should not be compared or confused with any of these things.

Acupuncture is somewhat like prayer, in that sometimes you get a lotmore than you asked for, in ways that you never expected, through the action of forces that you can’t see. Acupuncture is also somewhat like food. Providing acupuncture is like cooking and receiving acupuncture is like eating. The ingredients are all contained within the body itself; the acupuncture treatment is a way of arranging them so that the body can use them better. Once the acupuncturist arranges the needles in the right combinations, the patient’s job is to sit quietly long enough to “digest” the treatment.

Acupuncture nourishes the body by helping it to relax.

Besides being like food in general, acupuncture is a lot like noodles, in particular. The oldest written accounts of noodles come from ancient China, but the Chinese did not necessarily invent noodles. Noodles are made from many different ingredients, all over the world, and prepared in widely different ways. Noodles and acupuncture are both flexible, nourishing, and potentially very, very inexpensive.

About Acupuncture in America

Acupuncture probably first came to America with Chinese immigrant laborers. Acupuncture began to “become mainstream”, which really means “become interesting to white people” after Nixon’s trip to China. In the 1980s it began to be possible to go to school and get a degree to become an acupuncturist, instead of becoming an acupuncturist by
apprenticing in a clinic. This is not unlike going to chef school to get a degree in culinary arts, versus learning to make noodles by helping your grandmother in the kitchen. Soon after this, it became possible to take out student loans to go to acupuncture school, and after that, the price of acupuncture education went through the roof. Many students now graduate from acupuncture school with $100,000 or more in debt. This is not unlike culinary students, who graduate from chef school burdened with huge student loans, when all they really wanted
to do was to learn how to cook. Unlike chefs, there are virtually no jobs for acupuncturists. This is partly a result of most Americans, including acupuncturists and acupuncture
schools, not understanding how acupuncture is like noodles. Like noodles,
acupuncture is most useful in the plural, not the singular. Although we do not know why acupuncture works, we do know a few things about how it works best. Acupuncture usually requires a series of treatments to work. For acute problems, such as a sprained ankle, it’s a
short series of treatments; for chronic problems, such as migraine headaches, it’s a long series, possibly requiring months of treatments. For severe, chronic problems such as autoimmune diseases, acupuncture is effective but might require regular, ongoing treatment for years or decades.

If acupuncture is like food, then a problem is like hunger, the body needing something. If it is a small, recent hunger such as a sprained ankle, a small amount of food will do the trick. If it is a deep, old, long-standing hunger, then the problem demands regular doses of nourishment as often as possible. A big reason that there are almost no jobs for acupuncturists is that, once acupuncture became interesting to white people, it began to be priced in a very unfortunate way. Although acupuncture requires frequent, regular repetition to be effective, most acupuncture treatments cost $65 to $150. Since a single treatment costs this much, a series of ten treatments costs $650 to $1500. Since almost no one can afford this, almost no one in America gets acupuncture. This is like almost no one getting fed, when almost everyone is hungry. Almost everyone suffers from stress in some way, and almost everyone could be
helped by acupuncture. Some patients who try acupuncture stop after one or two treatments
because they can’t afford to continue and they aren’t getting good results. This is like eating only a single noodle for lunch when what you need is a bowl of spaghetti, or like taking only two pills out of a prescribed ten-day series of antibiotics. Of course there won’t be any good results.

What good to anyone is a single, overpriced noodle?

Since acupuncturists know how to give people something that they need, we believe that this means they have an obligation to do so. The knowledge of how to do acupuncture cannot be separated from a responsibility to use it unselfishly.

The great 6th century Chinese acupuncturist Sun Simiao, who was
known as “the King of Medicine”, wrote:
Whenever a great physician treats diseases, he has to be mentally calm and his disposition firm. He should not give way to wishes and desires, but has to develop first a marked attitude of compassion. He should commit himself firmly to the willingness to take the effort to save every living creature. If someone seeks help because of illness, or on the ground of another difficulty, a great physician should not pay attention to status, wealth, or age; neither should he question whether the particular person is attractive or unattractive, whether he is an enemy or a friend, whether he is Chinese or a foreigner, or finally, whether he is uneducated or educated. He should meet everyone on equal ground; he should always act as if he were thinking of himself. He should not desire anything and should ignore all consequences; he is not to ponder over his own fortune or misfortune and thus preserve life and have compassion for it. He should look upon those who have come to grief as if he himself had been struck, and he should sympathize with them deep in his heart.

Acupuncture cannot be understood correctly apart from the moral and social responsibilities that accompany it, but in America, these moral and social responsibilities are widely ignored. It’s time to ask: what would Sun Simiao do?

Acupuncture is Like Noodles: the Little Red (Cook) Book of Working Class Acupuncture

by Lisa Rohleder, et al.

$25.00

Printed on recycled paper, 100% post-consumer content, Ancient Forest Friendly and FSC certified.

Available at Sarana Community Acupuncture or here: http://www.workingclassacupuncture.org/node/17

Schedule Changes for April and May

2009-04-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

APRIL:
Tatyana will substitute for Pam on:

Tues 4/14
Wed 4/15

Pam will substitute for Tatyana on:

Thurs 4/16
Fri 4/17

MAY:

Pam will substitute for Tatyana on Monday 5/11
Tatyana will substitute for Pam on

Sat 5/23
Mon 5/25
Wed 5/27
Sat 5/30
Mon 6/1

We will be closed:
Saturday 5/2 to participate in the UC village Health and Wellness Fair (see announcement below) - DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS, THIS FAIR WAS RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY JUNE 6TH - WE WILL BE CLOSED THAT DAY INSTEAD.
Tuesday 5/26 (due to travel)

We will be OPEN Monday 5/25 - Memorial Day

Sea-Change in the Acupuncture World

2009-04-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

a map of Community Acupuncture clinics in North America

When I finished my acupuncture clinical internship in 2007, the only way I learned to practice involved “10-Question” intakes, one patient per treatment room, and about an hour per patient. We heard stories of famous practitioners with lots of assistants treating ten people per hour, but all the practicing acupuncturists I knew scheduled 1-2, maybe 3 clients per hour in 1-3 treatment rooms. In the year since I’ve become a community acupuncturist, the acupuncture world has changed radically. My guess is that in another 5 or so years, community acupuncture will be as common as private-room treatments and Americans will consider acupuncture as ordinary as, say, physical therapy or flu shots. Granted, living in the over-enlightened San Francisco Bay Area, I may just be out of touch with reality, nevertheless, here’s why I think Community Acupuncture (CA) is about to go mainstream.

In late 2006, when my business partner, Tatyana Ryevzina, started her CA practice one afternoon per week, most of her clients were used to private-room treatments and had never heard of community-style acupuncture. Nevertheless, few had difficulty transitioning to lower-cost treatments in a group setting. Within months, her community-treatment appointment slots were fully booked. Within a year, she had added a second half-day shift for community-style appointments and she was earning more from community treatments than from private-room treatments. In March 2008, when Tatyana and I opened Sarana Community Acupuncture, we treated about 25 clients weekly while open for 4 shifts (13 hours) per week. A year later, in a recession economy, we are treating about 70 clients/week while open 6 shifts (19.5 hours). This month, we’ve just added 2 more shifts (for a total of 26 open hours per week). I don’t know how our growth rate compares to conventional private-room acupuncture clinic start-ups or even to other CA clinics, but I see the success of our clinic and the emergence of over 80 Community Acupuncture Network (CAN) clinics in the past 3 years as proof that the CA model is viable and replicable.

Beyond viability, what persuades me that CA is here to stay are our clients. Our first clients were mostly people from Tatyana’s prior practice, personal friends, or people who had seen our posted advertisements. Now most of our clients have been recommended to come to us by other clients. Some of the new clients have heard of us from 2-3 different sources, possibly including on-line rating services such as yelp.com or one of the local Parents’ Network Groups. Many of our clients are fiercely loyal. They actively recruit their friends and family members, classmates from exercise class, or fellow support-group members to become our clients. And they loudly defend us against skeptics who suggest that we are less effective than private-room clinics or that CA is merely a passing fad.

We also have more and more clients who find us because they are specifically looking for either CA clinics or inexpensive acupuncture. One young woman booked an appointment because, although she’d never had acupuncture, she’d read The Remedy and thought she wanted to be a community acupuncturist. Others have been to CAN-affiliated clinics elsewhere and want to continue their CA-style treatments. This type of feedback, along with the weekly outpourings of gratitude for $15-40 sliding-scale acupuncture treatments, shows me that lots of people want CA clinics to survive, grow, and be an ordinary part of their lives.

But, have our supporters reached sufficient critical-mass to shift CA from an emerging trend to a cultural norm? Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point says that after about 5% of a population adopts a new idea, that idea becomes mainstream. The idea of CA may not have reached 5% of the general population or even 5% of the acupuncturist population, but in at least one of the 4 San Francisco Bay Area Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) colleges, it is reaching 100% of the most recent graduating classes. Since Fall 2008, AIMC in Berkeley has offered a community acupuncture seminar and a CA clinical internship. ACTCM in San Francisco invited local CA clinics to participate in a TCM health fair this past winter, and ACCHS in Oakland will include a guest lecture on CA in their spring 2009 Practice Management class. In Northern California, I am one of 8 CA practitioners I know who received their licenses within the past 2 years. While the majority of acupuncturists may remain oblivious to CA, our success is surely being monitored by our former classmates.

And our progress is being monitored by more than our classmates. Every month, it seems, we get inquiries from acupuncturists or TCM students who want to know how a CA clinic is run. Some come for a tour or a treatment. Others become volunteers. Currently at Sarana CA, we have 3 TCM students and 3 acupuncturists who help us with reception in exchange for learning the nuts and bolts of CA. More established CA clinics, Working Class Acupuncture in Portland, OR, for example, can hire acupuncturists and support staff, giving them the opportunity to work alongside more experienced practitioners without first having to buy into a practice. What this shows me is that CA clinics are likely to become a significant post-graduate training venue for acupuncturists who don’t feel ready to open their own practices. And because CA is a comparatively low-risk, low start-up cost business – unlike cruise ships, spas, HMOs, subsidized nonprofits, or even many conventional private-room acupuncture clinics where new graduates might find work – more and more new acupuncturists will be inspired to work in or open more and more new CA clinics.

So this is how the acupuncture world has changed. When I started TCM school, for-profit community acupuncture barely existed in the US. When I graduated, it offered hope as a way for me to practice acupuncture at a price my friends could afford. Now CA has proven itself to be viable, replicable, desirable, and inspiring – an idea whose time has come. It’s an idea that is spreading from Portland, OR to Manchester, NH, Minneapolis, MN to Austin, TX; into the halls of TCM schools and into the minds of new TCM graduates. I think that CA is on a roll now, a roll that will continue until the CA market is saturated, when CA clinics are as common as dentist offices –and a whole lot cheaper! And for all this, I want to express thanks – to my mentors and their lineages, to CA compatriots, to Sarana Community Acupuncture clients and colleagues – it’s a wonderful life, living the change I want to create.

Pamela O. Chang

Sarana Community Acupuncture’s 1st Anniversary

2009-03-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, March 18^th was one year since we opened our clinic. We celebrated by giving free acupuncture treatments all morning and hosting a small social gathering in the evening. We treated 22 people and had a wonderful time celebrating with a lively group of clients, friends and supporters attending the party and contributing their festive spirit.

During the party, we taped a sheet of paper on the wall, put out art supplies and collage materials, and asked the folks attending to create a collective birthday card for the clinic. (see photo) Pam baked a delicious poppy seed cake and one of our clients brought his guitar and played beautifully. A huge bouquet of flowers was sent by a fellow acupuncturist. The whole day felt like a holiday.

On the same day Pam and I got interviewed for the newsletter of

Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment – a local non-profit that does business trainings for low-income women and helps them start small businesses. I had gone through their course a few years ago, before I ever heard of community acupuncture. Their volunteer, a young woman who had recently moved from San Diego, was excited when I offered her a free treatment. She took a long blissful acu-nap in a recliner, and when she woke up, we did the interview.

It was meaningful to sit and talk to someone about our journey with the clinic in a formal manner on this day. I think I was able to articulate the big vision of community acupuncture as a tool for transforming health care and people’s lives. I realized that I am deeply grateful for my teachers and founders of the Community Acupuncture movement and Community Acupuncture Network. I also feel profound appreciation for the harmonious partnership that Pam and I have created and the vision we are manifesting.

Our clinic is currently seeing about 70+ patients per week and we are increasing our hours next month. We just added a new recliner to the treatment space, giving us a total of 9 treatment spots. We have a great crew of 8 volunteers whose duties include front desk help, housekeeping and flyering, and whose help we value tremendously. We are often getting new clients who have been referred to us by multiple people in the community (who do not necessarily know each other). We are booked to offer free acupuncture at two local health fairs in our neighborhood in the next couple of months. Most importantly, I love what I do for a living and can’t stop telling everyone about it, and it never feels like I am selling something.

During the party, one of my long-time acupuncture clients asked me – are you happy with your first year? Do you have any regrets? All I could say was: We are very happy, we are doing exactly what we want to do and we are on track with our vision. Onward!

-tatyana

Sarana Community Acupuncture News

2009-03-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

1. Sarana is ONE year old - come celebrate with us!

When: Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

Schedule:

10 am to 1 pm: FREE acupuncture! We will accept appointments as usual, but also will accommodate as many drop-in clients as we can on a first-come, first-served basis. The last acupuncture session will begin at 1 pm.

6:30 - 8:30 pm - Sarana's 1st Birthday Community Celebration - join us for refreshments and good company. Please look for and reply to our "E-vite".

2. NEW expanded business hours!
We are growing and adding new acupuncture hours starting in April:

Wed 1 - 4 pm with Pam
Thurs 3:30 - 6:30 pm with Tatyana

The new hours are available for booking NOW! Please use our online appointment calendar or give us a call.

3. Senior Resource Fair
Sarana Community Acupuncture will be participating in the Senior Resource Fair at the Albany Senior Center on Thursday 3/26/09 from 10 am to 1 pm.

During this event, representatives from different organizations that provide assistance to seniors and caregivers will be on hand to share resources and materials on housing, healthcare, transportation and much more. Free health checks will also be available.

We will be distributing information about our clinic and offering free sample acupuncture treatments to the Resource Fair attendees.

Feel free to stop by our booth and say hello - the address is 846 Masonic Avenue (just north of Solano Ave) in Albany.

Thanks for supporting your community acupuncture clinic!

Pam and Tatyana

February Schedule Changes

2009-02-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

Tatyana will be substituting for Pam on Monday 2/9

________________________________________________

Pam will be substituting for Tatyana on:

Monday, 2/16

Wednesday, 2/18

Friday, 2/20

Monday 2/23

Sarana News update

2009-01-28T21:41:00.000-08:00

We wish you a Happy Lunar New Year of the Earth Ox!

NEW YEAR massage and acupuncture special!

To celebrate the new year and help everyone get to know our new acupressure therapist, Mari Kubota:
For the month of February 2009:
receive any length acupressure session with Mari (on Mondays 3:30 - 6:30 pm), and get acupuncture on the same day for only $10!

Massages are $1 per minute with a $15 minute minimum. You can book your massage appointments through our website or by calling the clinic. It is best to have your massage before the acupuncture, so you can relax as long as you want with the needles. Here is more information about Mari:
http://www.saranacommunityacupuncture.com/practitioners.html#mari

THANKS to our amazing volunteers!

You may have met some of our wonderful front desk helpers. They work as volunteers in order to make everyone's' experience at Sarana smoother and more relaxing. We are very grateful for their help!

We are also currently looking for more front desk volunteers to join our community. If you are interested and available to volunteer email, call us or stop by to get the details. Volunteers earn credit good towards acupuncture treatments.

FREE community class taught by Tatyana - CANCELED

Introduction to Chinese Herbology & Herbal Pharmacy Tour
Herbal medicine has been tested and proven effective by thousands of years of practice. The class will start with an introduction to the history and main principles of Chinese herbology and will conclude with a brief tour of the herbal pharmacy and explanation of various preparation methods.

When: Friday February 6, 12 - 1 pm, no pre-registartion required, just show up.
Where: Elephant Pharm, 1607 Shattuck Ave (at Cedar), in North Berkeley
Link: http://www.elephantpharm.com/berkeley/info/classes-and-events.html?w=20090202

UNFORTUNATELY THE ABOVE CLASS HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO CLOSURE OF ELEPHANT PHARM. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.

Wishing you a joyous and healthy year!

In community,

Tatyana Ryevzina and Pam Chang

Just starting...

2009-01-19T07:36:00.000-08:00

Presenting Sarana Community Acupuncture's new blog! We are starting the new year with a much welcomed growth spurt - lots of new people are discovering our sanctuary of peace and relaxation. We also have a new service: acupressure massage with Mari Kubota on Mondays form 3:30 to 6:30 pm. Mari is one of our front desk volunteers and a wonderful bodyworker.

Happy MLK day!
Tatyana