Fundraiser for Agnes Toshitsune

On Saturday, November 13, 2010 we will donate 50% of the proceeds from services to a fund to finance alternative treatment for our dear friend Agnes who was instrumental in Cinnabar's skincare. Agnes was recently diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
This is an opportunity to help someone who has always opened her heart and hands those who have needed her. Now it is our turn to help her, but we cannot do it alone. We need your help and the help of many communities, so please, whatever you can spare, please help us to help our friend, Agnes Toshitsune.
Agnes always thinks of those less fortunate than herself. Until she was diagnosed with cancer, Agnes gave free haircuts to the disabled; volunteered at the Rock and always urged those around her to give their recycling, extra goods, and clothing to help the poor-even from her hospital bed!
Agnes' faith and her cultural heritage have kept her strongly motivated all her life. Like you and I, Agnes has  had her share of difficult times, but has always been resourceful and healthy enough to take care of herself, her adult disabled daughter, and her son. Agnes' abilities, her spa and salon knowledge have always been in high demand, but those of you who have faced a cancer diagnosis know that Agnes must now depend on others. And so we ask that you help us to help her in pursuing her treatment and recovery.

Agnes in her own words:

My name is Agnes Toshitsune, and I am from Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. I am a member of the Lakota Tribe.  As a Native American, I have always believed in the healing abilities of herbs and supplements. When I was a little girl, I would watch my grandmother, Agnes Yellowrobe, use her garden to heal those around her. No one on the reservation had access or could afford traditional western medicine. Even my mother, a nurse, knew the value of non-traditional medicine and the wisdom of using natural substances from the earth, just as her mother had, to heal.
Born in the forties, I know how difficult life was for the native peoples. I have worked all my life. As a child I cleaned houses, babysat, and even helped a horticulturalist in his greenhouse. Throughout life, I have worked very hard, without regret.
In 1995, I had to leave the business I shared and had worked so hard to establish, when my husband deserted my family and me. Due to circumstances, I had to walk away from my home, my business, and the life I had worked so hard to create. Now, I became one of the many working poor. Living from paycheck to paycheck, and never knowing from one month to the next whether I would be able to afford my rent or the necessities of basic life.
Like millions of Americans, I could not afford health insurance. Now, I find myself dependent on a system of healthcare that does not include nor offer additional alternative treatments to patients like myself. However, we all know that statistically, alternative treatments, when used in conjunction with "current medical modalities" have better patient outcomes. We have all seen the commercials; read the books; or heard the stories of people who, just like me and you, have managed to beat cancer through the use of many and varied therapies that were once viewed with derision. Now, we are advised to question physicians, just like my mother, the nurse, told me to do, through the stories she would bring home from working in the hospital.  And, we know that miracles happen.
If you can find it in your heart to help, you will always be in my prayers. If you would like to speak to me, please email me at: elistat1hrc.sdcoxmail.com.
I thank God for all of the wonderful Tribes here in San Diego; they have helped me tremendously. I thank God for all of the caring and concerned people praying for me. I thank God, for anyone who can assist me.
God Bless You,
Agnes Toshitsune

Sugaring vs. Waxing

View:   Video on Sugaring Video of Sugar Facial
Benefits of Sugaring:
1. It's better for your skin.
Wax adheres to whatever it comes in contact with: hair, live skin, your clothes, the sheets, etc. Waxing will remove live skin cells along with dead skin cells and unwanted hair, causing unnecessary pain and irritation. The repetitive trauma to the dermis can lead to scarring of the skin. In patients with a tendency towards hyperpigmentation this can create a permanent darkening of the upper lip, for example. You can visibly see the damage from waxing to the skin under a wood's lamp. The reason why waxing became so popular is that it requires far less skill. You can be very unskilled and still remove hair because the wax will rip off (or at least break) the hair.
Sugar paste adheres only to dead skin cells and does not disturb live skin cells. This means that after sugaring the skin is glowing and beautifully exfoliated. It is actually beneficial to the skin and will not cause hyperpigmentation or skin damage. Sugaring is still painful because you are pulling the hairs by their roots, but significantly less painful than waxing, because you are not ripping the skin off as well.
2.It's Natural
Sugaring is an ancient method of hair removal that uses a paste made from caramelized sugar, honey, and lime juice. It is so clean it is edible. These ingredients are also good for your skin. Honey is an excellent humectant (helps keep moisture in the skin) and lime juice astringes the pores.
Waxing is made of resins and often toxic chemicals as well. These ingredients are often irritating, if not toxic, to the skin.
3.No Risk of Burning
Sugar paste needs only to be slightly warm to use unlike hot wax which can burn sensitive skin.
4. No Risk of Contamination
This may not seem like such a big concern, but for anyone who has contacted a staph infection from waxing, they know how potentially dangerous not maintaining the proper level of sanitation can be. In order to avoid cross contamination, an esthetician is required to use a new wax stick each time wax is removed from the wax pot. This is in fact the law, however, in practice it is common for estheticians to "double dip."
With sugar paste, the same ball of sugar is reapplied until it becomes saturated with hair. The sugar and honey are naturally antibacterial. The esthetician also uses gloves during the procedure and everything, sugar stick, gloves, and sugar, are discarded immediately after use. There is no risk of cross contamination. This is very important when you consider that hair removal is often done exactly where we are most prone to contacting disease.
(For this reason it is always important to only patronize clean facilities when receiving aesthetic services.)
4. Hairs Removed at the Bulb
Proper sugaring methods remove hair in the natural direction of hair growth. Sugar paste also seeps into the hair follicle, lubricating the hair root. This results in the entire hair being removed including the bulb, consistently. Over time this weakens the hairs gradually leading to finer and less hair growth. It is also minimizes the inherent discomfort.
With waxing hair is removed against the natural direction of hair growth leading to greater discomfort and breakage of hairs above the root.
Sugaring will help:
• eliminate ingrown hairs
• prevent new ingrown hairs
• extract all hair colors and textures
• successfully treat all skin types and colors
• improve the skin tone and texture
Sugaring will not:
• burn the skin
• damage the dermal cells
• “pit” the delicate facial skin cells
• scar the follicle mouth or surrounding area
• promote cross contamination
Our Sugar Paste
We use Alexandria Professional Sugar at our clinic. This ensures that the sugar paste is certified sterile and safe. All of our estheticians are Alexandria certified.

Cosmedix Back To School Skincare Kit

Available while supplies last for 27% off. Kit is ideal basic skincare for acneic or oily skin. Includes:

Purity Clean
A sodium laurel sulfate (SLS)-free exfoliating cleanser with lactic acid and a refreshing peppermint scent. Use a pea-size amount morning and night. Can be used as a mask and left for 10 min for additional exfoliation. Purity Clean is recommended to prepare for peels to increase their results. It is ideal for oily or acneic skin and for dull, rough skin that requires exfoliation.

Clarity Serum
This serum is specific for oily, acneic skin. We have also found it effective to control milia when used daily in the local area. Contains 1% Vitamin A (retinol), niacinamide (reduces inflammation), salicylic acid (decongests pores), and tea tree oil. Apply once or twice a day after cleansing. Clarity serum is benzoyl peroxicide-free. Benzoyl peroxide can  provide temporary relief but longterm is a harsh skincare ingredient that leaves the skin inflamed and rough.

Reflect
A spray-on physical sunblock with 30 spf. Contain Titanium Dioxide as the active ingredient. Titanium dioxide is soothing to the skin (acne is an inflammatory reaction). Physical sunblocks such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sit on the surface of the skin and reflect the sun's rays. Chemical sunblocks actually react with and penetrate the skin which can lead to clogged pores, skin irritation, and can react chemically with other skin care products used on the skin. Reflect is light, does not dry out or add moisture to the skin, making it ideal for normal to oily skin or under makeup.

Mung Beans: Chinese Food Therapy

Chinese Food Therapy is an essential part of TCM. Appropriate nutrition is crucial to sustained good health just as sleep and movement and loving relationships. Chinese Food Therapy is a complex system that evolved alongside herbal therapy, acupuncture, qigong, and massage. It prescribes foods based on weather, personal constitution, and lifestyle.

Mung Beans are an ideal food during hot, summer weather to maintain health. According to Chinese Food Therapy they are cooling, sweet, and detoxifying. They alleviate Damp Heat in the body and cleanse the Liver and Gallbladder systems. Sprouted mung beans have a colder nature, making them stronger in action to cleanse and cool the body and particularly beneficial in the treatment of alcoholism. If you have weak digestion or feel cold, eat mung beans sparingly.

A basic recipe is to cook mung beans with Job’s Tears (barley) and ginger. Soak mung beans and Job’s Tears overnight. Strain. Put in a heavy pot and cover with water. Slice ginger to taste and place in pot. Add salt and a few bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Skim any bubbles from the surface. Turn down heat and allow to simmer for 60 min or until soft.

An excellent source on Chinese Food Therapy is “Healing With Whole Foods” by Paul Pitchford.

Treating Sciatica with Acupuncture & Massage

What we call sciatica occurs when either the nerves of the low back or the sciatic nerve is compressed. This causes sharp, radiating pain, tingling, or numbness down the low back, buttocks, leg, and/or heel. At times the pain will be only in one location, such as the heel. At others the whole nerve pathway can be felt. Generally sciatica is felt on one side only, however, clinically it often jumps from side to side.

In Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) terms this can be due to Qi & Blood Stagnation, Wind Cold Damp Bi, Hot Bi, or Kidney Deficiency. When Cold or Damp is present, needle moxa can be very effective to relieve pain and unblock the channels. In these cases having the patient use stick moxa along the entire channel on a daily basis until the pain resolves is also helpful. In cases of Qi & Blood stagnation, needling with eletro-stimulation is very effective at clearing the stagnant qi in the channels.

At Cinnabar Acupuncture Clinic, acupuncture is followed by cupping and massage. Massage can include alternating hot and cold stones, simply hot stones, deep tissue, myofascial release, and/or gentle stretching based on the presentation.

Results can be felt immediately after the treatment, but full results can take up to a day. Depending on the severity and underlying condition (whether it is simply a tight muscle or serious joint deterioration) symptom relief may take anywhere from one treatment to a series of regular visits.

We are featuring a special this month at Cinnabar Acupuncture Clinic called the Sciatica Relief Package that includes the above treatment.

What is Reiki?

Reiki is an ancient system of hands on healing. What makes Reiki unique is that it allows the practitioner to channel ki/qi (energy) to heal the recipient without taxing their own energy. Rather, the person giving the treatment also receives healing energy.

Reiki was developed by Dr. Mikao Usui 1922. The healing system was brought to the U.S. in 1937 by Hawayo Takata. Reiki is now taught in three levels, each including an energetic initiation and hands on healing. Level I is primarily for physical healing, self-healing, and hands on healing on a recipient who is physically present. It is recommended for anyone who is suffering from illness to empower them to work on their own health. Level II initiates the practitioner to address emotional level healing and long-distance healing. Master Level III is primarily for those who desire to teach, but is also extremely valuable for anyone who is in any type of healing or health care profession. It strongly increases the practitioner's healing ability and allows for deep spiritual level healing. You will find that learning Reiki will not only increase your own physical well being, it will also strongly revitalize your creativity and is highly beneficial for artists of every discipline.

Dale Bach is a Usui and Karuna Reiki Master. She experienced her own healing with Reiki and credits it with saving her life. This prompted Dale to learn Reiki and teach it to others. She has been practicing Reiki for over 20 years. Dale has generously agreed to offer her intensive Reiki I, II, and Master III over 2 weekends in a workshop that promises to be both fun and life-changing. Some are born with natural healing ability. This course allows everyone to have the ability to heal. Please click here for more info or to register.

Discovering the True Fountain of Youth

The disease of old age, the Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor will tell you, is Qi deficiency and Blood stagnation. While Qi deficiency is best treated with acupuncture, herbs, and nutrition, Blood stagnation requires something else, movement. What we call old age is mostly the body adapting to laziness and lack of movement. Weight training and aerobics are necessary components, but to allay the aging process and to retain youthfulness, the movement required is of a special kind: a combination of joint mobility and muscle flexibility.

Qigong from China, and yoga from India have long understood this, and recent science in Russia and the U.S. have supported this. Flexible muscles and mobile joints allow proper blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. Toxins are easily and regularly expelled from the body, wounds and traumas heal, and we feel a sense of well-being and ease. That tired look and stiff gait we associate with age is completely avoidable. But we must make an effort to move.

These are two distinct goals, though one can creatively combine them. Joint mobility requires moving all joints through the entire range of motion on a daily basis. Some, such as Russian surgeon Dr. Janda, recommends moving each joint the full range of motion the same number of times as your age. Others, such as Z Health practitioners require a far modest number. Joint mobility drills are easily added before your regular workout or first thing in the morning to wake everything up.

Most people are familiar with stretching, even though most avoid it. It is best done after you are warmed u or at the end of a workout.

We often recommend Ginastica Natural, or "natural gymnastics," to our patients. It is a full system of strength, mobility, flexibility, balance, and stamina, based entirely on natural movement patterns. Many find Ginastica Natural resembles a fluid yoga mixed with gymnastics. The originator of Ginastica Natural, Prof. Alvaro Romano, is offering a seminar in Los Angles on Sat, Aug 14, 2010 from 10am-4pm. Cost is $175.

You must practice moving your body in every which way it was meant to move or YOU WILL LOSE IT.