AOMA Blog

Meditation is a mind-body practice that allows one to calm their mind from the fast pace and stresses of life. When we take time to slow down and focus on the present, we eliminate many of the stress responses in our bodies. Some enjoy seated, silent meditation, while others enjoy triggering each of their senses to enhance their relaxation. Soothing our five senses can help us more easily enter a meditative state. As meditation becomes more popular and more people begin to cultivate a regular practice, it becomes important to find things that make it easier to make meditation a habit. There are some helpful props and accessories that will make your meditation more practice comfortable and centered. We have compiled five items that will help aid in each sensory aspect of your meditation practice.

1. Sense of Sight in Meditation

Salt lamps create a dim lighting for any room perfect for a meditation practice. Along with the relaxing lighting, salt lamps are said to create negative ions and can increase overall energy in your space. Salt lamps are made by a large chopped off chunk of Himalayan pink salt with a light bulb in the middle causing the salt to glow and warm from within. In addition to salt lamps, candles also create a meditative lighting and focal point for deepening your meditation.

2. Sense of Smell in Meditation

Essential oil diffusers are commonly used in homes and offices as an alternative to chemical-based air fresheners and purifier sprays. They are also a safe and easy way to receive relaxing aromatherapy during your meditation practice. Choose from many different oils for your desired effect! Some oils can be sedating while others energizing. The benefits of aromatherapy include stress relief, mental focus, allergy relief, and more!

3. Sense of Touch in Meditation

Meditation pillows are essential for any meditation practice. Sitting for long periods of time can cause discomfort in the body, even sometimes causing body parts to feel “asleep”. Pillows can help in a seated meditation to keep posture straight and relieve pressure from their buttocks. Making a meditation practice comfortable is a great way to stick with it! Mala beads are another powerful and symbolic tool for meditation. Mala beads can be held during meditation practice as a tactile point of focus. The 108 beads on a traditional mala are said to help focus your meditation on your internal mantra, or focused thought that guides your practice. By repeating over and over again as you grip each bead in your hand going all the way around the mala, you can meditate on your mantra through mindful repetition.

Sense of Sound in Meditation

There are many forms of sound therapy and meditation audio technology that assists you in going deeper in your meditation practice. Bowls can also be used to create soothing tones that help to focus the mind. Many meditators also enjoy guided meditation audio, or simply the sounds of nature. Whatever audio source you decide on for your meditation practice, pick something that will not be distracting and help your mind focus you on the present moment.

Sense of Taste in Meditation

Tea can be a calming way to relax and reflect after a meditation practice. The act of sipping tea in and of itself can be meditative. Tea can even be enjoyed before meditation as a way of slowing down to prepare one’s self to enter a calm state of mind. Tea can be both stimulating and relaxing. A good combination of both could help keep you both alert yet relaxed while you meditate.

Helping yourself relax by way of incorporating all the 5 senses will help you have a deeper meditation experience. We hope you consider enhancing your meditation practice with these above tools.

Most of these meditation tools can be purchased from the AOMA Store.

AOMA Herbal Medicine:

 

Have you ever considered a career in Acupuncture and Chinese medicine? Many students choose this path because of a personal journey to serve others, while some have profound experiences as a patient that inspire a lifetime of study and a new career path. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine is a growing field within healthcare in the United States. Many new doors and opportunities are coming available to licensed acupuncturists, therefore boosting an overall growth of the integration of Chinese medicine into the western healthcare system. More and more healthcare providers are adding employment opportunities for acupuncturists, leaving the profession very hopeful for its future workforce. As of today, there are many different things you can do with a degree in acupuncture – including some you probably haven't heard of yet.

Currently, in the United States, to be a licensed acupuncturist, one must earn a four-year master’s degree as well as pass the national board examinations (NCCAOM). You will also need to qualify for state licensure requirements depending on your location. Doctoral degrees are also being offered in the field now, including a Professional Doctorate and Clinical Specialty Doctorate. Chinese medicine continues to grow as a field and more and more opportunities are being presented, such as hospital positions, solo practice, treating on a cruise line, or working as a professor. There are no limits to what the future may hold for acupuncturists. Here we will dive into some of the exciting opportunities that are presently available.

Become a Hospital Acupuncturist

As acupuncture becomes more highly regarded in the medical field, healthcare delivery institutions are taking notice and discovering for themselves how powerful acupuncture can be. In Austin, Texas, one of the top hospitals – Baylor Scott & White, currently employs acupuncturists for their integrative medicine program. This program includes an integrative care program working with other specialties including massage therapists.

Acupuncturists have the ability to work with other healthcare providers in a dynamic setting, allowing them more hands on experience with western medical diagnosis and ways of thinking. Two AOMA graduates, Tiodoso Bustillo and Ashley Oved are working at Baylor Scott and White as acupuncturists. Some benefits acupuncture can serve specifically for the hospital setting could include anesthesia and post-surgery recovery. In addition, Adam Reinstein, an AOMA alumnus, serves as one of the first emergency room acupuncturists in Minnesota working with high trauma patients.

Work in an Integrative Healthcare Clinic

Integrative healthcare clinics are becoming a popular new model for clinics around the country. In an integrative healthcare office, an acupuncturist will work with other practitioners such as chiropractors, naturopaths, nutritionists, psychologist/psychiatrists, physical therapists, massage therapists, etc. This model is very patient-centered, that is, a patient can go to a single location to get the care they need, also while health data can be shared by all the practitioners to ensure collaborative care. This is also a good setting for acupuncturists, as they can offer their services to any patient of any other specialist in the practice.

Working cooperatively, these integrative practitioners can share practice costs, and approach patient care from a teamwork perspective. Patients are searching for more than one answer to their illness and want various options for treatment strategies, which is why integrative clinics are being sought out. One of our alumni and current faculty, as well as clinic supervisors, Anne Cusick, works at a Family Care Clinic in an integrative setting. Her environment allows her to work collaboratively with a family medicine doctor.

Work at an Established Acupuncture Practice

Don't want the stress of opening up your own practice? Another great option is to work at an established acupuncture clinic looking to expand or rent out a room. Many have offices with more patients coming in than they can handle in their schedule and would love to have another acupuncturist to take on some of the workload. This could allow you to make a paycheck and not worry about overhead costs. Modern Acupuncture is one example of a clinic emerging in Austin with plans to expand and hire recent graduates. This model also gives you time to apprentice and learn from more advanced acupuncturists, and develop client rapport with patients that have already developed trust with the office. There are also other local acupuncture clinics in the Austin area that regularly hire recent graduates, such as Turtle Dragon and South Austin Acupuncture.

Sail the World as a Cruise Ship Acupuncturist

A big attraction for recent graduates in the field is to work on a cruise line. There you gain experience giving health related talks to crowds, marketing acupuncture to people on the cruise line, and seeing a variety of patients with a steady income. Plus, you have the bonus of travelling the world on a cruise line! The Onboard Spa by Steiner offers jobs to recent graduates as well as other licensed acupuncturists on their cruise lines. There is a three day training prior to the job, and each contract lasts seven months. Many graduates love this option because it gives them time to save money on living costs, while earning money to put towards their loans, and travel the world at the same time.

 

Teach Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

As the acupuncture field grows, so does the need for passionate teachers. There are more than 50 acupuncture schools in the United States, with three in Texas. This can give one the opportunity to share their passion for the field of acupuncture by teaching. While a master’s degree is currently required to seek licensure as an acupuncturist, many TCM schools such as AOMA offer doctoral degrees, designed to add advanced clinical speciality training, but also provide an avenue to achieve more prestigious teaching jobs at the nation’s top AOM schools. This environment can help you get support for research in the field. Schools such as AOMA hire esteemed acupuncturists in the field from all over, such as Elizabeth Fordyce who teaches advanced needling classes focusing on AOMA’s Dr. Tan’s Balance Method, as well as Aaron Rubinstein who teaches an advanced needling class focusing on Japanese style acupuncture.

Conduct TCM Research Projects

Acupuncturists are turning to other avenues to use their education as well, such as participating in and conducting research. With goals to help promote the awareness and education of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, research on acupuncture is growing with support from large healthcare organizations and medical research universities, funding studies such as pain management with acupuncture in response to the current opioid crisis.

Open your Own Acupuncture Clinic

Majority of acupuncturists want to open up a solo practice upon graduation. The appeal of being an entrepreneur and creating their own flexibility with scheduling and how they want to run their business is huge. The advantages include independence and being able to work for yourself. Through this enormous challenge, you will develop the skills to establish yourself in the field and be successful. Many schools like AOMA offer practice management courses to give you the skills you need to succeed after graduation.

Whatever career path you think is best for you in the field of Chinese medicine, know there are many options and the opportunities are growing. The AOMA Career Services department can help guide and mentor you to choose the best career path. An exciting career in one of the rising fields in healthcare awaits you!

Contact Admissions today to learn more about how AOMA can prepare you for a career in the field of Chinese medicine.

 

 

Acupuncture, an ancient form of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has become very popular in the United States as a form of alternative healthcare. Many physicians are referring patients to an acupuncturist for pain, while some hospitals are incorporating acupuncture treatments into their integrative care models. While you might have heard of acupuncture - the treatment of inserting small sterile needles into special energy points called meridians, you might not have known that acupuncture is only one part of the overarching Traditional Chinese Medicine system.

Students of TCM and acupuncture spend four years of training to complete a Chinese Medicine degree, learning acupuncture in addition to a whole slew of other techniques, diagnostic principles, and herbal medicine. Do you remember seeing the circular imprints on Michael Phelp’s back at the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro? He had received cupping therapy, (explained more below) which is an example of another treatment tool commonly used by acupuncturists. In this article we will discuss eight frequently used techniques in Chinese medicine that the general public might not be aware of. 

Cupping

Cupping therapy can be viewed as a reverse massage by pulling up on the skin versus the pressure applied down on the skin in a traditional massage. This releases muscle tension by creating better blood flow to the area. Some acupuncturists also use cupping therapy for facial rejuvenation and lymph system drainage. Not only can cupping therapy be used for a variety of health reasons, but there are also various types of cupping sets. There are glass cups, known as “fire cupping,” silicone suction cups, plastic cupping sets and smaller cup sets used for facials and lymph drainage. Cupping therapy is often used alongside acupuncture to go deeper on certain points in the body where the pain is most severe.

 

Guasha

Guasha, also known as “scraping technique,” is another tool acupuncturists use. The health functions are similar to cupping therapy; using pressure to break up fascia and muscular tension, thereby creating better blood flow to those areas. Commonly used tools for guasha include ceramic spoons, stainless steel made tools, and jade or other stone material shaped into a tool. Although this technique is used less frequently than cupping, it has tremendous healing benefits. Guasha, while being a mostly painless treatment, can often leave behind what’s called “sha”, or a redness on the skin.

Moxibustion

Moxibustion, also referred to as “moxa,” is made from the mugwort plant, and is used as a healing modality. Using moxibustion can be a great way to treat a disease in which one cannot use acupuncture needles. Burning moxibustion can heal tissue and allow blood to circulate better at a specific area. There are different forms of moxibustion use, such as direct or “rice” moxa, warm needling, and indirect or “stick” moxa. Some styles also use large moxa cones on slices of ginger or garlic.

 

Electrical Stimulation (e-Stim)

Electrical stimulation, also referred to as “e-stim,” is a machine that creates an electrical current. This is used by attaching small clamps to the end of acupuncture needles and running a current through them. Because metal is an electrical conductor, there is a set of needles that are used, allowing the current to flow between them. Therefore, activating those acupuncture points and muscles even more. Some devices have multiple channels so that the practitioner can use multiple sets of points with the estim. Estim is used for musculoskeletal disorders, bell's palsy, paralysis, and much more. This technique is similar to the use of TENs units.

Bloodletting

Bloodletting is a way to oxygenate the blood by allowing stagnate blood to be released and newer blood to fill the vein up. This can be used to release the tension and appearance of varicose veins, as well as reduce swelling and inflammation from acute injuries. Bloodletting is used with a hypodermic or lancet needle to prick the area needed to bleed. Sometimes a practitioner will use a glass cup to place on top of the local area pricked to bleed in order to draw more blood from the area.

 

Tuina

Tuina, literally translated to mean “pinch and pull,” is a form of asian bodywork, which is similar to massage. With tuina, practitioners use acupressure points and specific techniques in order to treat musculoskeletal and digestive issues, insomnia, and aches and pains. This system uses the same theories and basis from acupuncture, just incorporating a pinch and pull bodywork method. Tuina is a great treatment style used by pediatric practitioners because it can be very gentle and effective.

Medical Qigong

Medical Qigong is an energy healing method, without the use of needles, and can have direct or indirect contact from the practitioner. It’s a way for the practitioner to manipulate the energy of the body to help things flow better, or get rid of disease. Medical Qigong treatments can also include the use of meditation and teaching the patient gentle movements to help strengthen one’s physical, mental, and spiritual self. This treatment style is very relaxing, and at the same time energizing.

Seven Star Needling

The seven star needle, also known as plum blossom needle, is made of five to seven needles which are placed together at the end of a long handle. This style of superficial tapping can be used to treat skin diseases, headaches, nervous system disorders, hair loss, paralysis, and painful joints. Plum blossom needles aren’t as commonly used, but most practitioners are trained in the style and may use it if they feel it is necessary.

Come experience the benefits of these treatments at our 2 Austin area acupuncture clinics!
Want to learn more about TCM treatments and study Chinese medicine at AOMA? Click below to get more information on becoming an acupuncturist.

As an acupuncture student, finding reliable and inexpensive clinic tools can be tricky. That’s why we’ve picked a few apps and laid out their pros and cons for you!

 

First choice app would be A Manual of Acupuncture, from The Journal of Chinese Medicine ($35.99). The pros being that the app is just like the book with descriptive locations of points and detailed photos that are easy to follow. One of the other great aspects is the videos that show how to locate points as well on human models. This app is extremely user friendly and is a great aid in the clinic or classroom. Includes sections with point categories such as luo connecting points and six command points for easy reference. The only con about this app is that it is a little pricey for an app, although much less expensive than the book ($100-$150). 

Runner up app is TCM Clinic Aid from Cyber and Sons ($14.99). This one may just be the best bang for your buck, because it not only has point locations but it also includes Chinese herbs. Included in the app is point descriptions as well as images for each point. For the herbal portion it has categories for all 487 single herbs, and categories for herbal formulas. A bonus feature is would be that the app has in app purchases which allows you to quiz yourself on both herbs and point locations, master tung point locations, as well as detailed disease diagnosis categories including pulse diagnosis and six stages. Cons are that the picture quality could be better.

Acu Pro is the next app on our list, ($14.99). The pros are that it’s a good general reference for all the acupuncture points, has point categories and short descriptions for locating points. Con’s are that there aren’t videos for finding points and the photos are not super detailed. In comparison with TCM Clinic Aid, it lacks herbal information and costs the same.

Acu Points would be the next app ($9.99). If you’re looking to spend less than $15 on an app this would be your best bet. Pros for this app are that it shows points in relation to each other along meridians, has a search area for general issues such as headaches and includes a categories search section (ex: shu points). Overall the pictures used for point locations are not the best quality, and if just learning point locations might not be the best reference. This app is also not as user friendly as all the others and can be a bit trickier trying to navigate.

Our last and least expensive app is Acupuncture Assistant, costing $6.99. This app is great for just points. Pros include good pictures of acupuncture points, shows points along channels relative to other points and a description for locating points. App has other general information on meridians, actions and indications for points, as well as search feature for points in relation to diagnostic patterns. Bonus features are that you can add notes to points and save them to the app, as well as the patient timer. Price is very reasonable for what you get. Cons are that photo details could be better, no video feature, no herbs, and isn’t the most user friendly. If you’re looking for something inexpensive as a reference, this is the app for you.