Magnolia virginiana

In my experience, few flowers in the world smell better than this beauty.

 It was picked yesterday before the high winds and rain blew through Springs. It is one of my very favorite flowers in the world. Magnolia virginia, also known as sweet bay magnolia, swamp magnolia or laurel magnolia. It is an evergreen and can grow up to 100 feet tall. The terrain in which it grows expands from the East coast to the Deep South. It may be deciduous as well as an evergreen and grows as far South as Cuba. The flowers are an elegant cream color and can grow to be quite large. I have seen them almost as wide as a foot. The flowers are fleeting, they turn brown and begin to decay almost immediately after being cut from the tree. 

Several years ago, a dear patient gifted me one from a magnificent tree that grows outside this persons home. The flower was enormous and fragrant beyond words. It was through the photograph of that enormous magnolia image, that I was introduced to another  magnificent person. Each time this beautiful magnolia blooms I am reminded of two very kind, generous and heart centered people in my life. 

         As this beautiful tree grows taller and fuller each year, there are more flower buds, and promises of its perfume. For years, I have tried to identify it in other plants or in perfume absolutes and oils. Nothing has ever come close to the magnificence of this scent. If one ever has the chance to smell one of these flowers, I highly recommend it, what a delight. It can be smelled from may feet away. It transports the imagination to an aromatic verdant oasis. 

The mature fruit are bright red and can be seen from far away because the color is so bright and alluring. When I taught my second botanical art class, I brought the cone and the fruit to the class to share with my students. It was such a beautiful specimen. I love the flowers as much as I love the cones and crimson red fruits. 

A Conversation on Acupuncture and the Mind-Body Connection Between Christine Menna, LCSW Founder and Clinical Director, Sōhum Therapy and Dr. Maria Bowling

 In Conversation: Dr. Maria Bowling on Somatic Foundations

In her private practice in East Hampton, Dr. Bowling works to access more fluid flow of energy through the meridians, organs, and nervous system. Her goal is to facilitate internal physiological regulation and coherence by working with the sympathetic and parasympathetic states. Her approach draws from over two decades of study in Traditional Chinese Medicine and trauma resolution.

Q:

A lot of wellness advice today can feel incredibly complicated and overwhelming. If we strip everything away and go 'back to basics,' what is the fundamental thing Acupuncture does to help the body return to its natural, self-healing baseline?

A:

With an appropriate treatment strategy, Acupuncture has the capacity to regulate the body's natural flows of vitality, also known as Qi and Blood. A skilled practitioner will assess what the patient's needs by reading the pulses (found on both wrists), read the terrain of the tongue and do a full intake. We work within a Five Element system, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. We establish where there may be excesses or deficiencies and work from there to establish the best treatment protocol to support homeostasis. Acupuncture helps us to drop into a parasympathetic state of the nervous system, in this state, we have more access to the spaciousness of healing and repair.

Q:

In the simplest terms, how does a physical needle in one part of the body actually signal the nervous system to let go of an emotion or a stressor held elsewhere?

A:

Needles activate Acupuncture points which are located on meridians or pathways. They are often referred to as energy centers or vortices. Each point may have many functions. Sometimes a point in the lower leg may be used to treat lets say, the upper chest or the head because there are several potential pathways that move Qi from one area of the body to another. Needle insertions also influence the fascia, or connective tissue which is enervated by nerves. When the body feels safe, it will begin to unwind or reorganize itself and find more space for the emotions to come forward or to be realized. Long standing emotional blockages may be bound in the tissues or in the internal organs. My private practice focuses on this kind of somatic exploration. Sometimes, we need a little time, space, attention and good treatment to finally move or soften what has been bound in a long term holding pattern.

Q:

We often hear that 'the body keeps the score.' From your perspective, where does an emotion go when it's not processed, and how does acupuncture help the body finally 'speak' that tension out?

A:

Our bodies are in a constant state of flux throughout the day. We all have our unique patterns that emerge through life, and they can be bound in emotional states. Each organ system has its own emotional association. For example the Liver and Gallbladder fall under the domain of the Wood element. The emotions associated with a dysregulated Liver or Gallbladder may be frustration, anger and difficulty in making life decisions. If there is ease and flow in this terrain, we may feel at peace, creative and decisive. When the flow of the organs is restricted, deficient or in excess, emotions may emerge in a treatment. As a practitioner, I would look at the organ system that is associated with the presenting unprocessed emotional states and treat those organs and Elements directly.

Q:

When a person feels 'stuck' mentally or creatively, what is usually happening physically? Is there a literal baseline of flow that we lose touch with?

A:

Very often feeling 'stuck' in the way that you are describing is a bi-product of stagnation or deficiency. Both states can create a feeling of being bound and unable to move forward. Pulse diagnosis is an excellent way to identify what may be happening in the body, and where the main issue is located in deeper terrains. Pulse reading is truly an art form. Since our bodies are so dynamic and can change from moment to moment, if we are able to navigate adversity, tension, joy, expansion and contraction in a cyclical fashion, then my felt sense is that we are in flow. The capacity to stay present with what is before us and regulate accordingly is what may be the baseline and the indicator of a healthy nervous system.

Sōhum Therapy https://sohumtherapy.com/ https://christinemenna.com

Pulcherrima Solum ex Labore (Beauty Only Through Hard Work)

   Last June I graduated from the Botanical Art and Illustration program at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, New York. Many hours were spent back at the drawing board completing my final project. I painted plants that grow in this zone that are used in Chinese herbal medicine. The final project consisted of images of persimmon, Asian pear, aconite and gingko. A fifth image was painted with elements from each plant. The idea for the project began many years ago when I completed the foundational work at the NYBG. When I decided to finally finish my certificate, I enlisted the support for the approval from gifted teachers and mentors. 

      The very first drawing was sketched on a little sheet of 3x5 paper (shown below). The four principle plants were roughly drawn with graphite and colour pencils. Once the concept was established and the project was approved by the director at NYBG, I proceeded to do the five graphite drawings on vellum tracing paper. I am including one of the images in this post, the Gingko. Another round of approval was needed to then proceed to the final painting process for the five images.  The final images were watercolour and color pencil. Once the images were completed they were presented to a jury. After I was passed by the jury, I was then eligible for graduation. 

The day after graduation, there was a small and wonderful miracle that happened. I saw a beautiful botanical image by an artist in Europe. Her piece had been granted an award. When I read about her, I learned that she had just graduated from a program based in England through the Society of Botanical Artists. (SBA). Their website is soc-botanical-artists.org. The moment that I saw the quality of the work of their graduates, I knew that I needed to apply. And so I did, and I was accepted. 

During the period between my graduation from NYBG and my new program in England, I spent many hours drawing and taking pictures from my garden and the East End of Long Island. I also slowly amassed a substantial watercolour paint collection. I have been collecting paints for almost two years, trying the best ones and generously giving each brand and style a chance in my botanical journal.

  

     In January, I had the good fortune of meeting my tutors and cohort in London. I saw them demonstrate their beautiful work. They shared their techniques, gave us guidance on how to proceed with assignments and lent us their sincere encouragement. 

   My first assignments have been shipped to England, and so the new journey for the next 27 months begins. I now draw and paint on average of 2-3 hours a day in addition to attending to my private practice. It will be a big journey but I am delighted to in the company of such skilled professionals and serious botanical artists. 

   

   The moto for the program is 'Pulcherrima Solum ex Labore'. This translates as 'Beauty only through hard work'. This motto is one that I personally live by myself. It is through time, patience and persistence that meaningful and true beauty emerge, and we are rewarded with excellence and inspiration. 

Transitions Toward the Energetics of Spring and New Beginnings

 The days are growing longer and the quality of the light is rapidly changing as we enter the energetic time of early Springtime. While the air has been deeply cold, crisp and brittle in the Northeast, our skin may be drier, our lungs may be feeling irritated, accompanied by a little dry cough, we are at the end of the coldest days. The afternoons are growing brighter as we are entering more Yang and fluid days. We are transitioning from the deep freezes of Water to more buoyant and expansive time of Wood in the Chinese medicine calendar. Buds are beginning to swell and widen, as the earth slowly begins to thaw. It s a delight to see the shockingly beautiful greys, blues and yellows in the refections of the snow and ice.  

   We are entering the time where the body begins to slowly move from the density of the Winter cold  and constriction to the softening of the Wood element. We are simultaneously shedding the year of the Snake and leaning into the year of the Fire Horse. The last remaining shedding is happening now...
and the opening to the newness of the year ahead is palpable. 

   As we turn our attention towards the return to longer days and the excitement of the energy of the Fire Horse, I invite everyone to visit my instagram feed Prettymedicine_press, and Prettymedicine.com where I will be featuring new printed journals, didactic materials and my latest botanical art. 

This past month I began a new botanical art program based in England. It is a twenty seven month program rich with many layers of botanical art, research and assignments that will require dedication and commitment to drawing and painting.  New relationships will be forged with tutors that are steeped in excellence and incredible craftsmanship. 

Please join me as I begin this special new journey and share my botanical art, Chinese medicine, botany and healing while exploring the relationships that tie all of these these beautiful systems together. 

An Exploration of Heart Shock

It has been quite a full week. Tragedy in Manhattan, a powerful earthquake and tsunami in Pacific Ocean and on the West coast,  and countless other ripples of confusion and trauma though out the globe. We are all navigating so many meaningful and often confusing shifts simultaneously. In my practice, this week, I noticed palpable and universal shifts in my patients' pulses. There were several  common threads, the presence of constriction and Heart shock energy. 

 I have been reading the pulses for over thirty years and slowly built a practice that began in my mid-twenties. While studying privately with one of my very first teachers, she exposed me to this beautiful art form. I fell in love with the process. I became enamoured with the possibility of hearing messages from the bones, internal organs and blood vessels. Learning that the body could express what it might need a practitioner to know, felt magical. I now listen deeply with my fingertips. I am still learning how to refine my skills. I love to learn about how other practitioners practice and interpret pulses, especially in this current fast paced world. 

When my teacher told me that many senior Chinese medicine practitioners could identify long term deep blockages and traumatic injuries from early childhood or birth and prenatal traumas, I immediately wanted to learn and master this skill. I am by no means at mastery level, I have many years to go, but I am always curious. Given the allostatic loads that many of us are carrying right now, and the turmoil of the external world, I noticed that the majority of the pulses in my patients were suspended, along with the breath. When I write 'suspended', I mean tight and contracted. The pulses often feel tender, fearful and sometimes carrying shock, especially in the Heart position. This 'Cun  position' is on the left side upper burner position. When I read one pulse quality in particular, I realised that this had been the pattern, and that I should sit with this information to study this dynamic more closely.

I am revisiting my favourite Chinese medicine texts, while tracking the clinical experiences of this week. When we endure a shock, either physical, or emotional the Qi draws itself inwards and contracts. The purpose of doing this is so that the internal resources may be protected. Qi, Blood and Yin will be drawn deep into inwards by the Heart. The Heart, being the Emperor, goes into compensation mode and does its' best to regulate the body. If it is unable to do so, Yin and Yang may separate and lead to circulatory dysregulation. The Yin of the Blood may not be able to anchor itself and the Yang rises. When the circulatory role of the Heart is impeded, we can see issues develop in the tissues and bones. Healing may be slow, sleep may be distrupted, pain may become chronic and moods can shift and become irregular. 

  Yang Shen, otherwise known as resilience, vitality and longevity can be interrupted by untreated Heart shock. When trauma and shock go untreated in the body, Dampness, Qi stagnation, Heat, and Blood deficiency can ensue creating long term volatility and a sense of not belonging or depression. I am always looking for ways to support the gentle circulation of Qi through the multiple layers of the body, from the level of the bone to skin, after there has been a global shock to the system. 

Whether we are aware of it or not, I believe that we are always absorbing Qi, distributing, and regulating Qi and Blood. Good quality food, proper rest, social engagement, appropriate self care, movement, and lymphatic massage are often helpful in bringing us back into more coherence and regulation. 

Movement is one of the most important mitigators of held shock in the body. Resourcing, coupled with gentle and soft micro movements can activate harmonious dialogues of Yin and Yang and support the free flow of Qi.

Insights of a Senior Acupuncturist by Miriam Lee

The damp heat has been so heavy and thick that it has kept me inside a bit more the past fews days. During this second intense heat wave of the Summer, I have been staying cool and revisiting one of my favourite treasures. Miraim Lee, a legend in the Acupuncture and Chinese medicine world wrote a beautiful synopsis of treatment strategies and case studies in the book Insights of a Senior Acupuncturist. Published by Blue Poppy Press. 

This book has been with me for years and has called me many times when there is a little gem to be revealed. This week, I asked the book to extend a gift and I was guided  to page 100 and extracted a luminous pearl. 

"At any stage, Zu San Li (St 36), He Gu (LI 4), Qu Chi (LI 11), and Lie Que (Lu 7) will help calm the patient and restore balance to the internal organs so that the heart can again house the spirit."

With this extreme heat, the Heart, the Emperor is sometimes overwhelmed and harassed by extreme temperatures. It can feel heavy, shaky, overextended and feel as though it is energetically spinning out of its natural placement and express as being off center. As we are all navigating so many external changes and challenges, it is sometimes difficult to integrate the messaging of the immediate needs of the Heart. When this happens in my own world, I do my best to slow down and sometimes stop what I am doing and rest. Lie on the cool floor, place my legs up a wall, or find a space to be still. The more I can practice this process the more I try to hold the field for my patients in sessions.

As I read through the system that Miriam used in her practice, I just came across this sentiment...

"To prevent disease and establish vitality, both the acupuncturist and the patient must use the whole universe wisely." pg 36

And so we try. I could sit with this sentiment for hours, it is such a rich and layered proposition. 

I created this image with sunflowers, echinacea and a little peeper frog layered with a watercolour that I painted imagining the image as a metaphor for the medicine.  So many nuances of beauty and stillness gently intertwined with one another, layers of Summer colors over texture and elements.

Return of the Hummingbirds

In the blink of an eye, three ruby throated hummingbirds have appeared in the garden. Two males and one female. The quince flowers are in bloom, the tulips have opened, the daffodils are beginning to fade and the osprey are flying overhead with fish hanging from their talons. When the hummingbirds arrive, in my heart, it is officially Spring. Just today the leaves on many trees popped and the Japanese maple opened. The hummingbirds seem to be attracted to their colour and the delicate branches. 

Yesterday, I sat with my camera and took a series of images that captured the last afternoon light sparkling on the eyes of the male hummingbirds. This beauty used the tips of the persimmon tree branches to perch and guard the feeders. The fine tips of the new branches are always their favourite perching spots between feedings. The background colour in this hummingbird picture is the red of the Japanese maple leaves. The maple creates a stunning contrast to the emerald green of the male's feathers. 

I recently completed a class on painting hummingbirds that was offered by the New York Botanical Gardens. The class was taught by Dorie Petrochko. We explored the structure of hummingbirds, how to paint the feathers, add iridescent colours and relate the anatomy to the beak. It was surprisingly challenging because there are so many elements to pay attention to while conveying movement and form simultaneously. It was my first attempt at painting hummingbirds. With time, this skill will improve, and I will post my paintings. In the meanwhile, I sit and wait patiently while they re-acquaint themselves with the garden and establish their terrains.