Community Acupuncture at Bastion and Movement Collective, other news
The “Apples from the Tree” blog has been quiet for a while, but there’s been plenty going on in Tree of Life world, both personally and professionally. Generally, for myself as much as anyone in the world, there has been the long process of adjusting to post-(or permanent!?) pandemic world. Anyone coming to me for care should know that, while office policy has relaxed in line with local ordinances, reflecting the predominance of comfort over constant vigilance, we are still convinced that the SARS crisis is not truly over, and so we support and encourage masking and other PPE use by anyone who deems it prudent, especially individuals who live with greater risks due to age, immunocompromised status, pre-existing conditions, etc. All at our office consider having received the vaccine to be a significant reducer of risk of infection and/or severity of symptoms if one is infected. We encourage our clientele to get the vaccine, for the good of all, and welcome conversation and questions on this subject!
Community acupuncture programs have been taking off, at two locations. Weekly sessions Saturday afternoons at Movement Collective are open to the public from 3-5 pm. Cost is by sliding scale, $20-40. Wear loose-fitting clothing to allow access to acupoints. Masks encouraged, but not required. No appointment needed, and last seating is at 4:30, to make sure we have the space open for Dharma Recovery, the group using the space after us.
Incidentally, anyone looking for an alternative to AA or other recovery meeting groups should absolutely check out Dharma Recovery! The group is inspired by Buddhist principles, focusing on meditation and intentionality, and is neither focused, nor dependent, on any theistic or religious beliefs. Visit: https://www.buddhistrecovery.org/
Tree of Life also offers a free community acupuncture event one Friday per month at Bastion Housing (https://www.joinbastion.org/about.html). This monthly event is free of charge for members of the Bastion community. Bastion is an intentional community in New Orleans which is dedicated to veterans of US armed services, and their supporters and families. It is always wonderful to see the residents turning up for a free acupuncture session, and to hear and appreciate their stories. We just got a write-up in the Bastion newsletter, The Bugle, by reporter Susan Lutz.
In other personal news, I got my first ever surgery, for inguinal hernia repair, in early March. Healing has gone well, during which I had to slow down for a few weeks of course, to help the process along. I appreciate all the well-wishes and support from everyone in my community. I also have to give thanks for my Qi Gong teachers, and the blessing of daily practice, which has been great for expediting healing and rebuilding of tissues necessarily damaged for the purpose of the repair.
In honor of the practice of Qi Gong, I have decided to restart my weekly Qi Gong drop-in class this spring, most probably at one of the public spaces in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans. If you are reading this and have any requests or suggestions as to times or days that might be easier for you to attend, or possible locations to hold the classes, please message me (through the “appointments” button on this page. I appreciate your input.
