Welcome to my Chinese Medicine Blog!

For those of you who may not be familiar with me let me introduce myself and for those of you who are, hello and welcome, its great to see you!

My name is Jane Wintle and I am a fully qualified, insured and registered acupuncturist and practitioner of Chinese Medicine. I hold a BSc (Hons) Degree in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, a Licentiate in Acupuncture, am a full member of The British Acupuncture Council and am licensed with both South Somerset and Mendip District Councils.

 I am based in Castle Cary where I have my own small clinic and just recently, I have also broadened my area to include a clinic at Nine Springs Natural Health Clinic in Yeovil.

My website has a wealth of information that I urge you to read, but I thought a blog would also be a great way to share wealth of information and tips for maintaining a healthy body, mind and soul by including a variety of interesting and inspiring information.

Unfortunately March 2020 sees us entering uncharted territory, and there seems to be a lot of fear and uncertainty as to what will happen next during the COVID-19 or Corona Virus pandemic. We have seen various countries globally enter a lock down phase and for some the thought of this can be very unsettling. However, in some instances, far from being terrible we have seen some amazing acts of humanity occuring, such as they Spanish having an instrumental jam from their balconies and the Italians singing to one another in the street. It got me thinking, what can I do, as an acupuncturist to support those who may be finding this particularly difficult?

As well as looking after our general health, it's extremely important for us to look after our mental and spiritual health too. Chinese medicine sees the body as a whole, encompassing Body, Mind and Spirit into one whole, it understands that if one aspect is unbalanced it unbalances the others too and disharmony or disease begins to occur. By ensuring we keep all three in a balanced state of health we can ensure as a whole we are fighting fit (or as close as possible!)

Over the coming days, weeks and months I will be providing you with ideas, tips and methods to really look after yourself. I'll be detailing ways you can keep yourself well along with tips for strengthening yourself, exercises, recipes and entertainment. I intend to keep it short, sharp and fun!

Please like and follow me for regular updates and check my Facebook page often for new updates to help inspire you.

Take good care of yourself,

Jane

As a fully qualified Chinese Medicine practitioner, I am really happy to provide Skype/FaceTime/Messenger video consultations in exactly the same way in which I would normally do physically in my studio. Obviously I am unable to needle you from a distance (my aim on the blowpipe through a letter box is poor!!) but in every other way, it is business as usual. I am able to provide information on acupressure points that you can use instead of me physically needling you, indeed this is how I treat young children and those who are needle phobic when they physically attend my studio. My deep knowledge of Chinese Medicine will allow me to prescribe an acupressure treatment specifically for you and your set of symptoms and I have a wealth of experience in helping patients accurately locate  the acupressure points.

During a normal consultation I carry out what is called a FTD or Full Traditional Diagnosis, during which I ask lots of questions about you, your illness, your lifestyle, diet, digestion, sleep etc allowing me to build a detailed picture of your health and where the difficulties lie. this allows me to devise a treatment plan individually designed to meet your needs and return you to the balance of health. The acupuncture needle plays just a small role in this and much can be done during these trying times to keep you well without ever placing a needle in you. Obviously the needle normally plays a role in fine tuning you, but it is better to do everything else I would normally suggest during a consultation, and use acupressure than it would be to have no treatment at all. It is also a fabulous opportunity for me to think of innovative other ways to keep you fighting fit and help you come through this period with Body, Mind and Spirit well and intact, ready to embrace our wonderful world once the danger has passed.

During this time where some of us are holed up inside, (I am too due to my son having a suppressed immune system and needing to keep him shielded from the virus, so I know the difficulties you are facing) I am offering my services at half my usual price. I wish to be fully accessible to all who wish to use my services at this testing time. A full face to face consultation using any suitable media, including telephone, will be £30 and any follow up appointments will be only £20. Once the pandemic has passed I will be happy to continue to see you in person in the studio where we can add acupuncture to your treatment schedule.

If you would like to discuss what I can offer or how I can help you, I am more than happy to offer a quick 15 minute telephone chat, just drop me a line and we'll arrange a convenient time.

You can contact me using the following methods:

Telephone/Text: 07538 719153

Email: [email protected]

Balance? 

What is balance and why is it a favourite word in the repertoire of Chinese Medicine practitioners?

Grab a cup of tea, pull up a chair and I will explain all..............

The emphasis of Chinese Medicine is to restore and maintain balance within the body as a whole, encompassing 3 key areas:

Body

Mind

Soul/Spirit

But balance within the body isn't the only thing we consider, we also believe to be in balance you must be in harmony with the environment in which you live and may include areas such as living in harmony with your environment, your family, the community in which you reside along with other factors such as being in time with the seasons or changes in climate.

What does it mean to be in balance and how can we achieve this? Over the coming blog posts I will be sharing with you, ways to help keep yourself in balance during times of confinement. Initially I will be considering the elderly and those with underlying health conditions that have required them to self-isolate themselves, but it equally applies to everyone who would like to apply it to their lives to enrich it and ensure the balance of good health.

So back to balance, let me explain the key areas.

BODY

When the body is in balance, we are physically strong and fighting fit, free from physical aches and pains, stiffness is not an issue, rashes and injuries do not bother us and we are able to carry out our physical daily lives free from hinderance. we tend not to be overweight and our digestion is strong and works well.

MIND

In balance our mind is clear, our thoughts flow freely and we feel a sense of happiness. we are not troubled by depression or anxiety, we sleep well without unpleasant dreams or nightmares interrupting our rest and we are able to fall asleep and stay asleep without difficulty. Our mental world feels settled and we are able to cope well with the difficulties life may throw at us.

SOUL/SPIRIT

This is the area that most people tend to overlook, especially with the way our Western minds have been conditioned to think when it comes to our health. Soul or Spirit, whichever way you like to think about it, is who you fundamentally are, what is important to you, what makes you tick, and whatever beliefs you hold that make you individually you. 

BALANCE

So from the above, you can see how all three play a vital role in good health. You may have a fantastically healthy BODY, but if your MIND isn't as well as it could be, eventually your physical health will be impacted by a lack of enthusiasm or drive to exercise. Or vice-versa, our MIND may be flourishing, but if the BODY in which we inhabit is injured preventing us from achieving everything we wish to physically, this can negatively impact on both our MIND and SOUL, causing an imbalance in the trio. 

Often, when people are repressed and not allowed to connect with their spiritual beliefs, their SOUL becomes crushed and their physical (BODY) and mental (MIND) health suffers.

There are countless things we can do as individuals to ensure the balance of the three within our body is maintained and I am looking forward to sharing with you, some ways in which we can maintain these during this current pandemic.