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The Solar Eclipse and Our Connection to Universal energy
Solar eclipse in Long Beach, CA, through the eye piece of a telescope. Photo credit: Apollo VictoriaThe solar eclipse serves as a potent symbol of transformation, signaling a time of endings and new beginnings, of cosmic realignment and energetic shifts. Qi, often...
Unleashing Spring’s Energy: Acupressure Point for Renewal and Growth
Spring is a season of renewal, growth, and transition. According to Traditional East Asian Medicine, this time of the year is associated with the Wood element, symbolizing strength, flexibility, and the upward movement of new growth. Just like trees pushing out new...
Embracing the Renewal of Spring
Embracing the Renewal of Spring Spring is a time of renewal and growth, a time when nature blossoms and the world comes alive again. We are transitioning from the cold stillness of winter into rebirth and new beginnings. In Traditional East Asian Medicine, each season...
Restoring Harmony: The TEAM Approach to Treating Endometriosis
Imagine your body as a grand symphony orchestra, with each instrument playing a significant role in creating a harmonious melody. Now, consider what happens when a violin string snaps or when the drum beats out of rhythm. The entire harmony is disrupted, and the...
Let’s talk about endometriosis: not “just a woman’s problem”
Endometriosis is a widespread health condition affecting approximately 1 in 10 women of reproductive age globally. It's characterized by the growth of endometrial cells — the cells that normally line your uterus — in places outside the uterus, like the ovaries,...
The rose speaks of love silently…
"The rose speaks of love silently, in a language known only to the heart." - Unknown Slightly bitter, sweet and cooling the rose bud is one of my favorite herbs in my dispensary. Its fragrance is sweet, delicate and soothing. The scent has a calming effect, reduces...
Heart Centered Breathing
It’s often easier for us to take care of others and pour love to others whether it be our partners, our kids, our loved ones and friends. But often it’s difficult for us to find kindness and love towards ourselves. That’s why I felt it was so important to focus on...
A Valentine’s Promise: Embracing Self-Love
Valentine's Day is universally recognized as a day of love. However, in the spirit of this special day, I'd like to approach love from a different perspective: self-love. Self-love is not just about treating yourself to indulgences or being self-focused. It goes much...
Embracing Transformation with the Year of the Wood Dragon
Happy Lunar New Year 2024! This year, we welcome the Year of the Wood Dragon—a celestial sign in the Chinese zodiac that combines the dynamic power of the Dragon with the nurturing growth of the Wood element. In East Asian Medicine, the five elements—Wood,...
Why February Matters
Embracing the Yin It’s raining outside as I write this. For many of us, especially women navigating chronic illness, fatigue, and pain, these gray skies bring a mix of feelings. When I was in my college years it would bring a sense of melancholy and a yearning to stay...
Shake Off the Stress: The Qigong Way to Cultivate Calm
In the hustle and bustle of modern life, stress has become our unwelcome companion. It creeps in stealthily, tightening its grip on our wellbeing, and before we know it, we're caught in a whirlwind of tension and anxiety. One of my go-to Qigong practices to do in...
Guava Recipes
In my last blog, I shared the health benefits of guava. Our wonderful neighbor brings us bags full almost every other day of guavas during this time of year. Not wanting to waste this bountiful gift, I found myself trying different guava recipes. I’d like to share...
Ever wondered about the humble guava and its health benefits?
This is the time of year that my lovely neighbor gives us guavas from their tree. Every year we have more than enough supply of guavas that we give away to friends, family, and if you’ve been to the clinic lately, we’ve offered you some. Did you know that guava...
How to stay healthy this season with common foods, herbs and spices
As the weather cools down and colds and flus become more prevalent, it's important to take steps to support our health and well-being during this time. Strengthen Your Defensive Qi One key aspect of staying healthy is strengthening our body's defensive energy, known...
How gratitude facilitates healing
How gratitude facilitates healing November is the season of giving thanks. In this blog, I talk about how cultivating gratitude is a transformative practice that can profoundly benefit the mind, body and spirit. I also give some ideas on how to incorporate gratitude...
Timeless Power of Bone Broth
Throughout history, bone broth and soups have played a significant role in various cultures worldwide. These nourishing elixirs have been cherished for their comforting properties and their ability to promote good health. In ancient times, our ancestors recognized the...
Gluten-free Pumpkin Loaf
The autumn season is one of my family’s favorite times of the year because it brings the beginning of gatherings and celebrations. We also get excited about the goodness that autumn brings to our tables. This gluten-free pumpkin recipe, infused with spices like...
Embracing Resilience and Hope
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the deluge of distressing information in the news. While staying informed is vital, it's equally crucial to safeguard your mental and emotional well-being. Let's explore how self-care, resilience, and hope can help you navigate these...
Feeling guilty about self-care?
Women often wear multiple hats, juggling careers, families, and community responsibilities. We excel in many areas of life, but amidst the hustle and bustle, we sometimes forget a crucial role: taking care of ourselves. The Guilt of Prioritizing Self-Care Many of us...
Navigate Back-to-School Chaos with Zen
Life, in all its intricate chaos, has a way of sweeping us up in its currents, leaving us breathless in its wake. To the women who navigate the labyrinth paths of both career and nurturing their families, this dance can feel especially demanding. As the world shifts...
Mindfulness in Motion
What Happens When You Combine Walking and Meditation? In the fast-paced world we live in, finding moments of serenity and mindfulness has become essential for our well-being. Walking meditation, a practice rooted in ancient traditions, offers a harmonious blend of...
May the force be with you
Did you know that in real life you can connect to the force? The concept of the force is not anything new. Or fictional. George Lucas is said to have been inspired by the ancient philosophies of East Asia when he came up with the idea of the force in his Star...
Yummy Cantaloupe Juice
Our favorite drink as a family especially during the summer is cantaloupe juice! Since they were small, my kids have loved cantaloupe juice. I’ll talk about the benefits of cantaloupe juice and share a super easy recipe on how to prepare it. Benefits of cantaloupe...
Unlock your body’s energy pathways in summer
In the ancient healing system of East Asian medicine, the concept of meridians forms the foundation for understanding the flow of vital energy (Qi) throughout the body. These meridians are like energy pathways, connecting various organs and facilitating the harmonious...
The road less traveled can make all the difference
Last night when we were reading bedtime stories, my 9 year old son was asking about how poems are structured and his dad read him a sonnet from Shakespeare. This morning I woke up thinking of another favorite poem of mine by Robert Frost called “The Road Not Taken”...
What makes Little Sage herbs special?
We only use the highest quality of herbs available. At Little Sage, we carry only the highest quality of herbs available from suppliers that are the most reputable and test herbs to make sure they are free of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides and fungicides)...
Staying balanced through the summer season
In the East Asian Medicine Five Elements system, summer is associated with the element of Fire. The Five Elements theory is a fundamental concept in Chinese medicine and philosophy that categorizes the natural world and the human body into five elements: Wood, Fire,...
How does Acupuncture balance hormones?
Hormone imbalance is one of the most common concerns that women come to me for in the clinic. Whether it's fatigue, anxiety, mood swings, period problems like irregular periods and heavy periods, migraines, or memory and concentration issues, women are seeking relief...
Did you know your liver plays a crucial role in women’s health?
Role of the liver In East Asian Medicine, the Liver organ is considered to be particularly important for women's health. Here are some reasons why: Menstrual cycle regulation: The Liver plays a key role in regulating the menstrual cycle in women. When the Liver is...
From Hot Flashes to Pay Loss
A recent article by the New York Times highlights the staggering cost of menopause for women in the workforce, citing a study by the Mayo Clinic published recently. The study looked at how hot flashes, fatigue, brain fog, mood swings and the many symptoms associated...
How do you know you’re in perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the phase before menopause. Perimenopause is a process rather than a single event that happens. Perimenopause can start anywhere from two to twelve years before your periods actually stop. Some women experience them as early as their mid-to late 30s,...
Your three treasures
In East Asian Medicine, the pathway to vital health and longevity is to cultivate the physical and spiritual substances in the body called the Three Treasures: Jing, Qi, and Shen. Jing is our life essenceQi is our life forceShen is our spirit Jing, our life essence,...
Feeling invisible after 40?
Perimenopause is a natural phase of a woman's life that usually begins in your 40s or 50s, marking the transition to menopause. Unfortunately, this phase of life is often stigmatized in our culture, and women can feel devalued and marginalized as they experience...
5 ways to stop negative thinking
It’s common to get stuck in a pattern of negative thinking especially when it seems like things aren’t going our way. Psychologists have recognized that our brain has a tendency towards a negativity bias. This means that we tend to give more attention to negative...
Sleep better, get rid of brain fog, and have more clarity
Insomnia, brain fog, poor memory and concentration are common symptoms that people see me in the clinic for. One of my favorite points to use to address these conditions is the Bai Hui point or Du 20.Bai Hui Point - Hundred Meetings This point is located on the crown...
Repair scars and cracks with gold
What does our society normally do when we break something? Say you broke one of your favorite cups, pot or vase. What happens to it? It ends up in the trash. We often do the same thing in our lives with things we perceive as broken. Not only material things, but even...
Fall Season in Chinese Medicine
What does the changing of the seasons mean in Chinese medicine? In Chinese Medicine, the different seasons correspond to the five cyclical phases represented by the Five elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. The fall season is associated with the Metal...
Sagely Herb for Women
Dang Gui, Radix Angelica Sinensis, is sweet, acrid, and warm. It means “state of return” because of its ability to induce the proper return of qi and blood to where it belongs in the body. It’s considered a sagely herb for women because of its ability to treat a...
Herbal Medicine FAQs
What is herbal medicine? Any herb that can help promote healing in the body is considered a medicinal herb. You may already be familiar with some of them because we use them in daily cooking such as culinary herbs and spices like thyme, rosemary, basil, cinnamon and...
Love Letter to Herbal Medicine
I want to share a little bit about my story about how I fell in love with herbal medicine. My journey to be an herbalist started before I was born. In my mother’s womb, the umbilical cord was tightly wrapped around my body and deprived me of oxygen. I came out as a...
3 Ways to Make Ginger Tea
A remedy that dates back hundreds of years in different cultures and one of my favorites is ginger tea. It’s important to use only the juice of fresh ginger and not dried ginger. It’s used as a remedy for common colds and flus. Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory...
Patience and the Mulberry Tree
“With time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown.” -- Chinese Proverb Silkworms only eat mulberry leaves and the trees were grown traditionally for this purpose. The silkworm spins itself a silk cocoon that is made with a continuous thread of silk. That...
Rosemary is for Remembrance
“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember” - Shakespeare, HamletRosemary has been a beloved herb since ancient times, used for its culinary and medicinal properties. It symbolizes remembrance, friendship and love. Rosemary is probably one of...
Is the weight of the world on your shoulders?
Do you carry your stress in the upper back, neck and shoulders? I want to share an acupressure point that is great at relieving this tension.GB 21 - Jiang Jing or “Shoulder Well”The acupressure point GB 21 is located at the top of the shoulders, at the highest point...
Healing from Trauma
Healing from trauma means healing from the very depths of your body down to the cellular level, down to the depths of your soul to reclaim it. - Little SageThis past week certainly has been tough. Especially in the national and world news. I sat down on my computer to...
Positive Affirmations
What are affirmations? Affirmations are brief, positive statements, that are said frequently to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts and cultivate positive thinking. Throughout our lives, we have been influenced by our environment, how we were raised and what...
How do you build resilience?
My barn having burned down, I can now see the moon.”― Mizuta Masahide (17th century Japanese poet and samurai) We have the amazing ability as humans to be resilient in the face of adversity. Just as our world is filled with stories of suffering, it’s equally filled...
Love Your Liver
Function of the liver in Chinese medicine Spring corresponds to the Wood element, the color green, and the organ of the liver. The liver is in charge of filtration, detoxification, regulation of chemicals in the blood, and storage of vitamins and minerals. In addition...
Spring Energy Brings Renewal and Growth
Spring signals a seasonal change when the sun shines directly onto the equator; day and night are equal in length. Spring symbolizes a time of rebirth, renewal and new beginnings. In Chinese Medicine, the principle of the Five Elements views what is going on in the...
Fill Your Year with Self-Care and Happiness
With the new year often comes new year’s resolutions and a lot of messages out there that emphasize a “New Year and a New You.” But I want to de-emphasize the part about having to change yourself for the better or the idea that you have to reinvent yourself for the...
Acupressure point to relieve stress, anxiety and insomnia
In this post, I talk about a point called Shen Men, translated as "Spirit Gate," located on the wrist. Spirit Gate describes the functions of this point--it's a gate or door to access your spirit and emotions. This points are very good at calming the mind, balancing...
What’s the heart got to do with it?
In my Masterclass Video I highlighted two points Tan Zhong and Guan Yuan. In this post, I’ll talk more about why these two points are important for cultivating your Qi. Qi means vital energy or life force. Qi represents the different functions and transformations of...
Your Inner Super Power
Over thousands of years ago, the ancient masters discovered the ability to cultivate the power of Qi. They discovered that the most profound medicine to heal our bodies can be found within us. This concept of Qi is what many here in the West are only starting to...
Improve Digestion with Acupressure and Phototherapy on Zu San Li Point
The name Zu San Li means Leg Three Li. It's also known as the acupuncture point, ST 36. It's located four finger widths below the kneecap, between the two bones of your lower leg. The name describes the point's function. Li is a measurement of distance that’s...
American Heart Month
February is American Heart Month It’s also the New Lunar Year which is celebrated on February 12, 2021 in many Asian countries. It's the year of the Metal Ox according to the Chinese Zodiac. Like last year, 2021 is influenced by the metal element. Metal is related to...
Four Ways to Create More Love and Positivity
Harmony in the mind, body and spirit is essential to live your healthiest life. Setting up your environment the right way can help you be more present, more loving, and stay close to your purpose and intention in life. Here are four things you can do to create more...
Release Stuck Energy
Release If you have some stuck energy or things you want to let go of, you can try this journaling exercise. It has two parts. Allow yourself at least 15 - 30 minutes to do it. Find a quiet space. Get out a piece of paper and write down all the things from the past...
Emotional Healing with Chinese Medicine
In Chinese medicine there is an intimate relationship between the mind, body, emotions and spirit. Our emotions have an important influence in our lives and in our health. Western medicine may recognize the interaction between the body and emotions but puts it...
3 Herbs to Support Your Immunity and My Favorite Recipe
One of the top concerns many of us have during this pandemic is how to keep our family healthy. In addition to the recommendations to wear a mask, wash your hands, and keep your physical distance, supporting your immune system is important in preventing sickness. In a...
Breathing Roots Meditation
Breathing is essential to life. The tragic event in Minneapolis when vital breath was violently taken away from George Floyd sparked demonstrations and civil unrest throughout the country. These events over the past weeks have weighed heavy on my heart and mind. The...
5-Day Feel Good Boost
The time to focus on our health and well-being is even more important now. Many of us are worried if our immune system is optimal and struggling with poor energy, increased anxiety and high stress levels. I want to continue to support you during this time. In addition...
Acupuncture for Kids
"You treat kids with acupuncture? Really?" This is a question I get asked often because most don't know that kids can get acupuncture and that it's safe and effective. As an acupuncturist, and a mom, I became passionate about being an advocate of acupuncture for kids....
Flu Season: 9 ways to keep yourself healthy with Chinese medicine
Many people are coming down with the cold and flu this season. We are mid-way through winter and there are still more cases, particularly affecting younger people. I often get asked what are some health tips to keep healthy. I want to share nine ways to keep you and...
Boost Your Immune System with Bone Broth
One of my favorite things to recommend to people is making homemade bone broth. Not only is it super nutritious for you, but it is also super easy to make. Below you will find a general guide how to make a simple bone broth from any kind of bones and cartilage from...
Little Sage Clinic Video
[VIDEO] Little Sage Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine is passionate about supporting you through your health care journey. We provide high quality holistic health care, to help you restore and nurture good health to improve your quality of life. Watch the video and...
Little Sage on Kababayan Today with G. Töngi
Melissa was invited to speak on a local television show hosted by G. Töngi of Kababayan Today to talk about her passion for health and healing with East Asian Medicine. Below is the show in four parts that originally aired in March 2017.
Little Sage featured on Voyage LA
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