Balanced Way Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, & Sound Therapy
44 Palmer Road L3m5l5 Grimsby, ON, Canada

There is still time to enrol for the course. First class is this Tuesday at 7pm. YES! I get to teach more. If you are on the fence about joint us, please do. Both classes are confirmed. I am so excited to be teaching these. I am Blessed.

This is beautiful and powerful Never Give Up

I gave a treatment to someone this week that combined cupping massage, Tui na massage, acupuncture, medical qigong energy work, and sound therapy with gongs and bells. My patient was so relaxed they felt like soft rubber and could not move or lift themselves off the table for a few minutes. Mission accomplished.

When Mozart was 8 this tree was over 40. When first Steam Engine was patented this tree was 50. When the Wright Brothers flew the first motorized plane this tre...e was 180. Now at aged 300 it was felled for a service road for HS2 Words fail me. ~ David Attenborough. See more

It seems to me that spiritual maturation involves gradually letting go of the need for belief and living firmly rooted in what IS at the moment, without making ...up stories (beliefs, explanations, theories, theologies) about it. This is called direct experience or mindfulness. Life does not require an interpretation in order to be fully experienced and realized. In fact, our beliefs and stories about life only add layers of unreality that interfer with the freshness of the moment. We end up living in our minds and beliefs rather than in the world and basing our relationships on whether or not others share our particular fantasies. Politics and religion are just two examples of this. See more

When to stop eating a snack A tip from Reddit: As soon as you start to go for ‘volume’ of chips in your mouth, instead of taste. Put away the bag. This rule applies to nuts, berries, wasabi peas, and any other snack food. MF

I’m not what I ought to be. . . I’m not what I want to be. .... . But still, I am not what I once used to be. . . By the grace of the universe, I am what I am. . . . . . . . . . . . . #thankyou #thankyouthankyouthankyou #trust #faith #flow #growth #yoga #yogawisdom #yogateacher #yogawisdomoftheday #be #lessdo #lessdoingmorebeing #justbe #acknowledge #appreciation #celebration #trust #gratitude #evolution #evolve #resolvetoevolve See more

When you are perceived as a strong woman, they assume you do not need anything or anyone; and you can bear everything; and will overcome whatever happens. When... you are perceived as a strong woman, they look to you to help them carry their burdens and when you share yours, they label you as negative. A strong woman is not asked if she is tired, suffering or falling; or if she has anxiety or fear. The strong woman is not forgiven for anything. If she loses control, she becomes weak. If she loses her temper, she becomes hysterical. When a strong woman disappears for a moment, it is immediately noticeable, but when she is there, her presence is unappreciated. But the strength that is needed every day, to be that kind of woman, is not noticed. Honor, recognize, respect and thank the strong women in your life, because they also need to be recognized, loved and feel that they may rest. #kindnesschallenge #selfcarechallenge #inspirationchallenge#motivation

My first post, thanks for having me.

Don’t you dare...

You recognize you have a health issue. You admit and accept that you want to change. I help people change and get better. I am happy to help any person who asks for my help. 20 minute health consultations are free. ... Let’s talk soon. See more

I was laying in bed one night and I thought ‘I’ll just quit...to hell with it.’ And another little voice inside me said ‘Don’t quit...save that tiny little emb...er of spark.’ And never give them that spark because as long as you have that spark, you can start the greatest fire again. Charles Bukowski Christian Schloe - Portrait of a Heart

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depth...s. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Domenico Gatti

In honor of this week's American Music Therapy Association National Conference taking place, we will be sharing these great infographics by our friends at @rgvm...usictherapy ALL WEEK LONG! Tune in to learn more about how #musictherapy can make an impact! @amtainc @amtanatcon #musictherapist #mtbc #musictherapyintern #musictherapyrocks #musictherapylife #musicmatters #changetheworld #expressivearts #musicheals #thepowerofmusic #powerofmusic #musichelps #musicrocks #musicmedicine #musicforhealth #creativearts #creativeartstherapy

Qi Gong For Renewal with @balancedway1 Fully Online Begins Sept 15... Link in bio ^ *This is level one of the Therapeutic/Medical Qigong Program. Movement, breathwork, mindfulness. One hour a week for renewal. Exercise does not have to entail fast, rigorous intensity for it to be beneficial - there are numerous health benefits- both physical and mental, from regular, focused movements found in Qigong. shown to lower blood pressure protects the cardiovascular system improves the immune function of cells, especially for middle-aged and elderly effective in maintaining bone mineral density health benefits for cancer patients regular practice can improve the quality of sleep effective in decreasing anxiety supporting depressive states #qigong #meditation #movement #health #exercise #mentalhealth #get #moving #breathwork #mindfulness

Proof of Qi. Feel free to share.

Your value has nothing to do with if you have abs or not your value has nothing to do with how fit your body is do you hear me? you were worthy without the fuck...ing abs and if you never get the fucking abs you will also be worthy it’s empowering for women to be fit except except except except when we start to identify that our power came with the fit body that it comes with our abs that it comes with the flesh we are in your power cannot be contained in the flesh that you’re in did you hear me? your power cannot be contained in the flesh that you’re in don’t listen to them love your body move your body strengthen your body but remember that your power is a light that doesn’t give a fuck if you have abs and it hums and thrums inside of you and it was there when you are a size 12 and when you are a size 0 I am so sick of women’s abs in my face there before there after I see your soul the same I see your light the same I see your power the same I see your worth the same do you? do not trick yourself into thinking your body is empowerment you do not need to claim your power in a body you have always had it your power is inside take it hold it feel it wrap your finger around it you are sacred come home to that. See more

Come on, honey, not at the dinner table. Anyone with a teenager knows what this futile request refers to. And, candidly, I raise my hand, guilty as charged, f...or sneaking an under-the-table peak at my Instagram between helpings. What did we used to do in the backseat on those long family drives? Sing songs? Play the alphabet game? Just be bored? Now, we furnish our beloved progeny with glowing screens that stream endless cat videos and much worse. And they can’t put them down. Of course, while they may never listen to us, they never fail to imitate us. How many of us grown-ups routinely and mindlessly grab for our devices within five minutes of waking up? Be honest. But don’t be too hard on yourself. You may be convinced of your own free will. But remember what you’re up against. Deep Blue, a computer developed by IBM, beat Garry Kasparov in chess despite the fact that he had been playing since he was seven and reigned as world champion for twenty years. And that was in 1997, a year prior to the founding of Google. Imagine the supercomputer your self-determination is vying against now. Since I’ll spend the balance of our time together indicting social media for fostering loneliness, diminishing self-esteem, decreasing attention spans and tribalizing society, let me summarize some of its positive attributes first. Social media has given people voice, particularly the marginalized. It’s a brilliant and protean tool for organization, from the Arab Spring to Lolli’s wretched roller-skating party. It is an outlet for creativity, democratizing its distribution. And, of course, I love keeping up with old high school buddies and their Pomeranians (well, most of them). The intention of social media was to enhance life, to foster connection in an increasingly individuated world. Unfortunately, its existence is a good case for consequentialism since it can be argued that nothing has atomized and polarized us more than the invective of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. A couple of statistics to grok the scale of social media usage. Facebook currently has 2.7 billion users a term that the recent documentary The Social Dilemma points out is otherwise reserved for consumers of drugs. Facebook has added 100 million accounts in each of the last two quarters. YouTube has 2 billion users. 79% of all internet users have their own YouTube account. Teenagers clock an average of 7 hours and 22 minutes of media screen time daily NOT including time spent using screens for school and homework. While this barely seems feasible given a day consists of 1440 minutes, the typical cellphone user touches his or her phone 2,617 time every day. The study found that extreme cellphone abusers touch their devices more than 5,400 times daily. What transpires while we scan the endless scroll of phantoms held in our palms while often disregarding the three-dimensional beings in the room who we purportedly love? Increasingly, brands use social media to market their products. You barely need to slide your index finger to be bombarded with images of unattainable perfection, six-pack abdominals and luxury getaway packages. Surfing through these targeted fantasies fosters a sense of lack or not-enoughness. Brands then market products, services and trinkets to you to address these perceived deficiencies. And they do so with great efficacy, paying Facebook to place these images in the feeds of people who meet their demographic and psychographic profiles. If only, and only if, I look like this and have that then I will be happy. You don’t need to be a Buddhist to comprehend that this pursuit lacks fruit. The moment you’ve clicked buy now, you are already plotting your next conquest. You can’t be happy in the future. Contentment is reserved for the here and now. Perversely, social media also becomes the forum in which we trot out curated, filtered, fish-lipped renditions of our own lives. These false projections are a double-edged sword, immiserating both poster and user. In search of approval, we anxiously await the flood of likes to swell our brains with dopamine while the scroller evaluates his woeful existence against a phony portrait of flawlessness. Comparison is the invisible thief of happiness. Neuroscientists are researching the impact of social media on the brain and discovering that positive interactions (such as someone liking your yoga selfie) trigger the same kind of chemical reaction that is caused by recreational drugs. To better understand our addiction to social media, one can draw on the work of American behavioral psychologist B. F. Skinner, who posited that actions which are reinforced tend to be repeated. Positive reinforcement strengthens a behavior by providing a consequence that is rewarding. For example, when you get a social media notification, your brain delivers a neurotransmitter called dopamine along a reward pathway that makes you flush with joy. The same phenomenon is also associated with exercise, sex, food, gambling and drugs which can all become addictive when abused. Variable reward schedules up the stakes. When rewards are delivered randomly (like when a flurry of digital hearts light up your post) and checking for the reward is easy, the dopamine-triggering behavior becomes a subconscious habit. In terms of understanding the ramifications of the global and nonconsensual psychological experiment of social media, we are barely glimpsing the tip of an iceberg. Here are some disturbing correlations. There is growing evidence social media increases loneliness and depression. Recent surveys indicate 73% of heavy social media users consider themselves lonely. The pressures of social media appear to be particularly severe for teenage girls. Teenage suicide rates for girls since 2009 have grown 70% (and 151% for girls 10 14). Similar increases apply for non-fatal hospital admissions among the same cohorts. (source: The Social Dilemma) The impacts of habitual overuse of social media on our personal wellness is alarming, but the deleterious impact on our societal well-being may be even greater. Society has become increasingly politically polarized and tribalized. Forty years ago, less than 25% of us lived in landslide districts, where one candidate won in a landslide over another. Now that number is 80%. We’ve bunkered ourselves in echo chambers so resonant that often all we hear are modifications of our own voice. Our ability to have healthy public discourse has eroded and debate on social media almost always devolves into all caps screaming matches that only further divide and dehumanize. How does social media contribute to extremism and the widespread espousal of unfounded theories? This quote from tech philosopher, Jaron Lanier, succinctly sums up social media’s core endeavor: It’s the gradual, slight, imperceptible change in your own behavior and perception that is the product. The modification of your ideas and how you act upon them are the product of this industry. This is what marketers, candidates, rogue groups and special interests are paying companies like Facebook and YouTube to do. The primary key performance indicator for YouTube is watch time. The more time you spend in the YouTube ecosystem the more ads they can serve up. The average visit length on YouTube is 40 minutes and the algorithm is optimized to keep you there for as long as possible. YouTube garners approximately 1 billion hours of watch time per day according to Guillaume Chaslot, an artificial intelligence (AI) expert and former Google engineer. More than 70% of views come from YouTube’s recommendation engine. These personalized recommendations appear as thumbnails in the right margin on your desktop or below your video window on your mobile phone. The recommendations are personalized for you through AI that tracks your every view and the digital behavior of others like you. This may seem innocuous enough if you are like me, searching for Mooji meditations and getting served up Eckart Tolle or Deepak Chopra. Unfortunately, it’s often significantly more insidious. For example, Chaslot reports that YouTube’s algorithm detected an outlier trend that a small subsection of people watching fitness videos were also interested in pedophilia. So, it began serving up pedophilia videos among the recommendations while people were watching their high intensity interval trainings. It turns out the watch time of these lurid videos is quite high. And It appears that, in general, there is a correlation between extreme content and longer watch times. The algorithm is just doing what it is designed to do: keep people on the platform as long as possible. The problem with AI is the complete absence of moral filter. There is no ethical arbiter between creator and viewer. Fake news, which may include spurious conspiracies, proliferates across social media at a rate 6 times the truth. The content is often scandalous and elicits emotions or disgust. The value-neutral algorithm’s affinity for sensationalist content may be the primary reason for the explosion of unfounded theories and movements like QAnon. Alex Jones, the founder of InfoWars, was a primary propagator of theories such as Pizzagate and Birtherism, and that 9/11 and the Sandy Hook massacre were hoaxes. Before he was de-platformed by YouTube, his videos were recommended at minimum 15 billion times. It is no wonder some of these ideas have taken hold. I have little idea how much revenue (if any) YouTube or Alex Jones generated from these video views. However, at a $5 CPM (cost per thousand views), 1 billion views would yield 5 million dollars. YouTube keeps 45% of this revenue and passes the balance to the creator. There is a financial incentive for social media to trade in dangerous and often specious content. Many people no longer get their news from establishment sources. The endless drone of fake news has undermined trust in traditional media. And some of this skepticism is certainly valid. Increasingly, though, people are finding their news on social media from unreliable sources including phony news channels, celebrities and influencers, who may have good intentions, but little training in journalistic ethics. Influencers, often unwittingly, peddle weaponized misinformation and subsequently become funnels for more nefarious groups looking to undermine democracy and spread chaos. Sometimes it would be funny if it weren’t so dangerous. Like the Tik Tok influencer who went viral with a post claiming that the recent West coast wildfires were planned, as evidenced by the fact that they stopped at the US-Canadian border. She was referring to a US-only databased map. She is reported to have 2 million followers. The proliferation of misinformation is aided and abetted by the algorithms. You can run this experiment yourself. For example, watch a Bill Maher or Robert Kennedy Jr. video about anti-vaccination on YouTube. Both of these gentlemen are whip smart, if sometimes too smart, and raise legitimate concerns about this issue. (As an aside, my wife points out - and I agree - that it is often the inability of the mainstream press to have intelligent public discourse on deserved topics that can push folks further toward the fringes). If you watch these vaccine-skeptical videos for a few days, like them and comment on them, you will start to be fed new video recommendations. Maybe an anti-mask wearing video. Maybe a report that COVID fatalities are exaggerated. If you engage with this content, the recommendation engine will progressively serve up more tantalizing fare, until you’re suddenly watching a 40-minute diatribe about the Archons, an inter-dimensional race of reptilian beings who have hijacked the earth. Slowly, invisibly, Lanier’s thesis takes root. Persuasive technology, algorithmically gamed against us, can make us feel as though we are doing the research and developing our own opinions. However, behavioral modification is often imperceptible to the user. I joked with Schuyler that if you espouse the theory that, through a mandated vaccine, we’ll all be microchipped such that our whereabouts and proclivities will be surveilled by an elite cabal trying to instantiate a new world order then we can all relax. We already pay $1000 for a device and $100 per month voluntarily for this privilege. There is a server whirring in some non-descript bunker that knows me better than my wife of 32 years, and perhaps better than I even know myself. And access to this knowledge of who I am is being sold. This is the perhaps the conspiracy behind all the others. Enough doom and gloom already. The key to addressing the deleterious impacts of social media in your own life is found in a familiar place: Awareness. I have touted The Social Dilemma numerous times in this screed. It is a documentary chock-full of former Silicon Valley executives blowing whistles with the goal of spreading consciousness about social media. The Center for Humane Technology led by co-founder Tristan Harris created this documentary and is dedicated to articulating the problem and the path forward towards a new era of truly humane tech. In the meantime, here are my humble suggestions for navigating social media consumption and happiness: Meditate. It will help you stay present, conscious and aware. Actively cultivate in-person face-to-face time wherever possible. Engage in nuanced, respectful conversation especially with folks with whom you do not agree. Find ethical sources for news that that rely on legitimate experts and multiple sources, independently fact-check, have minimal biases, and publish corrections. Read or listen to long-form content that can capture nuance and expand attention span. (Check out the podcast from CHT) Be aware of modifications and radicalizations in your own behavior and ideologies. And limit your social media time. Turn off the wi-fi at night. Put your phones in a basket during dinner. Be present for each other. As always, feel free to email me with your thoughts. But then put your phone back down ;-). In deep gratitude, Jeff At commune

These are some shots taken in 2017 during my afternoon tuina session at the big Rothenburg TCM Kongress in Germany. One of the attendees had a long-term painful... thenar eminence - 'the mound of Venus' if you're into palmistry - due to practice, and couldn't put pressure on her thumb pad. Hand issues are tricky but tuina can offer great reprieve. Point-wise here are some suggestions& follow the small pics from the top left clockwise to negotiate. Link the points Hegu (LI 4) and Houxi (SI 3). Curl and use the index finger as a base and fulcrum. Aim the pressure from both points towards each other and relay the Qi across the hand. This then also links-up with regular and extra points in its pathway. In all you connect 5 points. It is a powerful means to ameliorate hand pain*. It produces a strong feeling. The sensation as well may radiate upwards along the yang surface (as was experienced). To counter this, angle the pressure you apply towards the fingers and focus the Qi downwards into the entire hand; while with your other hand use your thumb to press Waiguan (SJ 5) and push the Qi downwards to link and unite with the horizontal pathway of the Hegu/Houxi combo. Waiguan relaxes the tendons and helps all aspect of repair. This is a powerful circuit remedy for all otherwise difficult to cure hand injuries. In addition, as part 2, once these have been maintained for a minute or so, with some short interludes if necessary, release them and locate Lieque (Lu 7/Luo point), superior to the styloid process. Direct and send the Qi downwards along the lung channel to pass through the thenar eminence. Sending the qi from Lieque to the end of the thumb, and having the patient aware of this sensation, brings a thumbs-up to an otherwise immobile one! She had no discomfort afterwards. Charlie S. hope this helps out your son’s hand. Go easy if it causes pain to the wound. * the same can be achieved by needling from Houxi to Hegu with a 4 needle, but I like to use finger pressure for hand pain because I find the qi can be relayed more efficiently and effectively. See more

Let’s go back to the primordial swamps, only 470 to 360 million years ago, and discover chapter one in the fungi story - the prototaxites and when they were t...he biggest thing around. These 2 videos will explain them better and give extra insights; such as how they’ve evolved to be how they are now. Given their role in the formation of the earth, it seems another given that they hold special keys for our health and welfare. 1. https://youtu.be/-G64DagHuOg 2. https://youtu.be/X4rKAGRpvmQ See more

Embrace the vintage vibes and practice with us at the barn at Mountain Ridge Organics (383 Elm Tree Road East located on the border of Beamsville & Grimsby). We... are officially moving three classes there starting September 14th! More space means larger class sizes to get all of you in and off waitlists! Stay tuned for more class announcements! Message us with any questions! See more

These are a handful of books I bought over the years that helped me (some more than others) navigate through some of life's difficult chapters. One of the most ...significant books of my life, currently on loan to a loved one, is The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. I'm in the process of packing my home to move to Chelsea, Quebec to live with my soon-to-be husband and found myself contemplating adding many of these books to the donate pile. Many of them no longer feel relevant to own, being in a wonderfully stable and loving relationship and also being far on the other side of clinical depression. For a moment I thought I no longer needed them. Then I remembered that part of being well is making peace with idea that it's ok to have days where you need to check back in with the hard shit. It's part of the ride. So I'm keeping them. See more

"Quando un paziente arriva da me, lo guardo e mi chiedo: questa persona è mai stata abbracciata?" (Carl Gustav Jung)

Aquí tenéis a Mark. Nació con 26 semanas de gestación. Salió de alta con Lactancia Materna exclusiva sin haber tomado otro tipo de leche más que la de su madre ...que además, donó más de 30 litros de leche. En la UCI neonatal de la Unidad de Pediatría Integral de Quirónsalud Valencia, tenemos puertas abiertas 24 horas, no utilizamos biberones y los bebés son colocados en canguro con su madre desde el primer momento, incluso con soportes respiratorios y vías. Como dice Nils Bergman, el hábitat principal del prematuro, es el cuerpo de su madre Feliz Día Mundial del Prematuro!! See more

I’m doooone this made me lol

Me: Hello God. God: Hello... Me: I’m falling apart. Can you put me back together? God: I'd rather not. Me: Why?... God: Because you're not a puzzle. Me: What about all the pieces of my life that fall to the ground? God: Leave them there for a while. They fell for a reason. Let them be there for a while and then decide if you need to take any of those pieces back. Me: You don't understand! I'm breaking! God: No, you don't understand. You're transcending, evolving. What you feel are growing pains. You're getting rid of the things and people in your life that are holding you back. The pieces are not falling down. The pieces are being put in place. Relax. Take a deep breath and let those things you no longer need fall down. Stop clinging to pieces that are no longer for you. Let them fall. Let them go. Me: Once I start doing that, what will I have left? God: Only the best pieces of yourself. Me: I'm afraid to change. God: I keep telling you: YOU'RE NOT CHANGING! YOU'RE BECOMING! Me: Becoming, Who? God: Becoming who I created you to be! A person of light, love, charity, hope, courage, joy, mercy, grace and compassion. I made you for so much more than those shallow pieces you decided to adorn yourself with and that you cling to with so much greed and fear. Let those things fall off you. I love you! Don't change! Become! Don't change! Become! Become who I want you to be, who I created. I'm gonna keep telling you this until you remember. Me: There goes another piece. God: Yes. Let it be like this. Me: So... I'm not broken? God: No, but you're breaking the darkness, like dawn. It's a new day. Become!! Become who you really are!!" -John Roedel Can I get an amen?

10 Benefits of Meditation...

Remember that everything you say & do, your children are listening & watching you. Including how you treat the other parent, your relationship, and eveyone else in general. STOP POISONING YOUR CHILDREN!!!!!!!! Be an example of how they should treat men, women, or just PEOPLE period.

A mountain, according to Chinese philosophy, is an animated being, which operates in silence. The mountain exhales clouds and brews the rain; it covers itself w...ith grass and growing trees, and all that lives finds something for its purpose in it. Thus he is is kind in his gifts and yet quiet and old. The generations pass and each one takes form him what it needs. This is the reason why Confucius has said: "Men of knowledge love water, which changes eternally, but the kindly love the mountains. Richard Willhelm, The Soul of China

it is all in the text for this image

We’re so happy to open the doors of Alchemy and welcome each of you back! TODAY we begin our New Fall Schedule Several classes are just about full.... All registration is done online at this time. Please go online to register and reserve a class for yourself where their is some space left for one of our Amazing Classes with the BEST Instructors out there #fall #yoga #niagarayoga #alchemy Alchemyyogaandwellness.com

Knowledge is power. It can also be transformative, but only if we diligently expose ourselves to information that is in opposition to our beliefs and outside our comfort zone.

Boyce loved checking on Grandpa’s cows Noah Babcock