Karas Smith Registered Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine
101-487 Riverbend Drive N2K 3S3 Kitchener, ON, Canada

Still Open for Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatments. As a Regulated Healthcare Provider my practice has been deemed essential during the current Provincial Lockdown. All of the protocols and preventative measures I’ve enacted over the last year to prevent and control the spread of Covid-19 remain in place. ... These include but are not limited to - extra time left between appointments for increased cleaning & sanitizing with medical grade disinfectants & an air purifier. - the prescreening of all patients and practitioners for Covid related symptoms and exposure risks - frequent hand washing & sanitizing using alcohol based sanitizers - the wearing of PPE by practitioners and patients during all steps of service - contactless payments - social distancing while inside the clinic If you have appointments booked and don’t deem them essential to your physical and mental health you are able to cancel and reschedule at this time. If you are looking to book an appointment the online booking system is available on my website www.karasrtcmp.com or you may email me for availability. Link is in the bio. I’m here if you need me. Your physical and mental health remains my priority. Take care, stay safe & wash your hands Sincerely, Your Acupuncturist #karasrtcmp.

Guess who uses Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine ? ... Self proclaimed dinosaur The Rock! Thanks for sharing your healing experience with us @therock ... Acupuncture and TCM treatments like cupping are great preventative care measures to help optimize athletic recovery, aid pain relief of new or old injuries and support sleep and mental health , among other things. Important to note : you don’t have to be an elite athlete like The Rock to benefit from Acupuncture & Cupping. It’s also a great treatment option for us regular old humans too. Happy healing! Sincerely, Your Acupuncturist #karasrtcmp

#whatacupuncturistseat - Winter Edition - Black Sesame Seasoned Oats. In the theme of eating more dark, black, kidney nourishing foods for Winter in TCM I made some Black Sesame Oatmeal this week. Inspired by the ‘Smooth Black Sesame Cereal’ recipe in the book Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen by Yuan Wang, Warren Sheir & Mika Ono. ... 1/2 cup of rolled oats - cooked by package directions Once cooked I mixed in the following 1 Tbsp of ground black sesame seeds 1 Tbsp hemp seeds 1/4 cup of coconut milk 1 Tbsp of dark maple syrup or molasses to taste. A pinch of good quality sea salt Red Raspberries or Black Berries. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) dark, black and deep red foods nourish the blood and Kidney energies. Oats / Yan Mai - are neutral in temperature, sweet in taste and support the Earth energies by strengthening Qi and supporting the immune system. Black Sesame Seeds/ Hei Zhi Ma are neutral in temperature, sweet in taste and support the Earth energies by moisturizing the Intestines and nourishing Kidney Yin. Raspberries/ Shu Mei are cool in temperature and sweet and sour in taste. They nourish the Earth and Wood elements by dispersing and consolidating. Coconut Milk / Ye Nai is neutral in temperature and sweet in taste, nourishing the Earth elements by tonifying blood, Yin and Jing (KD essence). This was a quick and nourishing warm breakfast , ideal for cold dark winter mornings. Stay cozy & Enjoy! Sincerely, Your Acupuncturist #karasrtcmp

Winter in TCM From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the colder winter months (in the northern hemisphere that is) are a Yin time of year, a time to rest, conserve and restore strength to build a foundation for the more active Yang seasons to come. @daolabs said it well with their ‘Yin now, Yang later’ campaign.... Winter is associated with the element of Water and the Kidney and Urinary Bladder organs. As an organ in TCM the Kidneys are the foundation and starting point of all the other organs and channels in the body. We share the Qi of the Kidneys with all the other systems in the body so it’s conservation and preservation is important for maintaining balance and long life. The taste associated with winter is salty. Salt as an Eastern nutritional principle can help to bring balance to the acupuncture channels (think balanced electrolytes) and soften masses and inflammation. In contrast too much salt can damage fluids, muscle tissue and the vascular system. Moderation and balance is key . The colour black is also associated with the water elements and winter season. In the winter to help maintain balance we may want to eat more black and warming foods - like lamb, beef, dark purple yam, black sesame seeds, seaweed, mushrooms and roasted nuts and seeds - to help support the Kidneys and counteract the cold environment of the season. Think warm slow cooked recipes like soups, stews and porridge with whole grains, nuts & seeds and naturally occurring salts like seaweed and sea salt in moderation. Lastly the emotion associated with winter is Fear. It is important to note all emotions hold a purpose and are inherently neither ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Fear should not always be considered a negative emotion. Emotions are temporary waves we are meant to ride , learn from and let them pass. When we harbour & repress emotions imbalance can occur. What are you fearful of? Is your fear holding you back like a big wave you can’t conquer? Can you learn to ride the wave of your fear and use it as motivation forward? Some grains of salt for you to ponder this salty winter season. Sincerely, Your Acupuncturist #karasrtcmp

‘Copy the Cat’ - Stay Home, Stay Safe. While we’ve welcomed the new year, we’re not done with COVID-19 yet. The horizon is nearing. As we enter increased restrictions (aka. Lockdown 2.0) in Ontario today my practice is still open for essential healthcare services. Please stay alert, follow our COVID Pre-Screening protocols, wash your hands & wear a mask.... You are still free to make appointments online or reschedule your existing appointment online or by email. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your care please email me at [email protected]. I’m here to help anyway I can. Sincerely, Your Acupuncturist #karasrtcmp

Still Open for Business As a Regulated Healthcare Provider, under the current provincial guidelines set out by the Minister of Health & the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Pracitioners & Acupuncturists of Ontario (CTCMPAO), my practice is allowed to remain open as an essential service during the province-wide Grey-zone Lockdown. All of our protocols to prevent & control the potential spread of COVID-19 remain in place at this time. These protocols include but a...re not limited to, the prescreening of all patients & practitioners for COVID related symptoms and exposure risks, temperature checks, frequent handwashing, cleaning & sanitization, contactless payments and social distancing inside the clinic. Therefore after my return from holidays, on January 4th, 2021 my practice remains open and business as usual. (Or as normal as 2020 made it out to be). If you need to reschedule your upcoming appointments you are free to do so. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to email me at [email protected]. Take care & Have a peaceful and cozy holiday season. Sincerely, Your Acupuncturist #karasrtcmp

It’s the final countdown to our Fund Drive for the Foodbank of Waterloo. If you haven’t been in for a treatment this month (since a portion of all treatment proceeds are going toward the fund drive) you can still contribute any dollar amount using the provided link in the bio. $1 = 3 meals All donations are eligible for a tax receipt provided to you by the Foodbank of Waterloo Region. @foodbankwatreg ... I’ve also included the list of the Foodbank’s most needed food items as they head into the winter season. Let’s help #FeedWR this season. https://www.thefoodbank.ca/karas-smith/ Sincerely, Your Acupuncturist #karasrtcmp

Self-Care Simplified IRL: Self-Care isn’t simple. It isn’t easy and like most forms of healing it isn’t linear, it takes time and often the long way around. Here’s my simplified starting point using the perspectives of Traditional Chinese Medicine thanks to @daolabs. ... The holidays can be a hard time of year during a normal year let alone a global pandemic. Keep showing up for yourself. If you need me & some Acupuncture & TCM care I’m here for you. Sincerely, Your Acupuncturist #karasrtcmp Photo 1: @daolabs Photo 2: Jorb @newyorkermag Photo 3: @steven

Snow Day Baking ... with a curious assistant. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins by @minimalistbaker. I substituted the almond milk for Coconut Milk Eggnog because that’s what was on hand in my pantry. Plus I wasn’t about to venture out in a snowstorm again. Substitution Verdict = success , very delicious, moist & chewy muffins with hints of holiday vibes from the Eggnog. ... From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective Nán Gu/ Pumpkin is warm & sweet, benefiting the Earth elements of the Stomach, Lungs & Spleen while being slightly diuretic helping dampness. Y Nai/ Coconut Milk is neutral, benefiting the Earth elements, Lungs & Heart to nourish Jing, Yin & Blood. È Li/ Avocado Oil is cool/cold & sweet, benefiting the Earth elements to nourish the Lung Yin, Liver Yin and Colon Yin. Oats are neutral & sweet benefiting the Earth elements to strengthen Qi in the body including the Lungs, Spleen, Large Intestines & Stomach. Guí Pí/ Cinnamon is hot & pungent benefiting the Metal elements to warm the digestion and move Qi & Blood. Eat with the seasons & Share with those you love. It’s all about balance. Sincerely, Your Acupuncturist #karasrtcmp