Not rendering correctly? View this email as a web page here.
New Year.png

Hi there,

Happy New Year from your AOMA family!

For many residents of Central Texas (myself included!), the start of a new year is always a bit tainted by the arrival of the dreaded cedar season. It's hard to begin the year feeling strong and capable when you can't breathe and your eyes are itching! The good news is that acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine can help you fight the symptoms of cedar fever in a safe, all-natural way. Acupuncture can often clear a stopped-up nose almost immediately, and herbal medicine is an effective alternative to traditional allergy medications. And the best part? None of the common allergy-med side effects like dryness, drowsiness, or dizziness. So, to my fellow cedar fever sufferers: suffer no longer! Give AOMA a call today! 

In this issue:

  • Traditional Chinese Medicine for Cedar Fever with Yongxin Fan
  • 5 (Attainable) Self-Care Resolutions for the New Year
  • AOMA Blog Throwback: January '16
  • AOMA in the Community
  • What's coming up @ AOMA?
  • AOMA Herbal Medicine Corner
  • TCM Eating for the Season: Recipe of the Month
  • Meet the clinic team!

In good health,

Stephanee Owenby
Director of Clinical Business Operations

Traditional Chinese Medicine for Cedar Fever

Are you suffering from cedar allergy symptoms? You're not alone! In this timely blog post, AOMA clinician Yongxin Fan discusses not only the causes of cedar fever according to TCM, but also how acupuncture and herbal medicine can help.

cedar.jpg

5 (Attainable) Self-Care Resolutions for the New Year

Everyone likes the idea of a fresh start at the dawn of a new year. From making resolutions for self improvement to creating new healthy habits and ending bad ones, we all have something to work on. Self care is an excellent place to start when it comes to bringing in the new year right!

janessa_meditation_room_for_web_cropped.jpg

AOMA Blog Throwback: January '16

TCM for Weight Loss with Violet Song

AOMA clinician Violet Song talks about acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbal medicine aiding in natural weight loss.


AOMA in the Community

Barton Hills Elementary School's  Health & Wellness Fair and Family Fun Run

On Thursday February 1st from 5:30-7:30, AOMA's Professional Clinic Outreach Team will be providing free demo acupuncture sessions and information about traditional Chinese medicine at the Barton Hills Elementary Health & Wellness Fair. We're SO excited to share our knowledge and passion for TCM with BHE's students and families!

Shen and kids_Fern Bluff edited.jpeg

What's coming up at AOMA?

Community Classes

  • Line Dancing for Longevity with Lynn Rich, Tuesdays 12:30-1:30pm in the Dojo
    • Cost: $10 per class. Payments can be made in AOMA Administration Bldg. C
  • Stretching after Motion with Lynn Rich, Tuesdays 1:30-2:30pm in the Dojo
    • Cost: $10 per class. Payments can be made in AOMA Administration Bldg. C

NEW low-cost qigong classes coming soon to AOMA South! More information in next month's newsletter, or check AOMA's website.


AHM Corner: Herbal Medicine for Cedar Allergy

Bi Yan Pian, Pe Min Kan Wan, & Easy Breather

There are several safe and effective traditional Chinese herbal formulas to help with allergy symptoms of all kinds, and with cedar fever in particular. Yongxin Fan mentioned them in his blog post above; here's some more information!

Bi Yan Pian

  • Primary herb: Cang Er Zi (Xanthium fruit), which can decongest the head, dry up phlegm, and alleviate headache

Pe Min Kan Wan

  • Primary herbs: Cang Er Zi & Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum flower), which can lower histamine production to relieve nasal and eye symptoms

Herbalogic Easy Breather tincture

  • Primary herb: Huangqi (Astragalus root), which can help to modulate an overactive immune system response to allergens

Got questions? Want to buy? Contact our AOMA Herbal Medicine team!

Cedar fever herbs_Jan 18 newsletter-2.jpg

Winter Congee-1.png

Meet the clinic team!

Crystal McCulloughCrystal AOMA acupuncture student Austin TX

I started at AOMA as a student in the Summer 2016 term, and became part of the clinic crew in November of 2016. In a nutshell, what brought me here was a spiritual journey that I consciously decided to entertain when I was 23. I explored a lot of things, and ended up arriving at AOMA 11 years later. It all adds up and you’re never anywhere you’re not supposed to be! I really enjoy being an AOMA student, and I applied for a job at the clinic because I wanted to round out my academic life here by learning how to run my own clinic one day.

When not at AOMA I do A LOT - I could probably count on one hand how many days this year I wasn’t doing something! Hang time with the fam is vital – including the four-legged and feathered members! In the house I live with my husband, Mark, my 9 year-old daughter, Aiden, two cats named Clementine and Poof, and a cattle dog mix named Seamus. Outside the house, I have super cool landmates that never complain and are always happy to see me: two standard miniature donkeys named Peanut and Cheerio, two Nigerian dwarf goats named Honey la Leche and Billy Mean, and three hens named Stinky Cheeks, DJ Tallon, and Hey-Hey (like from the movie Moana - she runs into things). I also enjoy paddle boarding, reading, camping, hiking, gardening, soap-making, playing games and planning parties with friends, painting, and crafting.

I have two favorite things about working at AOMA: my co-workers and the patients I interact with. The work atmosphere in the clinic is pretty great, with co-workers that are funny, honest, and awesome. And talking to patients on various legs of their personal journeys is not only entertaining, but also provides another lens through which to see people in general. For someone who grew up extremely painfully shy, being the first face that a patient might see is a big deal for me! But I really enjoy hearing their stories, even the sad ones, because it reminds me that we’re all human - potentially great humans - and we should treat each other as such.

As a student, it’s hard to pick my favorite things about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It would be easier to say I haven’t come across anything I don’t like! And learning about herbs makes me downright giddy; I feel like the mad scientist in me is about to be unleashed! TCM is a complex and intriguing world that I’m super stoked about being a part of, both as a student and as a clinic employee. I wish more people thought of acupuncture and TCM as a crucial component of their lifelong wellness. I think it goes beyond AOMA, and speaks for this medicine in general: the time you give to TCM is not a “spa day” or a frivolous expense, it’s actual health care. Even people I know and know well, buck the idea that acupuncture and herbs are medicine. But I believe they’ll come around when they’re ready!