Blog

  • Acupuncture, Mental and Emotional Health

    Trauma Talk

    I am getting interviewed by a psychotherapist on the subject of trauma, so I thought I would listen to her radio show and get an idea of what I am in for.

    I was listening to her guest Colin Stroud of Cambridge, England where he runs a trauma program. He said some very interesting things about children’s processing of trauma, which I ‘generally’ agree with.

    disclaimer: All situations are different and require an individual treatment solution, what follows is a discussion not specifically applicable to your child, get a professional to assess them.

    Children under the age of 7-8 normally have a different functionality to their brain than adults. They basically do not have as many connections inside their brain to think or process in a way adults do. This can be very difficult for an adult to understand and be patient with.

    Children from the ages of 8 to 16-ish, have a “normally” connected brain, like everyone else, BUT they just got the ‘fully functional model’ and they don’t necessarily know how to run all the options.Read more

  • Acupuncture

    Marine safety

    I had the great pleasure to teach a Marine Radio course this weekend with my Kelowna Power Squadron friends Clark and Howard.

    I lived on a ship for 6+ years in that time I did over 500,000 nautical miles (it’s a lot) and I have been lucky to sail quite a bit in the Caribbean and Gulf Islands. I even got to go to Antarctica by ship.

    I can not count the number of fatalities I have seen in that time. Lots, and many were preventable.

    The emergency’s generally happen very quickly. The set up for the emergency can take years of poor maintenance, bad luck and mostly not following safe boating practices.

    The easiest thing in the world that would save lives this year is, WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKET!

    I bought a super cool one so I like to wear it, I put a big rescue knife on it to make it look even cooler.

    Read more

  • all body care ward willison
    Opinions

    Passing of a great man

    If someone has taught you, counseled you, mentored you, gave you a hand up when you needed it. Go thank them!

    Giovanni Maciocia is likely the most published English author of Chinese medicine (TCM) books in the world. He passed away last week.

    As for theory he is the most influential teacher I will ever have.

    The first TCM book I ever bought was his on tongue diagnosis. I remember in the early days holding it up to people’s mouths to compare the pictures and proudly declaring “you have a damp Spleen”. Only for them to ask what is a damp Spleen and I did not have a clue how to explain it. Now I do thanks to Giovanni.

    Then I got his book on the Foundations of Chinese Medicine and I thought hit the jackpot.

    When he taught courses, they were clear, relevant and fun.

    I started acupuncture long before the internet was a big thing. There was no Amazon to order the latest book. There were no latest books. Giovanni’s books really shaped a generation of practitioners.Read more

  • Mental and Emotional Health

    Improve consistently

    I like to review my life twice a year. Am I going in the right direction. Am I getting things done… I suggest you do as well.

    Over years small improvements will add up HUGE. I have read that plenty of times when I was younger.
    “Inch by inch it’s a cinch”

    But now that I have done, for example, Tai Chi for 20+ years I notice how the little improvements have made the big improvements. So now I am working on all kinds of little improvements.

    *note – just because I (we) read good ideas does not mean we do good ideas, or understand, believe they’ll work…

    Take face cradles from the treatment tables. The picture is the history of them at our clinic. We just got three of the black ones. oowww ahhh. The things that excite an Acupuncturist.

    Each one is a little better design and hopefully we have one now that will get rid of the cursed ‘forehead line’. Interesting each one cost me $100. I bought the first one in 1996.

    The point is, some goals/tasks/wants/desires are big, too big to get in one swing. Break it down into smaller pieces and go at them.

    As the saying goes: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

    Be Well,
    Ward Willison
    allbodycare.com
    Kelowna Acupuncture & Other Natural Therapies

  • Mental and Emotional Health

    Simple Christmas

    I was treating a school teacher and she said how stressed the little kids were in the school. That lead us to a conversation that changed me a bit.

    We talked about how adults know the ropes and understand the “policy’s and procedures” of the holidays. But for a little person it’s like asking them to drive a reindeer sleigh, well most of us could not drive a sleigh.

    Some of us actually need another sweater, most of us don’t.

    Most of us actually need some more “together time”. Well likely all of the people I see in my clinic can use more “together time”.Read more

  • Alternative Health

    The power of slowing down

    I occasionally get to treat someone from a far off place. Sometimes I have even been there. We will start talking about how life is in their country.

    Then I will start to remember how I was there compared to here.

    We really go with our hair straight back in this country, well I normally do and most of the people I see in clinic also do that.

    I think they should turn the power off for 10 hours in this country that would solve everything. I imagine that is how the first generator was built.

    For most of written history, people got more down time. Especially for the eyes. With screens, internet, tv… our poor eyes get used a lot.Read more

  • Acupuncture, Alternative Health

    Season changes and a tune up

    Well, a season change is upon us. There is some color in the leaves and the cool mornings signal that fall is approaching. This season change, more than the others, I get people who are not well.

    People just feel off, their get up and go, went.

    What is going on? Well it is traditionally the time we slow down a bit. Harvest is just finishing, there are lots of party’s to celebrate getting the crops in. For much of recent history, we would take a couple of weeks easy, until we prepared for the winter.

    Now-a-days there are no “seasons”. My dad is out farming and getting the crops in, but it’s on a massive tractor. Not a machine pulled by horses, like when he was a child.

    Studying Traditional Chinese Medicine in school, I would read about the importance of getting treatments at season changes and thought they where kidding. Now after 20+ years I know they are serious about it.Read more

  • Book Reviews

    Being the best (or working towards it)

    I was asked how to get good at something.

    I have done some sports and jobs where I was fortunate to get to a high level.  I thought about it and told them hard work, good coach and luck.

    I was watching YouTube vids. I watch a lot of military people who have gone into the private sector. I think they have experienced things that are extreme and have to think and apply principles learned in a very timely manner. Ie. fast or they get shot.

    This pilot came on, you can see his vid here. He gave this great talk about being the best and how he got there.

    Some key points, it is NOT crowded at the top. There is plenty of room up there for you. When you get there you will be surprised how humble, nice and helpful they are.Read more

  • Uncategorized

    Unlocking sucess

    The clinic is grateful to have won “Best of Kelowna” in the Health Practitioner category.

    What gets us there? Many, many things.

    Without people willing to spend their time to vote, nothing happens and I thank you.

    What gets them to vote? The likely answer is they where helped at the clinic. For those that know me, they can wonder how that happens.

    What makes that happen is: first a partner that really does a lot of the heavy lifting to allow me to do the easy stuff. Without Heather this clinic would just not go. We also have some behind the scenes people that do their part, from our Web and Print people, Alex and Mark. Our tech guy, Grant. Our Accountant, Peter, Amrit and their team and without my teacher Elisabeth I would be fumbling in the dark ages still.

    Read more

  • Acupuncture

    Sun lotion

    Recently there has been a lot of talk of children being chemically burned by sun lotion. It looks terrible and it must hurt those little people a lot, but what is it doing on them?

    A few years ago I did a TV interview for sun lotion and learned all about the history and ingredients in North American and European sun lotions and there are some big differences. If you can get the European stuff. Also get lotion with UVA and UVB protection.

    First off, my African friends do not use sun lotion growing up. They just stay OUT OF THE SUN, during the 10am-3pm times. They cover up, play under trees, inside or where ever they are not getting blasted by the sun.

    I lived in the Caribbean for about 5 years, the first year I used a lot of lotion and after that I only put a bit on my nose for the remaining years. After learning how to be in the sun and not be in the sun depending on the times of day.

    Now if your telling me that’s inconvenient for you, then don’t have children. A parental job is to keep your kids safe and keeping them out of peak UV exposure times is part of it. Sun lotion is really little bits of titanium and goo to hold it onto your skin. Really not very good for anyone.

    In the TV interview I was actually arguing for the use of it and the other guest said putting sun lotion onto a kid “is equivalent to child abuse”. Maybe a bit overstated but…

    I do think there are times a young person (think age 5 and up) may need some sun lotion. But I think you should not put it on a baby. They simply need to be kept out of the sun during peak times. I know that may interfere with your beach time, but it’s for the best.

    What about skin cancer and sun related damage? Stay out of peak sun times.

    I do keep a bottle of sun lotion on my boat and do use it if I am racing for the day. I do think there is times for sun lotion and you situation will be unique, but the less chemicals you put on a child the better.

    Be Well,
    Ward Willison
    allbodycare.com
    Kelowna Acupuncture & Other Natural Therapies