We're back to the organ systems podcasts, this time connecting two organ systems that are commonly discussed together - the Spleen & Stomach! These organ systems, commonly associated with the Earth elemental phase, are CENTRAL in more ways than one. Join us for a deep dive into the fascinating world of Chinese medical symbolism, and learn a little about your digestion & immune system in the process. Lots of supplemental information for you today, any/all of the links below will help...

We've reached the all-important Large Intestine in our cycle of the organ systems! In this podcast, I discuss the basic functions of the Large Intestine, the course of the Large Intestine acupuncture channel, and then move to explore some of the symbolism involved with this important, but sometimes ignored, organ system. We talk about letting go and touch into how Chinese medical symbolism can bring us into a new relationship with our bodies, as well as some of the ways this system is used in...

In the latest installment of our 12 organ systems podcast, we discuss one of the most important organs in the body - the Lung. As with the previous entrants in this series, we use the symbolic information compiled by the ancient Chinese to come to a deeper understanding of the Lung and its use in treatment. Eric talks about the Metal phase element, the course of the Lung acupuncture channel, some ancient text information of relevance, and the basics of how the Lung is used in the treatment ...

In this episode, the first in 2023 and the third of the organ system series by Eric Grey, we discuss one of the most important Chinese medicine organ systems - Gān 肝, the Liver! I first discuss some slight changes to the series to make it simpler and more applicable to everyday concerns. Then we talk about the major symbols associated with the Liver & dive into the organ clock as it relates to this multi-purpose and regenerative organ. Finally, we discuss the importance of the Liver in ...

It's another entry in our 12 organ systems of Chinese medicine series! This time, we look at an organ some of you may no longer have in your body - the Gallbladder! Eric discusses why its removal doesn't much matter to acupuncturists and then explores the many fascinating symbolic categories of information associated with this important organ system. To get oriented around the information Eric discusses, be sure to check out the intro podcast linked here. And use any of the links below to ...

I was happy to have Amanda Koennecke, LE on the podcast again - always a fun guest. We have an enjoyable chat about winter skincare concerns, her annual harvest of Vitamin C rich rosehips & the winter skincare special that will be running through March. We also spent a little time talking about our 4th annual Winter Food Drive in partnership with Clatsop Community Action. If you donate to the food drive, you can be entered to win a $100 gift certificate usable for products & servi...

NOTE : In the originally uploaded version of this podcast I made a minor error in the dates on the Gregorian calendar associated with the Triple Burner. It was corrected and reuploaded on 12/2/22). This is the second podcast in a 13 part series that will be released one per month. In the last episode, Eric provided a basic introduction to the Chinese medicine concept of organ systems. If you've not listened to it yet, and are new to Chinese medicine, you should go back and listen to that fir...

This is the first of a 13 episode series that will cover some rich and useful information about the Chinese medicine concept of organ systems. In this introduction to the series, Eric Grey discusses the basics of Chinese medicine symbolism with a particular focus on organ systems. You'll learn about what makes the ancient Chinese way of looking at organ systems different from conventional biomedical ideas, and why that's important. This information will be useful as we unpack the 12 organ s...

In this episode, we get to know new acupuncturist Ryan McAfee a little better. He discusses his education, his experience providing acupuncture on a cruise ship, and how he's finding life on the North Coast so far. We discuss a special type of acupuncture known as Tung (pronounced Dung) style acupuncture, great for treating chronic pain, which we'll hope to follow-up on in a future episode. Enjoy - and if you're looking for acupuncture treatment, Ryan has plenty of availability on his brand...

In this episode, I talk with Amanda Koennecke our local skincare master & now department head of the growing esthetics department at Watershed Wellness. We discuss a delicious and seasonally appropriate facial special as well as some general principles of skincare in the autumn with an appearance by Chinese medicine theory. We finish up discussing our latest esthetics hire - Lilly Galles - and how wonderful it is to have colleagues in the work we do here at Watershed. Enjoy - and act f...

In this episode, I bring on Tia McBride, LMT for her first Watershed Wellness podcast appearance. Tia has joined WW already prepared with a great new skillset for the North Coast community - therapeutic breast massage. Since most people haven't heard of the importance and regulation of this important modality, we wanted to hear from Tia how it works and what folks should look for when seeking it out. If you'd like to learn more about Tia, you can visit our website. And for some additional re...

Amanda Barp has been practicing massage therapy for 17 years - a very long time for a profession that demands a lot from the practitioner! We start out this podcast talking about her career so far and how she's managed to stick around much longer than the average practitioner. After a brief visit to the changes brought by COVID-19, we begin a tour of the goals and principles that underlie the entire Massage Therapy department at our clinic. Amanda lays out the basic goals and then explores f...

In this episode, I bring back holistic skincare & Eminence Organics expert Amanda Koennecke, LE. We start out talking about what it takes to stay inspired in a profession after a decade or two (hint: it has to do with our CLIENTS). After a brief chat about the curious experience of being part of rural healthcare in America, we begin to talk about some of the special demographics that Amanda seeks out in her practice. While anybody can benefit from a great facial, Amanda has gone out of ...

In this episode, I continue my conversation with Dr. Melinda Nickels, ND, LAc, this time discussing some specifics about Naturopathic medicine, and her focus on homeopathic treatment. Naturopathic medicine is a diverse system that includes many modalities - this episode will get you started in understanding it. But, if you want more information, check out the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, or this page created by National University of Natural Medicine, where Melinda and I...

In this episode, I sat down with Melinda Nickels to discuss her training and her perspective on her profession. Or rather - her professions - as in multiple! Dr. Nickels is a licensed acupuncturist, but also a Naturopathic doctor. Naturopathic doctors have many of the same capacities as MDs and DOs with regards to scope of practice, but come from a different perspective. You can learn more about Naturopathic medicine by clicking this link. Melinda shares the story of how she came to Naturopa...

In this episode, Todd Garrity, LAc, and I discuss the use of acupuncture during end-of-life care. Todd has a keen interest in helping people through this important phase of life and has sought extensive continuing education to help him be of most help to people facing the dying process. Todd discusses the basics of how end-of-life acupuncture works, and discusses some of the theories behind why it is helpful. He also shares a little bit about his training and personal connection with this pr...

In this episode, we continue the conversation with Todd Garrity, LAc, this time discussing how he approaches pain relief in his acupuncture practice. While most people know that acupuncture can treat pain, there is a lot more to it than sticking needles into painful muscles. In particular, Todd's use of the Korean Hand Therapy system presents an alternative approach, which we discuss here as well as in videos on our Youtube channel. Don't forget to leave us questions, topics and feed...

The Watershed Wellness podcast is back! After a long hiatus, we're back to it and start off with a brief introduction to acupuncturist Todd Garrity, LAc. Todd came to the clinic from Colorado just before the pandemic changed all our lives. So, while he's been here a while - we've not been able to hear from him on the podcast. In this episode he discusses what brought him to the medicine - and his early career arc. In future episodes, we will dig into what Todd's most excited about in his pra...

In this episode, Rowan Everard, LAc and Eric Grey, LAc discuss what an acupuncture appointment actually looks like. While every practitioner is different, Rowan articulates a flow that is fairly similar to most Watershed Wellness practitioners. Rowan answers questions like: What is the intake process like?Does the practitioner leave the room during treatment?What if the patient is nervous or having trouble with treatment?What happens while you're getting acupuncture?and more...Please head o...

We're back in action with the Watershed Wellness podcast. We'll be releasing episodes every 2 weeks or so, and continuing on with our focus on highlighting our fantastic practitioners while adding some new content types and creative approaches to healthcare podcasting. We've moved our podcast archive over to the Astoria website. You can find the full podcast archive there, as well as here on Buzzsprout. In this episode, we bring Amanda Koennecke, licensed esthetician and WW PDX office maest...