Thank you to all who took part in our Help for Haiti Month. Mark is still tallying up the votes but a percentage of each treatment will be given to three great charities.

Doctors without Borders
Care
Friends of the Orphans

A special shout out goes to our YinOva patient Amelia. Amelia, who is 13, has been our patient since she was 5 years old. She heard about our Help for Haiti Month and emailed me and ask if she could join in by holding a bake sale in our office. So last Monday evening she stayed up untill 3am baking an enormous amount of cookies, muffins and cakes. On Tuesday she arrived with her Mom, Joanna, and set out her stall in our waiting room. Many of you met her and bought her cakes, which were delicious. She tended to her stall from 9am until 9pm which was an amazing achievement, especially for someone who had been up so late the night before.

Many of you emailed me to tell me how inspired you were by Amelia’s efforts and on behalf of the whole YinOva community, I’d like to express our appreciation for her hard work and enthusiasm. Way to go, Amelia!

Amelia raised $250 dollars and decided to give the money to Habitat for Humanity a charity that she had researched on the internet and she chose because they had been working in Haiti for over 20 years and so, she felt, they would have the infrastructure in place to be of real benefit to people who were rendered homeless by the earthquake.

One of the many things I love about the YinOva Center is our sense of community. I am thrilled that Amelia felt so at home here that she chose us to host her bake sale and so grateful that you all  supported her, enthusiastically, by buying her cakes and cookies. Thank you.

Gung Hay Fat Choy. A very happy and prosperous Year of the Tiger to all of you.

The Chinese have followed a lunar calendar since 2600 B.C.E. which means that the first day of the year can be anywhere between late January and mid February. This year New Year’s Day happens to fall on Valentine’s Day making this a particularly auspicious occasion for those of us who live in the West.

Chinese New Year marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is a time when families get together, put aside disagreements, honor their ancestors and thank the gods for their blessings. People rush to pay off debts before the old year ends and wear new clothes to signify a new beginning. The color red features prominently in decorations and clothing because it is thought to bring good luck and happiness.

It is traditional to prepare for New Year by cleaning your home and here at the YinOva Center we have spent the month of January cleaning house in a variety of ways. Many of you joined me on our annual YinOva cleanse as a way of renewing your commitment to your health for the the year ahead. Mark, our YinOva manager, has been busy cleaning out cupboards and rearranging our office and we are marking the passage of time and the changing of seasons by saying goodbye to some of our lovely YinOva acupuncturists and welcome new members of the team into our office. We wish Marie and Liz well as they start out in private practice and welcome Anne and Kymberly to the YinOva Center. Both of them bring experience and considerable new skills and talents to our team and we are thrilled to have them on board and I know they are looking forward to taking care of you as we embark on the Year of the Tiger.

In Chinese astrology each year is assigned an animal and an element. There are 12 animals and 5 elements and that means that a specific sign only comes round once every 60 years. In days gone by this used to be considered the life cycle of a person although with modern medicine combined with the traditional wisdom of Chinese medicine most of us will be fortunate to live well into the next 60-year cycle.

This upcoming year will be a Metal Tiger year and according to the Chinese horoscope it will be tumultuous. Tiger years are said to start with a roar and end with a whimper so we can expect the year to get off to an unpredictable and tempestuous start. It is said that everything, both good and bad, is magnified during a Tiger year so we can expect great highs accompanied by great lows along with big changes.  People can act dramatically and impulsively so a Chinese astrologer would see it as no accident that Watergate happened in a Tiger year. This rashness can threaten friendships and partnerships and lead to discord in our personal lives.  Those of us who follow the Chinese zodiac are preparing our selves for large swings in the financial markets, political unrest domestically and international conflict.

If all this sounds a little scary you should know that Metal Tiger years are considered forceful but not necessarily unlucky. In fact the strength of the metal tiger can be used to get difficult tasks completed and make the impossible happen. Financial markets although volatile should trend upwards and the world’s economies will start to recover. On a personal level this is a good year to finally face up to your most challenging issues and resolve them once and for all. The heat of the Tiger can have a cleansing effect and we could end this year in a way better position than when we started out. This will be particularly true if we are vigilant about this year’s tendency to rash behavior and are careful to keep our own impulses in check.

So what is the key to getting the best out of the Metal Tiger Year? Here is the advice we are giving our YinOva patients.

• Given that this year can lead to arguments and the severing of relationships as well as impulsive behavior, make a conscious effort to think before acting, to pause and breathe before speaking and to cultivate calmness and clarity through meditation and contemplation.
• Use the forceful energy of a Tiger year to make changes in your own life and confront your most difficult issues.
• The power of a Tiger year can be used to turn around any situation or aspect of your life that is no longer working for you.
• Make balance a priority by eating well and getting enough sleep.
• Focus on activities that are yin to balance up the yang energy this year. Take walks in nature, create a water feature in your home or garden, grow food, read books and spend time in peace and solitude.

Throughout the month of February the YinOva Center will donate a percentage of each acupuncture or massage treatment to the relief efforts in Haiti. Patients can direct their money to one of the following charities.

Doctors without Borders
Care
Friends of the Orphans

We encourage all current patients to come on in and what’s more we’ll be waving Jill’s waiting list to accommodate new patients straight away. Jill will be working extra hours to make sure we get everyone in.

Come and join us and tell your friends as we pass healing energy from us to you to those in need.

When we decided to have a party at the YinOva Center, Mark our trusty manager was charged with the task of creating the perfect cocktail. We, the YinOva team, chipped in our suggestions…. healthy but not too healthy…light but intoxicating…fruity but not too sweet and someone (who shall be nameless) requested that it act as a blood tonic and be full of antioxidants. Poor Mark was faced with the unenviable task of meeting all our requirements and miracle of miracles he succeeded with the YinTini.

The party was a huge success. 150 people turned out on a cold and rainy night to mix, mingle, celebrate, eat good food and drink the YinOva YinTini. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Charles Ferri of Star Vodka who provided the alcohol that made our party swing. Distilled in the Cascade Mountains, Star Vodka is filtered five times through natural lava rock making it almost….healthy. Enjoy the pictures of our celebration and here by popular request is the recipe for our YinTini.

1 Part Gluten Free Star Vodka
2 Parts Pom Pomegrante Juice
Agave Nectar to taste
Fresh Lime Juice
Garnish with Lemon Twist

Our non alcoholic version replaced the Star Vodka with seltzer and was called the YinOva Elixyr.

Recently I blogged about how we at The YinOva Center help couples going through IVF. Some of you emailed or called and asked if we would offer a discount for people who are scheduling an assisted reproductive technique and need to book a series of appointments. We hadn’t thought of this and are grateful for the suggestion. The answer is YES! We are happy to support you in this way. So if you are doing an IVF cycle or IVF with donor egg here are our suggested treatment schedules which you can purchase ahead of time as a package.

Although you will buy your treatments ahead of time you don’t have to schedule all your appointments up front because timing will vary according to your cycle. Also we want to reassure you that should your procedure be canceled we will be happy to give you a refund for the treatments that are outstanding.

We are happy to offer you a discount on the following packages of treatments with YinOva Acupuncturists Margaret Sikowitz, Liz Carlson and Marie Amato. Because timing your treatments is important you may see any or all of our practitioners depending on who is available at the time that fits your ART schedule. To schedule some or all your appointments with Jill Blakeway please talk to our manager Mark Radoncic who will be delighted to help you.

The YinOva IVF Support Package

1 Initial intake prior to start of IVF
1 Acupuncture treatment during menstrual phase, if applicable
2 Acupuncture treatments during stimulation phase
2 Treatments (1 prior to retrieval and 1 prior to transfer; these should be scheduled about 24-48 before retrieval and transfer)
1 Treatment after transfer (24-48 hours after transfer, not the same day)
1 Treatment during luteal phase (usually around cycle day 20-28)

Package Value – $955 YinOva Discounted Price – $850

The YinOva Donor Egg IVF Support Package

1 Initial intake prior to start of IVF
1 Acupuncture treatment during menstrual phase, if applicable
1 Acupuncture treatment to enhance uterine lining (more if necessary)
1 Treatment after transfer
1 Luteal phase treatment

Package Value – $610 YinOva Discounted price – $550

All of these treatment packages are also offered to current patients without the initial consult fee.

ART Packages for Current Patients without the Initial Consult Fee

IVF Package – Package Value – $805 YinOva Discounted price – $725

Donor Egg Package – Package Value – $460 YinOva Discounted price – $415

So thank you YinOva patients for a great suggestion. It is our pleasure to offer you these discounts and as always we appreciate your faith in us. We are happy to support you through your IVF cycle.

Due to popular demand the YinOva Center is offering a FREE “Ladies Who Lunch” workshop on Wednesday, September 16 from 12:30 to 1:15pm at the Center.

We invite you to bring your lunch and we’ll provide the drinks while you learn from our newest staff member Nicole Kruck, LMT on how to use massage to enhance your fertility and reproductive care naturally. And for “dessert” – if you bring a friend you will be entered into a drawing to win a free 30 minute massage.

We look forward to seeing you!

RSVP to Nicole at  nkruck@YinOvaCenter.com