8 Benefits Of Meditation And 14 Ways To Get Your Meditative Groove On
“I’m simply saying that there is a way to be sane. I’m saying that you can get rid of all this insanity created by the past in you. Just by being a simple witness of your thought processes. It is simply sitting silently, witnessing the thoughts, passing before you. Just witnessing, not interfering not even […]
"Cliff meditation" Toshimasa Ishibashi, used with permission under CC BY 2.0. Source.
6 Reasons Why I Resisted Meditation And Why It Liberates Me Now
“Quiet the mind, and the soul will speak.” ― Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, The 11 Karmic Spaces: Choosing Freedom from the Patterns That Bind You Many of my patients have asked me about meditation. Mostly, where to start, and why to even do it in the first place. I’ll be exploring various aspects of meditation in future […]
A healing Sound Soak concert in action.
The Healing Power of Sound, Part Dalawang: Revisiting the Sound Soak Experience
Note: Dalawang is Tagalog/Filipino for the number two. After such a mindblowing sound healing experience at last month’s Sound Soak, led by the talented Joule L’adara, I had to come back this month for more! Especially since I knew that this time, Pascal Dinoia and Nechama Klotz would be playing symphonic and planetary gongs. Up until […]
Featured On Rappler!: “Margarita Alcantara: From Bamboo Girl to healer”
Last month, I was featured on Rappler, a social news network based in the Philippines, where stories inspire community engagement and digitally fuelled actions for social change. The article Rina Angela Corpus wrote about me was entitled, “Margarita Alcantara: From Bamboo Girl to healer”. I think she did a great job! You may remember Rina’s name […]
Kulintang gongs have been played for many centuries in Southeast Asia and are often included in ceremonies and rituals. "Kulintang at Asian Festival" (cropped) by Mr.TinDC, used with permission under CC BY 2.0. Source.
The Healing Power of Sound: A First Hand Experience
“Sound enters the healing equation from several directions: It may alter cellular functions through energetic effects; it may entrain biological systems to function more homeostatically; it may calm the mind and therefore the body; or it may have emotional effects, which influence neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, which in turn help to regulate the immune system–the healer […]
A shot I captured of the Shinto priest praying.
In Solidarity: A New York Ceremony and Vigil for Japan
The Ceremony For Japan: On Friday, March 18, 2011, I attended a prayer service and candlelight vigil for Japan, which began with a ceremony at The Church Center for the United Nations. The main organizers were Rev. T. Kenjitsu Nakagaki, an ordained Jodoshinhsu Buddhist Priest, and Emiko Nagano, volunteer community organizer of the humanist movement. […]
"Baby Bunny" by Jennifer C., used with permission under CC BY 2.0. Source.
Gung Hei Fat Choy! Are You A Rabbit?
It’s Chinese New Year! (Or to be more accurate, it was still the start of the New Year 1.5 hours ago! But then again, this celebration lasts for 15 days, so it looks like I’m just in time!) This is the year of the Metal Rabbit. No, that doesn’t mean they like to listen to […]
"6 train" (cropped) by Phil Whitehouse, used with permission under CC BY 2.0. Source.
You Know You’re A New Yorker When…
I could just finish that sentence by saying, “…when a stranger starts screaming in your subway car for no apparent reason, and makes you wonder if you should’ve carried a large bat in your backpack instead of that very thin gadget you have in there called a wallet.” But that would oversimplify things, no? Once […]
"the new year" by Caroline, used with permission under CC BY 2.0. Source.
Setting Your Intentions for the New Year
What will you be doing tonight for New Year’s Eve? Whether your night entails a quiet evening at home, a night out with dear friends or a significant other, dancing with a lampshade on your head, or ringing in the New Year with a meaningful ritual (or any variation of the above), this is a […]
Welcome to the Alcantara Acupuncture & Healing Arts! Here you will find the most recent updates on my adventures as an urban Licensed Acupuncturist Reiki Master/Teacher, and Medicine Woman in New York City, as well as wellness tips to soothe the soul, live more vibrantly, and cultivate wholeness and balance. Enjoy the blog, and please say hello!
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