How Not To Self-Sabotage When You Lose Your Zen
We’ve all been there. We have just joyously entered our “zone”. You know, that space and time where you finally feel all is right with the world, you feel productive, you just meditated for an inhumanely long time, did yoga poses only a contortionist could accomplish, ate the most delicious healthy meal, and you can literally feel […]
"My lovely friend, Helen" by db Photography | Demi-Brooke, used with permission under CC BY 2.0. Source.
5 Ways To Find Peace Of Mind During Times Of Distress
If you live anywhere near a populated area, you have likely experienced feeling frazzled at some point. The regular din of car horns, ambulances, reactionary emotions that are verbalized on the city streets, and the frenetic pace of city life can become an undercurrent in the subconscious. The frenetic energy of daily living, that has now become normal, […]
"Meditation" by Alice Popkorn, used with permission under CC BY 2.0. Source.
How To Communicate With Your Spirit Guides
Happy Summer! Since Summer in Chinese Medicine is about the element of Fire, and Heart (which his all about connecting with ourselves and others in healthy ways of expression) is one of the main Fire element organs, we continue from our last blog post about speaking our truth to another form of communication – with […]
"if you don't say the words it doesnt hurt as much" (cropped) by Jenavieve, used with permission under CC BY 2.0. Source.
Why Not Speaking Your Truth Can Be Hazardous To Your Health (The Throat Chakra)
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Speaking your truth is related to the Throat Chakra, or Fifth Chakra, in Reiki. When there are imbalances in the Throat Chakra, it can result in neck and throat issues, such as, but not limited to: […]
Me, age 4, and my Father/Dad/Tatay, Vicente/Vincent, in the backyard of our first house. I'm standing on a table.
A Tribute To Dads And Those Who Have Fathered Us
Father’s Day is coming up this Sunday. And, just like Mother’s Day, it can be a true celebration honoring our loved ones who have fathered us (including ourselves), a bittersweet holiday, or a trigger of memories wanted but lost. However you celebrate it on Sunday, we all have the masculine aspect of our being that […]
Yours truly performing a Reiki treatment.
What To Expect During A Reiki Treatment
When I set out to learn Reiki in 2005 (check out my post, “From Hawaii to Queens: My Reiki Journey Towards Healing”), I was doing so purely to heal my heart, and because I was guided to by a Hawai’ian kahuna/shaman, who informed me that this was my next step in life. Little did I […]
"Body Image. The subjective concept of one's physical appearance based on self-observation and the reactions of others" by Charlotte Astrid, used with permission under CC BY 2.0. Source.
The Beauty Of Being Imperfect
“I’m a perfectionist”, I hear many of my patients say to me. When I ask them to tell me what that means, they often follow with, “I’m really hard on myself.” Being perfectionistic can manifest in various ways: an eating disorder, a physical injury from pushing the body past the limit during workouts, being overly […]
Photo by procristination, used with permission under CC BY 2.0. Source.
On Embracing Your Dark Night
“Embrace the pain”, she said. Many years ago, I had an Acupuncturist who told me these exact words. At the time, I was suffering the aftermath of betrayal, deep sorrow, fear, rage, upheaval, questioning everything that I knew, and was experiencing true panic attacks with that impending feeling of doom, which wouldn’t let up, and […]
"Rainy Day Inspiration :: You Must Believe In Yourself!" by Jennifer/SweetOnVeg, used with permission under CC BY 2.0. Source.
How To Stand In Your Power Even When It’s Being Challenged
Happy Full Moon in Scorpio! It’s been another intense Full Moon, indeed, and this one delves into shedding light into all aspects of intimacy in our lives, and letting go of what no longer works for us. We’ve had some hard lessons, lately, with the backing of Saturn’s emphasis on strength and taking accountability for […]
Yours truly, age 6, with my brother, Jason, and my Mother/Mom/Inay, Victoria.
In Honor Of Mothers And Mothering
Whether you’re celebrating your birth mother, chosen mother, adopted mother, foster mother, or the aspects in yourself and others that have mothered your growth, Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 11th, marks what either could be viewed as just another Hallmark marketing ploy, or a time to consider how much of an impact the concept of […]
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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