Dear friends,
I suspect there will be many new year wishes and blessings this year, for an end to the pandemic, a return to something more like the california dream we remember, for better health, for more coming together with loved ones…. I will make my own wishes and resolutions for the year along these lines.
But new years wishes and resolutions are about what we hope we can do or be, with some hard work and practice and discipline. And in the face of this pandemic, which seems to have upended all normalcy, this new years eve must include some surrender. I take my surrender with a bit of hope and faith, that after the time on my knees I’ll learn to stand again, and be able to exercise a little more willpower, but in the meantime the buddhists are a source of solace. Practicing mindfulness, presence and recognition of what is, what is here now, rather than living in the past, or wishing for a future.
Here in the now, there is rain, there are trees that have dropped their leaves and trees that remain green. There are frosty mornings and cozy nights, and still an abundance of local organic foods and love. There’s also lonliness and tighter budgets and fatigue and anxiety and far too much work, stir crazy children, and conflicts at work. But these are part of the here and now and it does little good to deny them. And of course, in the here and now, there is omicron. It does harm to ignore this, please don’t.
I admit I expected to be working at full capacity many months ago. And that I don’t know when I will be back to seeing as many patients each week. And that my plans have turned over in my hands so many times that I finally accept they are only partly in my hands….. But I wanted to extend an invitation nonetheless.
First for you to care for yourself… this year start with love and gentleness. If you have gained weight, or stopped exercising as much, or are spending too much time watching the news, or are drinking more, eating things you don’t think you should…. stop judging yourself as bad and try being kind and compassionate – towards yourself. It’s been hard, you have done the best you can, you made choices, and you practiced self-care in the way that you could. Then ask, gently if there is one thing you could do to move towards health… one small thing. Remind yourself it is not a punishment to drink less or move more. You are not a child being put to be early for an indiscretion, you are a loving parent recongizing that enough sleep will make you feel better. And then do that one tiny thing, one day at a time. Don’t ask for more than you can do, because the result will be a rebellion.
I am also opening my practice to online sessions for functional medicine. This service includes lab tests, consultations, supplements and when needed other prescriptions. My approach, as always, is about looking at the whole, working with you where you are, but because I can’t see as many people in my office, I’ve added these services to allow you to continue your journey towards wellness. If you are interested in more information about the approach, please reach out to me.
Finally, I will be seeing past patients in person, but my schedule is extremely limited. I reccomend scheduling in advance, with the caution that the cancellation policy will be enforced, as a way to ensure as many people as possible can get in.
If you’d like to return, either for functional medicine, in person appointments or both, please send me an email. You’ll recieive a notification from my new medical record system to create a portal account. Once there you can upload your vaccination cards, medical conditions, allergies, medicines and wish lists…… You will also be able to schedule appointments for yourself starting later in January and February.
