Since inception, Alkalign has always been about more than just the workout. In addition to fostering a supportive community and investing in long-term relationships with clients, we have added nutrition coaching with Nourish and a restorative Recharge offering. In everything we do, we take a holistic approach to health, which means attending to the well-being of the whole person over a whole lifetime. As such, we are always interested in learning about additional practices that complement ours. In the past month, we began exploring the intersection of Alkalign Recharge and acupuncture.
Acupuncture is the ancient Chinese medical practice of gently inserting tiny disposable sterile needles into specific points of the body to regulate its vital energies. Acupuncture promotes natural healing and is a safe and effective way to treat a variety of medical problems. According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 51% of medical doctors understand the efficacy and value of acupuncture, and medical doctors refer patients to acupuncturists more than any other alternative care provider.
Alkalign clients are very smart and open minded, and they appreciate that there are a lot of components to overall health. We talk about how everything is connected; that extends beyond our muscles and bones. Acupuncture in so many ways is aligned with what we do at Alkalign, particularly Recharge. Bringing the two together just seems like a no brainer!
Loren Romley is a licensed acupuncturist at White Peony Acupuncture in Los Altos. She’s also the sister of loyal Alkalign client Kendra Muscarella. I met Loren a few years ago when I had an amazing acupuncture session with her. We reconnected recently to develop and deliver a special workshop — Acu-Recharge — that introduced participants to the Chinese medicine concepts that relate to the self-massage practice we do.
Here’s what clients learned in the first edition of Acu-Recharge:
Acupuncture is based on the concept of meridians, or 14 pathways in the body through which vital energy (qi) flows. Each meridian connects to specific organs and glands. When there is a blockage in a meridian, problems arise. This idea correlates to the “sticky spots” or adhesions we feel in our fascia when rolling.
Says Loren: “The ball rolling is in line with acupressure. You’re working on the meridians manually rather than with needles but to a similar effect. Areas where there is tightness or stuckness get stimulated and moved. There is a saying in Chinese medicine: ‘Bu tong zi tong, tong zi bu tong’ — Where there’s stagnation there is pain. Move the stagnation and the pain goes away.’ In effect, this is what the Recharge class is doing.”
Each meridian is related to one of the five elements—wood, fire, earth, metal and water—and each element correlates with a season (spring, summer, fall and winter, respectively). Because the first Acu-Recharge workshop took place in June, we Recharged with summer in mind. Participants rolled triceps and chest to stimulate the element of fire, which is dominant in summer. Deficient or excess energy in the organ systems related to the fire element might cause insomnia, anxiety, sluggish digestion, and sinus congestion, among other symptoms.
At the end of the workshop, Loren did ear acupuncture on each participant. Points in the ear can address every part of the body. Loren placed five needles on points related to the fire element to calm the autonomic nervous system.
Loren says her job is to guide people toward reaching homeostasis and being their healthiest selves, and that fits with our mission: to educate, empower and inspire you to be the best version of yourself that you want to be. Your health is so much more than burning calories, and that’s why Alkalign is more than a workout.
We’re excited about learning more from Loren and sharing it with our community! Email me if you want to be the first to know about future Acu-Recharge offerings.
