Breathing is one of our most basic functions. However, many people don’t breathe fully or deeply. Restricted breathing can cause or worsen conditions ranging from insomnia to chronic pain. By contrast when practiced daily, even for a short time, basic breath meditation invokes the opposite of the fight or flight response in the body. Meditation slows heart and respiratory rates, decreases blood pressure, anxiety, chronic pain, by increasing nitric oxide it further enhances nerve cell connectivity in the brain, reduces inflammation, and improves sleep.

You can positively influence your health by taking a short time out of each day, start with 5 minutes, to meditate. In the introductory article below, I elaborate on Why Meditate. Additionally I’ve provided basic instructions for several types of meditations and information about the free weekly meditation I offer to the downtown, working community every Monday during the lunch hour.

There are many meditation groups in different spiritual tradition throughout the greater Seattle area. Listings can be found through groups such as the Northwest Dharma Association or Meetup.com. If you’re just starting out, explore to find our which one best fits your needs. Look at this new world as a grand banquet of meditation styles and you get to choose the one that appeals to you.

I am available to educate academic, community and professional groups introducing meditation and its health benefits. Please contact with your curiosity and inquiries.

Why Meditate? The Science of Slowing Down ~ Brief article outlining physical and mental health benefits of meditation. Includes a literature review of medical research in which meditation has been used as a form of treatment for conditions ranging from digestive problems to blood pressure regulation. (4 pg. pdf)

Weekly Lunch hour Meditation
Where: 509 Olive Way, Suite 1055
When: 12:30-1pm
Details (1 pg. pdf)

Basic Breath Meditation ~ Simple meditation instruction. Includes sitting posture images and a lengthy list of benefits associated with meditation. (2 pg. pdf)

River Rock Meditation for Anxiety, Stress & Insomnia (1 pg. pdf)

Standing Meditation ~ alternative to seated meditation (2 pg. pdf)

Additional Resources

Dietary modification has long been the first line of defense against illness and to optimize health within Asian medical traditions and in populations throughout the world. When it comes to considering one’s diet, there are so many conflicting messages in our culture. From our earliest years, we are influenced by changing trends that one year vilify the egg and the next year strike carbohydrates from our proverbial plate. It can be confusing and difficult to know what it means to eat a healthy diet.

In this article, I put forward some fundamental principles of Chinese medical food therapy, as well as my general recommendations about how food choices can support optimal digestive function and overall health.

Food as Medicine (2 pg. pdf)

Dietary Recommendations for Blood Deficiency (4 pg. pdf)

Avoiding Damp Accumulation Through Food Choices (4 pg. pdf)

Grief, an absolutely natural, human experience, can express itself emotionally, mentally and physically.These responses can arise not only after the death of someone close, but also in response to change or loss of any kind. This booklet offers an overview of normal grief responses and provides suggestions for self-care.

Finding Refuge in Grief (13 pg. pdf)

Additional Resources

Seattle is renowned for being an active, athletic city. However, many people struggle to incorporate regular exercise and activity into their busy lives, particularly during our long winters. This article looks at the importance of movement and offers creative ideas for how to incorporate activity into your days. Additionally, there is a list of internet links to facilitate that pursuit.

Activity in the Puget Sound (1 pg. pdf)

Learning to Move all Over Again (2 pg. pdf)
Text taken largely from Frank Bisio’s A Tooth from the Tiger’s Mouth. Bisio highlights what can be learned by observing movement in the animal kingdom. These observations apply directly to pain, movement and healing.

During my final year as intern and student at SIOM, I did extensive research into Multiple Sclerosis. This paper examines MS treatment from allopathic and East Asian medical perspectives. A lengthy list of web-links concludes the main paper, Preserving the Sea of Marrow: Chinese Medical Understanding and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.

Appendix A ~ my translation of the MS chapter from a TCM text on neurologic                     disorders.
Appendix B ~ outlines the herbal prescriptions of the primary case study.
Appendix C ~ examines Omega 3s and MS.

Additional Resources

While many people are increasingly familiar with acupuncture for adults, relatively few know East Asian medicine is completely safe, appropriate & effective for children. Acupuncture, herbal treatment, and dietary change can be used together to resolve a variety of conditions from skin and respiratory problems, to bedwetting, ear infections and digestive disorders. The need for pharmaceuticals can often be reduced or eliminated. This medicine can support development of healthy digestive and respiratory systems and result in life-long health and vitality.

Julie Nathon has been an absolute gift to work with in the process of creating this site. Her skills, orientation to detail, sensibility, and professionalism have made the process a joy. She has honed and embellished the design, while still allowing my own vision to be fully expressed.
Julie Nathon ~ 360.920.5600