I have many patients come into our south Austin acupuncture clinic every week with a complaint of some sort of stomach upset / intestinal issue. Typically it involves some level of discomfort, bloating, gas, and fatigue. This presentation is very common in our society. Even as laid back as Austin is, we still contend with stress. Stress is often one of the main reasons for the person’s health imbalance. Constant stress accompanied with poor food choices can set one up for a digestive meltdown of sorts.

Every day in our Austin clinic we ask our patients "how is your stress?" Their answer typically includes woes regarding the economy and more personally their investments. This creates stress and all the challenges to one's health that comes with increased tension in the mind and the body. So Austin, I thought I would invite a local investment advisor Steve Levy with Bird Rock Asset Management to share his enlightened views. Steve has ben spot on with his advice to me for the last 4 years.

Today I have the privilege of a guest blogger, Marisa Wandeler of Body Interiors. She is a great personal trainer and guide to better nutrition. She has helped me in the past and the information she shares is always in your best interest.

Here are some simple practical tips on how to meditate. If you want further instruction please contact a meditation center in Austin. I like the Shambala center on south 5th street. There are also plenty of good books on this topic. Do whatever makes you feel most comfortable.

Step 1- Make a space to practice:

I often find myself giving advice on meditation to my highly stressed patients. I have practiced meditation for years and know firsthand the benefits of such a practice. I thought I would write a two part article on the important topic of how meditation can have a positive effect on health and your wellbeing. I would like to begin with some current research that I found in 2006.

This excerpt comes from Wired magazine feb 2006.

Pregnant Women Please read This!!

Yes we do accept insurance. More and more insurance companies are now covering acupuncture as a medical therapy. Specifically we are finding that United Health Care, Aetna, Cigna and Great West have good Acupuncture benefits in allot of their policies. We are happy to check your benefits and discover what your policy specifically covers, what your deductible is, how much if any is left on your deductible to meet before your benefits begin, what your co-pay is and how many visits/ year you are allowed. We can usually get this checked while you receive your first treatment.