Newsletter Archives
Over this past year I've been sending out monthly newsletters which have served a dual purpose of providing a platform for updates about my practice and being somewhat of a creative outlet for expressing the broader context of my work. Peruse if you wish!
New
Beginnings
Listening
I am in love with the silence
that creeps over the pond in gentle waves
that speaks through eyes
that envelopes me as I envelop it
It contains answers
simple, clear. Truths.
I am in love with the tears that stream down my cheeks
My soul's expression of gratitude
for this and all that ever was
Oh, divine great mystery...
I am your student
Your silence is my teacher
Hello my dear patients and friends! I am pleased to announce that I have found a beautiful office to practice in at Integrative Health in Randolph, VT. Learn more at https://www.integrativehealthvt.com/. Best of all I will get to work alongside two other practitioners, one of whom is another acupuncturist and herbalist and one who is a naturopath and acupuncturist. Scheduling at this practice will still be done through my website!
Note that if you schedule online my days in Randolph are Tuesdays and Fridays and my days in West Brattleboro are Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please be careful to choose the correct location for those days! That will save all of us a bunch of trouble.
In other news...
*I will be starting an auricular acupuncture circle at BALE in South Royalton in October! Stay tuned for dates and times.
*I am no longer offering packages in Brattleboro. They have been too hard to keep track of and I don't want us to worry about expiration dates as we enter into this season full of weather and sickness unknowns. As always, if price is a barrier, ask me about my sliding scale! And if you have an existing package, please be mindful about the expiration and make yourself some appointments.
Hope to see you soon,
Emma
Self Care is Not About You
Allow the illusion of separateness to dissolve and notice a pattern emerge
Going beyond the narrative of "self-care" requires that we invent a new term for something that goes far beyond the "self". The self is but a small part of something much bigger, something so interrelated and interdependent that the acknowledgement of its presence is enough to even blow our egos out of the water. What you need to thrive is to actively choose to do the things which make you feel good and to see how, in turn, you make others feel good. To honor the cycle of giving and receiving in your own life. To understand that what we model to the rest of the world in our actions and behaviors is more powerful than what we say. We are what we choose to do with our days, we are also earth, water, air, fire. What practices in your daily rhythms remind you of the very substance of life? What practices put your brain in the back of the line and let your heart lead the way? Study those. Make time for those. See what changes unfold.
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When you take the time to care for yourself, it is the same as caring for others, for you will be a better version of yourself and that light will shine on everyone around you.
When do we mend and when do we weave again?
Happy chilly, rainy spring everyone! Here is what is on my mind this week: How do we honor our intuition? How do we create space to listen to that inner voice that contains unmistakable wisdom? How difficult it can be to sort through all the voices, both external and internal, and find a way forward. What happens when we listen to that one true voice that comes from our highest selves and whose direction keeps us in line with our purpose and our authenticity? How do our lives transform? And most importantly, how do we find the courage to do this?
This poem was the first thing I thought of when I woke up this morning. I love the part where she says, "mend my life, each voice cried". Sometimes we tend to keep mending a tapestry that really needs to be rewoven completely, but how to know when to mend and when to weave again?
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The Journey
By Mary Oliver
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you kept shouting
their bad advice-
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to
do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voice behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do the only thing you could do-
determined to save
the only life you could
save.
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My Practice These Days
I have taken on a secondary space at the Cotton Mill in Brattleboro! I'm sharing this with another amazing acupuncturist, Caylie See. Learn more about her at https://www.acupuncturekitchen.com/. We are on the third floor near NECAA, but in mid-May we will be moving to a different space that can offer us the ability to treat 2 patients at once and also have an office space. I am at the Cotton Mill on Mondays and Saturdays, and I remain at the magical realm of the apothecary at Harvest Hill on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For those of you who don't know, I share this space with another kick-ass herbalist, Alyssa Holmes, and her business Vital Vessel Herbs. Learn more about Alyssa here: https://www.vitalvesselherbs.love/.
The apothecary is also available for retreat rentals via airbnb! Contact Alyssa for more details.
I am absolutely delighted to have such fruitful collaborations with these two talented women and look forward to watching how we weave again the story of how powerfully we can work together to heal and grow, in our selves, our families, and our community.
​
-Emma
Inspirations from Afar
Some things change and some remain the same
As some of you know I recently traveled to Arizona with my good friends! We had four children between us, and let us be clear that vacations with kids are not "vacations", but they are adventures! This picture is the entryway of an apothecary and acupuncture clinic in downtown Tucson that we were particularly inspired by. There are so many different ways to do what we do, and spring is a good time to embrace the dynamic nature of being human and savor all of the choices in between. I will be continuing my 2 days at Vital Vessel Herbs Apothecary in West Brattleboro, but as I've relocated northwards again I won't be practicing in Northampton. Love calls me even further north to Bethel, Vermont as my secondary practice location. For now I am offering home visits and soon a weekly ear acupuncture group (stay tuned for details). If you happen to know of a space up that way for rent, do drop me a line!
February Musings
The stillness offers insight as we sit within the great depths of winter. Today I had a moment of fully realizing what I love about the medicine that I practice. This medicine honors the feminine aspect of healing by valuing receptivity. By relinquishing attachment to fixing someone or something, we can receive the wisdom of the body and use this to guide our process. Rather than relying on our fallible intellect, we can trust something much deeper, more mysterious, and always full of surprises.
This Month...
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I am offering packages of four sessions in Brattleboro: Save $10 off each session when you purchase one! (Must use within 10 weeks)
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I am continuing the free Acupuncture for Recovery Group on Mondays from 11:30-12:30 at the Northampton Recovery Center
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I will be guest starring at Backstop Chair Massage in Thornes in Northampton on Friday, February 17th from 1-6, Monday 2/20 from 10-5, and Friday, 2/24 from 1-6. Stop by for a massage! Walk-in or click here to book.
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I am teaching my students at the New England School of Acupuncture how to center themselves and set their intentions before giving a treatment. It is a delight to introduce a new generation of healers to these practices. The passage below was written by Sharon Salzberg, I like to read it before I begin my work day.
"May I see my limits compassionately, just as I view the suffering of others. May I offer my care and presence unconditionally, knowing that it may be met by gratitude, indifference, anger, or anguish. May I offer love, knowing that I cannot control the course of life, suffering, or death. May I find the inner resources to truly be able to give. May I be peaceful and let go of expectations. May I accept things as they are."