Gateways.

I learned that everyday, at any given moment in life there is a gateway waiting to be opened for adventure, growth, love, beauty, expansion, and opportunity.

Are you saying YES to that? Are you standing still? Are you opening the gate to move forward?

I started today early this morning sitting in my backyard with a lovely cup of coffee .. and built a fire and then remembered this:

THIRTY TWO years ago today Haider, Reemy and I left (everything behind) Baghdad, Iraq, the cradle of civilization, and immigrated to America with only our spring clothes and $750 and no credit history!

Being an immigrant is not for the faint of heart. There is much to adjust to.

Here are the top 10 biggest cultural “shocks” - not what you would expect:

#1. American homes don’t have bidets.

#2. Obesity.

#3. Long nails with rhinestones.

#4. Fat-free diet and iced water.

#5. Single serving portions were and still are massive, can feed a family of four.

#6. Friends had to schedule an event to get together. Only solicitors knocked at your door unexpectedly.

#7. Americans work longer hours than they socialize.

#8. Abortion was and is still a hot debate.

#9. Football is not Soccer.

#10. There is a bread isle with hundreds of different types of bread.

TOP 10 things I loved about America that were taken for granted by every American I met:

#1. Freedom of speech.

#2. Freedom of choice.

#3. Freedom of expression.

#4. Freedom of the multitude of ways to live our lives.

#5. Freedom of religion.

#6. Freedom to travel without restrictions.

#7. Freedom of bodily autonomy.

#8. Freedom to disagree.

#9. Freedom to bare arms.

#10. Generosity of Spirit.

What an incredible journey this has been. I am proud to be an American by choice.

My family and I are grateful for friendships, opportunities, support and lots of love and beauty.

This picture of me taken at Chaco Canyon sitting representing saying YES to a gateway.

This picture of me taken at Chaco Canyon sitting representing saying YES to a gateway.

As a small business owner, I’m re-envisioning my 22 years of acupuncture practice and in the process of making this new vision a reality.

A grand re-opening coming soon and I hope to see you. Stay tuned.

In love and gratitude.

Rabab

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from me to you.

May you stay healthy and live your best life.

Cheers To Freedom, Love & Joy,

Rabab 💕

Black Friday Sale

Hello friends,

I am having an open house Friday November 26th 10-4 at my clinic for Hummingbird Potions and AcuMicro Packages.

View fullsize

Holiday Special 5-15-20% off select potions. Gift cards for various services and for Hummingbird Potions shop are also available.

Potions under $30 are 15% off.

Potions above $30 are 20% off 

AcuGlow Micro-Needling | Nano-Needling packages 5% off 💕🎊🎄

All potions are designed by and handcrafted based on Chinese Herbal Medicine principles and ancient wisdoms with love and healing prayers ❤️‍🩹 by yours truly.

Please come, I'd love to see you

Shop Local

Support small businesses

Love & Gratitude, Rabab

Anatomy Of A Healing Journey

What is healing?

Healing is a process of becoming healthy in mind, body and Spirit. This is an involved process that requires for the patient to become part of the healing, seeking answers from within.

Myth: One session can fix my symptoms.

Reality: Healing requires consistency and happens over time.

A series of sessions that build into one another to heighten

self and body awareness that bring your physiology, mindset

and spirit into unity and balance. ~ Rabab Al-Amin

New at Hunt Valley Acupuncture

Holistic Cosmetology 

Holistic Cosmetology is here. No surgeries, harsh treatments, toxic peels or products. I started offering Micro & Nano Needling sessions in the last few months and the results are absolutely amazing. These are ancient Chinese Medicine modalities using modern tools combined with non-toxic serums, light therapy and add on Acutonics sound facial therapy. It's not too early to get ready for the holidays! Packages & Gift Cards are available. 

Thanks for being a loyal customer, please enjoy a $50 Off your first session by using promotion code ACUMICRO50 at checkout and help me kick off this new edition to my practice!

Micro-Needling is for the treatment and improvement of conditions like acne scarring, fine lines and wrinkles, loose skin, skin texture, pore size, brown spots, stretch marks, and pigment issues.

Microneedling allows 3000% more product absorption.

Microneedling can be done on the Scalp to promote hair growth or the body to get rid of scars and stretch marks.

Micro-Needling creates micro channels in the skin. When those channels are created the skins own repair response is to start producing collagen and elastin, this is to heal that controlled injury that was just created. That in turn makes our skin tighter and smoother.

Unlike Microdermabrasion which removes layers of skin; Microneedling creates channels in the skin for products to be absorbed and collagen/elastin to be produced.

Well, what do you know? Of course Microneedling is a 2,000 year old time tested treatment originating in ancient China. Emperors who wanted to live forever used this technique to remain youthful.
Only a 30 minute treatment that should be done once a month. Easy to do on a lunch break!

Nano-Needling

Both the Nano and Micro-Needling treatments use a pen like device that oscillates a tip up and down to stimulate a skin reaction. They both induce cell turnover, serum infusion and provoke the healing process that results in skin transformation.

Nano-Needling on the other hand works a little different. It does use the same type of oscillating motion to treat the skin but the cartridge encompasses 81 silicone tips. These microscopic hair-like cones separate the cells within the epidermis to allow active products to be pushed into the skin.

Nano-Needling only affects the epidermis, treating within the upper .15 mm of the skin. The benefits of this serum infusion treatment include pigmentation reduction, increased cell turnover, skin rejuvenation and an immediate glow with no downtime. This treatment can be done weekly to exfoliate the skin.

Light Therapy

I use Celluma light therapy in conjunction with Micro and Nano needling to enhance the treatment results. Some of the benefits of using this light therapy include cell generation to replace old cells, reduction and prevention of cell death, neurogenesis (new neurons), development of new capillaries (angiogenesis), increased qi and blood flow, enhanced Nitric Oxide production.

Holistic Herbal Topicals

Currently, I use one of the Herbal topicals listed below. Although Chief Alchemist at Hummingbird Potions ;-) has been experimenting with Chinese herbal formulas, and as per usual will make those available once proven worthy for you.

1. Oculus

2. Senescence

3. Lumos

4. Rejuv Xue Xiao

5. Elastin FL

6. Collagen XG

7. Apple Stem Cells

The apple stem cells are shown in studies to promote facial stem cell rejuvenation over 80%.

Results are seen and felt even after the first treatment.

Skin should glow and feel tighter. Maximum results are shown when patients do between 4-6 Micro-Needling treatments.

Results are shown to last between 4-6 years in research, without maintenance!!!

My treatments are gentle and painless. Recent research shows a shallow treatment only 0.5mm shows the maximum results. 

I use all natural Hyaluronic acid used with Micro and Nano needling because it holds 1,000 times its weight in water. This allows for deep hydration, nourishment and rejuvenation.
You can purchase Serums to maintain optimal results. 

All AcuMicro premium Micro and Nano-needling tips are single use. I use the highest quality of the thinnest stainless steel needles on the market.

Sound Therapy

Add Sound Therapy to enhance and harmonize your facial treatment with the whole body. I use harmonic sound vibrations on different body points to support your constitution.

Happy Thanksgiving

The holiday season is here and social distancing fatigue is REAL. Hang in there, nothing lasts forever. I wish you a cozy joyful holiday. I also wish for all of us to learn the lessons of 2020 and above all, stay healthy, forgive often, and love more.

I often ask, what have CIVID-19 taught you so far? One patient told me recently that the best gift of COVID-19 is that he is forced to learn to live in the present moment since long term planning is out of the question. I call that a win.

COVID-19 Incubation Timeline:

It can take up to 14 days since the onset of exposure before the incubation period of COVID-19 is over. That is why people are advised to quarantine for 14 days when exposed.

Which means that a person may still become ill with covid-19 until the 14 days are over even if they test negative. Here’s a timeline example:

Remember to:

*Wash your hands.

*Fortify your immune system with healthy foods and exercise.

*Get 8 hours of sleep.

*Meditate to minimize your stress level.

*Supplement with vitamins and minerals.

*Keep your distance.

*Wear your mask.

*Forgive often and love more.

With Love, and healing vibes. Rabab

Thriving 2020

I hope that everyone is doing well. It has been a little over four months since I temporarily closed my clinic for in-person visits. I miss you.

This pandemic has impacted me and my livelihood like it did everyone else around the world. I look forward to the time when this situation is resolved.

During this time, I went through the emotions like everyone else. Fear and uncertainty definitely were at the top back in early January through April. Fear and uncertainty started shifting for me in May, after spending months of sleepless nights researching in my herbal manuals, having ongoing case discussions with esteemed colleagues, and sitting through class after class, podcast after podcast after podcast- TWIV by the way is my favorite virology podcast, it’s nerdy, I admit ;-) Click on the live link if you want to tune in.

In early May, I took a thorough and in-depth Zoom class with an infectious control specialist with forty years of experience who still consults with hospitals and labs across the country as well as the CDC.

Lately, I’ve kept myself busy by offering video and telephone remote healing sessions, expanding my product line, and developing classes. More info on that down below!

As of today, I know a few things for sure:

1. There is more that we don’t know then we do know about this virus. We haven’t yet scratched the surface with this one.

2. We are not prepared for this. It is unfair to assume that businesses can follow guidelines properly without training. Infectious disease control is a specialty that people go and get trained for. I had to go through an annual didactic as well as hands on training when I worked in hospitals, which I did for 27 years. Hospitals have designated wards for highly infectious patients, and another whole crew who are trained to properly discard PPE and disinfect rooms and surfaces.

3. Testing for COVID19: According to the CDC there are two different types of testing available, PCR testing determines if you currently have the virus, and antibody testing determines if you already had the virus. Please click on the active link above for details.

4. According to current statistics the survival rate is high but that shouldn’t be the only metric by which we judge the devastation being caused by this virus. There are people who have “recovered” but are still sick four and five months later, and there are others left with organ tissue damage.  It is still unknown why some people are more affected than others. Click here for more information Johns Hopkins

5. The science is clear, Masks *worn properly* not on the chin, or below the nose, protect you and others from spreading this disease.

This virus/pandemic is real and there are still a lot of unknown factors about its mode of transmission; droplets, aerosols -which are like dust particles- they spread everywhere and last in a space for a long time.

We don’t know how long the virus lasts on different surfaces and whether or not it is still contagious even if it has been detected. Recent research shows that it lasts more than 17 days on metal and plastic surfaces “shiny objects”, less on cardboard and paper.

Proper hand washing is more essential than ever before.

As I am beginning to hear from my colleagues in Maryland and across the country who have opened their clinics in the past few weeks, I am more certain that my decision to TEMPORARILY close for in-person visits is the right decision.

We are watching science evolve in real time and my hope is that we have a real duplicatable breakthrough. I also believe that this too shall pass.

Remote Healing & Alchemy

I am offering remote healing via Video and phone, patients have reported that it has exceeded their expectations.

I have several offerings, you can schedule here: https://huntvalleyacu.as.me/ and choose from the menu.

Please contact me if you are in a different time zone and want to schedule, including overseas. I will make time for you.

Remote sessions can help you with:

• Isolation fatigue

• Personalized self-care

• Personalized Chinese Herbal consults with drop ship capability

• Nutrition and supplement suggestions

• Insomnia

• Anxiety

• Pain

• Meditation, qigong and breathing practices

• Relaxation with sound healing

• … and a whole lot of other things

Alchemy Shop

Many of you have used my herbal line Hummingbird Potions in the past and know that I am an alchemist. It is a gift I was born with and have been fortunate enough to be able to hone it through the years. I transform botanicals into something more healing, more beautiful, more essential. I have a shop embedded in my website, and I also just opened one on Etsy to reach a wider audience.

Please visit my shop HummingbirdPotions.Etsy.com and send friends and family my way.

Setting my shop as a favorite and leaving me a positive feedback helps bring me traffic. Stay tuned as I continue to create more items.

My “pandemic” all natural soaps are almost ready to go online!

Upcoming Classes

I am making progress in creating a series of classes to help you thrive in 2020 and beyond! I will update via newsletter and social media when classes are ready for enrollment.

As always,

Love and healing.

Rabab Al-Amin

Clinic Status Announcement

Hello everyone,

Hunt Valley Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine clinic will be closed for the summer. 

I am writing to let you know that after careful deliberation, I have decided to keep my clinic closed for in-person visits this summer. I will still be available for telephone consultations and herb drop-ships and pick ups for herbs, Organo coffee and supplements.

I still have a multitude of safety concerns about the Covid19 virus, most of which simply require more time to resolve.

If you are scheduled for an appointment in the next months, I will be in touch with you to make sure you know my plans, but please give me a call if you have any questions or concerns.

There are Acupuncturists who have chosen to re-open in Maryland. Please contact me if you would like a referral.

I will continue to post on my Facebook and Instagram pages and update you with my Newsletter.

Take good care and enjoy the summertime!

Love always,

Rabab

Health Coaching through Remote Healing

Quarantine life, day 140!

I hope everyone is healthy and feeling rested, I am almost there. I decided to work on my website and make a few updates, I found this page that I wrote in 2017 but never published! Talk about intuition :-)

Intuition is not confined to time and space.

Sometimes, meeting in person is not necessary. Other times it’s inconvenient due to time and space, right now it’s best not to do so for safety due to the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19.

In these sessions I will coach you on your health and emotional concerns, I may guide you through sacred meditation, suggest nutritional and lifestyle changes, Chinese Herbal medicine as well as vitamin supplementation to address your main concern and help you set your life back in motion.

Allow me to empower you and help you manifest your best life.

I offer these sessions anywhere and everywhere by the web that connects us space is still held sacred as I would in person.

Please visit my shop here or Hummingbird Potions

Reflections

Five days into social distancing. This physical space between us will help all of us refine our senses and heighten our intuition. You included. It is about time for us - human beings to utilize all of our faculties as was intended, the divine species that we are. This has to happen specifically under such dire circumstance when our fight and flight instinct is activated.

Please make this a priority and as an opportunity, don't go back to sleep.

I have the ability transform most situations I am presented with into useful offerings due to life experience and circumstance. I also have combined 47 years of experience in both western and eastern medicine, so I have lots of ways and tools to guide you during this crisis.

I have been working nonstop to insure continuity of care to my existing patients and new. Completed #telehealth integration as of yesterday and ready for you.

Tele-medicine is up as of today.

Please remember that fear is an appropriate response to the situation at hand, it leads to courage, clarity and proper action. Anxiety and panic are optional. Mindfulness is essential. Staying home is crucial (unless you are essential personnel). Please make this an opportunity to rest, get stronger & healthier. Please join me, I have a lot to offer.

My schedule is updated with current tele-medicine offerings!

I am also offering a 10% discount on the best vitamins and nutraceuticals that help support your immune system, make sure to contact me to create an account if you don’t already have one. I cannot emphasize this enough, my family and I take them on a daily basis, I recommend you do the same.

Enjoy your staycation. Settle in your space. Calm down. Play music. Read books. Exercise. Eat better. Eat less. Really know your local farmers. Get some sunshine. Open your windows and let some air in. Clean the clutter. Start a vegetable garden. Consume less products. Breathe. Offer something you’re really good at as a gift. Drink your morning coffee in the sun watching the birds. Listen to the birds sing, feel the air quality change. The flowers blooming and the trees bursting with life. Rest in the fact that no matter what, or how prepared we are, there is always a divine mystery and order weaving us all in (its) web of life.

I hope that this pandemic changes us to become better people. I hope that it be the catalyst we’ve been waiting for for our beloved planet earth 🌎 to heal. 

Love fiercely always. your medicine woman. Rabab Al-Amin

What’s Next? Solutions for moving forward!

To All My Patients Current and New With LOVE

Like some of you, although maybe more closely due to the nature of my work as a Chinese medicine herbalist and acupuncturist, I have been following COVID19 since the early stages of the outbreak which has now been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The reality hit hard when I realized that I can no longer hug my patients, or simply shake their hands, and then it hit me again when I had to make the difficult decision to temporarily close my clinic to protect my most vulnerable patients, and to help flatten the curve by complying with social distancing.

I have dedicated most of my life to my career, to the study of Chinese medicine, to refine my senses and to heighten my intuition, to become a conduit of healing. The time is now to be creative to meet the needs of these wild and trying times.

Until we meet again, I am inviting you to my virtual treatment room where I will be offering heart centered consults. All you need is your computer or your mobile device and a good internet connection.

Please schedule your appointment with me through my online calendar

This is the link to my virtual treatment room where you will receive an invitation from me at the time of our appointment.

I am all set up and ready to meet you. This format is simple and easy to use, my test runs went well.

I will be offering everything I normally do minus needling and hands-on modalities.

These are the current available offerings:

* Heart Centered Five Element Holistic Coaching.

* Chinese Herbal consults.

* Nutritional and nutraceutical guidance.

* Sound healing sessions.

Please do not hesitate to contact me by phone or email.

Thank you for your patience. We are all in this together.

Mother Earth is taking a break from our constant consumption.

With much love and compassion,

Your Medicine Woman,

Rabab Al-Amin

COVID-19 Office Policy Announcement:

In light of the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and because I really care, I am asking that you NOT come to the clinic if you or anyone in your household has any of the following symptoms:

1. Fever (oral temperature 100.4° or higher) or symptoms of fever (such as chills or body aches) within the past 24 hours. Please do not consider yourself fever-free until your temperature has been normal for at least 24 hours without the use of Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen).

2. Shortness of breath and/or cough that is not known to be caused by another condition (for example congestive heart failure or allergies).  

3. Travel to China, Iran, Italy, Japan, Korea, New York state, Washington state, (or any new areas that the virus becomes rampant by the time you read this post) within the past 14 days. 

4. Close contact with a person known/suspected to be infected with COVID-19 within the past 14 days.

5. Healthcare workers who have been in contact with patients known/suspected to be infected with COVID-19 within the past 14 days.

If any of the situations described above is applicable to you, my usual late cancellation policy will not apply. 

WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THIS CHANGE?

I understand that many of you have, over the years, come to rely on my services when you are suffering from respiratory illness. Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture, body work, Chinese herbs, cupping, and gua sha are undoubtedly valuable and effective when it comes to the treatment of cough, shortness of breath, and viral and bacteria infections. At this time, however, I am heeding the advice of experts and asking patients with evidence of respiratory illness to stay home and/or seek treatment in facilities that are better equipped than I am to control the spread of infection (such as primary care physician’s offices, Patient First clinics, and hospitals). I am implementing this policy in an effort to safeguard the health of our elderly, medically fragile, and/or immunocompromised patients and in hopes of maintaining our ability to serve our community without interruption.

HOW I CAN HELP IF YOU ARE SICK:

If you are suffering from illness, I will be happy to provide telephone consultation and arrange for pick-up of herbal medicines from a dropbox outside the clinic in the event that you are ill; some experts suggest that Chinese herbal medicine may be a useful adjunct to conventional medical care in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.  

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MINIMIZE YOUR RISK FOR INFECTION?

Basically, take good care of yourself:

1. Wash your hands frequently with soup and water.

2. Refrain from touching your face.

3. Drink about 64 oz of water (half your body weight in ounces).

3. Eating a nutritious diet, minimizing your consumption of alcohol and sugar.

4. Sleep at least 7-8 hours a night.

5. Meditate to reduce your stress levels, and include deep breathing to strengthen your lungs.

6. Check out this Qigong practice to strengthen the lung with Peter Deadman.

7. Please don’t skimp on your exercise, daily activity is essential to your mental and physical health.

Note that this policy may change as more data about COVID-19 and how it spreads becomes available.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND COOPERATION. This too shall pass.

Paw Paw Jam

Late summer is a lot about bounty, processing and transformation. Pawpaw foraging adventure took five hours between driving and walking with our buckets to the pawpaw forest. It was a rainy humid day that felt both hot and a little breezy at the same time. I love forest bathing, I consider that to be a natural therapy, breathing fresh air, listening to the sounds of the forest and exploring the changes and what the flora and fauna are up to. iPhone tucked away and on silence except for occasional picture taking.

My friend and I ventured into the forest, walked about two miles until we spotted the first cluster of pawpaw trees. Pawpaw trees are indigenous to North America, they have big leaves, thin trunks and look fragile. It seems that they love to live in the company of each other more than other plants. As a matter of fact, if you decide to grow them in your garden then you’d better have at least three of them for cross pollination. They bare a fruit that has a flesh that resembles custard, and it tastes like a cross between bananas, mangos, and pineapples!! The fruit has medicinal value, mostly from what I read about it is that research reveals that the fruit contains properties that can rid of cancer cells. Pawpaw fruit is fragile and doesn’t travel well, which is the reason why it is not very well known even in the areas where it grows. There is a small window to harvest the fruit before it turns to mush and the critters start munching on it. The flesh of the fruit varied in flavor and color depending on the tree.

I collected enough fruit to make jam, cheesecake, and to share with friends and family.

Making Pawpaw Jam:

I wanted to bring the Pawpaws to my friend Zanti and make jam with her because it’s more fun like that. This process took another few hours.

I had looked up several recipes on Pinterest but Zanti and I decided to let the alchemist within create the recipe and it was a delightful pure success:

3 lbs of pawpaws

1 cup of sugar

1 tbsp of ginger

1/4 cup water

2 oz Rye Whiskey

Peel and cut out the pawpaw flesh, this is a very tedious job, thats why its better to do with friends. Get rid of the seeds (or collect them for planting)

Add all the ingredients together and simmer gently until the jam thickens.

Pour in sterilized jars and seal with paraffin.

This yielded six 4 oz jars.

Autumn Equinox

Equinox is here today officially announcing the arrival of Autumn. The gift of the season is simple yet powerful and one that we all grapple with= Balance.

What does balance mean? 

Balance is the ability to be witness to both the profound and profane in life all at the same time. To be with ugliness yet stay receptive instead of shutting down to life. Staying receptive means that our ability to let go of what doesn't serve is healthy. Healthy letting go means that we are not holding on to values and views or things, or relationships that don't serve us or the collective anymore. 

In Chinese Medicine, the Lung and the Colon are associated with the season of Autumn. 

When we become balanced then we become inspired and our hearts ♥️ can be spontaneous and love in the moment. 

Happy Balance everyone!

Boosting your immune system naturally.

Life is full of surprises. Some surprises— even the good ones—can be stressful and taxing on your health and wellbeing. Taking good care of yourself is very rewarding and prepares you to stay healthy while facing what life brings.

Here are a few steps to boost your immune system:

1. Sleep: make sure you are getting at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

2. Meditate! Sit still at least 15 minutes each day.

3. Nutrition: eat a variety of whole foods that includes fresh vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and protein. Buying everything locally and directly from farmers as often as possible ensures freshness and maximizes nutrient content.

4. Limit your refined sugar intake, and avoid artificial sweeteners altogether—they are food for cancerous cells.

5. Manage your portions and eat slowly, stopping eating before you are full. Eat sitting down and with friends or family. Fast during the daytime one day a week! Fasting gives your digestive system a break, and your tissue a chance to regenerate and you body a chance to heal. 

6. Exercise: seriously, get your steps in! Walk at least 20 minutes each day.

7. Dress appropriately for the weather! 

8. Stay Informed. Question vaccinations before saying yes to them. This is a loaded and charged topic. I strongly recommend visiting the National Injury Vaccination compensation program and read up on the various injuries and long-lasting side effects that occur due to vaccination, some of which are irreversible. https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/

9. Supplement what your body is missing, vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, water... certain mushrooms, like Reishi and Chaga can help boost your immune system. 

10. Schedule time to relax and enjoy life. Express gratitude; love and forgive more, complain less. 

11. Receive regular acupuncture and zero balancing treatments to help keep you in balance.