​My practice location of 5 years will be shifting to thousand oaks, CA  as of September  1, 2020 my chosen office hour's will be Tuesday + Thursday 9pm - 7pm and Friday 9pm - 7pm, with potential to add Saturday. Intended expanded Fall hour's. I would love to hear from you. Your feedback is important to me. My husband whom practices Medical Massage therapy and cupping plans to offer his services at our office Weds, Friday and Saturday. I would love to hear from you so that I can better serve you. With your preferred day or time for Acupuncture Services. 

As a busy Mom, busy Acupuncturist, human rights activist and health and wellness advocate. I have been asked to share my favorite immunity hacks. This is by no means a complete list it is probably be considered a mini cliff note version of what can be done. I have probably had the Flu like 1x in the past 5 years. I could be surrounded by sick people all day and rarely ever get sick. The main thing I have done consistently without negotiation is I take my Vegan Juice Plus pills,  "Juice Plus+ products are made from the juice powder concentrates and oils from more than 40 different fruits, vegetables and grains. While Juice Plus+ isn’t a substitute for eating fruits and vegetables, our whole food-based products support a healthy diet by offering a much wider variety of naturally occurring vitamins, along with antioxidants and phytonutrients found in fruits and vegetables. Every Juice Plus+ product is made from quality ingredients grown farm fresh, providing the natural nutrients your body needs. "

1. REST ......Get plenty of rest typically 8 hours of sleep is recommended 
also  from 9 pm - 1am is the most important hours of the night to sleep. If you choose to indulge in naps then the most ideal time frame is 3pm - 5pm which the kidney hour. I personally love to use external Lavender oil to help me relax before bed. 

2. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT......Eat your green's 80 % Alkaline plants, Superfoods, Fruits and Veggies. Aim to keep your daily packaged or processed foods to under 20% of your daily lifestyle and diet. Reduce intake of sugar, dairy and gluten. 

3. MOVE YOUR BODY.......30 minutes + of Daily Exercise + Meditation is critical to establish a healthy immunity, Salt bath's and I love daily Smudging rituals. Diffuse essential oils in your home, apply essential oils on lymphatic centers of body. Set up    

4. DAILY........ Lemon + Warm Water + Raw Ginger + Raw Turmeric every Morning is an excellent daily beverage to boost immunity, Detox and reduce inflammation..
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5. SUPPLEMENTS....... Vitamin C, Colloidal Silver,  Zinc, Elderberry Syrup, L-Lysine Supplements and other reputable high quality supplements. I personally take typically "Designs for Health"  

6. MUSHROOMS.......Consume Certified Organic "Reishi Mushrooms, Shitake Mushrooms and Corydceps" I personally love Sun Potion Company.   

7. CHOOSE ORGANIC Eat mainly Organic fresh, cooked, fermented foods with natural occuring Pre-biotics + Pro-biotics. We follow in our home mainly 80% Plants and 

8. RECEIVE SUNSHINE........Vitamin D3 consume a supplement of 5,000 IU + Get outside receive Sunshine and be in Nature. 

9. RESPECT HERBAL MEDICINE.......Consume Chinese Herbs Evergreen Immune + or "Yu Ping Feng San" which is a Chinese Herbal Formula that stabilizes, fortifies the lungs and immune system. Ask me how to get those herbs. 

10. MINDFULNESS..........Practice Mindfulness Meditation, Yoga, receive Acupuncture, receive Chiropractic care. Cultivate positive intentions, thoughts, Positive mindset, trust your body is healthy and Strong. 

I personally also consume a Vegan Daily Smoothie of High Fiber and Plant based Protein called Complete by Juiceplus. I love to add my Superfoods, Cinnamon and Adaptogenic Mushrooms.  I personally also aim to get plenty of Sunshine when at all possible and engage in positive community efforts. I hope you found this list helpful. Now more then ever we need to listen to our intuition, stay grounded, respect one another and cultivate a sense of meaning and purpose. Thank you for reading this post I appreciate you. 
here is a helpful RESOURCE Page Please check this out. 
http://www.beckycastano.com/resources.html
here Is a link to more information regarding JuicePlus products:
​http://castano.juiceplus.com
If you need any other Supplements products recently mentioned
Such as Vitamin C & Vitamin D please visit
http://beckycastano.ehealthpro.com
​

A message from my Mentor Acupuncturist
A Clarion Call to all Advanced Energy Light Healers
March 15, 2020
By Mikio Sankey Lac, Phd

Esoteric Acupuncture is not merely a different form of treatment modality where the practitioner learns how to sequence acupuncture points in various geometric patterns. Esoteric Acupuncture is a way of life that focuses on staying centered in one’s Spiritual Heart Field. We are strengthening and refining our Axiatonal Heart Grid System.
In this time of excessive fear being programmed to the masses, I am reminding all Advanced Energy Light Healers to stay focused in your in Heart and to hold the Central Spiritual Light. This is what you agreed to do.

Http://esotericacupuncture.com

I am so grateful and thankful for the life path so far. So many life lessons, hardships and character building and gathered Information over the past 20 years. I initially worked in Lassen's Health food store as a Whole body Manager fascinated by Organic food, Western Herbs and naturopathic principles. Then I was introduced to Acupuncture by: Dr. Gerie Keh LAc at age 16 and huge expansive world opened up of Chinese Medicine. I was studying to enroll in the Nursing Program on track with the ultimate goal to become a Nurse Midwife.I had witnessed my sisters birth center birth at age 9 and was fascinated by the innate, wisdom, intelligence and potent strength. My passion for Natural health was lit on fire as I Worked as an acupuncture assistant doing both front office and back office. I witnessed miracles every shift that was remarkable. So after 5 years at lassens, 3 years assisting Dr. Keh I decided to pursue a career in Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture School was a Tough Program 4 years full time graduate school. So ever grateful that I chose Chinese Medicine and also chose to pursue more spiritual cultivation and felt ultimately inspired by Michael Bernard Beckwith and the Agape International Spiritual Center. I also Became a loyal Patient of Mikio Sankey Lac since 2011 and explored deeply his teachings in Esoteric Acupuncture. 

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“There is sufficient evidence of acupuncture’s value to expand its use into conventional medicine.”
– National Institute of Health, 1997 Consensus on AcupunctureCurrent  Mechanism Of Acupuncture:

1. Neurotransmitter Theory: Acupuncture affects higher brain areas, stimulating the secretion of beta-endorphins and enkephalins in the brain and spinal cord. The release of neurotransmitters influences the immune system and the antinociceptive system.7,8,9
2. Autonomic Nervous System Theory: Acupuncture stimulates the release of norepinephrine, acetylcholine and several types of opioids, affecting changes in their turnover rate, normalizing the autonomic nervous system, and reducing pain.10,11
3. Vascular-interstitial Theory: Acupuncture effects the electrical system of the body by creating or enhancing closed-circuit transport in tissues. This facilitates healing by allowing the transfer of material and electrical energy between normal and injured tissues.9
4. Blood Chemistry Theory: Acupuncture affects the blood concentrations of triglycerides, cholesterol, and phospholipids, suggesting that acupuncture can both raise and diminish peripheral blood components, thereby regulating the body toward homeostasis.9
5. Gate Control Theory: Acupuncture activates non-nociceptive receptors that inhibit the transmission of nociceptive signals in the dorsal horn, “gating out” painful stimuli.12

This ancient health care system is proving itself as an effective modality for a wide variety of problems. So much so that the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) awarded 8 grants that directly relate to acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medical research, totaling more than $9.5 million dollars.
Resources:

1. “A review of the incorporation of complementary and alternative medicine by mainstream physicians”, Astin, JA., et. al., Arch Intern Med., 1998; (158).
2. The Institute for Work & Health, “Massage for Lower Back Pain”, Spine, 2009, July 15: 34 (16).
3. “German Acupuncture Trials (GERAC) for Chronic Lower Back Pain”, Archives of Internal Medicine, 2007; 167(17).
4. Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, “Acupuncture Just as Effective Without Needle Puncture”, Science Daily, December 1, 2008, study conducted by the at Linkoping University and the Vardal Institute in Sweden.
5. “Effects of Acupuncture of Pregnancy and Live Births Among Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”, British Medical Journal, 2008: 336: 545, published February 7, 2008.
6. “Immunomodulatory Effects of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Allergic Asthma: A Randomized Controlled Study”, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Vol 6, Issue 6, 2007.
7. Neuro-acupuncture, “Scientific evidence of acupuncture revealed”, Cho, ZH., et al., 2001.
8. Acupuncture – A scientific appraisal, Ernst, E., White, A., 1999, p. 74.
9. Acupuncture Energetics, “A Clinical Approach for Physicians”, Helms, Dr. J., 1997, pgs 41-42, 66.
10. Anatomy of Neuro-Anatomical Acupuncture, Volume 1, Wong, Dr. J., 1999, p. 34.
11. National Institute of Health Consensus Conference on Acupuncture, “Acupuncture Activates Endogenous Systems of Analgesia.”, Han, J.S., 1997 (Bethesda, MD).
12. Neuro-acupuncture, “Scientific Evidence of Acupuncture Revealed”, Cho, ZH., et al., p.116.

Morning Sickness and Traditional Chinese Medicine
​Morning Sickness and Traditional Chinese Medicine
​By: Becky Castano LAc MATCM
April 3, 2013 

Morning Sickness can be complicated to treat with a complex level of factors involved such as onset duration of symptoms, constitution, diet, physical health, level of toxicity, acidity , hormones, emotional health  and mind set. As a Practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine  we will observe, listen to your symptoms, look at your tongue and feel your pulse. We will Conclude with objective findings as well as explain a treatment plan that may best treat you. Often it takes several visits and adherence to a treatment plan to create results within your body.Often a OM Practitioner will utilize Acupuncture and diet first before prescribing herbal medicine. This is so that the Practitioner and patient will be able to identify any rate of response from the Acupuncture treatments.
Here are some common Acupuncture points that your Practitioner may use: You can Click on the name and it will direct to an external website with more information and details. These are by no means a full list of beneficial points that can be used , but these are some favorites.
Neiguan
Zhong Kui
Zhu Bin 
Zu San Li
Here are some common herbs that may help reduce nausea/vomiting and Morning Sickness.This list is by no means all herbs for morning sickness only a few common herbs.
Da Fu Pi
Huo Xiong
Sha Ren 
Zhu Ru
Zi Su Ye
what is a formula? a Formula is a combination of two or more herbs that are combined to create a synergistic effect by a Oriental Medicine Practitioner. A famous formula known as Si Jun Zi Tang or the (Four gentlemen Decoction) modified with Hou Po, Sh Ren, Chen Pi. This Formula is Classical in Nature and has been found to be safe, effective option for Morning sickness.This of course is only one of many various Formulas for various different constitutions that are well known in Treatment of Morning sickness. Their are hundreds of formulas with various unique combinations of herbs that can be utilized to treat your unique case.
It is advised that chinese herbs not to be taken by self evaluation or self diagnosis. It is important only to receive a prescription of chinese herbs through an Oriental Medicine Practitioner or doctor. In Conclusion Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine can be an effective tool in the management and treatment of many related Pregnancy issues such as Morning sickness.