The Lunar New Year ushers in the Year of the Fire Horse - a combination that is bold, expressive, creative, and a little bit untamed in the best possible way.

Horse energy moves.
Fire energy radiates.

Together? They don’t tiptoe into the year. They gallop.

And in East Asian Medicine, Fire corresponds to one central emotion:

Joy.

If your skin has been looking tired, dull, or like it’s still recovering from everything (the holidays, winter, life), you’re not imagining it. Skin can absolutely get stuck in a rut, especially this time of year.

Enter: microneedling.

(Yes, it’s back. And yes, it’s worth revisiting.)

Before your brain jumps to “Isn’t that intense?” or “I’ll do that someday,” hear me out.

Every 60 years or so, the year of the Fire Horse gallops into the Chinese zodiac cycle, bringing with it an energy unlike any other. Bold and unpredictable, years of the horse are often remembered for its powerful influence  -  both on individuals born under its sign and on the world at large. As we shed our skin from the year of the snake (2025), we step into our strength and move forward in our path to intentional creativity and passion.

It’s hard to ignore it: the noise, the tension, the headlines, the constant pull to react. Even if you try to stay informed without getting overwhelmed, your nervous system still feels it. Many people are noticing more anxiety, disrupted sleep, irritability, fatigue, or a sense of heaviness they can’t quite explain.

If you’re feeling this way, you’re not broken - and you’re not alone.

We made it to 2026, and man does January like to come in hot with a lot of pressure to change everything immediately. New year, new you, big goals, big plans. It really came rushing in this year with all the usual ads in tow.

I don’t know about you, but I often find myself feeling a bit overwhelmed by the constant push to shift, change, grow, and expand, especially with all the added pressure this time of year brings. And while that energy is everywhere right now, Chinese medicine follows a different energetic season.

Every January we’re told to completely reinvent ourselves.
New habits. New rules. New personality.
By February? We’re tired, slightly cranky, and googling “is it too late to quit resolutions.”

Instead of piling on more goals this year, what if we tried something truly rebellious…

Gratitude is such a huge part of my everyday life. I’m honestly thankful for all the little things — because, to me, those always end up being the most important. Things like my new home, waking up in a cozy bed, that first sip of hot coffee (and trust me, I love my coffee), or stepping outside to walk my dog and taking in that first breath of fresh air.

This year especially, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting…

For me, the simplest things to be grateful for tend to come with noticing. I could watch a tree all day. Any season. I love when I’m present enough to notice the bird sitting in the morning sun, or the fact that the sky is never the same each day. It just settles me into myself, and allows awe into my life. Existing is crazy, and to notice it is even more mind-blowing.

This year, as I approach a major birthday (Don’t ask, I won’t tell), I’m thankful for the decades of friends, family, and life experience that has shaped the woman I’ve become. The good and bad, the hard and harder, the easy and natural progressions that I’ve moved through…it's all led me to this place, which I’m incredibly proud of. Time is a gift that I’m learning not to take for granted.

Every fall, I try to take a minute to think about what I’m grateful for. Not in the “everything is perfect and I meditate at sunrise” kind of way - more like, “wow, that was chaotic, but somehow I’m still standing and there’s coffee” kind of way.

November is Gratitude Month at Alpenglow Acupuncture, and it’s one of our favorite traditions of the year. Every November, we bring out our gratitude jar and invite everyone who comes in to jot down what they’re thankful for and drop it in. It’s simple, it’s heartwarming, and by the end of the month that jar is overflowing with good vibes - a visual reminder that there’s so much to appreciate, even in the middle of our busy lives.

Focusing on gratitude has been one of the best ways I’ve found to stay grounded - especially through the ups and downs of the past few years. It’s easy to get caught in what’s stressful or uncertain, but pausing to notice what’s working, what’s beautiful, and what’s steady can shift everything.

Boundaries are often talked about in the context of our relationships - how we interact with others and where we draw the line between what’s ours and what’s not. But lately, I’ve been thinking about boundaries in another way: the ones we set with ourselves.

You’d think acupuncture would be quiet work. A little music, some needles, and maybe the sound of your stomach gurgling as your nervous system finally chills out. But let me tell you a secret: the acupuncture table is like truth serum. Once people start to relax, they say the funniest, weirdest, most random things.

And don’t worry — I never share names or details (HIPAA is sacred, people). But here’s a peek into the kinds of things acupuncturists hear while you’re melting into the table

Here we go! Into the holiday gauntlet of gluttony. If you’re like me, every holiday has a unique set of emotional attachments and nostalgia that go with them…starting with Halloween. It's the first major challenge when it comes to avoiding, limiting, or totally giving into sugar. Personally, I’m not a huge candy person, so I’m not as triggered by Halloween treats around every corner. My 4 year old on the other hand…the sweetest tooth. So I’ve been asking myself…

I was going to write about boundaries - mostly the ones we set with ourselves – but my mind has wandered into the idea of discomfort and how it relates to change. The two, of course, go hand in hand.

The idea of being fully present is a hard one to grasp in our culture. I think most of us constantly live in a state of multitasking; trying to accomplish more, do more, be more. But what is it to just BE? One moment at a time, focusing on one thing at a time. Novel idea, right??

I caught myself in the mirror the other morning and thought, “When did I start looking like my passport photo?” You know that look - tired, a little puffy, like life has been…a lot. That’s when I had to remind myself: my skin isn’t betraying me, it’s tattling on me.

That’s the thing about East Asian medicine. Your face is basically your body’s snitch. Dry patches? You’re dehydrated. Puffy eyes? Probably ate nachos at 10 pm. Wrinkles deepening? Hello stress, my old friend. Instead of blaming your moisturizer, East Asian medicine asks: what’s happening inside that’s showing up outside?

Here’s how I keep my skin (and sanity) in check at home:

Let’s start with a little honesty: modern life keeps us very still. Between working at desks, driving, watching Netflix, scrolling... most of us are spending hours every day in a seated position.

But here’s the thing - our bodies weren’t designed for that. And over time, this sedentary lifestyle can lead to what researchers now call Sedentary Death Syndrome - a very real, very preventable collection of health problems that stem from too little movement.

Did you know that what you do outside the treatment room can help your acupuncture results last longer? Small, mindful habits can keep your body in balance and support the work we’re doing together. Many times when we find ourselves on the acupuncture table, it’s because we’re ready to do things a little differently. That doesn’t always mean huge changes - just a few small shifts in daily life can set us on an entirely new path within a few months. Here are a few simple things to try:

Ah, summer. You gave us sun-kissed afternoons, breezy patio dinners, and - let’s be honest - probably more SPF “oops” moments than we’d like to admit. As the season starts winding down, our skin is waving a little white flag, begging for some post-summer TLC before the cool, dry weather rolls in.

Here’s how to give your skin the spa day it deserves (without the spa-day price tag):