The Wellness Inspired Podcast
The Wellness Inspired Podcast
Stress, Your Nervous System, and Acupuncture – Why Just One Session Makes a Difference
Is stress running the show in your life? In this episode of the Wellness Inspired Podcast, we’re exploring how just one acupuncture session a month can reset your nervous system, reduce stress, and improve resilience. I’ll break down the science behind acupuncture, how it supports your vagus nerve, brain function, and sleep, and why starting with one session a month is a great entry point—especially if you’re new to acupuncture. Plus, I’ll share my favorite acupuncture points for stress relief and how wellness coaching can help you develop stress management strategies that fit your lifestyle. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or looking for a simple, natural way to bring more balance into your life, this episode is for you!
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Wellness Riverboat Cruise
Magna On The Danube: https://www.amawaterways.com/destination/europe-river-cruises/2025/magna-on-the-danube
AmaMagna: https://youtu.be/23-5Qy3skM0
AmaMagna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM1GHLA2EF4
Tami Hiroka
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Hello, wellness Adventurous. Welcome back to another episode of the wellness inspired podcast, a place where you can find inspiration, motivation and empowerment in the pursuit of a wellness lifestyle. I'm your host, sherry Davidson. I'm a wellness coach, acupuncturist, trail runner and former interior designer in Houston, texas, and I am deeply passionate about health and wellbeing. And, as always, I'm here with my co-host, finn. And if you're new to the podcast, finn is my Terrier, mix, rescue Dog, trail runner and loyal companion. He is also a therapy dog and greeter at Element 5, acupuncture and Wellness.
Speaker 1:And today I am super excited to chat about something that can truly upgrade your health game. Monthly acupuncture Yep, just one session a month can help you build a more resilient, balanced nervous system. Pretty cool, right? You know we're living in nonstop hustle mode emails, pinging, endless notifications and juggling a million things at once. Our nervous systems rarely get the break they deserve. But acupuncture, yeah, it's like hitting the pause button, giving your nervous system a much needed reset. So grab your favorite healthy beverage, get cozy and let's dive in.
Speaker 1:But before we get started, I have to talk about the Wellness River Cruise. For all those avid listeners who have tuned into the podcast over the past year, you've likely caught wind of the Wellness River Cruise. For all those avid listeners who have tuned into the podcast over the past year, you've likely caught wind of the Wellness River Cruise. Well, friends, the moment has arrived. Mark your calendars April 20th 2025. That is two months away. As we set sail on an unforgettable seven-night cruise along the Danube River, we'll traverse the picturesque landscape of Austria, germany, hungary and Slovakia. Prepare for many active sightseeing adventures, including invigorating hikes, scenic bike rides and even a few brisk runs, maybe Alongside these activities, indulge in the serenity of yoga sessions, engage in enlightening wellness discussions and savor the flavors of locally sourced cuisine. Excitement is already brewing, as several enthusiasts have secured their spots. For those intrigued, I'll put the link in the show notes and in episode 63 and 64, a journey of wellness and wonder on the Danube with Animal Waterways. I had the pleasure of having Laurie, a representative from Animal Waterways, and Tammy, a seasoned travel concierge and my friend on the podcast, to discuss the full river cruise experience, so feel free to check out those episodes for more information if you'd like. This all has to happen quickly, so the cruise is around the corner. If you're interested, put your deposit down. It's not a lot to hold your spot. Okay, let's get started.
Speaker 1:Why your nervous system deserves a break. Think of your nervous system as mission control, managing everything from your stress levels to your digestion, mood and sleep. With a daily overload from our busy, busy lives, your body stays stuck in fight or flight mode, and that's exhausting. I mean, think about it 24-7, 52 weeks in a year, 365 days a year, 365 days. You were being chased by a bear without ever resting. That's exhausting. This is chronic stress, and chronic stress leads to anxiety, sleep troubles and health problems down the road. But here's the great news Acupuncture helps shift your nervous system from stress to calm.
Speaker 1:According to the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, stress management is one of their six pillars, right alongside with healthy eating, movement, good sleep, social connections and avoiding risky habits. Managing stress effectively has many benefits, like boosting your mood, brain health and overall longevity. So how does acupuncture work? Science alert. Believe it or not, the magic of acupuncture is backed by science. You see, acupuncture stimulates your vagus nerve, which helps your body shift to a restful state. Studies show it can lower cortisol, reduce inflammation and even sharpen your brain's ability to adapt. This is called neuroplasticity. Research in Neural Regeneration Research and Journal of Neuroinflammation confirms. Acupuncture supports the brain by reducing inflammation and enhancing cognitive function. Plus, acupuncture aligns perfectly with holistic stress management approaches, complementing things like meditation, movement and quality sleep.
Speaker 1:A lot of the times in the clinic I will have people do breath work. If I'm working on stress, I put the needles in and then I have them do the 4-4 box breathing technique, which is four inhalations in, hold for four seconds and then out for four. It's just easy to remember four, four, four. There's also four, four, six. So you inhale for four, hold for four and then you exhale for six. There's also, I think, six, seven, eight, where you inhale for six, you hold for seven and I think you release at eight. I could be, I'd have to, I'd have to look that one up. I always stick to the four, four, four, but they're incredibly great for calming that central nervous system and reducing stress.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's move on, cause I want to share some of my favorite acupuncture points for nervous system bliss. Okay, I'm going to try and describe these to you where they are located on the body, so we'll see how this goes. So let's talk some points. So here are my favorite calming points and great calming points for your nerves and boosting resilience. So we're going to start with governing vessel 20. We say GV20. It is on the top of the head, it is like the highest point on the head. This clears the mind and reduces stress. So you can just do acupressure and gently kind of massage the point on the top of your head. So that's a really, really great one.
Speaker 1:I also use pericardium six. We call it PC six. It is on the forearm, it's on the inside of the forearm, not far from the wrist. Um, they say it's two chin from the crease of the wrist up like towards the elbow, uh, but this is a really great one for anxiety and it helps, uh, ease tension. I also use stomach 36. This is on the lower medial side of the leg, so kind of the outside of the leg, right underneath the kind of like the attachment of the IT band. This is a stomach point and it helps boost energy, resilience and overall vitality. Spleen 6, I use a lot. This is your go-to for relaxation and emotional balance. This one's on the lower leg, on the inside of the leg, close to the ankle. And then I also use Shen Men, which is heart seven. In a previous episode I talked about the heart. The heart. Seven calms the spirit and enhances or can improve your sleep.
Speaker 1:Another one is kidney one. I do use this one a lot If somebody comes in and they are super, super stressed. I don't use it on everybody because it is on the bottom of the foot and it can be tender. The bottom of our feet. They don't get a lot of exposure to the ground and there's no calluses. There are no, there's no like lots of meat down there. So they can be super tender. And some of the most powerful points are below the elbows and below the knees because they have more nerves and so it can be a super tender point. So I only do that if someone comes in and they're really, really stressed out and I always ask them. But yeah, it really grounds you and relieves stress. So if you want you could actually do pressure on on kidney one. It's a good pressure point. And the last point I'm going to share with you is bladder 10. I love this one because it's right at the occiput, on the back of the neck, and it helps relieve all that tension that you hold right at the occiput and we all carry tension there just from our desk jobs and lots of computer work and always looking down, texting, typing, all of that. So bladder 10 is a really great one to needle, as well as you can do pressure, so it's a really, really good one.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's talk about why one acupuncture session a month rocks. Now you might be thinking, sherry, once a month, really is that good enough? But here's the deal. Acupuncture is like training for a race. Even occasional practice makes a big difference, but consistency will maximize your benefits. Monthly acupuncture that's one session a month keeps stress from building up and supports long-term wellness, making it the perfect entry point. If you're new or skeptical, I promise you'll feel something in one session. But honestly, for chronic stress, anxiety or ongoing health issues, bi-weekly or weekly sessions might work better. It's all about finding what fits you best. So remember, wellness isn't a one size fits all you best. So remember, wellness isn't a one size fits all. It's about discovering your rhythm.
Speaker 1:Okay, so before we wrap up, I want to give everybody some practical tips to get you started. So if you're ready to give acupuncture a try to help relieve stress in your life, here's how to get started. Find a licensed acupuncturist you vibe with wherever you are. If you're in Houston, feel free to come see me If you're not. Just make sure you find somebody that you vibe with I think that's super important and somebody who listens to you and obviously, like I said, licensed in your state, wherever you are.
Speaker 1:Number two pair your acupuncture sessions with mindful practices like breathing exercises, movement or meditation. Now, I don't think you should do this while you're moving, but it's good to do your acupuncture and then go move right, like walk, go to the gym, swim, whatever it is you enjoy doing. Do your acupuncture with your sessions. I mean, I'm sorry, do your acupuncture with your workouts, but not at the same time. Acupuncture with your workouts but not at the same time. Now you can do breathing exercises with your acupuncture. I have people do it all the time. I think I mentioned this earlier. If people come in to see me for stress, we do the box breathing technique while they're on the table. And meditation meditation. You guys know how much I love mindful meditation. It is a great thing to do while you're doing your acupuncture sessions. You can do how much I love mindful meditation. It is a great thing to do while you're doing your acupuncture sessions. You can do it on the table with the needles or, you know, when you get home or in the morning, whatever. Whatever again works for you.
Speaker 1:Number three track your progress. Write down how you feel before and after your sessions. This is important because acupuncture can work in profound ways. Some people will say, oh my gosh, like I had the best night of sleep after my session. Or they will get off the table and we call it the acuzone Like. I've seen people run into walls because they were just so like in another world. Those are pretty obvious responses, but more often acupuncture works in a very subtle way and once you walk out the clinic door and you get back to your busy, busy life, you are not paying attention.
Speaker 1:And one of the most repeated comments that I get, when people come back and I ask how they did over the week, the number one comment I get the number one result is you know what, when I think back, over the week, my environment stayed the same. Nothing changed in my environment. The stressors are all still there, but I handled it differently. So if I would have never asked that question, I don't know if they would have ever reflected on that and had an awareness of that. So I think it's really important to track your progress, especially if you're in high, high stress situations and you cannot get out of that stressful situation Like as soon as you walk out that door all those stressors are still there. I think it's really important to journal and reflect and to measure and track your progress. Okay, and the last one I'm going to share with you is keep it consistent by scheduling your session at the same time each month. That way it's easy to remember, right? Okay, I'm going to go get acupuncture once a month, every Friday at five o'clock so I can start my weekend. That's very common in my clinic, very, very common. And here's a pro tip. The last tip I'm going to share with you, the grand finale here If you're serious about conquering stress, wellness coaching is a fantastic addition, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a wellness coach.
Speaker 1:Coaching offers personalized support and helps you develop stress management strategies uniquely tailored to your lifestyle. Wellness coaching can empower you to understand your stress triggers better, create sustainable habits and build a healthier mindset to keep your stress at bay. Right, we don't want to take away all of our stress. Some stress is important, some stress is good. It challenges us. It challenges our system. We grow from stress, so we just want to learn how to manage our stress to where it's not affecting us negatively and impacting our health and our wellness. So coaching can't say enough good things about it, because it teaches you long-term stress management skills. Okay Well, we're going to wrap it up. So if stress has you feeling worn out or just off balance, acupuncture might be exactly what your nervous system ordered. So I challenge you to book your first session this month and noticed how you feel afterwards whether that's with me, someone else in Houston or someone where you live and I would love to hear about your experience. Your body and your mind will thank you, I promise.
Speaker 1:If you found value in today's chat, share this episode with someone who could use a little nervous system love and drop me a review. Those help me out so much. And let's connect on Instagram. I actually have three Instagram accounts. I have wellness underscore inspire. I have element underscore AccuWell, and then I also have the wellness inspired underscore podcast. Okay Well, never stop exploring, discovering and transforming. I'll see you next time on the Wellness Inspired Podcast.
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Speaker 1:If you're in the Houston area or just visiting and interested in our services acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, zinchiatsu or dry needling therapy contact us. You can find out more on our website at element5omcom. That's element5, the number five omcom, and again, I'll put the link in the show notes. If you're interested in health and wellness coaching, we can connect in the clinic or on zoom. Reach out to us and we'll get you on the schedule and, as always, I would love to hear your feedback. I am dedicated to bringing you great content that is inspiring and informative, with an artsy fun, edgy spin. Thank you so much for listening. We'll meet here again next time. And artsy fun, edgy spin. Thank you so much for listening. We'll meet here again next time and remember, never stop exploring, learning, loving and being you Bye.