SOHMA: The Path to Tai Chi & Qi Gong Mastery

SOHMA (School of Healing Martial Arts): The Path to Tai Chi & Qi Gong Mastery. Transform your health with expert training. Join our community and start today.

Dr. Daniel Hoover

Top 5 Signs You Need To Consult a Herbalist

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Herbal remedies are some of the oldest forms of medicine. In recent years, herbal supplements have increased in popularity as an alternative and complementary supplement. Herbal remedies are often associated with wellness and natural healing. Many people who use herbal remedies highlight that herbal medicine shows fewer adverse side effects and is seen as a natural alternative to modern medicine.

Unfortunately, unlike modern medicine, herbal supplements aren’t regulated as strictly. Therefore, it is best practice to receive herbal supplements and treatment programs from a reputable source. Today, we’ll go over five signs for which you should consult an herbalist.

Reliable Herbal Supplement Provider

Many people would like to give herbal remedies and supplements a try. However, unlike modern medicine, herbal supplements aren’t regulated as strictly. Unfortunately, many companies are willing to mislabel their products for profit. This can include providing supplements with a weaker active ingredient, misleading quality, and more. At SOHMA Integrative Medicine in Long Beach, CA, we carry the highest quality supplements held to exceptional quality standards.

When seeking high-quality herbal supplements, it’s best to consider factors like ingredient sourcing, transparency, and testing in order to provide you with a safe and effective product. This can be time-consuming. For this reason, it’s a great idea to consult with a trustworthy herbalist.

Supplement Effectiveness

Some herbal supplements may deliver different results. This can be for various reasons, including the quality of the supplements, a change in lifestyle, or an introduction to other medications. If the effectiveness of your supplements has changed, your condition should be looked at again. There are many adverse interactions between modern medications and herbal remedies. Ginkgo biloba, for example, is commonly used to help with circulatory and respiratory conditions. However, when combined with aspirin, a commonly sold over-the-counter NSAID can cause severe bleeding.

Consulting with an herbalist can not only help assess the efficacy of your supplements. They can also help you explore alternative approaches based on your changing needs.

Slow or Lackluster Results

While modern medicine frequently manages symptoms, herbal remedies attempt to find the root cause of the issue. This means herbal treatment generally takes longer to see results when compared to pharmaceuticals. It’s not uncommon for people to follow two or three weeks of treatment before seeing noticeable results. The longer herbal medicine is taken, the stronger the effect can be within the body.

However, if time has passed and there are little to no positive results, you should consult with an herbalist to ensure you’re on the right path or if they should change their approach to your condition.

Chronic Stress

A number of everyday situations can cause stress. Unfortunately, many people disregard the potential risks of being stressed. Known as the silent killer, stress can result in several mental and physical conditions if left unchecked. These can include:

  •  Insomnia
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Weight Gain
  • Hair Loss
  • Irritability

Herbalists can provide you with natural solutions to help you manage chronic stress. They can offer a personalized herbal formula and lifestyle recommendations to promote mental health and wellbeing.

Immune System Support

Your immune system is your body’s first line of defense from viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. Keeping your immune system healthy and strong can help your body fight off pathogens and remain healthy. Many herbs can help with boosting your immune system. Some of these you can find at your local grocery store, such as cinnamon, ginseng, and garlic.

However, if you prefer, you can consult a herbalist who can recommend herbal supplements to support and strengthen the immune system. After all, garlic can boost your immune system but leave unpleasant breath behind. A herbalist can offer preventive measures against many illnesses without affecting your social life. 

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can contact us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

How To Become a Tai Chi Instructor

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If you have seen a group of people slowly moving in unison at your local park, they are likely practicing Tai Chi. Tai Chi has become one of the most popular martial arts practiced in the US because of its approach to providing a gentle workout that offers several benefits.

Perhaps you’ve been an active practitioner in our free Tai Chi class for beginners in Heartwell Park, Long Beach, CA, next to the duck pond, and you feel ready to pass your knowledge to your class. Fortunately, there are many tools available to become a Tai Chi instructor. 

Today, we’ll review what you may need to prepare to become a certified Tai Chi instructor.

Develop a Strong Foundation

This may be apparent, though it’s essential to build upon a strong foundation of Tai Chi. This can be developed through in-person classes, such as our free Long Beach class, or various online tools. This includes the Tai Chi for Beginners playlist hosted by Dr. Hoover, a Tai Chi Master and 5th Degree Black Belt in Shaolin Kempo. Ideally, you’ll want to master the basic movements and understand the underlying principles of Tai Chi. This means understanding the movements within the form as we know the philosophies of Tai Chi.

If you can complete the basic form accurately and fluently, congratulations, you may be ready to learn how to become an instructor and teach your class.

Gain Teaching Experience

Being able to perform the movements and understand the principles and philosophies of Tai Chi is a great start. Though learning Tai Chi and teaching it require two distinct abilities. You can obtain practical teaching experience by assisting experienced instructors. Hands-on experience is crucial for being able to develop an effective teaching method. As well as building confidence in your abilities as an instructor.

Communication Skills are Crucial

Many of the best Tai Chi instructors are great communicators. Only some students will learn using the same method as you did. Communicating well also allows instructors to adapt their teaching styles to suit students’ learning styles. Clear communication on safety and proper movements can help prevent injuries. While Tai Chi is generally seen as a safe exercise to practice for nearly everyone, many students with limited mobility will need to modify a pose to fit their needs.

You’ll need to be able to communicate with your students well to ensure they understand the movements and teachings of Tai Chi. New students exploring Tai Chi for the first time will frequently have many questions. As an instructor, you’ll need to be able to articulate responses to these students’ questions, allowing them to deepen their understanding of Tai Chi.

Education and Certification

Gaining a formal Tai Chi instructor’s certification is essential to becoming a Tai Chi instructor. 

At SOHMA Integrative Medicine in Long Beach, CA, we offer training courses and certifications for individuals aspiring to become qualified Tai Chi instructors.

This 100-hour course prepares you to teach your class. You’ll learn from Dr. Hoover, who will give students a detailed understanding of Tai Chi. His unique approach blends the principles of Tai Chi Chuan and medical traditions, allowing his students to understand Tai Chi and how to apply it.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can contact us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

How To Search For a Myer’s Cocktail Treatment Near Me

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A woman’s hand holds a smartphone with an online map that has a red geolocation icon on it. In the background, there is a blurred street.Close up. Concept of online navigation and GPS

Athletes have used Myer’s cocktail intravenous (IV) therapy for a number of years to help them recover and rehydrate. However, Myer’s cocktail IV therapy isn’t exclusively for athletes and has many benefits for anyone who wants to try it. At SOHMA Integrated Medicine, we offer Myer’s cocktail, a perfectly crafted blend of vitamins and minerals, including:

  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin B Complex
  • Magnesium
  • Calcium

Myer’s cocktail IV therapy has several beneficial properties. You must find a reputable wellness center that provides Myer’s cocktail IV therapy to access these. Join me as we explore what to consider when searching for a Myer’s cocktail treatment in your area.

Why is Myer’s Cocktail IV Therapy Popular? 

Myer’s Cocktail IV therapy has been used to boost your immune system while quickly hydrating you. It’s a great way to boost energy without reaching out for a sugary energy drink or yet another cup of coffee. It has also been used to fight annoying hangovers. Additionally, Myer’s Cocktail IV therapy has shown positive results in helping people manage symptoms caused by chronic fatigue syndrome, adrenal fatigue, fibromyalgia, migraines, and more.

The nutrients in Myer’s cocktail IV therapy are delivered directly to the bloodstream through an IV drip. The same system is found in hospitals to deliver fluids and medicine. Instead of medicine, Myer’s cocktail IV therapy delivers fluid and essential nutrients the body needs to maintain balance. You bypass the digestive system by delivering the nutrients directly to the bloodstream. This allows the body to use the nutrients immediately without waiting for the body to break down and absorb the nutrients, unlike when taking a multivitamin orally.  

Start Your Search Online

Nowadays, nearly all the information you need is in the palm of your hand. Searching online can give you a great starting point of what locations are nearest to you. While still online, you can search aggregate review websites such as Yelp or reviews on Google.

Use these tools to gain insight into the experience of other patients who have gotten a Myer’s cocktail IV therapy from that location. Reviews provide valuable information on the service quality, effectiveness, and overall satisfaction with their experience. Be wary, though, as shady companies buy positive reviews to embellish their reputation. Generally, it’s good practice to consider the number of reviews and the overall rating. For example, a location rated 4 stars with over a hundred reviews should outweigh a location rated 5 stars with only a couple dozen reviews.

Professional Referrals

If you need additional help finding the right location, consider asking your primary care provider if they know of any locations they can refer you to. These kinds of referrals carry substantial weight as they know your health history and are typically looking to improve your overall health. This kind of referral also acknowledges the location’s expertise and may be seen as an endorsement. It’s a form of professional networking and acknowledgment within the wellness community.

Explore their Social Media

Once you’ve found a location, consider looking through their social media. Social media communities will regularly share experiences and insight about the location’s services, treatment, and overall maintenance. You can gain further insight by reading any real-time feedback shared by users. Additionally, you can have interactive discussions with other users of the staff of the location, where you can receive advice and learn more information about the location to make a well-informed decision.

Word of Mouth

Be bold and ask your friends, family, or colleagues if they have any recommendations. Word of mouth is often discounted in this age of technology. Yet word-of-mouth referrals are powerful as someone would unlikely refer to a lackluster location if they had a bad experience. For this reason, word-of-mouth recommendations are often seen as one of the most reliable sources of endorsements.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can contact us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

What Does Acupuncture Do For Your Health

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An ancient Chinese medicine, Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to help manage pain and treat several physical, mental, and emotional health issues. The practice involves the insertion of incredibly thin needles into the skin and soft tissue. These needles have a  similar thickness to human hair, which is inserted into acupoints. Acupoints are strategic locations in the body that, when triggered, may stimulate the body to release natural chemicals to help with symptoms.

While the thought of inserting needles may seem unnerving to some, many patients find the experience pleasant. While others find it relaxing and don’t even feel the needles.

Today, we’ll explore the benefits of acupuncture and what it can do for your overall health.

Aid in Pain Management 

Managing pain is one of the most common uses for acupuncture. Nearly everyone can relate to having to deal with pain. Many causes of chronic pain can be caused by ignoring early symptoms. Though when we think of pain, we usually think of injuries or accidents as a significant cause of pain. Yet pain can manifest in a wide variety of forms, including:

  • Muscle Pain
  • Back Pain
  • Headaches
  • Joint Pain
  • Muscle Tension
  • Dental Pain
  • Neck Pain

Pharmaceuticals and other drugs are occasionally prescribed to help mask the symptoms of pain without resolving the main issue. You can avoid the use of addictive drugs with acupuncture.

When the correct acupoints are triggered, the body may release a natural pain-relieving chemical known as endorphins. These endorphins help to mitigate some of the pain your body is dealing with. Additionally, triggering the correct acupoints can help relieve muscle tension or stiffness. This can not only help further manage pain symptoms, but it can also be helpful when recovering. Often, stiffness and muscle tension make it difficult to do proper recovery exercises. Acupuncture can assist as a complementary therapy to chiropractic care or physical therapy.

Improved Sleep Experience

Sleeping is when the body’s muscles and tissue repair and rejuvenate. Sleep is also when your mind can take a break. When your sleep is constantly being disturbed, it can significantly affect your mental health. The inability to have a healthy sleep cycle with good quality rest can significantly affect your mind and body in several ways, including:

  • Improved Immune System
  • Weight Management
  • Lowers Risk of Heart Disease
  • Lowers Risk of Diabetes
  • Reduces Stress
  • Improves Mood
  • Improved Mental Clarity

A contributing factor to poor sleep is pain. As previously stated, acupuncture can help manage this. However, acupuncture can aid in mitigating other factors that affect one’s sleep. Acupuncture can be a relaxing experience, and it’s not uncommon for some patients to take a small nap. By promoting relaxation, acupuncture may contribute to better sleep quality.

Stress and anxiety can also influence the ability and quality of sleep. Acupuncture is said to have calming effects on the nervous system. This may help to reduce both stress and anxiety levels in some. This can significantly help you fall asleep sooner and have fewer interruptions when you sleep. 

Improved Immune Function

Your immune system is your front line in fighting off pathogens and other viral, fungal, or bacterial infections. Our bodies are incredible at keeping us healthy and safe naturally. Traditional Chinese medicine says that acupuncture may be a factor in holistic well-being by promoting the balance of energy in the body. 

It’s been stated that acupuncture may have anti-inflammatory properties, along with the benefits previously stated in this article. When your mind, body, and spirit are balanced, your body doesn’t need to fight to feel good. This allows your immune system to be prepared for any future ailment you may suffer.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can contact us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

Benefits of Practicing Tai Chi Regularly

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Tai Chi has been practiced for thousands of years and originated in ancient China. Every year, more and more people join classes or practice this martial art dubbed “meditation in motion” at home. In fact, it’s not uncommon to pass by a park and see a group of people practicing this martial art together in unison.

With the new year quickly approaching, many people go to the gym expecting immediate results and quitting when things get too difficult. Let’s try to break this cycle. Join a Tai Chi class instead of going to a gym just to straighten your body. Not only will you gain physical health benefits, but you’ll also gain mental and spiritual health.

Those looking for a New Year’s resolution that they can keep Tai Chi have a significant amount of benefits for those who can be consistent, and today, we’ll be covering some of those benefits.

Stress Reducer 

Often overlooked, stress can have an incredibly negative impact on your daily life. Stress is called “the silent killer” because there aren’t any obvious signs of the damage that stress is causing. Sure, you can notice a change in a person’s mood or behavior, though stress can lead to several serious conditions, including:

  • Chronic Fatigue
  • Sleep Disorders
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Loss of Appetite
  • Physical Discomfort

Simply put, living with unmanaged stress can affect your mind and body in ways you may not understand. When not taken care of, stress can lead to many other changes, such as social withdrawal. This can lead to substance abuse and ultimately change your life for the worse. Practicing Tai Chi regularly can help maintain a lower stress level that can be better managed and improve your health holistically.

Improved Mental Health

Tai Chi is regularly referred to as “meditation in motion.” This is because Tai Chi uses slow and gentle movements, making the practitioner aware of their body and mind processes. When practicing Tai Chi, there is an emphasis on controlled deep breathing. Coordinating with the poses and movements helps to calm the mind. Which in turn reduces stress and increases oxygen flow through the body. This promotes relaxation.

The combination of gentle movements and the focus on deep breathing puts your mind and body in a meditative state, and with it comes the benefits of meditation. Meditation has been shown to help manage stress levels, which can reduce tension in the body. This can have the added benefit of reducing pain caused by muscle tension. Regular meditation has also been shown to help improve your focus, improve your memory, and gain clear-headedness.

Improve your Heart’s Health

It’s never too late or too early to start caring for your heart’s health. After all, you only get one. Tai Chi as an exercise is incredibly beneficial for your cardiovascular system. This is because Tai Chi, similarly to jogging, uses repetitive contractions of large muscle groups to get the heart beating more. Although with much less stress on your muscles, bones, and joints. By doing this consistently, you can strengthen your heart’s blood vessels. By doing Tai Chi regularly, you can improve oxygen flow throughout your body, which can help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol while increasing your stamina. 

Tai Chi has also been recommended for people recovering from heart surgery. Because the movements aren’t seen as strenuous, practicing Tai Chi can help strengthen a patient’s heart without overworking it.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can contact us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.