Meet Rachel Schaefer, acupuncturist here at Mama Lounge. Rachel has a wealth of eastern knowledge rounded out by a firm grasp of functional western medicine. She has also done a two-year certificate program with a focus on Nutrition to support her belief that FOOD is MEDICINE.
We asked Rachel how she stays so mentally sharp and vivacious with 2 young boys at home:
#1 “Food is Medicine”- take advantage of the bay area abundance, eating seasonally, knowing what drives our vitality nutritionally.
#2 “Find a movement practice that keeps your fire lit” – Rachel does modern dance.
#3 Breath work is the most efficient way of training the nervous system. Even a short practice of meditative breathing reaps huge dividends when engaged in regularly. Training your nervous system that it has options other than fight or flight builds agility and fortitude.
Why this work?
The pairing of study in physiology (especially endocrinology and neurology) with listening closely to women’s bodies towards achieving their greatest vitality is the greatest work for me. We learn so much when we create a space to listen together to what the body has to say. Bearing witness to what my patients achieve when they are in line with this inner dialogue, and sharing what traditional Chinese medicine makes of it is incredible. Such an intimate honor to do this work.
