Easy Exercise for Lower Back Pain

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac.

I’m sure you've experienced lower back pain at some point in your life. You may even be experiencing it right now.

In a society where we spend most of our time sitting on chairs and couches, tightness and pain in the lower back is all too common, and one of the most popular complaints from patients in our clinic.

And while more chronic cases may not resolve so quickly, my hope is that this article will empower you to better understand your pain, as well as to help you use a simple exercise to alleviate some of the discomfort right away.

Why You May Have Lower Back Pain

There are many reasons why lower back pain develops.

One cause is too much compression from excessive sitting or standing that causes the area around the lumbar spine to tighten up.

As we get older, not only do the Yin or fluids that lubricate your body’s tissues, tendons and sinews naturally diminish, but your spine (byway of gravity) also starts to compress.

This is why it’s so important to preserve and replenish your Yin constantly through proper diet and rest, and to prevent your spine from compressing through elongation exercises and movement practices like Yoga and Qi Gong.

By elongating your spine through these various practices as well as by hanging upside down or from a pull-up bar regularly, you’ll maintain the integrity of the intervertebral spaces in your spine.

This helps prevent abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal or neural foramen, which can lead to spinal stenosis with pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots that cause pain, numbness or weakness in the limbs.

Another cause of lower back pain can be related to burnout from a lack of sleep, excessive work, exercise or sex, or a diet filled with processed foods — all of which contribute to adrenal fatigue.

If you’ve been pushing your body too hard for too long or you’re not sleeping enough, you may start to excessively tax your adrenal glands, which can lead to hormonal and metabolic dysfunction.

The adrenal glands are a pair of endocrine glands located above your kidneys that produce a variety of hormones, including adrenaline and the steroids aldosterone and cortisol, that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, response to stress and other essential biological functions.

Your adrenal glands are associated with your Kidneys in Chinese Medicine so excessive taxation on the adrenals burdens your Kidney Qi, which can lead to lower back and knee pain, fatigue, and premature aging, among other symptoms.

Lower back pain may also result from injury, as well as from psychological and emotional upset that’s mostly associated with fear.

Fear is the emotion of the Kidneys according to Chinese Medicine and since the Kidneys are located in your lower back, fear can trigger tension in this area of your body.

According to Louise Hay, author of You Can Heal Your Life, lower back pain may reflect your fear of money or lack of financial support.

And since I always believe that moving your body is essential to shifting your mind and mood, I think one of the best ways to shift out of an emotional state like fear that may be keeping you stuck is to move your body, simply and gently.

Easy Exercise for Lower Back Pain

The simple exercise I'm sharing with you takes 2 minutes and can be done sitting on the floor with your legs crossed or sitting up on the edge of a chair.

It'll not only free your lower back, but it also opens your hips and helps send energy up your spine to bring Qi to your brain for greater alertness, focus and concentration.

So if your back is tight from sitting around (or even standing) too much during this pandemic, you'll want to make this simple exercise part of your daily routine.

Opening the Heavenly Pillar is an excellent exercise to help alleviate lower back pain, tension and stiffness and is gentle enough to do sitting in a chair or on the floor.

Make sure to start with small, slow circles at first, then work up to more rapid rotations.

This is one of the easiest exercises for lower back pain and to release tension in the spine in general.

Taking just two minutes to open your spine can also reset your mood and help you feel more embodied.

Once you’ve practiced, let me know how this exercise made you feel in the comments below!

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Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. is Co-Owner and Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a health and wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. Dr. Moafi offers a one-of-a-kind form of empowerment coaching, clinical services, and transformational workshops and online courses that blend the ancient practices of Classical Chinese Medicine and Yoga. More information at www.setarehmoafi.com. 

Don't Let Low Libido Get You Down

by Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

One of the most common complaints I hear from patients of all ages is low sex drive. Today with so many people overworking, we see this problem with younger and younger patients.

Understanding the core causes of low sex drive can lead to effective treatment with Chinese Medicine. Since the sexual reproductive system is driven by the Kidney’s energy we often need to focus on restoring Kidney Essence and Kidney Yang Qi to restore both sexual drive and function.

The genesis of low libido patterns often arise due to exhaustion from an imbalanced lifestyle. When too much is demanded of the body’s resources from overwork and stress to overindulgence in sex, drugs and late nights, the body’s Essence and Yang Qi simply eventually can’t keep up and low libido can develop regardless of one’s age.

In general, low libido and decreased sexual performance are often rooted in damaging lifestyle patterns which include a chronic lack of sleep, excessive use of stimulants and recreational drugs, excessive sexual activity and, of course, exhaustion from overworking and stress.

Furthermore, low libido is occurring more frequently in younger individuals these days because in general the constitutional Essence of the younger generation isn’t as strong as older generations who lived closer to the earth and had simpler lifestyles.

Of course, the physical demands on the older generations was often quite extreme and people in general didn’t live as long as we do today, but these prior generations grew up on wholesome natural foods void of the sugar and food additives found in today’s modern American diet.

Beginning with the advent of TV dinners in the mid-1950’s and prepared frozen meals, the Standard American diet started to decline. Add in an increase in sugar and chemicals in the diet of young people and newer generation mothers will tend to develop weaker constitutions which will impact their offspring’s constitution as well. Furthermore, this situation has been exacerbated with the poor toxic diets children grow up on from birth to adulthood.

With this said, we can see why low libido is a more common issue today than years past along with the issue of infertility which has become a booming industry because of these factors.

In environments like Silicon Valley where I practice Chinese Medicine, work and life-stress in general is extremely high and this creates a chronic situation where unnatural demands on the body’s resources to support stress hormones far exceeds the need to produce sexual reproductive hormones.

This exposure to chronic stress over time can lead to sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction (ED) as well as infertility.

It’s no wonder a study many years ago demonstrated that 50% of the infertile women who practiced meditation daily ended up getting pregnant. 50% got pregnant naturally from simply relaxing! Meditation and relaxation helped regulate their sexual hormones so they were able to get pregnant through natural means.

The end result of extreme daily stress can not only lead you to feeling tired, but can also lead to a lack of interest or energy to engage in sex. This is because if your body is working overtime during periods of high stress, your resources will be utilized to produce stress hormones and therefore reduces the resources necessary to produce sexual hormones to help your body regenerate and support healthy reproductive function—which is also why long term stress accelerates the aging process.

Even if improving your sexual function is not your priority, this topic is important so you understand how to preserve youthfulness and ensure graceful aging.

Your Jing

Maintaining healthy DNA relates to maintaining your Jing. The organ system that stores and preserves your Jing is the Kidney system. The adrenal glands are also a part of the Kidney organ system. For example, when a woman goes into menopause and her ovaries shut down, the adrenal glands take over the production of sexual hormones, including estrogen and progesterone.

It’s thus essential that a woman struggling with menopause supports her adrenal glands during this transitional period. This is why overworked women with exhausted adrenal glands are prone to suffer from menopausal symptoms such as hot flushing and night sweats.

Your Jing can also be impacted by emotional trauma. Since the Kidneys relate to the emotion of fear and shock, a person who has gone through great trauma can also develop weakened Kidney’s Essence, which can lead to reproductive problems and menopausal symptoms as well.

In Chinese Medicine, Jing is a reflection of the status of Yin, which is a form of fluids. As a form of fluids, Blood helps to nourish Yin. It’s therefore essential to keep the blood strong to support the nourishment of the Kidney Yin.

According to Chinese Medicine, the Liver Blood protects the Kidney Essence from declining, so supporting the Liver to store blood is key to protecting your Jing and preserving your youthfulness.

A diet that includes red meat such as beef, lamb and bison supports the Liver to store blood. If a person has weak blood and is a vegetarian, it’s indeed much more difficult to help the Liver store blood especially in terms of supporting fertility.

One of my first Chinese Medicine teachers who specialized in treating infertility would turn away patients who were vegetarian if they wanted to get pregnant. This is because a diet that excludes red meat is much more challenging to build up the Liver’s Blood than a meat-based diet.

Animal products such as beef and lamb support both the Yin and Yang aspects of the Kidneys so these are powerful, vitalizing foods. When a person is working hard physically or mentally and suffering from sexual reproduction problems like infertility and low libido, boosting the Yin with cholesterol foods supports the raw material for hormone production.

Fortify Your Yang Qi to Boost Your Libido

Four-legged animals like cows and lambs are imbued with a lot of Yang Qi energy, so eating this type of meat can quickly fortify your Yang to enhance energy and sexual performance.

In addition, Acupuncture and Qi Gong are modalities that can help fortify your Yang Qi. Along with consumption of animal products, these powerful practices can help enhance your libido and sexual reproductive functions.

Enhancing your Qi with Acupuncture and Qi Gong helps stimulate Yang Qi to strengthen the production and consolidation of Yin to support your sexual reproduction system. And as your body becomes more balanced through these modalities, sleep will improve and your Yin will also increase because resting is key to regenerating and preserving your Kidney Yin. Increasing your Kidney Yin equates to increasing the production of reproductive hormones such as testosterone, estrogen and progesterone to help restore and optimize sexual function.

Here are some herbs that can help out as well.

*Five Herbs to Support Your Sex Drive

Herbal medicine is an important aspect of Chinese Medicine to support your Liver to store Blood and boost your Kidneys’ Yin and Yang energies. Though I’m discussing some individual herbs as examples in this article, it’s important to understand that in the practice of Chinese Medicine, we do not generally prescribe herbs individually but rather we use them synergistically in formulas to counterbalance any side effects.

Since supporting your adrenals is key to boosting your Kidneys, I’ve chosen to share some common herbs that support both adrenal function and sexual health. These herbs include Ashwaganda, Gotu Kola, Holy Basil (Tulsi), Epimedium (also called the ‘Horny Goat Weed’ and Yin Yang Huo) and Cuscuta Seed (also called Chinese Dodder Seed and Tu Si Zi in Chinese Medicine).

1. Ashwagandha is a popular herb that’s native to India. Ashwagandha is known as Indian Ginseng and is especially useful for men with low testosterone, low sperm count and low libido. It also helps reduce anxiety and boosts GABA, a brain neurotransmitter that both helps you relax when overstressed and promotes sleep, which is critical to restore adrenal strength.

   Since Ashwagandha is considered a Kidney Yin and Yang tonic, it can potentially be too warming for some patients so keep this in mind when using it. It has been shown to increase the adrenal’s production of DHEA, a precursor hormone for testosterone, estrogen and progesterone. It’s also been found to reduce depression.

   Generally speaking, Ashwagandha is considered a supportive agent for low libido and erectile dysfunction, but keep in mind if you have Yin deficiency with heat signs, Ashwaganda can create too much heat in the body.

   In these cases, it’s best to nourish the body’s Yin and slowly introduce a warming agent like Ashwagandha along with cooling Yin nourishing herbs. Often times, once the Kidneys’ Yin is nourished, warming stimulants are not even necessary.

   Yin burns out first then the body’s Yang weakens, so it’s important to nourish Yin to recover your Yang Qi. Since resting is a Yin activity, rest is essential for recuperating your vitality.

2. Gotu Kola is one of my favorite brain herbs. Gotu Kola strongly benefits brain health by improving circulation and thereby increasing oxygenation into the brain. Gotu Kola has also been found to promote regeneration of brain nerve cells.

   Since the brain is considered the seat of the Kidney’s Jing, we can see how Gotu Kola is a potent Kidney tonic.

   Gotu Kola is also known for its ability to improve memory recall. Since memory recall is a function of the Liver in Chinese Medicine, we can make the association of how Gotu Kola supports the Liver’s Blood.

   With such potent brain function benefits, it’s no wonder Gotu Kola has long been considered an important longevity herb.

   In terms of libido, Gotu Kola is also considered an aphrodisiac and this is possibly due to its enhancement of blood circulation, which can help with supporting erection and sexual satisfaction. Gotu Kola also helps calm the nervous system and reduces anxiety as well as depression which can also benefit one’s sexual desire.

   As a blood invigorating herb, it can potentially overstimulate menstruation and is contraindicated during pregnancy. Because of these side effects it’s always advised to consult an herbal professional when using herbal supplements

3. Holy Basil is a common Ayurvedic herb used to support adrenal health. Holy Basil is also called Tulsi meaning “Sacred Plant” in the Ayurvedic tradition.

   Holy Basil helps reduce cortisol levels and therefore has a potent stress reducing action on the body.

   By reducing cortisol, it allows the adrenal glands to conserve energy and resources for the production of sex hormones rather than stress hormones. This is why even though Holy Basil is an adrenal supporting herb, it’s more of a relaxant than a stimulant that helps with anxiety and stress management.

   Ironically, Holy Basil can actually reduce sexual desire, but the reason I’ve included it in this discussion on low libido is that if you’re exhausted from overwork and stress, it’s essential to first recuperate your energy before you can expect to frolic between the sheets.

   An important warning when using Holy Basil is that it’s so strong in winding down a hyped up neuroendocrine system that if you’re already burned out, you may feel worse when taking it. In such cases, Holy Basil should be augmented with other supportive herbal agents or avoided altogether.

   Holy Basil can also reduce blood sugar so if a person has hypoglycemia, Holy Basil may not be well tolerated and contraindicated. Ideally, Holy Basil is for the very hyper type person who can’t seem to slow down and relax and not a person who is already dragging.

   For the overly exhausted person who feels cold and uninterested in sex, an herb like Epimedium, also known as Horny Goat Weed, may be more appropriate.

4. Epimedium is one of the important herbs to add into a formula when a person is truly lacking a sex drive but not overheated from Yin deficiency.

   What this means is a person should not be too dry and hot inside because Horny Goat Weed will exacerbate an overheated body and cause further burnout.

   Under the right conditions, Epimedium can be a true wonder herb when someone needs a boost with their sexual appetite and sexual potency especially when used at the right time and with assistant Yin tonic herbs to balance out its overly warming side effects.

5. Cuscuta Seed (Tu Si Zi) is an important herb used in Chinese Herbal Medicine to strengthen the Kidney Yang Qi and nourish the Kidney Yin. It also helps astringe Jing to reduce the loss of Essence if premature ejaculation and urinary frequency are problems.

   By benefiting Kidney Yang, Cuscuta seeds also help boost sexual desire and reduce sexual impotence.

   Since Cuscuta seeds also nourish both the Kidney and Livers’ Yin, this herb helps strengthen the lumbar spine for lower back pain problems which as you can imagine will improve one’s sexual performance as well. In addition, in terms of nourishing the Livers’ Yin, Cuscuta seeds help reduce blurry vision and spots before the eyes. This herb is often combined with Gou Qi Zi berries to improve the vision and I have had personal experience with the benefits of these herbs for vision enhancement and use them periodically when my vision seems to weaken.

In Summary

While Chinese Medicine is a complex study that offers many herbs to support low libido and sexual function, these are some common herbs you may be familiar with that are used today in modern herbalism for low libido and what I will call ‘sexual rehabilitation’.

For any reproduction issue it’s imperative to keep the Liver Blood strong because this is how the Kidney Yin maintains its health. In addition, once the Yin and Blood are depleted, the Yang will suffer and this will compromise the sex drive and libido.

The herbs presented in this article are supportive agents to nourish the Liver Blood and strengthen the Kidney Yin and Yang energies of the body and thereby help normalize sexual reproduction functions.

*This article is for educational purposes only and it’s strongly advised that you consult a medical professional who specializes in herbal medicine before embarking on using these potent substances. Remember that even though an herb may seem appropriate for you, it may be contraindicated with your specific health pattern or need to be used in conjunction with other herbs to balance its side effects.

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Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac. is Founder & Co-Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, CA, a wellness clinic he runs with his wife, Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac., that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine & Japanese Meridian Therapy, a rare non-insertion form of Acupuncture using Gold and Silver needles. Learn more at www.acenterfornaturalhealing.com.

Here's How to End Brain Fog

By Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

According to Chinese Medicine theory, your Kidneys store your essential energy, or Essence, known as Jing Qi. We are all born with a finite amount of Jing Qi and therefore it’s important to safe-guard this valuable resource. In fact, Jing Qi is our most important commodity as it relates to your cellular DNA and your body’s hormonal reserves required to support healthy aging.

The Kidneys are more than just an individual organ in Chinese Medicine as they correspond to a complex system of organs and structures including the reproductive system, the adrenal glands, the ears (auditory system), the entire skeletal structure and the brain. Important hormones that support your body’s ability to regenerate, such as DHEA, testosterone, progesterone and estrogen all relate to your Kidneys health.

The brain is an extension of your Kidney system and considered the seat of your Jing Qi. Maintaining the health of your Kidneys is therefore vital to support your overall health and the health of your brain.

The Adrenal Glands & Brain Health

The adrenal glands sit on top of each kidney and produce a number of different steroid hormones that regulate many functions to maintain healthy metabolism and brain function.

The adrenals are commonly known as the “stress” glands because they respond to acute stress.

If these episodes of stress become chronic, long lasting recurring events, they can drive the body into metabolic crises.

Cortisol is a primary steroid hormone produced and released by the adrenal glands during periods of stress. Short-term, cortisol is our friend, but over long sustained periods, cortisol can create elevated blood sugar and induce a state known as insulin resistance that can lead to weight gain with increased belly fat and high blood pressure. The occurrence of all these factors can lead to the development of Syndrome X, a metabolic disorder that leads to heart disease and diabetes.

Furthermore, having too much sugar floating around the blood with cells that are impaired to utilize it can lead to sticky blood causing blood stagnation and an excessively fungal internal environment referred to in Chinese Medicine as Dampness.

Too much dampness can cause this excessive moisture to dampen the activity of the brain’s neurons, leading to impaired function and symptoms including brain fatigue, brain fog, poor memory, dizziness, and balance disorders — which is why sustained high levels of cortisol coursing through the bloodstream can lead to the suppression of brain function.

When the body has too much moisture, it may inherently try to dry up this dampness by generating heat. Heat is an inflammatory event and when Dampness and Heat combine a congealing effect occurs and this can lead to the development of an advanced pathological condition called Phlegm.

The Brain is a Curious Organ

Lack of clarity in the mind is often due to excessive accumulation of dampness.

According to Chinese Medicine, the Brain, Marrow, Blood Vessels, Bone, Spine and the Uterus/Genitalia comprise the six Curious Organs. In Chinese terminology, “curious” denotes the idea of “extraordinary” as these organ systems relate to the evolution of your body, mind and spirit.

All of the Curious Organs contain hollow spaces and it’s within these spaces that too much moisture can accumulate leading to excessive dampness and eventually the creation of phlegm which can become dense like a tumor.

Managing Dampness is thus fundamental to maintaining the health of your Curious Organs.

In the brain, the creation of Phlegm relates to tumors and more commonly plaque buildup in the brain. These plaques, called amyloid plaques, form between brain nerve cells and cause neuronal death. Phlegm-based amyloid plaques are the basis of more severe brain pathology such as dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. 

Often described as Type 3 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s in particular has a high correlation with elevated blood sugar and therefore the accumulation of excess Dampness in the body.

Dampness Can Be a Response To Internal Heat (Inflammation)

As heat is generated within the body, the system becomes more and more inflamed. In response, the body may begin to retain more moisture (dampness) to suppress the heat, causing excess Heat and excess Dampness occurring simultaneously.

Excessive internal heat is an inflammatory condition relating to a very acidic internal environment which sugar and processed foods will exacerbate.

A diet that’s overly acidic with refined, processed foods and too high in protein, coffee, tea or alcohol will generate excessive internal heat. 

So if you have a lot of heat, it may be appropriate to have a more vegetarian diet for a period of time to reduce this heat.

Heat can also be generated from sustained periods of stress such as long-term emotional and mental anguish and strain. Combined with a high-stress lifestyle with a diet high in protein, sugar, coffee, alcohol, and processed foods creates a recipe for excessive systemic inflammation. 

Just as in nature, heat rises, so excessive inflammation in the body will rise up and cause a brain that’s “on fire,” which can be the root of brain degeneration.

Keep in mind that excessive internal Heat can also be rooted in Dryness within the body, and in this case increasing your diet in healthy fats especially Omega 3 fatty acids will help dampen an inflamed brain and nourish back your brain’s neurons. In cases of Dryness, which Chinese Medicine calls a Deficiency of Yin Fluids, then the tongue body will tend to be small and abnormally red without much of a coating at all.

Fish and Krill Oil are high in two key Omega 3 oils called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which are very nourishing for optimal brain function. If you don’t have a shellfish allergy, Krill oil has been found to have a stronger anti-inflammatory effect if there is a lot of internal heat.

In cases where there’s excess Dampness, however, the tongue body will be swollen and usually with a scalloped edge due to the pressure against the teeth and the tongue coating will be excessively coated with a thick, pasty coat. In these cases, it may be best to avoid taking too much oil in general until this gets cleared up.

Other causes of a Damp fungal terrain in the body is due to the excessive use of medications such as antibiotics, steroids and birth control pills or a diet high in greasy, fried food and nuts. In addition, the regular consumption of cheese, yoghurt and other dairy foods such as milk are often included in the diet of patients with excessive Dampness and a fungal body terrain.

4 Steps to Support Your Brain Health

Here are a 4 key steps to support your daily well-being and the health of your brain, adrenal glands and Kidneys.

• Step 1: Get more rest and sleep. Taking time to rest is the primary way to regenerate your Kidney Qi and restore the health of your adrenal glands, which, when hyper-activate, can contribute to the decline in brain function and brain degeneration.

  Relaxation is the first stage of meditation, and simply taking a little time to meditate goes a long way to help calm an adrenal system in overdrive.  If you find that you’re too tired to meditate, it’s best to simply take a short nap to rest more deeply. 

  Wintertime is the season that corresponds to the Kidneys. Shorter days and longer nights make it a more conducive time for rest to help recuperate this valuable organ system and prepare for the active season of Spring that follows.

  So more rest and deep sleep are the best ways to tone down your hyped-up adrenal glands that can be creating a whole host of metabolic conditions that lead to the decline in brain function and brain degeneration.

• Step 2: Regulate your blood sugar. Reducing your blood sugar if it tends to be elevated is critical to reduce the damp, fungal terrain in the body that literally dampens your brain function and energy levels too.

  Sustained elevated levels of blood sugar down-regulate the insulin receptors found on all of your cells inhibiting them from absorbing sugar efficiently to create energy. This can lead to fatigue and low energy. The signaling of sugar deprivation by your cells triggers further cortisol release, creating a vicious cycle that can lead to a lowered immunity due to increased cortisol levels also down-regulating your immune system.

• Step 3: Reduce inflammation if you tend to be overheated. Generally maintaining an alkaline diet rich in vegetables and low in sugar and processed foods will quickly help you reduce internal heat. In addition, healthy fats, especially Omega 3 oils that support brain health can also help cool your body’s inflammation.

  Other categories of food that can wind up an inflammatory response are nuts, dairy and eggs as they stimulate the body’s Wei Qi and are very warming foods to stimulate heat in the body. The popular daily ritual of drinking celery juice these days is very useful to reduce heat and clear inflammation, however, if your body tends to have internal cold, too much celery juice can weaken your Qi and be counter productive to your health especially in the cold winter months when you need to keep your Yang Qi warm and vital.

  If you feel the need for celery juice, try adding an ounce or so of ginger juice to your morning concoction to reduce the excessively cold property of celery juice and protect your Spleen Qi and digestive power.

  Clinical Tip: If your stool is too soft, then you know your Spleen Qi is weak and digestive power needs to be warmed up rather than cooled down.

• Step 4: Practice Yoga and Qi Gong. Chinese Medicine has established a sophisticated system to strengthen your Kidney system and improve brain function through the use of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Nutrition, and Qi Gong.

  Qi Gong and Yoga are very closely related practices as these Eastern forms of exercise focus on slow movements coordinated with deep breathing, allowing the Kidneys to become recharged with vital Qi energy. Furthermore, deepening your ability to twist and release tension in your shoulders and hips frees the Gallbladder meridian system, which supports the detoxification of all your Curious Organs.

You can practice Triple Energizer Qi Gong at our Dharma Studio with Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac. in Santa Clara, California. Click here to see his schedule of classes.

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Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac. is the Founder and Co-Director of A Center for Natural Healing in Santa Clara, California, a wellness clinic that specializes in Classical Chinese Medicine & Japanese Meridian Therapy, a rare non-insertion form of Acupuncture. Salvador is also the co-host of The Natural Healing Podcast with his wife and partner, Dr. Setareh Moafi.