My First Blog

By Jana Galis

So it’s official. I’m blogging. It’s my first time. If you know me, you know that I’m not on Facebook, or Twitter or Instagram, Snapchat....heck, I was about the last person to get on the cell phone train. Also note-worthy is that I majored in Microbiology mainly so I could avoid the daunting nebulous task of writing. 

You see I like nice neat equations. Multiple choice. One right answer. The whole “write-about-whatever-with-whatever-word-count-but-make-sure-it’s-compelling-and-accurate-and-important-and-emotional-and-DEFINITELY-not-too-long” thing is, quite frankly, nerve wracking. In fact my stomach is starting to feel a bit nerve-wracked as I type this.

Yes, yes, I googled “How to Write your first Blog”. It was pretty helpful, I guess. But kind of like a recipe...works better if you already know how to cook.  

SO, all that is to say, please read on with a wee bit of compassion as I fumble through this.  And the reason I want to fumble through this at all is because I have been told that somehow blogging magically leads to people learning about something that is important to me.  Important enough to (gasp) BLOG about.  

This week 2 years ago we opened Thrive, our Integrative Medical clinic and classroom in Athens, Georgia.  (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!) The fact that we have made it two years feels like somewhat of a miracle to me. You see, in Santa Cruz, California, where I came from, Integrative Medicine is pretty main stream.  And everyone has an Acupuncturist. Often their pets have Acupuncturists.  Even their Acupuncturists have Acupuncturists!  

Here, in the fairly deep South, however (even in our little progressive bubble), we get a LOT of “so you believe in that stuff?” or maybe even “oh, I really believe in that stuff...” followed by the story of Someone They Knew Who Had Some Ailment No One Could Figure Out And Then They Tried Acupuncture And It Worked.  Which is a great story every time. But man would we love to see someone before they’ve seen everybody else!  

And that’s just Acupuncture. Enter newer modalities like Rolfing and Yamuna and people wonder if we are still speaking English.  “Integrity? Integrated? Integral? Int...WHAT kind of clinic is this?!” INT-E-GRAT-IVE. Say it with me now. But what does that mean? Glad you asked.

You’re going to want to keep reading even if you feel like you are wasting you’re time online right now, or something more sexy just popped up on Facebook. And I’ll tell you why; because Integrative Medicine is the future of medicine. Its the future of health. It’s the way we can take the best of all the myriad of modalities out there and feel better.  I mean, what else is there but to feel better!?!? Not just to mask that ouchy so you can muscle through it and continue on in the rat race.  No, Integrative Medicine is about helping us all to become better in our  MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT (yes, that cliche phrase can get on one’s last nerve but just go with me ‘cause I’m getting kinda fired up now and the nerves are less wrack-y).

Wow. Imagine. My body hurts less. My heart is more open. I feel more connected to something bigger than me and my life. 

**********News Bulletin******** This just in. Step 4 of “How to write your first blog” states that the content need not be original and can be a link to another source! Brilliant!!! I think I’’l let Dr. Weil, the father of Integrative Medicine, take y’all the rest of the way. You made it this far, please read this short link:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02054/Andrew-Weil-Integrative-Medicine.html 

Then...Please, Call us sometime or come by. Have tea with us in our waiting room.  Ask us more about this “stuff” we do. Come see why we DO believe in it. And please let us know if there’s anyway we can do to help YOU feel better.  But most of all--THANK YOU for reading my very first blog. Whew. That was cathartic.