Wishing you a calm and quiet 2021. I am sheltering-in-place again in the Santa Cruz Mountains, as our ICUs are at capacity and we are waiting to get vaccinated. I am still offering herbal and lifestyle consultations via phone and zoom. Let me know what is new with you and if you want to set up a consultation, even if it is to help brainstorm what you want to change or adjust in the New Year. I will be in touch about any upcoming appointments that we have on the books. I did renew my lease at my Opal Street office just a few weeks ago. I am playing it by ear each week, as I don’t want to endanger anyone by practicing acupuncture and moving between two counties.
A silver lining of this whole pandemic for me has been the time to get more involved with racial justice and activism in the local Santa Cruz County chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). The Bay Area and San Francisco chapters of SURJ are amazing and offer so many ways to get involved each week. Below are some end-of-the-year resources, reminders, and actions we can all take and enjoy as we wait for this outbreak to pass.
As y’all know, we are in the final push for the Georgia Senate elections. These two runoffs are crucial for us to take back the Senate and get some real change to happen in the next few years! Donate to the New Georgia Project, Black Voters Matter, Fair Fight or directly to Rev. Warnock and Jon Ossoff. Or donate your time and communication skills with SURJ and Southern Crossroads by calling voters in Georgia.
Support the Demand that the Biden-Harris Administration meet with Black Lives Matter
Last week, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris met with several Civil Rights leaders and groups. But Black Lives Matter (BLM) was not invited! As the largest civil rights movement of the 21st century and a leader in the protests against police murders of Black people, BLM deserves a seat at the table. Add your name to the 64,000 people who have already signed the petition, calling on the incoming administration to meet with BLM.
Read: This article about Baldwin and Buddhism. And this statement from James Baldwin, he starts speaking around minute 14. Then read about “how the clash between the civil rights firebrand and the father of modern conservatism continues to illuminate America’s racial divide” by checking out The Fire Is Upon Us, which was highlighted in the Code Switch episode on top book recommendations from this past year.
Watch: My Ancestors’ Home about the Ohlone in the Bay Area
On Netflix: Chadwick Boseman’s final role and Viola Davis in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The Forty-Year-Old Version
Listen: Bryan Stevenson interviewed on the On Being Podcast
Below are some wise words from Arundhati Roy and Sonya Renee Taylor. As we reflect at the end of this unprecedented year, consider these questions: What do you want to bring with you into the New Year? What do you want to leave behind? What new version of the world is possible? What can we imagine and envision together?
During this wintertime of stillness, mourning, reflecting, and receiving, be sure to stay warm, hydrated, and practice self-acceptance. Winter is the season of the water element, the kidneys and bladder, and fear. Take time to recharge your battery, which includes your adrenals on top of your kidneys. Eat root veggies, soups, whole grains, and get enough protein. Ginger, nutmeg, and garlic can keep us warm internally, as can a chai tea. Stay as cozy as you can. Cheers!
Sending you all the very best as we continue to move into these uncharted winter waters together, Erin
Erin Wood, Licensed Acupuncturist 