Yule Lotus Ornament

Yule Om. This traditional holly green & poinsettia red lotus with Sanskrit Om in center is a subtle way to celebrate the Yuletide season.

Say Om! OM! OM! instead of Ho! Ho! Ho! Visit the Planet Calamari Shoppe for unique holiday gifts and ornaments.

I'll be Gnome for Christmas

Ok ...everyone sing along...I'll be Gnome for Christmas... A most unique holiday gift for every gnome lover!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Planet Calamari.

Visit the Planet Calamari Shoppe

Om! Om! Om!

How does Santa maintain his eternal jolliness? ....Meditation and yoga!

Celebrate the magical season of Christmas with a meditating Santa on a green lotus. To see more of the Mantra Claus design on clothing and holiday gifts, click on the ornament.

To see more alternative holiday designs on gifts and clothing visit Planet Calamari Holiday Magic

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Awareness Day

ABOUT AOM DA

http://www.aomday.org/

"Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day is observed annually on October 24. It is part of an effort designed to increase public awareness of the progress, promise, and benefits of acupuncture and Oriental medicine.

An estimated 36% of U.S. adults use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to a survey by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a component of the National Institutes of Health. When megavitamin therapy and prayer specifically for health reasons is included in the definition of CAM, the number of U.S. adults using some form of CAM in the past year rises to 62%. Among the common CAM practices identified by the survey were acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicine, tai chi and qi gong.

A survey by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine found that approximately one in ten adults had received acupuncture at least one time and 60% said they would readily consider acupuncture as a potential treatment option. Nearly half (48%) of the individuals surveyed who had received acupuncture reported that they were extremely satisfied or very satisfied with their treatment. In addition, one in five (21%) of the total NCCAOM survey respondents reported that they had utilized some other form of Oriental medicine besides acupuncture, such as herbs or bodywork (e.g., shiatsu).

These studies and others like them clearly demonstrate that CAM therapies such as acupuncture and Oriental medicine are common practice in today's health care system. They also support the need for consumers to be provided accurate and reliable information regarding their treatment options."

Zen Inspired Art

To see this design and other zen inspired art on clothing, gifts for the home, office or acupuncture clinic visit the Planet Calamari Shoppe.

Important News from The AAAOM

August 21, 2009

An important AOM legislative update for NCCAOM Diplomates:

President Obama in his April 29th speech spoke favorably about acupuncture and opened the door for our profession to be included in the proposed national health insurance reform legislation.

Now it’s up to us to act.

AAAOM is pushing for this profession to be part of health care legislation, but for this to succeed it needs immediate help from you and your patients, both in the form of financial contributions via AOMPAF, and letters to Congress, via Rally Congress. The AAAOM’s 90-Day Legislative Review Report provides a chronology of all key activity to date.

Here’s why we’re so excited and what we’re doing right now:

AAAOM is strengthening its new alliance with the National Foundation of Women Legislators (NFWL), which represents America’s 2146 elected women legislators. These women either chair or constitute a majority on the health committees of all 50 state legislatures. There are now 17 women U.S. Senators and 73 Congresswomen in the U.S. House of Representatives.

AAAOM has committed $35,000 to sponsor NFWL’s annual convention on Labor Day weekend in New Mexico. To fund this opportune event, we much need your contributions and those of your patients.

AAAOM is slated to have a strong presence at this convention. We will have 20-30 acupuncturists educating all attendees (500+ did so in 2008) at workshops and breakout sessions. We will let them know why they should support acupuncture legislation in their respective states and on the federal level. We’ll also be giving short treatments to many legislators.

At their convention NFWL will consider the following resolution: “NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the National Foundation for Women Legislators Healthcare & Empowerment Policy Committee, that Congress should ensure that licensed acupuncture practitioners are included as providers in all government insurance programs and health delivery programs;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the National Foundation for Women Legislators Healthcare & Empowerment Policy Committee, that all 50 states governments, territories, and tribal communities are urged to license the practice of acupuncture and Oriental herbal medicine or improve their licensure guidelines to encourage a broader scope of practice.”

Passage of this resolution will be a huge boost to AAAOM’s legislative efforts, which is in part why AAAOM President Emeritus Claudette Baker and AAAOM Counsel Michael Taromina, Esq. are scheduled as keynote speakers, addressing the convention on the topic of healthcare reform. Convincing these women legislators that we belong in the American medical mainstream will go a long way to putting us on equal footing with other medical providers. This is a watershed moment for our profession.

In the past 100 days AAAOM has also made dramatic political progress in Washington, D.C. We have hired top-notch lobbyists Sam Brunelli and Beth Clay to represent our profession. With their help we have increased Congressional sponsorship of HR 646, the Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act, from 15 to 29 Representatives with more to come. Sam and Beth have received over 30,000 letters from patients in support of HR 646 to deliver to members of Congress and the Senate. As we build this momentum, we continue to need your letters and contributions to win.

Please visit AOMPAF to invest in your profession. If everyone gives even $25 a month, we will quickly reach our goals. Thank you for your support. Together we can build a sustainable future for AOM in U.S. healthcare.

For further information, place contact:

Claudette Baker, AAAOM President Emeritus (96-98), Co-chair NGA Committee

cbaker@aaaomonline.org

Harvey Kaltsas, AAAOM President Emeritus (92-94), Co-chair NGA Committee

hkaltsas@aaaomonline.org

JUNE 23, 2009 - HR 646: FLOOD THE PHONE LINES

HR 646 bill content: (Authored by: Congressman Maurice Hinchey)

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of qualified acupuncturist services under part B of the Medicare Program, and to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for coverage of such services under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.646.IH

» CALL YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REP
» CALL YOUR SENATORS
» CALL THE PRESIDENT
» ASK THEM TO PASS HR 646, THE FEDERAL ACUPUNCTURE COVERAGE ACT, INTO LAW

Our lobbyist needs one more thing to persuade legislators to support HR 646 – proof that patients care about this bill. Phone calls are especially persuasive proof.

JUNE 23, 2009 – the Floodgates are open for HR 646! We’re asking the AOM community--practitioners, students, schools, state associations, and our patient community--to flood the phone lines. Crisscrossing the country, we’re asking you to JAM THE PHONE LINES into your representatives asking them to co-sponsor HR 646 – encourage a companion bill in the Senate, and request the Obama administration to fold HR 646 into his healthcare reform package.

Who: Everyone… the entire AOM community –Flood your networks. Spread the word. Make it happen!

Why: The time couldn’t be better for us to assert ourselves, not only into the conversation, but into the law. There are 26,000 active acupuncturists, but our family of friends and supporters is infinite! The time is NOW, we need to speak as one voice while we face a favorable political environment.

When: JUNE 23, 2009 – the call floodgates are open for HR 646!
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time)
Call your Representative: Ask him or her to co-sponsor HR 646.
» Call your Senators: Ask them to co-sponsor a companion bill to HR 646.
» Call the President: 202-456-1111. Ask him to include HR 646 in the Healthcare Reform Act.