venus returns
summer 2024, vol.1
Dearest reader,
Welcome back to Venus and the Pearl.
Perhaps you noticed I missed a few instalments of the newsletter (Aquarius season and beyond). The end of winter and the budding of spring brought a great deal of change into my life and I had to set writing aside momentarily.
Having jumped head-first into a fitness journey in January, my days were filled with activities that my Venusian self would have never dreamt of doing. In fact, my life has turned rather Saturnian with discipline, changing me in the best of ways. More on that later.
Right when I had established a new routine, my partner and I adopted a puppy. Archer (Archie for short) is a black Lab mix with two white paws and a white butterfly-shaped spot on his chest. He’s a sweet, handsome boy who loves the ocean, sticks, and play dates at the park, and I’m completely obsessed with being his mommy. Archie is now 8 months old and has finally calmed down enough for me to sit down and craft this newsletter again.
Safe to say, my whole life got an upgrade, as has Venus and the Pearl! I dropped the astrological themes (kinda) and am leaning into one of two options: offering a long-form newsletter seasonally and/or shorter editions more often. If you have a preference, please let me know!
I am now seeing patients at Spring Wellness in Quadra Village on Wednesday and Fridays 4pm-8pm, and offering virtual consults Thursdays 12pm-4pm. This limited schedule accommodates Archie who is learning to safely stay home by himself. Book an in-person appointment at Spring Wellness here, or book an online herbal consult here.
Now a bit about the season. In TCM, summer is the season of the Heart and it’s all about leaning into our joy, both personally and relationally. It’s also an active time of year where Yang energy peaks, inspiring us to enjoy the outdoors, move our bodies more vigorously, and literally stop and smell the roses.
That leads me the following questions/journal prompts as we enjoy the last months of summer:
What joys do I yearn to return to?
What relationships light me up and leave me feeling uplifted?
What are my favourite ways to work up a good sweat?
How can I use the fire of transformation to sprint towards versions of myself I didn’t think were possible?
How can I lean into having fun, even when life feels challenging?
Writing this newsletter is one of the joys I am returning to. I deeply appreciate your readership, and I hope you enjoy this edition of Venus and the Pearl.
With warmth and care,
Andrea Penagos, R.TCM.P., L.Ac.
Registered TCM Practitioner (BC) + Licensed Acupuncturist (California)
venus in excess
When I began writing this newsletter last July, I stepped into an intimate relationship with Venus and the themes she represents - comfort, quality, values, love, pleasure, luxury. Truthfully, I had been in my Venusian era for a couple of years. While I have loved that for me, great ease brought with it a laxity of habits that wasn’t necessarily conducive to my health nor my longevity (gasp!).
Sometimes, our comfort needs to be disrupted if we want to get things done, achieve our goals, and be in integrity with the person we want to embody.
Physically, the body yearns to sweat, the muscles to strengthen, the brain to make new connections. We live for a challenge. And in hard work, we can also find great pleasure.
Could I be in my Saturnian era? Maybe. All I’m saying is we all must find our own sense of balance and know when we’ve surrendered to the trappings of excess for too long.
On my birthday, I gifted myself the experience of running my first ever 10k along the Vancouver sea wall. Afterwards, I rewarded myself with an iced coffee and a peach Danish pastry, celebrating my health while also indulging my desire for an occasional sweet treat. Because balance, right? :)
Read on as I introduce the woman who helped me rescue myself from my Venusian tendencies.
venus you should know: daryl marie bouchard
Meet Daryl Marie Bouchard, holistic nutritionist at Team D Nutrition.
From January through June, Daryl expertly guided me towards new eating and movement habits that helped me shift my lifestyle and lose 25 pounds. I knew I wanted to work with someone whose values I respected, and her unwavering focus on clean, whole foods and strength training deeply resonated with me.
As a military veteran fiercely dedicated to physical fitness, Daryl knows discipline and hard work. I can be notoriously non-compliant, so I made sure to work with someone who would be brutally honest with me while also being kind. Daryl delivered, keeping me accountable, openly questioning my limiting beliefs, and cheering me on when I needed a pep-talk.
Success markers along my journey included higher satiation with meals, less snacking, less aches and pain, increased strength, and better energy levels overall. My metabolic health and cardiovascular fitness improved significantly in a short amount of time, and continues to improve even now.
I am lighter, brighter, faster, stronger, and in awe of the work I have put in as part of Team D. I’m so grateful to Daryl for showing up with her expertise, encouragement, and no-nonsense attitude week after week, helping me overhaul my lifestyle and cultivate a newfound sense of integrity with my body, my values, and, in many ways, my work.
Daryl’s 20-week coaching program was one of the best investments I’ve made in my health in the recent past, giving me the momentum I needed to get my health back on track.
If you’re looking to work on your physical fitness, create a new relationship with food, and uplevel your health, I can’t recommend Daryl enough. And tell her I sent you <3
To check out Daryl’s work, visit her website, follow her on IG and subscribe to her podcast via Substack or Spotify.
year of the dragon health tips
* I wrote this article in February, but it still applies even though it’s super late! Better late than never, right?
Happy Belated Lunar New Year! The predominant theme for the year of the Wood Dragon is ENERGY. In the Chinese Zodiac wheel, the Dragon corresponds with the spring season and the month of April - think about the fiery, buoyant vitality of early spring (and Aries season). We have access to this vibe all year! If there’s a goal, dream, or vision that you have for your life, health, or career, this year has the muscle behind it to help propel you forward.
The year of the Wood Dragon brings with it an uprising of active, yang energy, which if not channelled can transform into stagnation, frustration, and anger, affecting our Liver, digestive system, and emotional health.
Here are a few health-centred tips to keep you vital and strong in the year of the Dragon:
Exercise consistently. There’s tremendous energy here for us to dial in our movement habits or uplevel them up if we already have a routine. Don’t know where to start? Walk in your neighbourhood, enjoy hikes, or engage in gentler movement like yoga or Qi Gong. Want to kick it up a notch? Try a run-walk, lift weights, take group classes, or challenge your personal records. Find a type of movement you enjoy and engage in it consistently. For a sassy, rap-forward workout compilation, check out my Run Day Playlist, or for a chill, slow-paced run playlist, check out my Feel Good Run Playlist.
Notice anger. As this is an uprising, active, fiery kind of year, be aware that we can veer into anger and emotional outbursts easily. Practice slowing down to exercise choice around habitual emotional patterns. Focus on your breathing, redirect your attention, and practice cultivating new responses. I love Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames, which offers a variety of mindfulness-based practices to handle our anger.
Stay inspired. The dragon is a mythical, creative, passionate creature. What lights you up? How can you take intentional steps towards a life that feels really good to live in? Remember the parts of yourself and activities that make you YOU, and engage in those activities to remain vibrant and joyful throughout the year.
If you didn’t catch the momentum to shift into new habits in the first half of the year, I encourage you to ride the wave of the Wood Dragon energy through the summer months into autumn.
pearls for your venusian soul
I have experienced, paid for, and loved all of these recommendations and want to share my findings with you. None of these reviews are sponsored.
Eminence Calm Skin Starter Set, Eminence Organics: I have lived with rosacea for more than half of my life (*cries in Spanish*). My skin becomes irritated so easily that I rarely experiment with new skincare products or let anyone touch my face (except for Guatemalan esthetician Andrea Ámez in LA, a literal angel/magician who writes a fantastic skin-centered Substack called ÁMEZING NEWS). Last summer, I walked into Posh Organics in Ashland, Oregon and met D (coincidentally also a Guatemalan esthetician from LA). She recommended Eminence Organics’ Calm Skin Starter Set plus their award-winning Calm Chamomile Exfoliating Peel. I started using the cleanser, moisturizer, and serum daily and I haven’t looked back since. GAME CHANGER. These products are gentle yet effective, and my skin has never looked better. If you struggle with rosacea, I definitely recommend giving this starter set a try.
Omnilux Contour LED Face Mask: Omnilux really got me with this one! I bought their Contour red light therapy face mask and, combined with the Eminence Organics Calm Skin suite, it’s kept the rosacea in check. It took more than the 12 recommended sessions to notice significant change (perhaps closer to 20 sessions), and I continue to use it 1-2x/week to control redness and hyperpigmentation. I purchased their Hyaluronic Acid Serum which is designed to amplify the results of the device, but I didn’t find it particularly helpful and prefer to use the face mask on a bare, clean face. Caveat: other devices might be more affordable, work better, or have different color settings, but this one has worked for me. Open to hearing which LED face masks have worked for you!
Whole Earth and Sea Fermented Organic Protein & Greens Powder: I started using Whole Earth and Sea’s vegan protein powder upon holistic nutritionist Daryl Bouchard’s recommendation, and I love it. Although I’m not a vegan, I wanted to try a plant-based protein powder because my sensitive digestion has responded poorly to whey protein (including isolate) in the past. This Canadian-made protein powder is organic, fermented, and additive-free with a greens and medicinal mushrooms complex and packs 21gms of protein per scoop. More and more research is emerging regarding the role of dietary protein in hormonal balance for cis-gendered females, along with muscle building and maintenance, bone health, tissue repair, and health span (which I hope to share more about in the next newsletter). Supplementing with protein powder is an easy way to increase overall protein intake, and personally has been key in helping me curb sugar cravings. My go-to flavors are Chocolate and Vanilla Chai (I’ve tried them all), and they pair well with berries, plant-based milks, and nut butters.
work with me
I offer acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, gua sha, moxibustion, and Reiki treatments at Spring Wellness in the Quadra Village neighborhood (Quadra + Kings) on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4pm-8pm. I bill insurance directly for acupuncture and accept policies from insurers like Pacific Blue Cross, Green Shield, Sun Life, Canada Life, Manu Life, and more. I also take ICBC patients.
I treat a range of conditions in my practice including acute injuries, chronic pain, back pain, sciatica, headaches, fatigue, anxiety, depression, digestive disorders, hormonal imbalances, and fertility challenges. I’m bilingual and offer services in Spanish when requested.
Online herbal consults are available for patients in the US & Canada on Thursdays from 11am to 4pm. With herbal consults, you receive a custom herbal protocol along with holistic tools like supplement recommendations, nutritional support, movement protocols, and/or meditations depending on the concern being addressed.
Thank you for your readership, and I’ll see you again soon for the next instalment of Venus and the Pearl.